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| Tales from the Woods |
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| 20-05-2007 |
 Rando de l'Athenee at Wavre |
I've
already done quite a bit of [mountain]biking this year - and some
wonderful trails as well I might add - but today was my first organised
ride of 2007. Wavre is some 20k away from my home so instead of adding
to the global warming I took my bike over there, which added to my global warmup .
Upon arriving I left my bike at the guarded bike-park - I was the only
one in the lot, but then again, most folks arrive in groups and can
leave one of them to guard the bikes, a luxury I don't have - and the
mademoiselle gave me a card with a number (8) corresponding to a
numbered card she attached to my bike. I normally won't let people
touch my bikes but I gladly make exceptions for pretty mademoisselles..
Oh, right, there were a few people I was supposed to meet at the
start but some of them had already set off, and another one was going
to do the 25K with her boyfriend (who is badly out of shape ) and told me I shouldn't wait for her.
So I didn't. I went
to the inscription, ticked the 65K distance on the form - there were
also 15, 25, 35 and 50K distances on offer - forked over 4 Euro to another mademoisselle , got my bike back from the bike-park - merci ma belle - and I was
on my way. Oh wait, first I needed to attach a little card with the emergency numbers to my bike. Good thing these cards , you never know whats going to happen.
The Ride:The first few K were meandering through the city but then we
got into a park where the first offroad stretch was greeting my 1.8 Schwalbe "Nobby Nic"
tyres. I chose these because of the heavy rainfall we had last friday.
I would normally not consider such narrow tyres on a ride this long and
I have to say, near the end my back was protesting the lack of comfort
they offered . But considering the condition of the track, the choice proved to be a
wise one. The trails were rather dry to start with. The loop went more
or less anti-clockwise around Wavre. First we went toward Chaumont
Gistoux and Grez-Doiceau, where a lot of the trails were very familiar
to me. But still the trailbuilders managed to find some nice solutions
to include some seldom used singletrails. I particularly enjoyed the
trail next to the river Train, until the trail changed into a big
mudhole that was. Foot on the ground and a few quick jumps brought me
through the worse of it, back on the bike and the Nobby Nics found some
grip to get me out of there - fast. The arrowing was rather sparse but more
than sufficient. Although there was also the option to have your time
clocked - a brevet this is called - on the 65K and I suppose if you really went fast you might miss
some turns due to the arrowing being sparse.
But I only missed one - on a familiar track I must add -
where they chose another option to loop out of than the one I usually take.. my bad . I quickly noticed I
was wrong ( no more arrows ! ) and got back to the fork where I last saw
an arrow. After some 20K I got to the first rest stop. This was stocked
with food - dried fruit, cake , bananas and more cake - and water. Also some mint-flavored sports-drink which didn't
invite to get a second glass. Sober but sufficient I would say. And who
can complain when you get 3 reststops for 4 Euro, right?
The trail then
ondulated toward Dion Valmont and further to the Bois de Laurensart.
Here they added an extra loop for the 65K which took us on a screaming fast
downhill and straight into our first *big* mudhole.. *Aaargh*. Those who know me know
that I don't particularly like mud. The only people really liking mud might be the bikeshops, they get to change all the worn-out bikeparts. But I managed to get myself and my
bike through the puddles unscathed. Experience is a good thing in these
matters. Instead of burying yourself in the mud trying to go AROUND the
puddles, just go STRAIGHT THROUGH them. The ground is harder IN the
puddles, and the water will clean your tyres and bike, rather than clog
it up with mud. I saw some lesser experienced guys burying themselves
quite successfully in the sucking mud.. their agonizing screams left me
to pedal away with a smile on my face. Yeah, I'm bad.
Getting to the second rest stop now, planted in a field in Ottenburg. I tried
checking how long we had to go (I had 41K on my counters) but the girls
manning ( lovely play of words don't you think?) the rest stop were not 'in the know' of such arcane things. So
I figured it must still be 25K and moved on. Food and drink here were the same as on the first stop. Nothing fancy but sufficient. The trail now came very
close to Wavre again but luckily another loop (or 3 ) was awaiting the
long-distance riders'. First we got a fine loop going towards
Rosieres, with a hollow road drop in a forest towards Tombeek to follow. Albeit another
mudhole awaited us at the bottom of said drop. Oh well, let's get dirty
- it's fun. Another climb followed taking us in reverse direction of a marked route (BLOSO Overijse ) and back towards Wavre.
I began to feel the accumulation of K's in my legs and
riding alone - I only seemed to be passing bikers at the rest stops and only 2 or 3 passed me - gave me the impression to be on some trail exploration
. I love the solitude of the longest distance on an organized ride. Most people seem to settle for the middle distances , 35/50K on this ride . I was just
thinking of adding an extra stop to absorb a powerbar when the third
reststop announced itself. So I ate it there, or rather I queezed it out of its wrapper. It had slightly begun to
rain now, and the trails became covered with a wet sheen which rendered
them a bit more tricky than they already were. Every now and then some cobbles were thrown at us, and you know how tricky wet cobbles can be. Alertness was required. Some 10K to go, and some fine trails were awaiting us yet. Looping towards Rixensart we came to
a nice rollercoaster MX-type track. Only thing was, it was a loop and I
nearly did it twice before I realized I better get off it if I was to
regain Wavre anytime soon. Wait, I see an arrow pointing AWAY from the
loop, OK thats it, lets go. Up until now, the bifurcations had been
very well signposted, but this MX track needed another arrow or perhaps
a plaque explaining it was a loop and where to get off of it. The last
few K's were pretty tough, some very steep climbs and a nasty downhill in a
wet field - incorporating a gully that did not seem ride-able to me. Those with tired muscles and lack of concentration better
beware. There was a plaque marked 'Danger' though so I don't think a lot of bikers were surprised by it.
The Lowdown:
What I liked :
- arrowing was sparse but sufficient
- signposters at traffic junctions and crossroads
- dangerous downhills were marked
- guarded bike-park at the start
- 3 rest stops, sufficiently stocked with food and drinks .
- rest stops well divided over the ride (20K - 40K - 55K on 65K)
- some nice trails included and some surprises as well
- every biker got a card with emergency numbers
What I did not like:
- arrowing too sparse for chrono-riders
- no controls for chrono riders and stop/start procedure of chrono was archaic
- confusing trails at the MX track
- tough bit at the end might throw tired bikers off.
I can't comment on showers and/or bikewash facilities since I did not use these.
Synopsis:A good ride, well organised with attention to detail and some very nice tracks. Arrowing and rest stops were sufficient . The chrono was their first one and it showed. If they want to do this again they need more signage and a better way to time the riders. Also, some control points along the ride to discourage cheaters. There were signposts indicating dangerous spots and at most road crossings signposters stopped the traffic for us. Never forget to say 'Thank you' they are sacrificing THEIR sunday for you! Bifurcations between the distances were well marked and not easily missed. Emergency cards and guarded bike-park are welcome extras. Pricing was more than fair. The Bare Facts : 68K and 1000 heightmeters (Hill Factor 14.7)More Info:
Ride's Profile : CLICKMap of the ride : CLICKRide Stats : 106K and 1325 heightmeters in 5h43mins
4466/37420
20-05-2007, 21:30 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 19-05-2007 |
| Evy Van Damme retires |
When browsing on the web, I came upon this sad news : Evy Van Damme, wife of Cofidis Pro Nick Nuyens but foremost one of our countries' leading ladies in the road racing circuit for the past decade , has announced her retirement.
Check the story at Cyclingnews.com and at Nick Nuyens website . The news is also mentioned at Cycling FX Cyclingladies but the other media have yet to catch up with it, it seems.
Well, sad news at least for all of us, who admire her for her sportswomanship , her achievements and yes, because she is one pretty lady as well.
For her it looks like a relief, to be able to close this part of her life and get on with another - maybe more important - part, that of being a fulltime wife and - hopefully - mother.
In an interview she accorded "Het Laatste Nieuws" , she states that she is stopping in her prime - at 27 years old her best years may lay ahead of her - because she couldn't bring up the continuing training , suffering and bereavements it takes to remain on top of her sport. Furthermore , the interview to me also expresses that she is disappointed in the lacking amount of quality time and attention the Women are getting for their sport. This to me has been obvious for some time now. The Mens' races are all that matters, the Womens' just seem to be almost a fait-divers at times, not only in Belgium but also on the International level. The struggle to make people realize that the Women also deserve the same kind of attention - let alone the same time of recognition - is an ongoing one and I fear it is a struggle against windmills. That may sound bitter I know .
I haven't found an online version of this interview, but I'm looking. On the website of Het Laatste Nieuws there has been no mention of it - yet.
As most of you will know , I love to follow Womens' racing , as a photographer but also as someone who is continuously impressed by the power, grace, grit and tenacity of the competitors in this difficult and demanding sport. I follow the Womens' Mountainbike XC racing which seems to earn a bigger level of attention amongst it male counterparts as the Women in road racing, indoor racing or cyclocross seem to get.
But beware, mountainbiking in itself is a very small sport - so lets not get overexited here. I understand that from a sponsors point of view, the "big names" in the Mens' circus attract a lot more of attention - thus money - but at least in mountainbiking the Women are treated more and more equally to the Men . On the World Cup series , their race has been appreciated from a Saturday event to a Sunday event. The Women now have their race at 11am just before the Mens' , thus allowing lots more people to view - and get excited about - the racing. A good thing sure enough. Also, they race for the full 2 hours - as the men do.
Still, things are evolving in other aspects of bicycle racing as well and I am always grateful when mention of the Women is made during the coverage of , say , The Giro or the Tour the France. I wonder how many people know that there is also a Giro for Women, or Tour de France for that matter ? Many people are striving to give the Women what they deserve - fair and equal treatment in all aspects of life - and this includes sports . A big thanks must go to the teams, sponsors and media that make it their daily job to make this possible and to further its development. And of course to all the athletes themselves, who bring us the excitement of the races.
At least in her retirement interview Evy got one full page in Belgiums' leading newspaper.
Thanks for everything you brought to Womens' Cycling in Belgium , Evy and I wish you a very happy and fruitful life. Bedankt voor alles Evy en moge het je goed gaan in de rest van je leven.
Evy Van Damme pic copyrighted http://www.snakeonline.be/
19-05-2007, 18:00 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 16-05-2007 |
| Bread run |
Easy ride this evening, started after the Giro stage ended. Cold wind blowing and I took it easy but still managed a good first hour, due to the wind blowing from behind most of the time. I kept it on the big ring on most of the climbs to work a little on my strength . The Polar transmitter got a new battery but when I checked the heart rate profile I noticed it still had some weird numbers during the first part of the ride. I will get a new Wearlink next friday and be done with it. Upon finishing I had to pass at the bakery to get a bread. Tomorrow is a holiday and I forgot to get one when I got home from work.
Ride Stats : 41K and 290 heightmeters in 1h43
4264/35330
16-05-2007, 20:39 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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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 Pécrot, 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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