Was home early from work so I had the time to do a longer ride today. Since the weather was calm but clouded and not too warm, I chose to wear windstopper underwear and a long-sleeved jersey. A good choice as would turn out during the ride.
I started out over Bierbeek, Honsem and Willebringen and then moved on to Kumtich and Oorbeek to reach Hoegaarden. Here I picked up on the Ravel 2 which I followed past Jodoigne until I reached Eghezee. From Eghezee I took the N91 back towards Geest-Gerompont-Petit-Rosiere where I took a left on the Ravel which led me towards Perwez. From Perwez I took a right and made my way towards the enigmatic little village of Maleves-Sainte-Marie-Wastinnes. Here I paused for a snack and a couple of pictures.

30-08-2011, 19:51 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Felt cold today so I added an extra layer of underwear before riding out around 6pm. With 17 degrees C and a cool breeze from the west this seemed like a good idea and it also turned out that way. I wanted to do a shorter ride today with a good speed so I set out over Bierbeek, Meldert , La Bruyere and Beauvechain, before turning towards Hamme Mille , Nethen and Sint Joris Weert. At the Zoete Waters I turned towards Vaalbeek and Blanden to finish my ride. The speed was high and I felt strong throughout the ride. With a solid 28kph as average speed and only 117bpm as my average heartrate I think I did well today.

Endomondo track


Ride Stats : 43.5K and 240/260 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 1h32mins

8780/74665

29-08-2011, 20:09 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Today I wanted to ride the 'Ronde van Leuven', a ride organised by the local communal services and roughly going around Leuven in a big circle. Starting out as usual at the School in Blanden, I met up with Geert, who was going to accompany me for half of the way. He had started 35K earlier near his hometown. The lap went in the opposite direction from last years, now going towards Vaalbeek where we were surprised to be sent into Heverleebos. Since we - and several others - were riding road bikes , this was a dire adventure. No grip with our skinny tyres and having to be very careful not to flatten on whatever was lurking on the forest floor. Some cobbles to finish and we were in Oud-Heverlee. From here we were back on normal roads and we moved on towards the Celestijnenlaan. Lost track of the arrowing here and we had to find our way back to the track by guesstimating where they would cross the tervuursesteenweg. We found the track again and followed it over some hills next to the E314. Into Winksele and then onwards towards Herent. The skies were filled with dark menacing clouds but it would remain dry for the entire ride. It was a mere 17 degrees C and a strong wind from the southwest would be our main adversary during this ride. When we reached Kortrijk Dutsel, Geert bid me farewell and rode homewards. Me, I had still some way to go, and most of it would be with the wind straight in my face. There were a lot less bikers than last years, but that may have been because I only started around 11am, or - more likely - because of the uncertain and fresh weather. When I was passing bikers on the long macadam roads leading from Kortrijk Dutsel towards Linden, I saw many grins and they did not seem to enjoy themselves. I was struggling too, and the quality of the roads did not add to my joy and bliss. Lots of small tramac roads which were littered by all kinds of debris from last weeks thunderstorms. When I reached Bierbeek they again went onto a cobble road and when I noticed they were going to take a sandy trail again I decided to quit the track and make my own way into Blanden again.  Normally I would have considered adding a couple of K's to the ride but the wind made me decide to call it a day when I reached the School of Blanden again.

28-08-2011, 15:19 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Rode out around 11am for a ride that was the same as last tuesday. A 57K ride that takes me a little more than 2 hours to complete when in shape. Today the weather was tricky to predict. I took my Assos Blitzfeder with me to be on the safe side but except for a couple of raindrops and continuously changing clouds I was in the dry for the complete ride. The temperature was fresh and a very gusty wind was making it feel like autumn when the sun was obscured by the clouds. With the sun out it felt a little better. When I reached Blanden I decided to add another loop and took the last leg of last wednesdays' ride as my example. Riding along the Naamsesteenweg towards Heverlee, then riding up towards the caserne and taking left to reach Heverlee Park. From there I followed the Geldenaaksesteenweg towards Haasrode Industriepark where I did a lap of the grounds before taking the small tarmac roads parallel to the E40 to reach Haasrode and then Blanden. Whilst I am typing this, a thunderstorm has broken loose, with thunder, lightning and torrential rain. So I was again very lucky today to escape the really bad weather.

Endomondo track


Ride Stats : 75K and 500/510 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 2h46mins

8664/73910

27-08-2011, 14:36 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

I did exactly the same ride as last tuesday. The weather was fine with an average temperature of 25 degrees C. There were dark clouds again and at one point the streets were a bit humid. I was lucky because while I am typing this, outside it has started raining and it doesn't look like it will end soon.
The legs felt good, even though not as strong as last tuesday, so I managed to make it a solid ride , focussing on riding the big ring and pushing hard on the little uphills. Since the ride is relatively short I don't risk going over my capabilities. I feel like I have becoming a lot stronger riding the roadbike. The long rides coupled to sufficient recovery rides, and rest days, seem to be bearing fruit. I will do some more sub-100K rides for a while, and hope to get started on the mountainbike by the end of next week, with the coming of september.

Endomondo track


Ride Stats : 57.5K and 310/320 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 2h02mins

8589/73400

25-08-2011, 20:48 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

The guys at the Vuelta made good haste today so I was able to ride out myself half an hour earlier than yesterday. When I left the sun was still shining but there was a dark cloud coming nearer over Leuven. I had checked meteox and there was no imminent rain threat so I didn't take any precautions, just riding with short sleeves and no raincoat. I had planned to do the same ride as yesterday so I started out over Bierbeek, Meldert, La Bruyere, Beauvechain, Hamme Mille and Nethen. By the time I reached Sint Joris Weert the skies were dark but I saw no rain veils so I figured it would *probably* not rain. Still I decided to skip the Neerijse-Egenhoven loop and rode towards the Zoete Waters instead. From there I rode on towards Oud-Heverlee and Heverlee Park. The dark clouds were still above me but still no raindrop had fallen. Taking more courage I decided to ride towards the Haasrode Industrie park and then loop back over Haasrode towards Blanden. When I was riding the Haasrode Industriepark loop the skies cleared out and the sun re-appeared. Ok so I got lucky today. In all I had a kilometer more than what I did yesterday and I even netted more heightmeters. Still my average speed was a little lower but so was my average heartbeat. 27.2 kph and 111bpm instead of 28.6kph and 121bpm yesterday.

Endomondo track


Ride Stats : 59K and 335/385 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 2h09mins

8531/73080

24-08-2011, 20:46 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Last night and this morning saw again some heavy thunderstorms. In the afternoon it dried out and after watching the Vuelta with a finish on the Sierra Nevada I decided to ride out. It was warm and there was a breeze blowing from the south. I rode a lap taking me from Bierbeek to Meldert, then to La Bruyere and back to Beauvechain.  From Beauvechain I set forth towards Hamme Mille and Nethen. In Nethen they were still cleaning mud off of the streets because the river Nethen had overflown during or after the heavy rain .
From Nethen I rode on towards Sint Joris Weert and then, whilst riding towards Sint Agatha Rode, I saw that the river Dyle was also close to overflowing. Not much more water is needed, lets hope it stays dry for a day or so to allow the water to drain away. From Sint Agatha I rode towards Neerijse and Egenhoven. I had spent most of the time on the big ring and I was riding fast, despite the warm weather. My legs felt strong after the days rest I had and I could push hard on the pedals when needed. From Egenhoven I rode back to Arenberg and Oud-Heverlee. The Zoete Waters were also close to overflowing when I rode past them on my way home. I had a good ride and finishing in just over 2 hours on a 57.5K course is certainly not bad. The average temperature during this ride was 25 degrees C.

Endomondo track


Ride Stats : 57.5K and 310/340 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 2h01mins

8473/72695

23-08-2011, 21:02 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Up at 2am for work, back into my bed at 7am and then around 11 I was up for good. Left home at noon for an easy recovery ride in a warm and dry breeze accentuating a very hot and broody day. I went for a loop that took me to Bierbeek and Meldert first. Met Maris and Marco Polo just before Meldert. Marco had a flat tyre and this gave me an opportunity to stop and chat with them for a while. We have been saying 'Hi' whilst crossing our path for months now and this was actually the first time we actually talked. It struck me that carbon can be beautiful, especially when it is the building block of a top-end Colnago frame.
Leaving them I rode along towards La Bruyere and Beauvechain. Hamme Mille was next and the sun became shrouded by clouds when I entered Nethen. The wind had become very noticeable now and I decided to do an extra loop from Sint Joris Weert to Neerijse, then following the road to Egenhoven and Heverlee before returning to Blanden via the Naamsesteenweg. Had a good relaxing ride and even though this last week saw me riding more than 500K I still felt rather good. I plan to taper down in the next week to allow my body to recuperate some more from the last couple of kilometre-heavy weeks.

Endomondo track


Ride Stats : 51K and 260/285 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 1h57mins

8415/72355

21-08-2011, 14:50 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

The weather was sunny and calm today, so a good opportunity to have another long ride. I set out for Kessel Lo to reach the Vaart. I followed that canal towards Mechelen and Battel where I switched to the Zenne and followed that along the Zennegat to reach Klein-Willebroek and Boom. There were lots of bikers on the tarmac road next to the water and I quite enjoyed the ride. At a relaxing yet steady pace I was at my furthest point in 1h50mins. I paused for a snack and took some pictures of the World War 2 Sherman Firefly tank that stands next to the water in Klein Willebroek.

Turning back towards Heppen, Battel and Mechelen I had a slight breeze in my back which helped me along nicely. Reaching the Vaartkom in Leuven I followed the Ridderstraat and the Goudbloemstraat and in doing so rode straight through the city to reach the Tervuursepoort. Left on the Celestijnenlaan and I was near Arenberg. A little loop through Oud-Heverlee and to the Zoete Waters brought the total distance nicely towards a 100K.

Endomondo track


Ride Stats : 100.5K and 205/260 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 3h46mins

8364/72070

20-08-2011, 15:34 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Yesterday evening saw the passing of an enormously active thunderstorm in our regions. It turned pitch black around 6pm and then it rained with an intensity like I have never seen before. It was impossible to see further than 50 yards due to the heavy rain, which was swept along by fierce bursts of wind. At a pop festival in Kiewit, near Hasselt, 5 people died because one of the big tents collapsed due to this storm.
Today I rode out and it immediately became clear that the damage was enormous. Broken branches, fallen trees, lots of 'stuff' on the bikepaths and on the roads. In the lower areas the roads had been flooded by sand and mud. In Leefdaal I had to turn around because the fire brigade was still cleaning the road. I rode out at a leisurely pace, not expecting to do more than 40 or 50K.
But it turned out to be one of those rides where I just added more loops as I rode along. Starting over Heverlee, Egenhoven and then making my way into Leefdaal, where I had to turn around and follow another road to arrive in Neerijse. Here I followed the Sint Jan Bergsteenweg until I reached Huldenberg. Taking a little loop over Eizer I made my way into Hoeilaart. From Hoeilaart I rode towards Maleizen and Rosieres, and then through Tombeek towards Wavre. From the Ottenburg plains into Basse Wavre and then to Dion Le Mont and Gistoux. From Gistoux I climbed up towards Longueville and then down through Heze and Grez. From Grez I rode to Bossut and Hamme Mille. Another loop to finish off the ride took me to Nethen, Sint Joris Weert and Sint Agatha Rode. The river Dyle was almost filled to the point of overflowing. Some big trees had fallen into the river. Back to Sint Joris Weert and then to the Zoete Waters. Here also the ponds were filled to the brim and some big trees had toppled into the water by the force of the water and wind. After 4 hours of riding I was pleased to see 3 digits on my kilometer counter.

Endomondo track


Ride Stats : 101K and 765/805 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 4h01mins

8264/71810

19-08-2011, 20:28 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Nice warm weather, mostly sunny and a breeze from the north. Great for cycling so I rode out for a long ride. Starting out over Haasrode and Bierbeek and making my way towards Opvelp and Beauvechain. From Beauvechain I had to take an umleitung and I got stuck behind a big harvester for a while. After a while I could pass it and was on my way to La Bruyere and Pietrebais. Following the N92 southbound I passed Incourt and then took a left towards Opprebais. Riding onwards to reach Chaumont I then took a right again and was on the long climb out towards Longueville. From Longeuville I looped back to Incourt and then took the N92 back towards Happeau and Pietrebais. Taking the same roads whence I came but now in the opposite direction I rode from Opvelp - where there was an accident between two cars on the crossroads with the road from Bierbeek to Meldert - towards Neervelp and then took left to reach Bremt. From Bremt I rode through the Builoog to reach Bierbeek. This is a narrow road and I had to stop and move into the grass on the side of the road when a harvester came from the opposite direction. Of course he had seen me and there was no harm done. But it is quite scary to see it come around a blind corner all of a sudden.
From Builoog to Bierbeek and then to the Haasrode Industrie park for a quick lap before riding to Haasrode and Blanden to finish off a nice and relaxing ride. My average heartrate of 106bpm can testify that I did take it easy today.

Endomondo track


Ride Stats : 81.5K and 505/560 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 3h06mins

8163/71005 

17-08-2011, 18:55 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Skies looked friendly today, some warm sunshine and not too much wind. So I settled on an easy recovery ride along the Leuvense Vaart. Riding all the way to Mechelen and then back again. When I arrived home the skies were closing up but it did not look like it would rain. 25 degrees C on average and with and average heartrate of 112bpm for 27kph I was pleased and convinced that my pace was well within recovery ranges.

Endomondo track


Ride Stats : 68K and 150/195 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 2h31mins

8082/70445

16-08-2011, 19:49 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Dry and sunny weather at last. It looked like it would remain so for the entire day so I was smiling when I rode out for a long ride. Riding through Bierbeek and Willebringen towards Kumtich, Oorbeek and Hoegaarden. Here, I joined the Ravel which took me nicely towards Jodoigne, Eghezee and ultimately Namur. I ventered into Namur on a double bike-path until I reached the railway station and the bikepath seemed to stop. At that point I had exactly 60K on my counter. So I turned around and started the 7K long climb out of Namur Saint Servais towards Daussoulx. The wind was blowing in my back and I could make good speed on the Ravel which more or less goes downhill until it reaches Eghezee. After Eghezee there is a slight bump in the landscape, with the Hottomont tomb on my left, and after that it is more or less downhill until you reach Hoegaarden again. The wind did shift until it seemed to be blowing from my right during the descent.
From Hoegaarden, I had to face the wind up front, but since it was sunny and the breeze was warm I did not mind. What I did not like was the fool that sprayed me when I was wading through a big puddle on my bike. He rode through it at speed which resulted in me and my bike getting wet. I did consider for a short while riding after him and pushing him in the scenery but I could convince myself he wasn't worth getting upset about. My clothes would dry and my bike would be clean after passing a rag over it. When I was on my last descent,  into Blanden , I got stung by - I think - a wasp. It collided at 40kph against my left ear and remained there for a few seconds. Long enough to sting, the pain was sharp and acute. Ouch. Since I don't recall being allergic to wasp venom I will have to wait until the pain goes away and hope there is no excessive swelling.

Endomondo track


Ride Stats : 121.5K and 635/675 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 4h33mins

8014/70250

15-08-2011, 16:09 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Wanted to do a ride today and I waited until the rains which had shed a lot of water during the night and morning, had subsided. I started out towards Kessel Lo , rounding Leuven to make my way towards the Vaart. In Kessel Lo I could feel a few raindrops and during the first couple of K's along the Vaart, towards Wijgmaal, there was some light rain. I was cursing because I had nearly spent an hour cleaning my bike yesterday. Surely I would not have to do the same all over again today? But I was in luck, after 5 minutes or so the rain dimished and before long I was speeding along the borders of the Vaart on dry roads. When I neared Mechelen I saw another dark cloud and when the small tarmac road began to become wet I turned around.
Following the waterfront back towards Leuven I rode through the city past the rumblings of Marktrock which I could hear in the distance. Along the Tervuursesteenweg for a little while and then turning left to reach the Arenberg Campus and then right towards Oud Heverlee and the Zoete Waters where I turned left again towards Vaalbeek and Blanden. Good easy recovery ride with an average heartrate of 112bpm.

Endomondo track


Ride Stats : 61.5K and 170/215 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 2h14mins

7892/69575

14-08-2011, 20:20 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Looked like it would not rain too much but on meteox I saw a big bunch of clouds approaching. After long hesitation I took my raincoat with me and rode out for a long ride. I was only 100 metres away when the first drops fell. Typical, after waiting 2 hours and not a drop.
But I rode on and started out towards Bierbeek and Meldert to reach Hoegaarden. The rain was only a couple of drops but by the time I was in Hoegaarden the streets were slowly becoming wet. Riding on along the Lf6 my plan was to ride past Ezemaal and pick in on the Ludo Dierckxsens ride in the direction of Helecine. So I did and I followed that track towards Marilles and Huppaye. The wind was in my face now and it had stopped raining which caused the tarmac to dry up quickly. I still wore my rainjacket and I decided to leave it on, only opening up a bit at the collar to allow the sweat to evaporate. The Gore Tex isn't that permeable after 5 or 6 years.
Following the LD track I came into Dongelberg and Melin and then another period of rain was greeting me when I rode towards La Bruyere and Beauvechain. I wanted to do another loop though because I had planned on a 100K ride. So I persevered and gained Hamme Mille and while the skies dried out again I rode through Nethen and Sint Joris Weert. The roads again were drying out as I reached Sint Agatha Rode and took a right towards Neerijse. The ride along the Sint Jansbergse steenweg was nice because the road was dry and the wind was blowing in my back. From Egenhoven I looped back towards Oud-Heverlee and the Zoete Waters to finish off a solid ride through Vaalbeek and Blanden. The Vortex will need a good cleaning now but I am glad I was stubborn enough to continue riding and not return home as soon as the first drops of rain fell.
Something weird happened with my Polar about 3 hours into the ride. I think the battery of the speed sensor is down, because the Polar kept on stopping and starting. I put it in my back pocket because the continuous beeps were annoying me. I will replace the battery asap.

Endomondo track


Ride Stats : 111K and 820 heightmeters (Garmin) in 4h19mins

7831/69360

13-08-2011, 17:28 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Had some stuff to do after work so I left quite late for a ride that would bring me over Egenhoven to Leefdaal and Neerijse. Loonbeek, Huldenberg and Overijse were next as I worked my way south against a wind that seemed as fierce as yesterday. Luckily in the Yse valley I was most of the time sheltered from its force. It was warm and sunny but it became gradually more overcast as the kilometers moved on. I decided to make my way as far south as Maleizen and then turned towards Rixensart and Rosieres. Some climbing but also shelter from the wind that was now blowing in my side. When I reached Wavre and headed for Ottenburg I had the wind in my back and things were moving very fast now. I regularly saw 40kph on my counter as I sped towards Sint Agatha Rode and Sint Joris Weert. Still moving on I reached the Zoete Waters and then turned right towards Vaalbeek to finish off a fast ride despite the wind. I felt some droplets of rain when I was almost home and from the looks of it , it looks like some rain is going to fall tonight.

Endomondo track


Ride Stats : 60.5K and 410/425 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 2h09mins

7720/68540

11-08-2011, 20:44 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Sunny and dry this afternoon, but as I already noticed when returning from work with the Vespa, the southwestern wind was quite fierce and would become my main adversary during my ensueing bike ride.
I rode out with the Vortex and first planned to do a point ride past Hoegaarden on the Lf6 route. But when I neared Hoegaarden and judged the strength of the wind I decided to make a loop instead. Following the Ravel 2 from Hoegaarden I was sheltered from the wind. In Jodoigne I left the Ravel and returned on the Chaussee de Wavre until I reached the right turn towards La Bruyere. This Chaussee de Wavre is quite a busy road and with the wind blowing in my side I and moving me from left to right I was glad to leave it behind me on the fast drop around the 1st Wing Airbase. From La Bruyere to Beauvechain I was more or less sheltered by the houses and only when I was riding towards Hamme Mille I could feel the wind from time to time, tugging hard and blowing in my face now. Nethen and Sint Joris Weert followed and I decided to round off todays ride by doing an extra loop towards Oud-Heverlee and Heverlee. In all, the ride was quite good and with an average heartrate of 109bpm I did not suffer too much from the windy conditions. That I almost managed 27kph average was a bit of a surprise to me but it surely has to be contributed to the excellent shape I seem to be in these last couple of weeks.

Endomondo track


Ride Stats : 65.5K and 430/445 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 2h25mins

7660/68115

10-08-2011, 19:15 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

09-08-2011, 21:08 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Looked Ok this morning, the sun was out and the forecast did not call for any rain to speak of. Unfortunately the wind was blowing quite hard from the southwest. That wind would be my adversary but also my friend during this ride.
I started out over Bierbeek, Neervelp and Willebringen to reach Hoegaarden. Here I injected myself on the the Ravel 2 and followed that to reach Eghezee. The wind was blowing fiercely from my right and luckily most of the Ravel route lies sheltered behind shrubberies and small trees. Upon reaching Eghezee I turned on the N91 and my speed was going up due to the wind now blowing slightly in my favor. This chemical wedding of my mitochondria and the wind sped me along and I was reaching 30kph+ without much trouble. At the last stretch I was even able to go 40kph in the fast corner around the Beauvechain airport. Arriving in Hamme Mille I had 70K on my counter so I decided to add a loop towards Nethen, Sint Joris Weert and Neerijse. On the Sint Jansbergse steenweg again the wind was in my favor and on the flat and descending bits I had no trouble following some of the cars which were doing 50kph.  Arriving in Egenhoven I rode towards Arenberg and then back to Oud-Heverlee. Arriving at the Zoete Waters I was on shedule to make it a century ride. Even though this was my second century in two days I felt a lot better than yesterday.

Endomondo track


Ride Stats : 101.5K and 635/655 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 3h36mins

7519/67005

07-08-2011, 15:21 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Weather promised to be reasonably dry and warm, so I rode out today around 10.15AM for a logn ride. I wore a short sleeved jersey but also a windbreaker, just to be protected should it rain. Riding through Sint Joris Weert, Nethen and Pecrot and then from Archennes to Grez. Climbing towards the Circuit de Bercuit Golf Course to reach Dion at the other side of the hill. Crossing the Chaussee de Huy I set forth towards Corroy Le Grand. I had to ask for the best way because this is a region that is not so very well known to me. But when I reached Gistoux I was fine. From Corroy I decided to make my way towards Perwez and I had memorized a couple of villages I should pass in order to get there. Nil-Saint-Martin, Tourinnes-Saint-Lambert and Orbais passed under my wheels. Reaching the Chaussee de Charleroi I was not far from Perwez. In Perwez I injected myself on the Ravel and followed that until I reached Hoegaarden. From Hoegaarden I followed the Haasrode Tour in reverse direction. Through Oorbeek, Hoksem, Kumtich and Willebringen. Passing the Water Tower hig above Bierbeek I was greeted by a strange sight. Someone had planted a whole lot of Father Christmas figurines in the field. I could not resist taking a picture of this strange sight.

It had started to rain, some big drops, as I descended towards Bremt and then rode to Bierbeek and the Haasrode Industrieterrain. Into Heverlee Park next and then back home following the Naamsesteenweg towards Blanden. Good solid ride in good conditions ; a temperature around 24 degrees C, a little breeze from the south and overcast weather with the sun peeping through for short periods of time. Some rain as well but nothing much. Cleaning my bike with a rag when I got home was all that was needed. 

Endomondo track


Ride Stats : 106K and 765 heightmeters (Garmin) in 3h58mins

7417/66350

06-08-2011, 15:40 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf