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| Tales from the Woods |
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| 13-05-2007 |
 Rain .. or not |
I got to terms with my emotions yesterday - thanks Miss J for listening to my howlings - and I also felt a little better physically. I have had some aching joints and a bit of a runny nose these last few days but I didn't feel ill, just weak. It must have been the large amount of K's and heightmeters I had been absorbing the last month that caught up with me. Anyway, I feel gradually better, this week has been a relatively easy one on the biking muscles so I got ample opportunity to rest and recuperate.
Early this morning I got an SMS from someone asking me if I would join her for the Wavre ride. I declined because the weather forecast called for rain during the first part of the day. Sorry for being a coward, Sandrine, I hope you still got a great ride in. It's my loss, not yours.
I finally got out of bed around 10am and it still was dry outside. So I decided to do a ride in my local forest. I had a great ride, the trails were nearly dry and about 45 minutes into the ride it started to rain. The rain was light though and riding in the forest hardly allowed the drops to reach the forest floor through the thick leaf canopy , let alone bother me or making the trails wet . After an hour or so the drizzle stopped completely which had me wondering if this was all it was going to be. At the same time I got a pang of regret for not having done the Wavre ride.
Still, Meerdael forest was great, and I was careful to keep the pace low, so as not to strain myself. The smell of the wet forest is always a special one and the trails were moist but there was no mud to speak off.
I am pretty sure Theux would have been too much for me today, as I am sure Hamoir was yesterday. But I feel better, my head is clear - and you can take that both ways , literally and figuratively - and the legs felt better, a lot better. Whilst typing this I see the first rays of sun peering through the cloud cover giving me hope for next week.
The Litespeeds' 2001 SID SL fork - which isn't serviced yet due to the parts not being available - gave me no troubles . Normally the parts are due to arrive next week, but I'm not sure if I will keep the bike for the long weekend or turn it over to Filip Sport for maintenance. The latter option leaving me with only one bike for the long weekend. Ah, choices.
Ride Stats : 36K and 330 heightmeters in 1h51mins
4162/34660
13-05-2007, 13:36 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 12-05-2007 |
| Emotions |
Was a bit drained emotionally after a long talk yesterday evening with a very good friend. Felt so good to talk to her but at the same time this takes a lot out of me . She is on a holiday for the next week and I miss her already. It will be a long week for me .I felt physically weak as well this morning - have been feeling that for a few days now - and when I woke up and saw the rain come down, I quickly decided not to ride to Hamoir and stay in bed instead. Another person , who I consider to be a friend as well , gave a sign of life after a few weeks of silence. I am glad she did and at the same time the message was not a happy one. I hope we can get in contact real soon.Oh, did I ride? Yes, I dragged myself onto my rollers and did an hour and a bit, catching up on my reading - Thomas Covenant is still trying to find out the power of the White Gold in part 3 of the first Unbeliever trilogy - The Power that Preserves. A very strong story with some deep soul-searching in it. Giro d'Italia is starting today.. that will keep me occupied for the remainder of the afternoon I hope, and the next days as well. Tomorrow is uncertain weatherwise - perhaps dry in the morning but quickly new rain might appear from the south. We'll see tomorrow morning, there is a ride in Wavre which I have done a few years ago and which is very nice.Ride Stats : 25k in 1h10mins4126/34330
12-05-2007, 19:36 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 10-05-2007 |
| Mottige Bergskes |
Today saw the temporary return of some dryer weather, so when I got home from work I decided to go out and do a little ride on the road. I vaguely had a plan to follow a route I discovered more than 6 years ago and which I call 'Mottige Bergskes'. This loosely translates as "Very Awkward Little Mountains" and I call it like that because at the time the markings on the road consisted of an M and a B inside a big white arrow. Moreover , this route, which started all the way in Berlaar (thats what the B really stands for) went over some pretty tough and steep little hills ,so thats where the Little Mountains ( Bergskes ) comes from.
Well, whatever you want to call it, the markings have long withered away but I do remember some of the most difficult of the hills and I did some of those today. The route took me through PĂ©crot, Wavre, Dion Le Mont, Basse Wavre, Ottenburg, Tombeek and Terlanen to give you a vague idea.
I was not feeling great at the start and the fierce wind made it difficult at first to get a good pace going so I took it fairly easy. But once I was about one hour into the ride, things picked up nicely. The last 25K were awesome with the wind pushing in my back.
The weather forecast for the weekend doesn't look too great for the moment. Saturday will be almost dry but Sunday is for the moment dripping wet. Hope to get my Litespeed back tomorrow evening so that I can at least try to attend the Rode Lintjes tocht in Hamoir which is planned for saturday.
Ride Stats : 60.5K and 580 heightmeters in 2h39mins
4100/34330
10-05-2007, 19:59 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 06-05-2007 |
| Accro Bike 52 and a damn nice shirt |
Because of the uncertainty of the Sart ride I had decided to do the 50K Accro loop today. I asked Moster Blond if she would like to join me and together we set off around noon in the Centre of Grez Doiceau. The weather was cloudy and quite cold compared to the weeks before so we were well covered with long sleeves, windbreakers and 3/4th pants. During my ride to the start I already did my good deed for the day when I helped out a biker who had a flat. He had a spare tyre and a pump, but his pump did not work. So I lend him mine , having first put his inner and his outer tyre back on. Quite to his amazement I didn't need any tools for this. I am quite good a changing tyres without tire irons - something I learned during my competition days - it just takes a firm grip. This little intermezzo meant that I was only just in time at the rendez vous point.
The Accro Bike loop is a ride I have been doing for some time now, both the 42K version - which used to be a chrono loop - and the slightly longer 52K version. MB had already done the 42K version when I guided her and other BigM members a few years ago. But today we would go for the bigger loop. This has a few extra climbs and descents and a longish tarmac section linking it to the 42K trails.
The
Accro ride is a collection of small trails, steep uphills and sandy
and/or rocky downhills through the rural and green landscapes around
Grez-Doiceau, Chaumont Gistoux and Dion . Every now and then a little
tarmac section allows some recuperation. The 52K version has some 800
heightmeters in it, not bad for Brabant Walloon I would say. The trails were amazingly dry - except for a section where a spring creates a little stream following the trail for a few hundred meters. I thoroughly enjoyed the good conditions. At one point I had to do a little trail-exploring because a downhill section had been closed recently for all traffic. Luckily the first trail we tried was the good one. Some awesome gullies in it - which made MB scream - but I got the feeling during the ride that she became a lot stronger uphill and more confident in the downhills. Way to go MB.. !
I just have to say something about that nice Gary Fisher - Subaru team shirt MB wore today. She only uncovered it for the last 30 minutes of the ride, - having worn a windbreaker over it until then - but damn, that shirt looked good on you girl  !
Ride Stats : 81K and 1075 heightmeters in 5h04mins
Ride Profile (CLICK)
4028/33750
06-05-2007, 00:00 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 04-05-2007 |
| Easy does it |
Just a little recuperation ride today. First time in the 2007 club outfit I went and picked up yesterday. Legs weren't feeling great but I still managed to get a good average, so they must have been good after all. Got word from my wheelbuilder that the damage to the Moots wheel is limited to the nipples. So no need for a new rim not new spokes. Only the brass nipples need to be changed, all of them, because they were stressed and could fail later on.
Plans for tomorrow are unsure, depending on a third party, but sunday will see me at the start of the Sart-les-Spa organised ride.
Who's the girl? Click on her picture and find out
Ride Stats : 30K and 205 heightmeters in 1h11mins
3870/32140
04-05-2007, 20:25 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 03-05-2007 |
| Meerdael Singletrack Heaven |
Damn, had the finest ride today. I decided to do the first part of my Secret Meerdael loop. This consists mainly of narrow trails and singletracks, only occasionally taking bigger tracks and just a few hundred metres of cobbles and tarmac. The trail conditions were absolutely perfect and the twisty trail had my spirits high. So high in fact that after 20K into the ride, when the hilly bit is about to begin, I decided to turn my bike around and ride the trail again, in the opposite direction back to the start. The dry conditions really make these trails stand out now.
I was curious about my rear wheel, a Mavic Crossmax SL , which had been making 'funny noises' during the Nandrin ride. Noises I recognized from my first SL wheel, when the inner freehub body axle was worn and I had to replace it, which meant replacing the whole wheel. I only have this new wheel for 14 months, and didn't use it during the winter, so I was prepared to be very bad tempered toward Mavic. But I tightened the tension on the bearings somewhat and they didn't give a peep during this ride. Still, if the wheel does fail, I will not replace it by another Mavic wheel but opt for a Shimano XTR wheel instead. I have an XTR wheelset that has been rolling since 1992 and is still going strong. Mavic Crossmaxxes are essentially roadwheels that have been adapted for offroad use, making them light but the design is bad and the inner freehub body axle wears out , causing play on the freewheel hub that cannot be fixed.
The only option is to replace the whole wheel since Mavic policy is against selling only the hub.
Oh well, enough of that, I want to end on a positive note, I thoroughly enjoyed my home trails today and the wheel was fine. Lets hope it stays that way for some time.
Ride Stats : 40K and 420 heightmeters in 2h09mins
3840/31935
03-05-2007, 19:26 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 01-05-2007 |
| Nandrin trails special |
I had promised a dear friend of mine to take her around my beloved Nandrin trails. We also invited some other acquantances and we were 6 to take the start from the little narrow church at Scry.
I changed the starting venue because there a was a car-happening at the normal starting point, the Place Botty at Nandrin.
I have to admit I was feeling nervous because- even though I like these trails very much and have been riding them for 10 years now - I was really curious as to if and how they would please my friend. I have guided many groups here and always got good reviews from the participants, but this was a special ride for me as I value her opinion very much. The first few K - which were actually the last few K of the normal ride - provided a nice warmup and brought us gently to the Place Botty where parking space was indeed rather limited. We spent some time checking out the route map displayed there and then got started on the White Loop. At first this climbs together with the Red loop along a trail that changes from tarmac into gravel and then into a forest track that is normally very muddy but now looks great and feels cobbly due to the many tracks of biker, horse and man that remained when the mud dried out . The White Loop has a few very nice sections in it, and thats why I keep including it. The landscapes we were riding through were beautiful, very colorful with the yellow rapeseed contrasting the deep blue sky and the lush green of the forest. One rollercoaster downhill followed by a steep uphill set us in the right frame of mind for this kind of terrain. Its very dry now so there are no extra mudtraps to look out for, but even so it cannot be taken for granted . The trails at times look deceptively easy but can change very quickly, especially in the downhill sections. One time you are coasting over a nice clear forest trail, avoiding some branch when suddenly gullies appear or rocky patches and stones knock your bike around and make things technical . "Keep on your toes" thats the message here.
The high Condroz isn't the Ardennes yet, but at times it comes very close at times . The trails already have a rocky aspect and even though the hills are more gentle, the ondulations are plenty and every metre uphill saps at your strength.The sun was shining full force and a dry wind was blowing from the east, clearing out the skies to the nicest blue I've seen in a while. After some 22K, the White trail brought us nicely upon the Red, and here the terrain started to change. Less open landscapes, the valleys were more deeply cut and the trails become even more treacherous but remain very beautiful and changing all the time ; ranging from a narrow singletrack alongside a little river, a wider forest trail leading us next to some rocks and then bumping over a rocky trail with some wet patches in it , a tarmac section taking us further down into the valley ,a sharp right turn onto a forest track again, over a bridge and next to a fence and we start with the longest climb of the day. One kilometer upwards over a steep and rocky track. Each is set into his own pace and even in these dry condtions our wheels are skipping over loose stones and we have to wrestle our bikes over little gullies, some roots and even more stones. I so love this climb. At the top we have our 3rd rest stop to allow everyone to stock up on food and drink. A narrow singletrack leads us back down to the top of the rocks we saw earlier. We are now some 42K into the route and fatigue is beginning to seep into our muscles. But we're not home yet. A couple of nice descents along narrow trails followed by steep ascents on a grassy and gully singletrack between two fenced fields . One down, one more to go. We arrive at Villers le Temple and only one long climb through a little forest is left. A few backroads though Scry and we're back at the church. I got the impression everyone was happy with the ride, and I believe the pace we made was enjoyable for everyone. We had some drinks and a snack at Huy before saying our goodbyes.I had a great time - as I always have on these trails - and I can only hope that my friends enjoyed it too. I am already playing with the idea of returning here soon and do the trails in the reverse direction. Ride Stats : 49k and 805 heightmeters in 3h16mins3800/31515some pics CLICK (password protected)
01-05-2007, 00:00 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 30-04-2007 |
| Scary stuff (non biking) |
Wanted to prepare my # 1 bike for the ride tomorrow when upon turning the wheel I noticed a clicking sound. Mmm? Clicking? Lets look - whats up.. And then I saw it , one loose spoke , torn at the inside of the nipple. WTF ?!? .. damn, there is another one and a third one.. "poinggg" a 4th spoke disconnects when I take the tension out of the tyre.HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?
My mind started reeling back to the last ride I did with the Moots, exactly 2 weeks ago in Nandrin. I remember hitting "something" quite distinctly with my front wheel. At the moment I thought it was a rock thrown up by my wheel, or a stick. Still, nothing more happened then and I completed the ride, another 35K at least of tough terrain
Back home I cleaned the bike and noticed that the Mavic quick release had been pushed against the side flange of my front Chris King hub (rubbing off the black color as well ). But there was nothing wrong with the wheel at that point . The bike has been sitting in the garage since.
Crazy , isn't it. I have already contacted my friend Luc , who made these wheels, and he came by to check out the damage. I wonder what caused it, it must have been the bump initiating some tension through the spokes into the nipples. I know these Sapim CX Ray spokes are tensioned very tight but still, the nipples can take this and the spokes are among the strongest around.
They have not suffered, its the messing nipples that broke. I don't trust any of the remaining nipples so they will all have to be replaced, and possibly also the rim, but that has to be assessed by Luc . I think the torn quick release must be a result from the same jolt that caused the messing nipples to snap.
I also think it's weird (and to be quite honest, I'm quite thankful to whatever angel is watching over me ) that this failure happened at home and not during the ride. I don't think I need to draw a picture to illustrate what happens if 4 spokes on the same side of a wheel fail . The wheel instantly gets twisted , locks solid and you go off - hard.
I believe I have to thank Luc for being able to ride another 35K offroad with these wheels without failure.. His wheelbuilding skills probably saved me from a nasty fall.
See some pictures HERE and HERE.
30-04-2007, 19:51 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 29-04-2007 |
| Lasne trails |
Got an SMS around noon from "Moster Blond" asking if I could join her to do some trail exploring in and around Lasne. Yes, of course I could. She set me on a very tight shedule to join her at the Groenendaal station but I somehow managed to get there in one piece, albeit not as fast as she would have wanted me to be there. Still I clocked my best time ever between home and Filip Sport I'm sure.
Another beautiful hot day and even though my legs felt not that brilliant getting out of bed this morning , once I got on my bike things kinda fell into place. My ReSkin patch is doing wonders for my bum because I did not feel anything after yesterdays' monster ride, and I would be without pain as well today. "Mr. Sensitive" definately has approved these bike patches. Get them if saddle soreness is holding you back, you won't regret it.
What great trails we visited today. MB had a map which consisted of "all trails known to mankind" - or at least so it seemed - around Lasne and its big surroundings. Basically these are hiking trails but they are also explicitely open for bikers and horses. And to make a long story short - some of these little trails were pure heaven, tricky, twisty singletrails - some very narrow indeed - posing some fine technical challenges and generally keeping you focussed on the uphills as well as in the downhills. The landscapes here are so lush and green, and ondulating nicely and in the process providing us with a lot of heightmeters. I really had a blast on these trails today. The interconnecting bits consisted of a lot of cobbles - mmm , I thought all cobbles were situated in the Oud-Heverlee area but I was proven wrong - and some one-car-width tarmac roads. Also a lot of gravel roads which suited me fine, as long as they connected to another wonderful trail.. This really is the posh area south of Brussels . I can't remember seeing a Lamborghini AND a Ferrari driving on the same street within a 100 metres of each other -ever. A knight in a Rolls Royce was very kind to grant us passage and some of the houses here are having lawns big enough to play golf in. We also passed the "Royal Belgian Cricket Club" and behold , some gentlemen dressed in white were walking around aimlessly and throwing balls around between tea-breaks .
Great stuff and I am so thankful to MB for taking me out here today. Only trouble is, I want to go back and have a look at the other side of that map.
Ride Stats : 89.5K and 815 heightmeters in 4h50mins
3751/30710
29-04-2007, 00:00 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 28-04-2007 |
| Magical Moments and Disappointments |
Rode my bike to Hallerbos today to meet with Moster Blond (MB) who was leading the annual BigM Magical Bluebell Ride. This was supposed to be a BigM clubride - although it was originally an idea of BigM founder MB - but I was surprised to see only 3 people besides myself turned out. MB had some trouble with her Polar and with the help of her friends it was discovered that the speed transmitter was the culprit. Its signal proved too weak to make it to the watch attached to her wrist, so we had her attach it to her bikes' handlebar which solved her problem. She happy - we also happy.
This ride has always been a big success in previous years so I cannot begin to understand why there were so few attendees this year. Sure, the bluebells bloomed a few weeks ago - and we were there thank you - and it was a very nice hot day, perhaps too nice to ride a bike for some?
Oh well, its THEIR loss. The ride turned out to be a great one... read on.
It was not going to be easy though. A very popular annual Hallerbos athletic event was taking place today and some 1000 runners who were spread over some 9K of circuit. They had a great time I'm sure, but we had to make sure we stayed out of their path.. so we had to improvise a bit but in the end we got there, doing the trails we set out to do. The bluebells were still there but only at a fraction of their usual luster. Only a sheen of blue was to be seen, but the smell was still there - coupled to the smell of the pinetrees and some wild onions (or more probably flowers that smell like onions - or perhaps some weird mushrooms after all ??) made me inhale my lungs with the fresh forest air. The loop ondulated nicely through the forest, some big trails, some narrow trails. What a great forest this is.
The loop turned out to be a little shorter than previous years due to some trails being blocked by lumber, but we still got a good 20K and 350 heightmeters before we decided to give the BLUE BLOSO route of Braine Le Chateau a try.
Aargh, what a disappointment this turned out to be. 90% of this route is going over tarmac, sure, through some nice fields and next to (NEXT TO as opposed to INTO ) some nice forests. Moreover, there were a lot of cars trying to pass us on essentially one-car roads, sometimes leaving us in the dust - yes, there were some gravel roads as well - sometimes just having to squeeze by .
There was one very nice bit with a fine downhill section but that couldn't have been more than about 1.5K long. And at one point the road passes through the Hallerbos, albeit on big roads, so that too has to count for something. But as a whole, this 17K easy route is not something I would recommend. Perhaps we need to check out the longer - and supposedly tougher - RED route, but to be quite frank, I don't think I'll bother. What a contrast with the nearby Braine L'Alleud routes, those are really good and well thought-out.
After returning to the Hallerbos we finished with a very fast Yieeehhaa stretch and then returned happily to the Sept Fontaines starting point. Three of us continued by bike going towards the Middenhut were one left and Moster Blond and myself continued together until Jezus-Eik were our roads separated.
Ride Stats : 121K and 1195 heightmeters in 6h06mins
3662/29895
28-04-2007, 00:00 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 27-04-2007 |
| I use ReSkin |
So, yeah, I needed some ReSkin patches. Went to my local pharmacy who contacted the ReSkin factory, but the factory was out of them and they were not available (yet) on the ReSkin website. But, Verbinnen Sport at Wilsele had them in stock. Oh, thats what I needed, a reason to jump on my bike and do some K's.
So to Verbinnen I went and surely enough, they had them stocked. I opted for a 5-pack and they sold those at 27€. Money well spent, I can advise them to anyone who bikes for more than 2 hours on end . The patches are wash-able and re-usable and you can use them 3-4 times before they are 'spent'.
Warm day so I went for an extra little loop over the hills of Kessel Lo and Hoog Linden. Keeping the speed and effort down of course, long weekend coming up and lots of biking planned the next 4 days.
Ride Stats : 37K and 265 heightmeters in 1h30mins
3540/28700
27-04-2007, 19:02 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 24-04-2007 |
| Speed King II |
Another fast ride this evening. Legs felt good, which is normal after 2 days of rest following some tougher rides. Halfway through the ride I felt my rear tyre running flat but I managed to ride on until I was home. The temperature of 23 degrees C felt good. Now I have to upload some more pictures from this weekends' Women Elite Race to my Houffalize Fotopic site. Check them out, but please remember you can only use them on websites or for other public purposes with my explicite consent.
Ride Stats : 29K and 175 heightmeters in 1h06mins
3473/28250
24-04-2007, 20:29 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 22-04-2007 |
| Houffalize - Mountainbike Mekka |
Friday April 20th:
I arrived in Houffalize around 1pm. I had to wait until 5pm to check in at the hotel, so why not do a mountainbike ride in the meantime. Yes, please. Unloaded my bike and started out on Houffa trail number 2. This starts out by taking the road in the direction of La Roche and then steeply disappears to the left on tarmac, later in the forest. The trail shares the first few k's with the number 3 and also the number 1 trails.A quick downhill into the forest, followed by a wet uphill - wet because of a little stream the trickles down along the trail - yiehaa.. Another downhill, this one tricky and dark due to the heavy coverage of the pinetrees.
Some gullies here so watch out, steer carefully and easy but decisive on the brakes. I was on my Litespeed so had to re-adjust to the lesser brakepower of the XTR V-brakes as compared to the strong Hope Mono Mini diskbrakes on my other bike.
Another steep uphill follows after which the trail mellowed out a bit, but rest assured , in Houffa even the mellow trails are tough . I noticed that the signage was IMPECCABLE and it would remain so during the rest of the ride.
After a long drop from the crest of the hill down to the river Ourthe I crossed the la Roche road again only to disappear into the forest again for another 3k climb, another 200 heightmeters. After that the trail loops towards the North of Houffalize.
Trail number two turned out to be around 29K - I had briefly incorporated a bit of the WorldCup circuit in the beginning which accounted for an extra 3K or so - and it was close to 660 heightmeters. Hillfactor 22.5 , yeah, this is Houffalize allright.
After trail number 2, I decided to do the number 3 trail next . This I had also done the last time I was here and I knew it covered 34K and a little more than 700 heightmeters.
The first bits were the same as the number 2 trail but then number 3 veers anticlockwise to the East - as opposed to trail number 2 which loops clockwise to the West and later to the North of Houffalize. It could be my imagination but I noticed that some tarmac bits had been cut short, opting for offroad tracks instead.
That is a good thing, one can not have enough singletrails. The tracks were dusty and dry, but the wind was cold so even though the sun was blazing, it was not really warm. After a little less than 4 hours riding I arrived back at the hotel.
Ride Stats : 64.5K and 1385 heightmeters in 3h47mins
Saturday April 21st:
A good breakfast and at 8.45 am I left the hotel. It was fiendishly cold - just above freezing - in the ourthe valley and I wore every bit of bike clothing I has with me. I had an appointment with "Moster Blond" and a few other gentle bikers from the Brussels BigM group. MB had procured a map from the La Roche trails and we were about to do one of the new trails. She chose the #2 trail and for me it was a hit. It started a bit boring but at least uphill with a long tarmac climb out of La Roche all the way to the Parc de Gibier. From there on the climb continued, taking us in 7k from 237 to 572 heightmeters, with a little downhill drop in between but we just lost 30 heightmeters in that . Gasp, that was 365 heightmeters in one go. Wow, looking GOOD. After that, it obviously went downhill for a while , but mostly on bigger forest trails. Until we came at a very nice fast downhill section, with some rocks, gullies, roots and other selected nasties that had a lot of us riding back up again to do the downhill bit once more. GOOD.
This was just after passing the little village of Samrée. The downhill went on until we had to climb a long stretch upwards again. Now we were really on a typical La Roche trail. All of a sudden the trail went down, megasteep and in such beautiful landscapes that I had to stop to take some pics. We dropped into a nice little ravine with a stream crossing the trail at the bottom. After that was following a steep, long and rather difficult climb. This section of the trail was really fingerlicking GOOD . Pity there was another stretch of tarmac bringing us down towards crossing the La Roche - Houffalize road. Another steep offroad climb followed which we shared with a few hikers and which brought us nicely back on the plateau again, another good bit for me. The view from the plateau towards Maboge was fantastic. The trail had one very steep downhill up its sleeve, which dropped us back onto the big road from Houffalize to La Roche. From there another 2K saw us back into La Roche. In all, the trail incorporated some very nice uphills, with at least three great downhill sections. I must say I did not like the tarmac sections but perhaps there are no other options. If you know the area, I guess you can do that middle bit a few times in a row. At the end of trail # 2 we had 27.5K and 702 heightmeters but you must substract about 2 K and some 50 heightmeters because of the climb we did twice. But, 25.5K and 650 heightmeters still nets a Hill Factor of 25.5 .
Back at the town I said my goodbyes to the rest of the group and biked back to Houffalize. Just before entering Houffalize I saw a nice singletrail ondulating parallel to the tarmac road, which I got on and followed for 2.5 k or so. When I exited that little trail I saw the markings from Houffa trail #6 which obviously uses that singletrack. Another change to the old trails .
I had a good days biking with some great trail company (you know who you are - thanks boys and girls )
In the late afternoon I got an SMS from "Miss Piggy" , she was at the Expo area and it looked like a good idea to join her and stroll along the many stands with her and her little boy. I met up with a lot of people on the way - who are now probably wondering where I got the instant family from - and the pleasant temperatures made me really enjoy the walk, relaxing before race-day .
Meeting up with Jurgen Vanden Driessche from http://www.xcluziv.net/ gave me a chance to talk about my favorite topic, titanium bikes. Until the women got bored with all that tech stuff and we had to move along that is..
I also met Fons Moors from www.fonsmtb.be and Thierry from O2 Bikers.
Thanks Julie for coming over and accompanying me . I had a grand couple of hours.
Ride Stats : 84K and 1320 heightmeters in 4h47mins
Some pics from the Houffa and La Roche trails here (CLICK)
Sunday April 22nd:
Today I concentrated on following the Womens' Elite race, something I have been doing for 12 years now in Houffalize. Today was no exception and I went out on the track to get some pictures from these athletes I admire so much.
My Houffalize 2007 Womens' Elite Picture gallery (CLICK)
After the Womens' race I met up with "Moster Blond" and some of the BigM gang again and we had a fine time following the Mens' race. Some spectacular biking to be seen at the new downhill section at "Le Arsenal" along the La Roche road.
The beautiful weather made this a very rewarding weekend and I really had a grand time, riding my bike, checking out the Expo area with Julie , taking the pictures from the Womens' race and following the Mens' races with my friends .
I want to thank all of them for being there and making this weekend into what it has become.
3444/28030
22-04-2007, 00:00 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 16-04-2007 |
| Miss Piggy meets the Big Bad Wolf |
With the glorious weather still holding on for at least one more day I decided to try out the Nandrin trails. With not a single drop of rain this month they were sure to be dry, fast and of course tricky. While everyone was returning back to work – or school – after the Easter holiday it felt a little perverse to take a day off and go out biking.I had asked Julie (aka "Miss Piggy" at a certain mountainbike forum ) if she wanted to accompany me.Julie has promised me to guide me around in her neck of the woods later this year so I thought I would return the favor by showing her some of the trails I like.Nandrin lies just south-east of Huy, and the trails over there are certainly not among the toughest around but the constant climbing - sometimes very steep - and descending – sometimes fast, sometimes a little bit more technical - makes it a great training area, with some lovely views of nice countryside. It also incorporates some nice little singletracks and because the trails are relatively unknown, they are at times almost overgrown, especially in the summer season.We met up at the village center and set off around 9.30. The sun was already well out, painting the "High Condroz" landscapes in full technicolor. Picture a mixture of the young green on the trees and in the pastures , the bright yellow fields of Rapeseed (canola) and the browns, grays and whites of the trails that meander through it.I usually interconnect two routes here, the White and the Red. These routes are remnants of some marked trails in the area. There is a map at the start of the routes and there used to be a little shop where you could get an A4 with the trails on them. I have heard the villages library still carries copies of this map.I made a roadbook of these trails some years ago, roadbook which can still be found HERE (click)The White route takes us directly onto a long steady climb passing through a forest. I usually skip this section because of the mud but today there would be no problem riding this trail. A stretch of wet grass follows, we cross a tarmac road and are plunged again into a forest. A little further we get a nice rollercoaster ride - a fast downhill followed by a steep uphill section. And so it continues for the first 15K, up and down, with some nice landscapes to feast our eyes on. After that the trail mellows out a bit as we stay more or less on the plateau. Around 20K into the ride we join the Red route and things get more interesting again. Little overgrown trails alongside fields bring us into the forest again and the track undulates once again up and down, up and down.We have a little break just before we attack what I consider to be the best part of these routes.A great loop that starts out with a beautiful singletrack alongside a little river – soon followed by a wider track with some nasty stones protruding from it- takes us gradually down in the direction of the Meuse valley. At our right we see a high rocky outcrop we would meet again, but not without some effort.A stretch of unavoidable tarmac (I’ve checked – all sideroads are either private or cul-de-sac) brings us deeper down into a lush and green valley . Suddenly a sharp turn to the right onto a forest road and after crossing the stream we are at the bottom of a long and steep uphill. About 1.6 K and it brings us some 100 meters higher. Nice, rocky and steep. I have seen a lot of people walk here but Julie is a strong climber and the pace she sets is just right for me. After that we come onto a bigger track which still goes upwards but not as steep. Right turn, some forest tracks which soon becomes a singletrack that drops down towards the rocky outcrop we saw before. Here we stop to take some pictures and admire the view.Another singletrack follows which brings us back within some 150 meters from the entrance of this fine loop. Anyone up for a second round? Not today so we continue along the red trail. The trail works its way over two more hills, dropping down along a small track and working its way upwards again on an even narrower track between two fields. Room enough but you have to concentrate on the trail and forget about the barbed wire that keeps the cattle into the fields – and us away from them. We come into a small village and surely enough, after a downhill stretch there is another climb waiting, this time in a hollow road into a forest.We have been keeping quite a good pace throughout the ride. Julie is a strong rider and her pace suits me very well. The tracks were dry, the occasional puddle notwithstanding. Still our attention was needed, as usual in the descents, but also there were gullies that lay in wait under the high grass or some roots or timber which demanded us to keep alert at all times.So I think “Miss Piggy” and this “Big Bad Wolf” had a good day out together. Our speeds were very well matched, both on the uphill and on the downhill stretches. I am really looking forward to see what nice trails Julie has to offer me in her neck of the woods.
16-04-2007, 00:00 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 14-04-2007 |
| Magical Bluebells |
6.30am.. ouch, there is not much light as I set out with my bike to ride towards 7 Fontaines near Hallerbos where "Moster Blonde" was waiting for me to do a reconnaisance of the Magical Bluebell ride she organises each year. She had lots of other stuff to do today so we planned to meet up really early. It's nice and quiet in Meerdael Forest and the Foret de Soignes as I bike through them, the first rays of the sun piercing in my back. Oh, nature is so beautiful this early in the morning. In the Dyle valley some shrouds of mist are being quickly dissipated by the upcoming sun. Not a lot of time to look around though.. I'm on a tight shedule.8.01am.. made it - just in time. 37.5K on the counters already and the real ride hasn't even started yet. MB is ready to roll and we set off onto the loop . The first couple of K has us following a little trail along the bottom of a field next to a little stream. A big tree that has been lying here for at least a year has us lifting our bikes over it. We continue along a wet - aargh, my bike is getting dirty - upwards trail towards the outskirts of the forest. Pretty steep but very manageable due to the perfect trail conditions once we passed the wet bit. A technical and sandy downhill follows and then its upwards again to join the Hallerbos rim . The sun is out now but the temperature in and around the forest is still nice and cool. Excellent biking conditions. This early there are but a few other people around but this would change later on. Diving into the first of the Hallerbos valleys it becomes pretty obvious that the amazing weather we have been enjoying these past few weeks has brought the bluebells ( scilla nonscripta - blue hyacynt ) out . They are blooming already.. the magic of this moment is breathtaking and I feel so priviliged to be here, with MB. We both enjoy the moment to the fullest , taking some pictures before venturing deeper into the forest. Riding along has us filling our lungs with the pure air and our nostrils with the scent of thousands of flowers. Some of the tracks are off limits because due to the treefelling they are blocked by trees. A passing horseback rider warns us about the forestry keeping a watch out for trespassers but we are not worried about that. It is not our policy to bike on forbidden roads. MB has the maps with her and has already devised some possible detour around the blocked trails. The trail meanders from one valley into another, always up and down, some technical bits, some steep trails and lots of singletrack to interconnect the bigger trails. This is such a fine forest , pity there are no marked biker trails, and lots of the trails are offlimit to bikers. Still, with the remainder of the trails, and a good guide, the loop we followed is pretty awesome as it stands. We netted 430 heightmeters in 23.5k. Back at the 7 Fontaines area we say our goodbyes and I headed back towards the Foret de Soignes.I felt good so I did a little detour around some of the Hoeilaart trails and coming back into Korbeek Dyle I rode along the Green Bloso loop before happily arriving home after a good long ride.
Thanks Moster Blonde for the awesome ride ...
Ride Stats : 105K and 1015heightmeters in 5h11minsSome pictures taken today (CLICK)3218/24355
14-04-2007, 14:51 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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