The wind had turned to the warmer southeast and with the sun out, I decided for a longer road ride this evening. Starting again along the Biz'on the Bike trail I chose the 90K version at the split in Pecrot. Bossut, Grez-Doiceau, Bonlez, Gistoux and then upwards to Longueville and Dongelberg. Just past Dongelberg the trail runs parallel with the 1W ride. So I followed that towards Huppaye and stopped at the little chapel for a snack and to take some pictures.

Riding on towards Melin I finished the 1W ride in La Bruyere. Adding another loop over Meldert , Bierbeek and Haasrode brought me home with a solid distance and a good average. I noticed I passed the 1000K on my Vortex and also that it is the bike I rode most with so far this year. That does not mean I'm turning into a roadie. Its just that I missed a lot of kilometers in january and februari and with the Vortex the K's add up easily. I have plans for an Ardennes ride on the Merlin this weekend. Tomorrow will be a rest day for sure. I need to get some info on some new shoes. My old Shimano SPDs from 1992 are on their last legs. With nearly 20 years on them they are ready for a well-earned retirement.

Ride Stats : 85K and 710/705 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 3h7mins

2708/27165

05-05-2011, 21:22 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Looking for a 'not-too-difficult' ride I decided to follow the blue Biz'on the Bike markers and do the 57K loop. The markings date from last year but they are still there and this was the first time I rode this track with the Vortex. Legs felt tired but I still managed good speed, also due to the fact that the wind was less than yesterday. When I arrived in Bierbeek I decided to do an extra loop over Heverlee Park and then return to Blanden via the Expressweg. Good easy ride in sunny but sometimes overcast conditions. Temperature was up a couple of degrees compared to yesterday.

Ride Stats :  57.5K and 455/490 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 2h8mins

2623/26460

04-05-2011, 20:18 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

After having ridden the 35K base loop of this years' Haasrode TT I was eager to try out the 65K version I got yesterday from the organisation. I asked Roger L. if he wanted to come along and Roger agreed.
Around 3.30pm Roger parked his Seven Sola at my place and 20 minutes later we set out on the loop. The weather was sunny but a strong northeasterly wind made it no warmer than 15 degrees. A good windstopper proved no luxury. The first bit of the loop was of course very familiar to me, since it runs along the base loop. After the nice loop through Gottechain we got to the split and decided to ride on for the longer distance. The loop then turns towards Pietrebais and Longueville. The wind on the plains was not always to our advantage and the sun was welcome to warm us up again when the wind was in our favour. We rode at a leisurely pace, heartrates around 110 bpm , and enjoyed the fine landscapes that paraded under our wheels. When we rode through the rapeseed fields towards Heze I could not resist taking a couple of pictures. The greens and yellows were amazing.

We then rode towards the Chapelle du Cheneau in Longueville, the furthest point of the route. The track then made for Heze town and later Biez. Passing Grez Doiceau we arrived back on the base loop. Through Gottechain and Bossut and then towards Nethen and the Meerdael Forest. Here I was a little complacent and followed the base loop towards the point where we injected on the route, thus missing some 10K and 200 or more heightmeters. So we ended up doing a 55-56K loop instead of the full 65K. But in view of the fading light it was perhaps not a bad thing we missed out on that extra loop. We were both very satisfied with our ride. Beautiful landscapes, nice weather and a good long-distance workout. We can do the full monty somewhere during the next weeks.

Ride Stats : 62K and 735/820 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 3h24mins

2565/25980

03-05-2011, 21:51 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Another beautiful sunny morning and I could not resist taking the Vortex out for yet another long ride. I decided to start along the tracks of the Haasrode - Huy - Haasrode ride - which was also taking place today - and then past Jodoigne iject myself on the L142 ravel route. And indeed, as I expected, the HHH crossed the Ravel at Huppaye. So from there I followed the 'Croix the La Hesbaye', a tarmac bikepath following the trail of the old Line 142 railroad. You can read more about this here.
The wind was blowing rather strong from the northeast - again - and while I passes through Eghezee and Vedrin I knew the way back home would be difficult. But at least on the way back the track would go downhill. Now I climbed until I reached the 200m mark . At Cognelee the trail started to descend , an 8km long descent riding towards the Saint Servais area of Namur. Arriving at the end of the line I turned around and took a picture of the bike at the 43K waypoint.

I then started the long ascent back to Cognelee. Pausing for a bite to eat overlooking Saint Servais and again taking some pictures.

The wind was blowing from the right now, and from time to time it was blowing hard in my face. But all went well and again I passed Eghezee and now followed the Ravel to Jodoigne and Hoegaarden. Here I left the L142 and rode towards the Marollen Kapel , Oorbeek and Hoksem. Riding on towards Kumtich and Willebringen I was quickly back in Bierbeek and Haasrode. The wind was blowing in my favour now - at last - and on the downhill into Blanden I nearly did 50kph. Good solid long ride in excellent circumstances ;  dry and sunny , with only the strong northeasterly wind playing spoilsport to make the conditions perfect. Still managed a good average and had a low heartrate of only 113bpm on average throughout the ride.

Ride Stats : 120K and 655/695 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 4h23mins

2504/25160

01-05-2011, 16:29 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Saw some green arrows during my ride yesterday and I was pretty sure they belong to the Circuit du St Georges, a 90K road ride starting in Grez Doiceau. So today I took the Vortex for a long road ride . The Circuit passed in Blanden so I picked up easily. The arrows were very visible but sometimes inconsistently placed. One time on the right side of the road, one time on the left side. But as a whole the arrowing was good. The sun was out but there was also a strong wind blowing from the east, dampening the euphoric feeling somewhat.
The track went through Sint Joris Weert, Terlanen, Ottenburg and Archennes towards Grez Doiceau. Here I passed the start for the rest of the ride. First they went to Longueville, then though Incourt and Dongelberg in the direction of Jodoigne. But they didn't quite go so far, stead turning to the right for a nice loop through Bomal and Autre-Eglise towards Huppaye. Had a bit to eat here before braving the wind that was blowing in my face now on the plateaus.

From time to time the track veered to the left or right which gave me some time to recuperate. Through Jodoigne and then towards St Remy Geest where a long stretch of cobbles reminded me of the difference between a roadbike and a mountainbike. Even though the frame absorbs a lot it still kicks from time to time on these uneven cobblestones. But I survived and continued my way towards Melin and then towards La Bruyere and Beauvechain. Here I left the route which veered to the left towards Opvelp to add another loop to reach a 100K. Towards Meldert , Willebringen and Bremt and then into Bierbeek where I picked up on the Circuit du Saint Georges again for the last stretch through Haasrode and Blanden. Not bad as an training ride and with 800 heightmeters not that easy either. But today the wind was the biggest adversary.

Ride Stats : 104K and 840/825 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 4h2mins

2384/24465

30-04-2011, 15:52 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Some rain last evening and this morning but I didn't mind waiting a bit to start my ride. Watching Prins William say 'I do' to his princess Catherine while waiting for the tracks to dry out a bit. Sun was out and skies were blue when I rode out half past noon.
I wanted to do a substantial ride so I chose to combine a couple of Meerdael Bloso routes with the majestic hilly section of the Meerdael Classic 100K organised ride. This section comprises around 35K and close to 700 heighmeters. No comment on the toughness.
Starting with the Green Bloso in the opposite direction, connecting soon with the Blue just outside Blanden. I decided not to do the Red because that would lead me too far before I got to the start of the Hilly Section. So when I arrived in Nethen after the downhill of the Savenel, I crossed the road to Sint Joris Weert and climbed into the Ruelle du Curé. Down and up in and out of Pecrot and then I was at the little train station where the Meerdael Classic passes. The Hilly section is what makes the difference between the 65 and 100K distances of the Meerdael Classic. When I started the first serious climb up in the Bois de Laurensart I met Johan of Vaalbeek. It had been a while since we last met and I was pleased to be able to say HI to him. Hope to meet you again soon, Johan.
Into the Ottenbrug area next where the track goes up and down relentlessly. I stopped for a couple of pictures in the little secluded valley before attempting the steep climb in the opposite direction of the Overijse Red Bloso.

I only had to stop once on that climb because of a slippery root so I must have a very good condition. Its been a while since I was able to ride this climb. Into the Sint Agatha Rode bos next for another 21% climb, which is easier because there are no roots. The temperature was ideal for this kind of demanding ride, around 20 degrees C with a refreshing breeze from the east. During the ride the sun would hide and some darker clouds would emerge but it hasn't rained yet. Again a steep climb in the right direction this time of the Overijse Bloso to a plateau where you have a magnificent view of Huldenberg.

Down into Huldenberg and then following the river Ijse for a while. When the track arrives at the Margijsbos there are 4 successive climbs waiting for me. After the last one the trail descents towards the Wolfshagen and then another climb takes me back up to the Smeysberg plateau. Down towards Sint Agatha Rode and then crossing the Marbaise to reach Pecrot. A last steep climb into the Beaumont forest and I can descent towards Nethen to find the Blue Bloso again. Following this until it connects to the Green Bloso just before entering Heverleebos.

Now there are some easier kilometers waiting for me, ideal to recuperate a bit from the heavy work on the Meerdael Classic loop. When I reach the point where I injected on the Green Bloso I have close to 80K on my counter. Just a little connection to reach my home, tired but very satisfied with the ride.


Ride Stats : 85.5K and 1080/1200 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 4h31mins30secs

2280/23640

29-04-2011, 00:00 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Some rain has fallen today and the tracks were a little bit wet when I rode through Heverleebos towards the meeting point for the start of the weekly KBC MTB club ride. The sun was shining but in the forest temperatures were only around 15 or 16 degrees, a far cry from the 25 degrees we had last week. But there was more oxygen in the air and the pollen had been washed out by the rain.
There were 7 guys and one girl at the start and we set out through Heverleebos towards Korbeek Dyle where we entered the Doode Beemde, following the river Dyle for a while and then the little tracks in this Nature Reserve. From Neerijse we followed the river Ijse until we reached the Margijsbos.

Here we climbed upwards and then rode towards the Wolfshagen and Sint Joris Weert. Entering the Doode Beemde again and following the old train track the girl in our company suffered a flat tyre. 2 man to help her, and one to put it on a digital camera, and several minutes later we could continue our path through the Beemde towards Sint Joris Weert.

Entering Meerdael Forest now and while the others rode back to the start, I chose to ride home through Vaalbeek and the Prosperdreef. Had a good ride with a very low intensity heartrate-wise. Only 108bpm on average. But with an average speed of nearly 20kph we were not exactly slow. The tracks turned out to be mostly dry with some small puddles here and there. The bike will need cleaning but I can do that tomorrow since I took a day off from work.

Ride Stats : 35.5K and 220/295 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 1h47mins

2198/22440

28-04-2011, 21:20 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Another fine day and when I came home from work I just had to go out and ride. 7th straight day in a row but my legs felt surprisingly good. I chose to ride the Meerdael Bloso's with just a couple of extra snippets along the way to spice things up. Starting off with the Green I could maintain a very good speed, spending lots of time on the big ring. I was amazed that after 1 hour of riding I had more than 21.5kph on average. Obviously the average dropped when I engaged the Blue but on the Red I could set out all sails and speed along the forest trails. During all that time my heartrate was surprisingly low so I didn't even have to push myself. It seemed like my feet were pushing the pedals down all by themselves. Switching on the Blue and then finally again on the Green I started to feel the efforts though but then I was alsmost home. 7 days, 500K and 4400 heightmeters and 20 hours of riding. The good weather made me do it ! 
Now its time for a day of rest and a kine session to check my healing shoulder muscles. My average heartrate today was 112bpm and my max 133. 

Ride Stats : 58K and 525/610 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 2h45mins

2163/22145

26-04-2011, 19:52 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Beautiful day - again - and I took the Litespeed Vortex out for an easy ride along the Vaart towards Mechelen. From Mechelen I followed the Zennegat until I reached Willebroek. Here my counter was almost on 50K so that was sufficient for a good ride. Riding up to Mechelen I could make good speed, the wind was more or less in my back and at times I saw my speedometer go towards 36-37kph. The tarmac trails along the Vaart were pretty busy with all kinds of people so speeding along at 30kph+ I had to scream a lot to make my presence known. Note to self, check if you can put a little bell on the Vortex.
When I reached the midpoint of my ride I stopped for a little snack and to take some pictures of a Sherman Firefly tank that had been put there to commemorate the liberation of Willebroek in WW2.

Turning the bike around I immediately felt the wind in my face. The track runs more or less to the southeast and I'm guessing the wind was blowing from the east. When I neared Mechelen and rode next to the Vaart I was riding more towards the south but could still feel the wind coming from my left. I rode at the left side of the water as much as possible to minimize the wind. Halfway I caught up with another biker was was riding more than 30kph as well and we rode along together until he had to veer off towards Linden at the Remy towers in Wijgmaal. We had a good conversation and could keep the speed well up. Now all I had to do was ride around Leuven and reach Blanden. Here I did another little loop to reach the 100K mark. Very pleasant ride and due to the high average probably more taxing than imagined.
My average heartrate was rather low though - 123bpm - so I hope I got some recuperation during this ride.
  
Ride Stats : 100K and 225/255 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 3h27mins

2105/21535

25-04-2011, 14:46 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Another beautiful day and Easter to boot. Took the Vortex out for a spin along the Haasrode Toer. That is a route that I have been doing for quite some time now. It starts in - not surprisingly - Haasrode and follows some nice roads towards Willebringen, Hoksem, Oorbeek and the edge of Hoegaarden. I usually stop at the Marollenkapel, which was built to be a miniature effigy of the Scherpenheuvel church. I had something to eat and took a couple of pictures. The sun was shining and there was only a little breeze coming from the north-east. Great conditions for biking. 

From the Marollenkapel I then set forth towards l'Ecluse, where a stretch of cobblestones gave the Vortex and me some good vibrations. Nothing too bad though and I rode on towards Beauvechain and Pietrebais. From here I decided to avoid the bad macadam in Archennes and ride through Bossut and La Malaise instead. The stretch on the La Malaise plain used to be cobblestoned but they have added some tarmac here and there and it rides better than the old macadam in Archennes. Down to Pecrot and then taking the road towards Ottenbrug before turning to the right towards Sint Agatha Rode. Another bad stretch of macadam and then I could recuperate a bit on some nice zooming tarmac towards Sint Joris Weert. The center of Sint Joris Weert was closed for the Weertse Feesten but I could take a small connecting road towards the Zoete Waters.
In all a very nice long distance ride on which I noticed that my heartrate didn't want to go up. Sign of fitness or perhaps also a sign of the intensity of the last 3 days? I did almost 400K and 3700 heightmeters this week. Due to the excellent weather of course just begging me to go out and ride a bike. I leave you with the GPS track to this little ride.


Ride Stats : 71K and 475/515 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 2h35mins

2004/21280

24-04-2011, 17:54 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Looking for an easy mounatinbike ride isn't that easy. I rode towards the Zesdagmaalstraat in Sint Agatha Rode where I pick in on the Overijse BLOSO routes. Getting there involved some riding through Meerdael Forest towards Nethen, and then onwards over Pecrot, crossing both Marbaises and climbing up to the Zesdagmaalstraat.
It had rained here yesterday evening - a short thunderstorm - so the tracks were a little moist but it proved to be a very local phenomenon because once I had passed Terlanen it was dryness all along. But that made the track very fast. On the steep climb of the Moskesstraat I felt my muscles protesting and they did the same on the little track just before Huldenberg.
What I also did notice is that I am on the big ring a lot sooner than I usually do. This might be a benefit from riding the Vortex. I passed some beautiful landscapes and could not resist capturing one of them on my Sony.

In Overijse I paused briefly to have a little snack and then I moved on for the remainder of the routes. Added an extra climb just before Ottenburg - a very technical one with lots of stones - but soon I was negotiating the last climbs to reach the point where I injected myself into the route. Riding back towards Sint Joris Weert and from the Kluis taking the Denteneerpad crossing Meerdael Forest again. The air seemed cleaner than yesterday and it didn't feel that hot either. I noticed that I passed the 20000 heightmeters mark today. Still a lot of catching up to do, both in kilometers as in heightmeters, compared to the last couple of years .

Ride Stats : 59K and 740/820 heightmeters in 3h13mins

1934/20765

23-04-2011, 14:56 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Got the track for the Gambrinus 105K ride starting from Leuven from my friend Roger, and today looked like a fine day to try it out. I have no way to attach my Garmin 705 to my bike but I would grab it out of my back pocket when I needed it.
Through Vaalbeek and next to the Zoete Waters , then Korbeek Dyle and a bit further I picked up on the track. The weather was promising to be hot and sunny so I took the precaution of applying sun lotion on my arms. Sun lotion before Easter, the world is indeed heating up it seems.
The track made its way towards Leefdaal, Vossem and Duisburg. Towards Maleizen a first climb announced itself. It would certainly not be the last. Dropping into La Hulpe, riding towards Ohain and Genval I had to look at the GPS frequently, sometimes even stopping to keep things safe. I was riding a bike in traffic after all. Some nice backroads and bigger roads brought me into Lasne, where it was rather busy in the town centre.

The track was now climbing and descending all the time as I rode towards Couture St Germain. The highest gear needed to go on and still the hill was very steep. Then I arrived in Ceroux Mousty and had a nice long drop into Ottignies LLN. Busy town traffic again and I took a wrong turn somewhere. Half way the hill I looked at my GPS and saw my mistake. Turning around and I was on my way for a nice passage through the forest in Limelette. Very steep hill again and then a bikepath through the Bois du Manil. Nice. I had a bit to eat and then the track dropped me down into Limal. Climbing again to Rixensart before arriving at the Lac de Genval. Lacs are mostly in the deeper regions so indeed, a new and steep uphill, this time bringing me on the road to Maleizen. From here I was on familiar grounds and I could guess which hills they would include. I left out a steep one going from Archennes to Bossut, instead riding a bit further towards de Chaussee de Wavre where I did the same hill but with a lesser slope. The Rue de Pecrot climbing out of Pecrot towards Nethen finished off a great succession of climbs. When I arrived back at the Zoete Waters, the counter gave more than a 100K so I did another century ride on the Vortex. I leave you with the map and the GPS track if you want to try this ride yourself one day. There are NO markings on the road so you need the track to find your way around.


Ride Stats : 107K and 975/1100 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 4h16mins

1875/19945

22-04-2011, 16:37 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

The rear tyre of the Moots has been fixxed by Filip @ Filip Sport so it was ready to go . The weather was again very warm, with temperatures of 25 degrees C when the KBC MTB club met at the Heverlee meeting point. There were 10 bikers at the start. I decided to lead the ride around the basic track of the 2011 Haasrode TT, some 34K normally but I would cut the furthest section short in Gottechain. The first couple of kilometers brought us to the start in Haasrode. The field roads were very dusty, something we would experience throughout the entire ride. It was almost as if some fine powder was sprayed on to the roads. Luckily once we got into Meerdael Forest the trails were less dusty. But still very dry of course.

The pace was pretty high throughout the entire ride and the group was very homogenous. When we arrived in Bossut someone got a flat front tyre so we had to pause for a while to have that fixxed.

The sun was setting fast now and we had to hurry through the fields and drop into Nethen. Long climb into Meerdael forest for the last stretch of the track towards the Naamsesteenweg. Unfortunately disaster struck for one of the guys when he broke his rear derailler jockey wheel. He could still ride his bike though and I left the group when we passed my home. Someone's front tyre was losing air so I lend him my big pump to inflate it to 4 bars. This would be enough for the last 5 or 6 K back to the meeting point. I think apart from the mechanical and the flat tyres, we had a good ride through the dry and dusty countryside.

Ride Stats : 39K and 345/395 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 1h58mins

1768/18845

21-04-2011, 22:11 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Another summer day so I took off for an easy ride . First I had to stop at the Cafe bij Wiske in Blanden because I noticed an Evo 9 I knew standing there. Had a quick chat with the owner - Oh yeah its for sale, 25K€ for 440bhp or thereabouts - and took a couple of pictures. I know the history of this car and I would advise against paying that much for this one. It has been tormented even though well maintained, at least by its previous owner.  I could be wrong, but I think the current owner does not really understand what this car represents. I am still looking for a red one, preferably a Belgian one, but I would not shy away from a UK version either..

That being said, I rode on and went to my sisters' at Binkom, passing by the above Evo 9's previous owner for another little chat. He has an Evo X now, but currently the engine is blown so he has to wait, and pay for a rebuild. Fast cars are expensive.
My ride then took me back  to Lubbeek and Lovenjoel, before finishing over Bierbeek and Haasrode. It was almost 27 degrees C so much too hot for the time of the year. Still I felt rather well and had a good strong ride with the Litespeed Vortex.

Ride Stats : 45K and 325/345 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 1h35mins 

1728/18450

20-04-2011, 19:05 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

18-04-2011, 19:30 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

After yesterdays' heavy offroad ride I had an onroad ride in mind for today. About time I did a serious distance with the Litespeed Vortex so I decided to ride towards Hoegaarden to join the Ravel number 2 , also known as the 'Croix de la Hesbaye'. This tarmac track runs along an old railroad . This means a couple of things. First the grade of the hills is never more than 4%, which was the maximum grade the old locomotives could master. Secondly, its exclusively reserved to bikers and hikers. Which means for a tranquil ride, only interrupted when you cross a road. I didn't want to ride all the way to Namur, which would bring the total distance to 120K, but decided to ride to the top of the slow ascent, somewhere between Eghezee and Vedrin, just before the long downhill towards Namur starts. Passing Jodoigne the sun came out and I stopped to remove my armlings.

Reaching Eghezee, where it was rather busy with market and also a hikers event which followed the Ravel for a couple of kilometers, I rode on towards Longchamps where the ravel continues towards Cognelee. Just before I reached the 52K point I decided to turn around. The wind was blowing from the east and it seemed to have grown stronger after the sun broke through the morning clouds. I could see the ancient trainstation of Cognelee and stopped for a snack. 
The was back was easier, with the slope now going downwards. Only a little uphill after Eghezee. I stopped at the plaque with the Ramillies battlefield situation. Here the troops of the duke of Marlborough fought those of the Marchal Viceroy  in 1706 - and took a couple of pictures before steaming on towards Jodoigne again

Now came the most difficult part of this ride. Up until now I had been able to maintain a good average speed, keeping my heartrate low. But for the last 20K I had to climb out of Hoegaarden and then had a couple of more climbs in Meldert and Opvelp. But I felt exceptionally well and when I arrived home I was pleased to see my average heartrate was only 24bpm for an average speed of more than 28kph.
So this was the first century ride with the Litespeed Vortex and it went quite well . The bike is light and fast and still offers enough comfort to brave the beaten macadam roads. The comfort comes from the tyres and the 6/4 titanium frame, the Seven/Reynolds fork and tight Campagnolo Neutron wheels are built for steering precision and speed, and only  attribute marginally to dampen any shock.

Ride Stats : 104K and 535/540 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 3h40mins

1625/17580

17-04-2011, 18:23 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

The rear tyre of the Moots needed new NoTubes liquid so when I collected the wheels from my Merlin, which were refilled as well, chez Filip Sport, I dropped the Moots wheel.
Checking out the Merlin, yes why not on the O2 Bikers extended loop I call Julie 5 . I decided to ride it in the clockwise direction today, which obviously adds a couple of new challenges. Making my way to Grez over Bossut I decided to make the Julie 6 start on the little square there. The weather was OK, not too warm, neither too cold, although I needed armlings for the first hour, especially when riding through the Meerdael Forest which still was rather frisky.

Once on the loop and riding the Merlin over the continuous succession of hills and descents I quickly warmed up though. I felt good and the bike was helping me to ride fast over the dry trails. The speed in the descents was sometimes scary, this is the bike I feel I reach my limits on , long before reaching the bikes' limits.  In short, this bike is a lot faster than its rider .
Climbing out of Heze towards the Bois de Glabais I met a large group of Blancs Gilets. The monitors recognized me and we had a little chat. They were doing a local loop with the kids of the club. I felt a bit awkward because I wasn't wearing my clubs' jersey. But when I ride the Merlin, I wear the Merlin colors. Into the Gorge du Loup and I got started on a very intense part of the loop. Heightmeters galore and descents to catch my breath and let my heartrate drop .

Next came the section between Longueville and Gistoux. I explored a new loop, avoiding a very steep ascent and adding a couple of extra heightmeters instead, dropping down deeper into Gistoux. My legs were still feeling good so I could keep the pace up whilst I rode towards Bercuit and Dion-Valmont. The last climb towards the Rue du Centry was blocked last month, so I avoided that by taking another climb next to the N25 and turning right towards Doiceau in the end. From Grez I set back towards Bossut, completing the 65K loop in 3h55mins. Not bad at all, especially since my average heartrate was only 130bpm throughout the entire ride.

On the way back I took a little pause on the bridge over the Naamsesteenweg, before heading home . Getting used to the Merlin was easy. Upon checking I found that my average speed over this ride was 2.4kph higher than with the Litespeed Obed. The Merlin is such a great bike, it weighs approximately the same as the Obed hardtail but offers 4 inches of suspension in the rear, and this makes a lot of difference, especially on the dry hard trails.

The trail, you can get it at Garmin Connect. I would appreciate some feedback if you do download and ride it. I believe it is a great track, whichs gets a lot out of the area. That being said, do not forget you are in for a 1000 heightmeters over the 65K distance, so be prepared to leave some sweat on these trails.


Ride Stats : 85K and 1195/1280 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 4h36mins

1521/17040

16-04-2011, 16:42 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Today is the weekly rendez-vous with the collegues from KBC for our mountainbike trip. I left home 45 minutes earlier to ride already a little distance to warm up . Passing through Blanden and over the Wijngaardberg towards Heverlee and the army caserne where I followed some tracks on the military domain before joining the bikers at the start of the ride. We were 8 to set out under my guidance into the Heverleebos. I then went towards the Doode Beemde where I needed a little help from my GPS and a fellow biker to get me out of that nature reserve again. Then the Meerdael Forest was next on the menu. Up until now the heightmeters had been missing but into Meerdael I enjoyed myself riding up and down the Nethen crest, passing from Sint Joris Weert over La Hetraie to Nethen itself.

Unfortunately - or fortunately for some - my rear tyre was losing air and I had to stop the guiding and make my way home . I tried to inflate it but the air didn't seem to go in. The tyre is NoTubes so I could still get home without too much trouble. When I reached my home I got out my good pump and inflated the tyre again.This time it did inflate and I heard no air escaping. I have to wait to see if the gap has been closed or not. At first glance I did not find any foreign bodies in the tyre and I also did not find a wet spot where the liquid had escaped. Wait and see no doubt.

Ride Stats : 40K and 320/395 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 2h9mins

1436/15760

14-04-2011, 21:14 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

This noon saw me at the start of the 51st Brabantse Pijl in Leuven, taking some pictures with my mobile phone and enjoying some sunshine in the crowd gathered at the Grote Markt. Taking a break from work I witnessed Michel Wuyts announce the riders one team at a time. Some hours later I was watching Philippe Gilbert winning , looking very relaxed whilst beating a brave Bjorn Leukemans at the sprint on top of the Schavei. Gilbert looks ready for the Amstel and the Liege, for sure.

Then I set out on the Litespeed Vortex but I was looking at a lot of wind, rather cold weather and some dark clouds gathering. My initial plan was to do around 50K but when I noticed the clouds were coming closer and it looked like there was rain coming out of them, I quickly decided to cut my ride short and make for home as quickly as possible. The rain veils were getting more prominent by the minute and just when I was entering Bierbeek I got a first little splash of raindrops. Moving closer to Blanden I got another one. The smell of the dry streets getting wet was overwhelming. But it was only a couple of drops, nothing more. Still the temperature had dropped again and I was glad to be home with a somewhat shorter but very intense ride under my belt. I tested the Camelbak Rogue and the frame pump and both didn't move ann inch. I hardly felt the Camelbak at all on my back, it was light even though it carried a spare inner tyre, on O2 canister and injector, tyre irons and my Galaxy S mobile phone. It is also very short so it doesn't block the rear pockets of my jersey. Well conceived indeed. I ordered a titanium King Cage in Durango, along with some titanium tire 'irons' to replace the plastic ones I now carry. The King Cage will be used to hold a drinking bottle.

Ride Stats : 30K and 205/205 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 1h3mins

1396/15365

13-04-2011, 20:27 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Beautiful weather so no holding me when I arrived home from work. On yer bike and ride. Decided to do the base loop of the 2011 Haasrode TT again. In the opposite direction. Last time I managed to do it under 2 hours and the conditions were good today as well. Sun shining, slight breeze from the west and about 20 degrees C. The tracks were dry and fast and I felt surprisingly good. The bike caused me no worries and the kilometers flew by.

Stopping for a little pause, long enough to take a picture and I'm back riding towards Gottechain where the impossible climb becomes a tricky descent. I spent a lot of time on the middle ring today where a couple of weeks ago I would need the small ring to make the grade. Looks like my legs are getting stronger at last. I closed the loop well under 2 hours and was very pleased to see that my average heartrate was only 123bpm. Good workout. Very pleased with this ride. I think I am ready for the Ardennes now.

Ride Stats : 39K and 430/490 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 1h52mins

1366/15160

11-04-2011, 18:51 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf