Grey and relatively cold weather but at least it was dry. Added a layer of clothing and rode out on the Hilset BBW for a perimeter ride around Meerdael Forest. Starting out towards Haasrode and Bremberg and then making my way towards Valduc and Nethen. Upon crossing the Naamsesteenweg and just before the hilly section in Nethen I came upon my friend Johan and Roger, who were also doing a ride in and around Meerdael Forest. The wind was keeping us all into or near the shelter of the trees. We exchanged some information and went our seperate ways. I continued and before long I was in Nethen and riding into Sint Joris Weert. Nearing the Zoete Waters where I stopped for a moment to take some pictures of the re-erected giant toadstool in one of the ponds.

Into Heverlee bos now and I continued to Oud-Heverlee and Heverlee, where I crossed the Naamsesteenweg for a loop past the War Cemetery and into Blanden. Crossing the Naamsesteenweg again and then finishing off my ride along the Prosperdreef and into Blanden. Just another little loop before calling it a day. The ride went fine, sursprisingle hilly despite my efforts to remain on the bigger roads I was lured from time to time into taking one of the many smaller tracks.

Endomondo track


Ride Stats : 41K and 505 heightmeters (Garmin) in 2h13mins

2295/23620

31-03-2012, 14:54 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

The weather took a turn yesterday and today and when I took the BBW out late in the afternoon the temperature was just 10 degrees C. Contrast that with the 19 degrees C from wednesday and add a fresh northwesterly wind and cloud cover and you realize fast that we are only late March.
I decided to try the Mollendaal parcours I devised last winter. The trails were dry and fast but also bonehard on the Hilset with no suspension except for the inherent qualities of its titanium frame and what little comfort Hutchinson Python Air tyres inflated to 2.5 bars have to offer.
But the steering was crisp and my form was good enough to keep the pace high notwithstanding the lack of comfort. The efficiency was also influenced by the lack of traction on the climbs. But at least the loud clinging sound was gone. Yesterday I tightened the Mavic Crossmax wheels' bearings.

The ride went well and when I came out of the forest near the end I was glad I did not have the wind in my face. The forecast calls for a little rain tomorrow and the colder  - normal - temperatures will remain for the next couple of days.

Endomondo track


Ride Stats : 27K and 325 heightmeters (Garmin) in 1h20min

2254/23115

30-03-2012, 19:46 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

The dry warm weather keeps on going so as soon as I got home from work I was on my bike and aout and about riding again to Sint Agatha Rode and the entry into the Overijse trails. The Green and Blue were my tracks of choice today and soon I was in Terlanen grinding the gears on the Moskesstraat. The bike was still making a lot of noise and I began to suspect it coming from my 1999 Mavic Crossmax rear wheel. I was to be proven right when I grabbed the wheel and moved it from left to right. Bingo, the same kind of sounds and some play on the bearings. Once you know where a noise is originating from it doesn't seem to bother anymore. I made good speed and enjoyed the dry trails, the sunny warm evening and the bike that was zooming along under me, from time to time making a lot of noise. When I came into Terlanen I stopped to tale some pictures of the big Bilande farm. Now privately owned.

28-03-2012, 20:22 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Another beautiful sunny day and when I got home from work I decided to ride out on the Hilset BBW. I rode through Meerdael forest towards SInt Agatha Rode where I picked in on the Red Overijse Bloso. This is the toughest of the 3 Bloso routes and incorporates a fair bit of climbs. Before long I was grinding though the gears on one of the steep uphills. The bike is making some cling and clang noises that seem to be originating from the bottom bracket area. Still, when I stop pedalling it keeps making the same noises. I have checked all the usual screws but to no avail. Anyway, on with the ride. I found out today that the Hutchinson Python also has some disadvantages. During hard braking in the downhills it tends not to offer a lot of stopping power. This may be due to the lack of big knobs. On one particular downhill, the steppy one at the end of the Losweg out of Ottenburg, I really had to take care because the lack of suspension doesn't give one a lot of margin for error.
But before long I was grinding up the hill again, accompanied by the now familiar noises of my bike. Before dropping down into Florival I took some time to eat a Cliff bar , enjoying the sun in my face.

Another couple of hills and I was back at the point where I had injected myself on the Bloso track. From Sint Agatha Rode towards Sint Joris Weert.
Here I had an unfortunate accident involving a young girl. I was riding uphill towards the Kluis when the girl suddenly emerged from behind a car that was slowly riding downhill. I had no time to avoid her, not even time to reach for my brakes. My bike was stopped by my front wheel shafing against the inner legs. She bit back the pain and ran towards the car. The woman driver must have been either her mother or the mother of a friend. I stopped and looked at the woman but there was nothing much I could do. Fortunately I was riding uphill so my speed must have been no more than 10-12kph but still I pity the poor girl.
Riding on towards The Kluis and then along the Paddenpoel on the Denteneerpad. I stopped to look at some weird looking trees and took some pictures.

Riding on towards the Weertse Dreef and for a last loop with a strong uphill section where I really put down the power. Legs felt strong today despite this being the fourth ride in a row. Good workout with some good power sections uphill.

Endomondo track


Ride Stats : 36.5K and 475 heightmeters (Garmin) in 1h43mins

2177/22220

27-03-2012, 20:12 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

A well-aimed day off at work . Another sunny day promised and I was out around 11 AM for a long recovery ride on the Hilset Big Bad Wolf. My aim was to ride towards Eghezee and I chose to do so riding first along the N25 through Hamme Mille and then taking a left on the N91 and further along another left onto the N240 towards Jodoigne. Here I injected myself on the Ravel 2 and followed that towards Eghezee. The wind was blowing noticeably from my left and I imagined I would be bothered by it on the way back. I was to be proven right. In Eghezee I took a right turn onto the N91. In Noville-sur-Mehaigne I took another right to join the Ravel 2 again. A little bit further I rode towards the Ottomont burial mount and stopped to take a couple of pictures.

Further on to the N91 again and then in Geest-Gerompont-Petit-Rosieres I took a left onto the Ravel coming from Perwez. With the wind in my face I rode to catch up with the Ravel 2 again and returned towards Jodoigne. The wind was blowing from my right front end and was bothersome. Even though most of the road was downhill it felt like I was going slightly uphill all the time. In Jodoigne I circled towards the Grand Place to check out the twisted church and capture it with my Galaxy S2.

I decided to check if the castle gates in Dongelberg would be open but once again I was disappointed and had to settle from a snapshot from outside the domain. 3 white dogs were barking as I positioned myself to have a good vintage point for a picture.

Riding back towards the N240 over Lathuy I again tasted the full dryness of the northeasterly wind. I was glad to be able to take a left turn on the N240 but the last stretch over the fields of Beauvechain airport were also difficult and partly against the wind. Once in Hamme Mille I was saved by the presence of Meerdael Forest and could complete my ride relatively calmly.

Endomondo track


Ride Stats : 82K and 535 heightmeters (Garmin) in 3h31mins

2141/21745

26-03-2012, 16:10 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Started out early for a ride along the Meerdael Bloso routes. The sun was out and with temperatures around 11 degrees C it promised to be another fine early spring day. I took the BBW again - by default - for this offroad ride. I left out a little bit of air from the Hutchinson Pythons but I soon found out that they do not like to be too soft. Especially the rear tyre was rolling in the corners on hardpack. Even though the comfort was marginally better I decided to pump them back to the prescribed 2.5 bars.
Riding offroad with the 8.5kg Hilset is a challenge. The bike is light and fast but also very skittery due to its lack of suspension. This takes some getting used to. It doesn't bother me much on the hills, there the light weight is an advantage and the lack of traction is a nuisance but nothing more. But especially on the downhills the bike is a handful to handle. The steering is precise but the lack of suspension leaves all the jolts and bumps to go through the tyres and handlebar into the arms and shoulders. In the back the moans and groans of the frame under the hard beatings is not transmitted because I would not dare to remain seated anyways. Good thing the frame is titanium otherwise I believe I would have long ago cracked under the stress. In the front I am thinking of mounting my Morati M-bar. This will be a lot more comfortable than the current aluminum/carbon Extralight setup. The Pace fork is also not one of the most forgiving around. It offers some comfort but an all-titanium job will also improve that. I might be looking into that once the Moots Psychlo-X is built up. This latter frame is currently in Belgium but has been at the Customs offices since March 12th. I'm curious as to how much import and VAT I will have to pay.
Anyway, the ride went well, my legs still felt tired from yesterdays' major ride but I managed to keep a good pace nevertheless. My Endomondo app performed flawlessly today, after experiencing some weird gps-related jumps, bouncing me up and down to the equator. Maybe it is related to the major upgrade Endomondo did last thursday. It first occured on that day. I re-installed the Endomondo app yesterday. I did not experience these bumps using the Garmin Fit app but I did see them on my Google maps history. Weird.

Endomondo track


Ride Stats : 41K and 480 heightmeters (Garmin) in 2h00mins

2059/21210

25-03-2012, 13:23 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Decided to ride to the Hallerbos. Since I only had the Hilset BBW that was more or less in working order and capable of such a distance, I fitted it with some new Hutchinson Python NG Air Light tyres. These have a reputation of being very well suited for dry terrain and offer excellent rolling capacities. I put in 2.5 bar and got on my way around half past 9.
Since the Hilset has not suspension and the tyres were pretty hard I expected a harsh ride. So I decided to take as many concrete roads as possible, only occasionally passing through offroad sections. Of course , when I arrived in the Sonian Forest I had no choice but to ride along the broad forest trails. These rolled very well and I was amazed I made 23K during the first hour. These tyres really roll well.
Entering the Sonian Forest in Duisburg I noticed some red bloso signage. Hmm, some future trailexploring looks mandatory. Through the Sonian forest, along the Zonienwoudlaan in Rode Saint Genese and before long I was in Dworp near the Hallerbos. I followed the signs towards kruispunt 50 before taking a left up the Dries into the Hallerbos. When I entered the forest I paused for a snack and to take a rest. I was some 40K into the ride.

24-03-2012, 16:16 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Beautiful spring weather today, with temperatures above 20 degrees C. So I left work early for a ride on the Litespeed Obed. I picked in on the trail of last sundays' SVK ride. I got the track off the web and decided to see how far I would get before a) it got dark or b) I got tired or c) the Obed would make too much noise in its bottom bracket. It turned out that this was quite a nice ride, the first kilometers through Heverleebos were relatively easy and I could maintain a good pace. But when the track entered Meerdael Forest and came near Sint Joris Weert, things got serious very fast. By now the fine weather and the easy kilometers had warmed me up just fine and I started on a series of climbs and descents that would get me more and more southwards.

The Obed has developed quite a bit of play in its bottom bracket and I decided this would be its last ride until the bearings are changed. A rendez-vous to that effect has been made at Filip Sport for next week. When I was grinding up the steep hills near La Malaise and in Archennes, the noises coming out of that bottom bracket began to get me worried. The play lets the chain rub against the front derailleur cage and you just feel that the crank is not turning round. When I arrived in Bossut with just under 40K on my counters I paused and had a look at the remainder of the track. I was getting tired by now - the fast ride from yesterday was also still in my legs - and with another 35K to go on the loop I decided to call it a day and ride homewards. Into Meerdael Forest , past the Warande Ponds and then along the Prosperdreef. I could not resist making an extra loop though one of the forests' most beautiful little valleys and past the Tomme. Back to the Prosperdreef and I was nearly home, very pleased with the ride.

22-03-2012, 18:35 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

With the Moots YBB suffering from a flat rear tyre and the Litespeed Obed having developed serious play on the bottom bracket I was keen to check out the condition of my Merlin after its winter sleep. The rear tyre seems in need of a new shot of notubes fluid and I also wanted to check the suspensions and drivetrain. So I took it out for what turned out to be quite a fast ride.
I normally am very fast on this bike, it gives me an extra boost and the full suspension concept brings comfort and speed. I was enjoying the Bloso Green trail which is relatively flat but still offers a couple of nice ondulating sections and a good stretch of tank track near the E40. 
Piece of cake for the Merlin. I really have to force myself to remain seated on this bike. It doesn't seem to notice the trails and effaces most of the roots, ruts and other potholes. With a hardtail you would be forced to either slow down or take a royal beating. I happened upon Alain De Munter who was also doing some training in the area. That even upped the pace a little more. Alain is a very fast and technical rider who competes in all sorts of mountainbike and duathlon events. He talks of doing the Crocodile Trophy this year and I think he would be right at home on those trails. We maintained a good pace, and on this bike I could even pretend to be able to follow his pace. 

Just before Vaalbeek our ways parted, he still had to ride towards Huldenberg and would be hard pressed to be home before darkness fell. The weather was great with an average temperature of 14 degrees C. The bike performed well but I could feel my rear tyre losing pressure towards the end of the ride. I have to keep an eye on that. 

Endomondo track


Ride Stats : 28K and 200 heightmeters (Garmin) in 1h09mins

1878/18840

21-03-2012, 19:41 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Late in the afternoon but I still decided to ride out and get a mountainbike ride in. I went for a hilly parcours taking me first through Meerdael Forest towards Sint Joris Weert where I started on a successive series of climbs and descents, taking me towards The Kluis and further south to Nethen. The trails were great, just the right amount of grip and the thousands of wheels from yesterdays SVK organised ride had well honed the sandy climb near the Savenel wall. I then rode towards the Warande Ponds, still riding up and down the slopes as much as I could.
I took a picture of the work that is taking place there. Seems they are reshaping the ponds , giving it a serpentine look in the middle.

After that I crossed the Naamsesteenweg and went for a cooldown loop through Mollendaal forest. And cool down it did. I could feel the cold of the night dropped down through the cloudless sky. I think this night will be a cool one. With a nice 415 heightmeters for only 22.5K I had a good Hill Factor.

Endomondo track


Ride Stats : 22.5K and 415 heightmeters (Garmin) in 1h21mins

1850/18640

19-03-2012, 19:55 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

18-03-2012, 13:06 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

I had planned a ride on the Moots YBB this weekend but when I rode out I heard the rear No Tubes tyre lose pressure fast. It turned out to be the valve that was bubbling and failing to close properly. Disappointed I turned ship and took the Litespeed Obed instead.
With temperatures of around 10 degrees it was a lot colder than 2 days ago but still very pleasant for the time of year. I decided to follow my Mollendaal parcours. The tracks were mostly dry and I added a couple of sections where I did not dare pass through a month ago. The forestry exploitation was still causing the roads to be plowed and shredded by big machines but at least the traction was Ok so I could venture into the once-pleasant singletracks that were now as wide as a doubletrack. It will take a while for nature to reclaim its own.

In all I had a pleasant ride. I could see there were preparations for an organised ride going through Meerdael Forest tomorrow. I believe it must be the SVK organisation which offers some fine distances ranging from 15 to 72K. Maybe I will try to ride some of that tomorrow if the weather allows it.

Endomondo track


Ride Stats : 29K and 345 heightmeters (Garmin) in 1h33mins

1799/17880

17-03-2012, 12:55 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

The weather forecast for today looked good. Warm wind , sunny skies and temperatures around 18 degrees. Early spring. SO I took off half a day at work and rode the Obed along the track of last sundays' TT which started in Grez-Doiceau and was organised by Eric Robert, Gottechain citizen. The arrows were long gone but I had the complete track from a collegue at work. I picked up on the trail in Nethen and so I was having the toughest part of the ride first. The loop in Pecrot, the uphill towards La Malaise and the the long climb out of Gastuche onto the Bercuit Golf. Back down towards Doiceau and through Archennes to the start at the Omnisports Hall in Grez-Doiceau.
Here I came onto known territory. The trails were almost dry and I could ride everything. Even the steep gully climb up to La Malaise and the bad stone horror climb out of Nethen . I paused when I saw some great landscapes and the sun made the early greens splash.

The Obed badly needs new bearings in the bottom bracket, I can almost feel the crankarms move when I pedal. I hope I can drop it off chez Filip Sport this week. I also need to have the front wheel of the Moots YBB re-Stan-isized. The No Tubes fluid has dried out and it is not longer holding air. When I came at the end of the last climb - the stony one - and faced towards Nethen I took a picture of the valley whence I just came.

Into Nethen and back home through the Meerdael Forest I could feel the fatigue from this ride coming over me. 60K and nearly 800 heightmeters is not to be scoffed at. And due to the technicality and steepness of some of those climbs the intensity is even higher.
At home I tried my new Skins RY400 recovery tights. One needs every bit of help one can get to avoid Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. The tights feel very comfortable.

Endomondo track


Ride Stats : 60.5K and 775 heightmeters (Garmin) in 3h24mins30secs

1770/17535

15-03-2012, 16:55 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Sunny sunday. It looked like a perfect early spring day so I decided to take the Hilset out for an easy recovery ride. My goal was to ride over Bierbeek, Meldert and Hoegaarden towards Jodoigne. There I took the busy N29 in the direction of Gembloux. A couple of kilometers further I took a right turn towards Dongelberg. I had hoped that the castle grounds would be open to the public but again the gates were closed. So again I had to settle for a makeshift picture taken from the street.

11-03-2012, 00:00 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

I decided I would try for the 50K track that is the main distance in tomorrows' organised ride in Grez-Doiceau. The track and organisation are from the hand of Eric Robert, a well-know local cyclist and organiser of cyclocross and other sporting events. I noticed last thursday that the track was already fully arrowed so why nog give it a try today.
The weather was warm - 9 degrees on average - but with a low cloudcover and some occasional light rain it was a bit gloomy. Nothing a Gore tex jacket couldn't handle so I took the Obed for a spin.
Arriving in Gottechain I got underway for a series of loops that took in most of the tricky trails in the neighborhood. The trails were moist but there was no real mud to speak off. Except for one impossible climb just out of Florival all was very well manage-able. The trail was heavy though, a lot of ups and downs and sometimes the going was tough in the sticky trails. 

When I arrived in Florival I saw a multitude of arrows going in 3 directions. I am sure Eric has devised some kind of loop there but I missed out on the logic and rode on towards La Malaise . I later noticed I must have missed almost 10K. I hope that tomorrow the arrowing  will make more sense at this place or I predict a lot of bikers going in every possible direction. 
I rode on and got a series of good trails around Bossut before dropping down into Archennes.

A last loop that took me towards the outskirts of Gastuche and before long I was at the Event hall in Grez-Doiceau where the ride starts. With 40K into the ride I decided to call it a day and make my way back whence I came. Into Meerdael Forest and it started to rain a little more heavily, making the trails wet and dangerous. I had a good solid ride today with a lot of heightmeters .

Endomondo track


Ride Stats : 61K and 755 heightmeters (Garmin) in 3h38mins

1644/16245

10-03-2012, 15:11 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

After a couple of days of windy and showery weather today announced itself dry with big sunny breaks. In the late afternoon I rode out for an exploratory ride into Meerdaelwoud. I quickly decided to ride towards Nethen and then ride the loop to Bossut and Gottechain. I could see the arrowing for next weekends' organised ride - organised by Eric Robert - was already there. The ride starts in the Sports hall of Grez-Doiceau and might be worth considering. I followed it for a while because it happened to go where I was going.

Up into Gottechain and then down along the narrow path in the fields. Back up again and onwards towards Nodebais. Here Eric went for other venues so I rode on without any arrows. Down along Valduc and then back upwards for a long series of trails into Meerdael Forest. The trails were moist from time to time and were also suffering from the many machines used in the exploitation that is still going on with a lot of trees being felled and torn through the forest and along the singletrails. Those singletrails are now doubletrails and it will take a while for them to recover from the heavy traffic.

Endomondo track


Ride Stats : 41K and 515 heightmeters (Garmin) in 2h16mins

1583/15490

08-03-2012, 19:21 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

I had been thinking about riding towards Dongelberg and have a closer look at the castle. Today I deciced I should give it a try. I rode out with the intention of riding towards Dongelberg using as much as possible the offroad trails. Obviously Beauvechain airport is in the way of a straight line towards Dongelberg so I had to use a little bit of tarmac getting around it. When I reached Happeau I had to turn back because of an extremely muddy track through a hollow road in the fields. Getting my tyres wet so I looked for another option to move further to the south. My aim was the big water tower and I knew that Dongelberg was situated in the valley just beyond it. I arrived in Dongelberg but was disappointed to find the castle grounds were closed for one reason or another. Riding around it I discovered a spot where I could take a picture of it through some shrubberies.

Moving onward my next goal was to arrive home without getting wet. There was rain forecast and I rode towards the water tower and the past the ferme d'Happeau to reach Pietrebais.

From Pietrebais I was again forced to use a bit of tarmac making my way towards Nodebais and Tourinnes-la-grosse. From here I quickly found access to Meerdael Forest when the first drops started to fall. It was a good ride and my legs felt OK after yesterdays ride. Of course there was some fatigue but the only real trouble I had today was with the muddy sections in the Brabant Walloon fields and the wind that blew noticeably stronger than yesterday during the first part of my ride.

Endomondo track


Ride Stats : 42K and 420 heightmeters (Garmin) in 2h13mins

1542/14975

04-03-2012, 14:18 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Weather forecast for today looked splendid. Calm weather with temperatures above 10 degrees C and maybe some sun peeping through the clouds in the afternoon. I rode out with the Litespeed Obed for an ambitious ride this early in the season. My plan was to ride through Meerdael Forest and Margijs Forest towards Duisburg where I would enter the Sonian Forest. Making my way to the Avenue Dubois I picke din on the Nero Bloso route. Following the meandering singletrail along the Avenue was great fun. When I reached the railroad singletrail it turned out to be rather muddy but I managed to get through without too much damage. The Belgian railroad is working on the tracks and the BLOSO had to be slightly rerouted in this area. The next of the trails were very good. Some of the singletrack sections now had multiple singletracks leading parallel to each other, but still good fun to do. When I arrived at the end of the last singletrack I stopped for a bite to eat and to take some pictures.

Riding onwards for the last stretch from the Nero route, which by the way runs completely in the Flemish section of the Sonian Forest. I rode back home along the same trails whence I came, only taking a slightly different track at 2 or 3 occasions. I felt tired but very elated to have completed this near-4 hour ride. The bike did fine but I really need to change the bearings of the Race Face bottom bracket. It is developing more play each and every ride.

Endomondo track


Ride Stats : 77K and 860 heightmeters (Garmin) in 3h57mins

1500/14555

03-03-2012, 15:29 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Calm weather today. With an average temperature of 8 degrees C, no wind to speak of and dry conditions I was set for a longer offroad ride. I decided on the track of last years Haasrode organised ride. Riding the base loop is around 36K and about 2 hours. This suited me fine. The forest trails were almost dry and the only obstacles were deep ruts made by the big tractors pulling out the trees in the ongoing exploitation of the forest. I made good speed and soon was out of Meerdael Forest for a loop through the open area towards Gottechain. The little loop taking me down and upwards again was too wet to ride . I had to walk a couple of meters. Unfortunately, clasping my rear brake made me lose one of the brakepads, thus leaving me with no rear brake. I only noticed that on the following downhill. Losing you rear brake is not THAT big a deal, but nevertheless my stopping power was comprimized.

01-03-2012, 19:34 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Warm but misty and cloudy this evening. No wind to speak of but I preferred riding in the forest anyway. I started out in Heverleebos for a mixture of smaller tracks and bigger forest roads. Riding towards the Zoete Waters where I crossed over into the Kouterbos and Meerdaalbos. Following the Bloso for a while which brought me to Sint Joris Weert and Nethen. The trails were fine, no mud and only a slight layer of moisture in the exposed parts where the fine mist could reach the forest floor. I rode all the way to Mollendaalbos before returning along the forest edge in Blanden. Since the Lupine light was on for quite a while now I avoided the smaller trails near the end.

Endomondo track


Ride Stats: 34K and 355 heightmeters (Garmin) in 1h47mins

1382/13205

28-02-2012, 20:14 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf