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| Tales from the Woods |
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| 12-06-2007 |
 ZoomZoom |
At last, after 5 months of waiting, and one holiday while it was already in the garage, I took possession of my new car yesterday. It was well worth the wait, I really enjoy driving it. It's a very powerful car so I have to watch it but I like the way it purrs along while cruising in sixth gear and 90kph at 2000rpm. I took some pictures from it which you may view HERE.I went for a bike ride as well this evening, after taking a few days off of the bike due to a insect bite I suffered on the last ride of the Vosges. It was on top of my knee and the resulting swelling took a few days to settle. At least I got most of the poison sucked out so the allergic reaction was minor.My friend Roger had read my Vosges report and wanted to know more about the biking over there, as this is one of the options he is contemplating for a future shortbike trip. So I went for a ride with him talking about the Vosges and lots of other stuff. As was expected, my legs felt good , well rested and strong after the Vosges trip. On the uphills it felt as though I could push one gear heavier than I usually did.I am still contemplating on which ride to do next weekend, lots of great rides so a lot of choice. We'll see how the weather behaves, that will be a major factor in the decision process. Ride Stats : 48K and 390 heightmeters in 2h08mins5110/47135
12-06-2007, 22:16 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 09-06-2007 |
| Hautes Vosges Mountainbike trails |
Hautes Vosges Mountainbike trails 03-08 June 2007
I set out with my friend Moster Blond (MB) towards La Bresse , Hautes Vosges in France , where she had rented us a gite from June 2nd to June 9th. We would be riding the multitude of Routes VTT in the area from June 3rd up the June 8th. Since I hadn't been on a real holiday for a couple of years now, I was really looking forward towards this trip. I was not going to be disappointed. I include a brief description of the rides I did during this week to give you an idea of what is offered here.
Day 1 La Bresse route Nr 1 + Gerardmer route Nr 2
Started out at the Gite around 9.30. The weather was fine, dry and cloudy but with sunny intervals which would lenghten during the course of the day. The first stretch, on the La Bresse route Nr1 a blue beginner route- was mainly tarmac. The routes range from Green (très facile) over Blue (facile) and Red (difficile) towards Black (très difficile)
Upon reaching de Col de la Grosse Pierre, via a short interconnection (marked as such) between the La Bresse and Gerardmer routes, we had to follow the busy D486 for a while and we were now on the Gerardmer route Nr2 a Red route, which is supposed to be more technically challenged. After a while we turned to the right and started on a long climb on gravel roads. The forests which were now surrounding us where green and lush. There were little streams running over and besides the trail and the silence of the forest was only disturbed by the babbling of those little brooks, the chirping of some insect and the grinding of our tyres on the fine-grained tarmac. Very beautiful but the gravel roads were a bit boring. Upon reaching the hut at "Croix Claudé" (1031m) we came upon more interesting tracks, with some rocks popping up between the gravel. We reached the "Roche des Bioquets" (1091m) and things went downhill from there. A very interesting loop followed, taking us along the ski slopes and through some very nice downhill bits. An uphill, wet and singletracky which started beneath the skilift "La Chaume Francis", had us digging deep into our muscular reserves. Steep and slippery, technically challenging - nice. This was definately a good part of the trail. The rest of the number 2 had some fast downhills and another steep climb waiting for us. We could feel the amount of heightmeters digging in. Upon reaching the D486 again, we interconnected back to the La Bresse trail Nr 1. This time the trail went offroad, climbing towards 1056 meters, slowly but surely. A bit in the forest was very wet and strewn with fallen trees. Quite a bit of climbing to do, both on and off our bikes. MB was taking the shortcut back down to the chalet but I set onwards on the 3K that was left of trail Nr 1. And a great 3K it was, with a very technical downhill near the end. Rocky and slippery I went a couple of meters on foot- and not something one would expect on a beginner loop. The signage was good, although sometimes the arrows were positioned a bit awkward and a good map (9.80 Euro for IGN map 3619OT Bussang La Bresse ) , is always a good thing to have with you. Or the plastic route cards which can be gotten for free from the Tourist Centre at La Bresse. These offer a good idea of the routes but cannot replace a good map in case of emergency or when you are really lost.
Ride Stats: 37.1 K and 770 heightmeters in 3h01
Hill Factor: 20.8
Pictures Day 1
Day 2 Fresse-sur-Moselle route Nr 5 + Nr 4
Bright and sunny morning again so we set out by car towards Fresse-sur-Moselle, to try out the black route Nr 5 (Très difficile). This is one of only 2 black routes in the Vosges so our expectations were high. The route started with a long climb taking us towards the Croix de Fresse. This is a crossroads where we could interconnect to the blue route Nr.3 which lead towards the Red Nr 4. MB wanted to do the Nr3, which is slightly shorter and supposedly less difficult than the Nr4, which I would ride. By now we were already sure that the difficulty level of the routes had nothing to do with their technical content, but were solely a measure of the amount of heightmeters in them as compared to the lenght of the route (the Hill Factor). Which suited me fine "an sich" , but I would have prefered more technical challenges in the downhills on the Red routes , and especially on the Black route. Needless to say, with 400 heightmeters in about 7k, the black route is a tough cookie. The Red Nr4 had some nice climbing in it, leading up to about 1100 metres at the top of the ski loops at "Haut du Rouge Gazon" . A very interesting climb leading up to it, singletrack with some roots and very steep. The Fresse number 4 connects here with one of the Ventron routes , and the two overlap for a few kilometers. Then the 4 goes towards de col de La Rochelotte where it joins the Blue number 3. I saw that MB had already passed here so I made haste to not have her wait too long at the Croix de Fresse, where we were to rendez-vous. It had rained lightly from time to time rain that didn't bother me because it kept away the heat and I was driving under cover of the trees most of the time. When I reached the Croix de Fresse we continued along the Number 5 route, which from now on was mainly downhill, on broad gravel roads intersected by much too- short smaller and more technical trails. When we arrived at Fresse-sur-Moselle we had to climb one more time along a steep grasscovered road with some wet rocks to keep things interesting. We were a bit disappointed about the low technical level of these routes, especially the black route which we expected to be more of a treat. It proved only to be a treat for the uphill lovers, a few more technical sections notwithstanding.
Ride Stats: 39K and 995 heightmeters in 3h29mins
Hill Factor: 25.5
Pictures Day 2
Day 3 : Gerardmer Routes Nr 9 + Nr 10
Got underway very early this morning and by 9 we were ready to tackle some of the Gerardmer routes. I would try the Red Nr9 first, followed by the Red Nr10. MB would start on the Red Nr10. Starting from the parking lot near "le Grand Etang" the routes follow the same trail for a while, going upwards on tarmac, and then plunging into the forest on what would prove to be the first of some very hairy downhills. Very steep and with wet rocks , roots and boulders it proved to be quite a handful - yummie. The Nr9 then breaks away from the other routes and after dropping down towards the "Creusegoutte" river starts to make its way towards the "Croix Claudé" . But getting there was not going to be easy. The uphill proved to be a singletrail, wet at times with the water that seems to spring from under every stone here. And stones could be found aplenty on todays routes. I really enjoyed this uphill. At 1031 metres you reach the "Croix Claudé". From there onwards the broad gravel roads give you some time to recuperate before undergoing the final downhill. This really is a killer, very steep, wet and rocky , I had to get off of my bike several times, due to lack of braking power, guts and skills.
Next I went on the route Nr10. The same start as the Nr9 but this route really is a very difficult one. The uphills are very steep, wet, rooty and rocky, and even on my smallest gear I could not make all of them . And when you were on top of the hill , instead of giving you a break, the trails went down, singletracky steep and again with enough rocks and roots to give you plenty to do. Some of the rocks had me walking again. The nastiest bits had a warning sign before them. The trail keeps on going like this for a while, really making it one of the best Ive ridden here so far. I climbed up the "Tour Merelle" to enjoy the beautiful view over the Gerardmer Lac, which lay 250 metres deeper along the slope. After the Merelle things slowed down a bit into the "Foret de lUrson". But yet another steep climb was waiting, bringing me back towards the starting point. A great ride this was, the weather was fine as well so really very enjoyable. I was glad I saw the car and MB who was waiting for me to finish my loop.
Today was a very fine biking day indeed and if you only have a limited time in the Vosges and want to sample some great trails , you might consider take either or both of these 2 Red Gerardmer routes, you won't be disappointed!
Ride Stats: 35K and 870 heightmeters in 2h54mins
Hill Factor: 24.8
Pictures Day 3
Day 4: St-Maurice-sur-Moselle Routes Nr 15 + Nr 13
Rise and shine very early in order to get underway by 8am. Taking the car down towards St-Maurice-s-Moselle, we are again going our seperate ways today. MB was going for the Black Route Nr14, which would yield her 22.8K and 430 heightmeters, followed by one of the shorter loops, in this case Blue route Nr16, which was 7k and just short of 100 heightmeters.
Me, I wanted heightmeters so I set out on the route Nr15 with its 22K and 615 heightmeters. The beginning of loops nrs 12 through 15 is the same, a couple of K's easy on tarmac and then into a field ,where you needed an eagle eye to spot the signage. I left my eagle eye at home so I missed it and set off on an immensely steep uphill, walking most of it, only to discover that I should have taken out the map earlier - darn !. Oh well , 100 heightmeters more or less wont matter, right? After that little mishap I paid more attention and in case of doubt consulted my map BEFORE choosing a direction. A quite unnecessary and unclimbable bit followed, over soapy green wet rocks where you had to be careful even on foot, let alone biking it. After that, a little path with another steep climb in it brought me onto tarmac. Here the ascent towards "la Chaume au Rouge Gazon" really started, quickly becoming a gravel road , but steep enough to make me walk at least once. The 26/34 combination and my legs, that did not seem to be awake yet, made this a long climb, steady but steep. About 500 metres from the top, I turned on a tarmac road, which allowed me to recuperate some. At the top, around 1100 metres, I had 13K and 670 heightmeters already. Wowza! The official starting point of the Red Nr 15 is here, but after a few hundred meters, the signage was gone, nothing to be seen. So I got out the big map, compared it to the little trail map, and sorted out my direction quite quickly. All downhill now, at one point going straight through a meadow where a broke sign had me puzzled as to which way to go. I finally figured it out and the descent went on, over a nice little trail this time. After that the trail became wider, took on gravel road proportions and I was zooming down with my hands on the brakes to control the speed. Some of the stones are rather big and I wasnt looking for any snakebites. A bit further and some 300 heightmeters lower the trail was joined by Nr13 so I could practice this section bit for later. It went up again, dropping down and passing through a river, and then steeply up again. That really hurt after the long downhill section. Before long I could see St-Maurice-s-Moselle on my left and after a few switchbacks and some lovely bits of trails I was on tarmac again. I passed the car and left a little note with my time of passage and my intention to do the Nr13. That way my companion would know I was allright and how long it would approximately take me to be back again.
The Red Nr13 shares the first 6K or so with the Nr15. After that, it turns 150 degrees to the left for a long ascent, on a doubletrack which would gradually gain me some 300 heightmeters. The track was steep in the beginning, but my legs felt better by now and I could manage it all on the 26/34 without having to walk. At the 900 meter mark I stopped to have my second Power Bar of the day, and when I left I noticed a small deer climbing up the steep bank on my right. Amazing how strong and agile they are. Near the "Fontaine des 3 Mages" I turned to the left and the downhill began. Some 2K of fast doubletrack and just before a tarmac road the arrow pointed to the right, up a steep slope. Grinding time. The slope was badly damaged by forestry works so I had to walk. But gradually it became less steep and I could ride again. A nice little track which led me high above the tarmac road and further down to the D80. This road I had to follow a few hundred meters before having to turn right again, and commence the last climb of the day, which would first bring me nicely up towards connecting with the Nr15. Upwards again before plunging into St-Maurice-s-Moselle. When I arrived I found my note had been added to by MB. She arrived about 10 mins later. Good Timing! In all, the two routes I did are great if you love climbing, there are some technical passages for sure, but the focus is on climbing, steep and long. I saw a lot of danger signs on the downhills, but they were all ride-able, Im pleased to say. At a few places on the Nr15, the signage was missing, signage was impeccable on the Nr13.
Ride Stats: 46K and 1330 heightmeters in 3h56mins
Hill Factor: 28.9
Pictures Day 4
Day 5 : Xoulcés routes Cornimont 6 + Ventron 7
Today I started from the gite, riding my bike to the start of the Red Cornimont route at Xoulcés, a pittoresque little village a few kilometres from Cornimont itself. MB was taking her car to explore some of the routes of "La Bresse East" and Xonrupt. When I arrived at Xoulcés I already had 14k and 100 heightmeters. I started out on the Red number 6 (which is marked as a Blue route in the folders but is really a Red route). This route is 22K long and offers 520 heightmeters. Some nice trails through kneehigh grass led me towards the start of a big climb, which would take me in two stages and 10K some 450 metres higher. First the trail was small, but then it switched to gravel and I had to dig deep in my muscular reserves to stay on the middle ring all the way. At the top , a fast gravel road brought me down towards the start of the Blue Nr 7, a 15.5 K long route (which is erronously marked as a Red route in the folders)
This proved to be a very simple route, a long uphill on gravel roads, then some 5-600 metres of great singletrail and after that it shared the same 5K-long downhill as the number 6. When I completed the Blue 7, I continued on the remainder of the Red 6 which had still some very nice passages waiting for me. I passed alongside a big "Jesus on the cross figure" which looked out over Cornimont . Some technical downhill bits, rocks and stones, wet or dry, and near the end a really steep climb ondulating on a singletrail which was covered with rocks and crossed by little streams.
Very nice and certainly one of the better routes Ive done this week. Pity the number 7 was a disappointment. After 37.3K and 1040 heightmeters I was back at the start in Xoulcés. This yields a Hill Factor of 27.8 ! But I still had to bike 14K back to the gite, and had another big climb waiting for me , from the centre of La Bresse at 636 metres up to our gite at 890 metres.
Ride Stats: 65K and 1495 heightmeters in 4h18mins
Hill Factor: 23
Pictures Day 5
Day 6 : La Bresse East Nr14 + Cornimont routes 2 + 4
A heavy series of thunderstorms last night made me decide to stay close to La Bresse. So I started out from the gite again down to the tourist centre and the start of the "La Bresse East" route Nr14. This took me on a long winding ascent up to the "Lac de Sèchemer" and further towards the "Lac des Corbeaux" . This big mountain lake is 27 metres deep and holds some 240000 cubic metres of water. I hade to ride around it, which was a little more than a 1000 metres. After this lake, the gravel road took me towards the "Col de Brabant" , where the Cornimont Routes 1 through 4 start. I took number 2 first, and was not dissapointed. Descending at first along tarmac and gravel roads, the road then changed into a nice little rocky descent, slippery and wet, but always just rideable. A turn to the left and upwards it went, steep on loose gravel, rocks and grass. I just made it on my 26/34. I saw the tower with the "Notre Dame de la Paix" on it, and looking towards the other side of the Xoulcés valley, I saw the Jesus figure where I stood yesterday. Another steep climb and then a nice passage through the forest and I was back at the Col de Brabant. I decided to do the Blue Nr 4 as well, which follows the track of the Ski de Fond towards the Col de la Vierge. Nothing spectacular, a long uphill on gravel roads towards the Col, and then a fast downhill towards the Col de Brabant again. There I finished what was left of the La Bresse East Nr14. Which was in fact nothing else than a fast downhill on tarmac towards La Bresse. A bit disappointing to say the least. I remember the nice Cornimont Nr2, only 8K but well worth the ride. The 3 trails yielded me 39.5K and 925 heightmeters. Thats a 23.4 Hill Factor. I was left with only 4K to go and some 240 heightmeters, back from the La Bresse centre towards our gite.
Ride Stats: 48K and 1155 heightmeters in 3h22mins
Hill Factor: 24
Pictures Day 6
Totals: 270.47 and 6615 heightmeters in 21h08mins
Total Hill Factor
: 24.5
Bottom Line
So, did I enjoy myself? Yes, I most certainly did. The region is beautiful, with hills ranging from 500 to 1200 metres , green and lush . The area breathes an air of calm and cleanliness. There is water everywhere, rivers, brooks, gullets, trickles.. most of France's "eaux" come from this area. The marked trails are great for those who like to climb and the effort the region has made is certainly to be commended . The more technically challenged may want to consider hiring a guide though because, even though some of the trails I did include some very fine sections , nasty downhills and certainly very difficult and steep uphills, most trails seem to focus on providing at least one long climb on gravel roads, followed by a descent on the same type of road. There are exceptions, but the difficulty of the trails seems to be determined NOT by their technicality but by the amount of climbing they include. So this basically leaves you to try all routes in order to find those you like, or you might strike lucky like I did a couple of times. Another point of note is - even though the signage is generally good - some signs are at awkward places or angles, so you need AT LEAST the little plastified trail maps you can get for free at the Tourist Centres of La Bresse and, to be completely safe, you might want to get a copy of the 1/25000 IGN maps of the area. The people you encounter are very friendly and clearly used to seeing tourists most of the year. We went in June and the best time of the day to bike was early in the morning. Temps were high around noon and chances of thunderstorms increased past 1-2pm. Thunderstorms can be violent here, but the trails are not that much affected by the rainfall. Except that the rocks and roots get wetter at some areas, the water is channeled effectively away from the trails, or absorbed by the fine gravel , with only the exceptional muddy area or puddle remaining. You might wanna try the following links for more information on the area and the activities:http://www.hautes-vosges.net/http://www.ffc.fr/a_VTT/a_SitesVTT/
5061/46745
09-06-2007, 00:00 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 29-05-2007 |
| Compulsive |
One of my sisters once called me a compulsive biker. We were having an argument at the time and she meant it as a derogative remark, a sneer, mainly because according to her I tended to shy away from my responsabilities and hide in my biking. At the time I tought she could not have phrased it better. Except for the responsability bit she is ab-so-lu-te-ly right.
Sometimes I am praying for rain, because that is the only sure-fire way to keep me off of my bikes. Or at least to keep me from riding outside, because I have a bike set up on the rollers in my garage, of course. It seems the only days I don't bike is when I'm ill (rarely) or when the snow is too high (never) or when it rains hard (yep, this is Belgium, it does from time to time) Today I swear I was trying my best to stay at home, grab my Covenant book and drop myself in a comfy chair to read a few chapters. I really need to take a day off from biking to allow my body to fully recuperate . I almost succeeded in my plan . Upon returning from work I found some stuff to do around the house, made some appointments , watched the Giro stage where Stefano Garzelli grabbed a hard-fought and well-deserved victory but around 7pm I found myself with idle hands and caught a glimpse of sunshine. Yep, so I got on my bike and did a quick ride before darkness started to set in.
I have little sympathy for those people who always find excuses NOT to go biking. In my mind, if you really want to, you will always find a way. I know I do. Being out on a bike helps me to order my thoughts, helps me think about stuff and usually when I get home after a good ride I have figured out a way to deal with most issues that have been bothering me throughout the day. I had a lot to think about today and being out there, feeling the chilly wind on my cheeks whilst pedalling at a recovery rate 106bpm average, really helped me to straighten my mind and iron out all the wrinkles the day had put on me.
Now tomorrow I need to do a lot of stuff and I am most certain I will not find the time to go out. I need to get up early , go to the doctor to have my blood sampled, need to take the car in for an emergency checkup and I also need to work and have an appointment at the dentist in the early evening . Hmm, I will probably skip the dentist which will buy me an hour. Hope it rains.
Ride Stats : 26k and 195 heightmeters in 1h08mins
4791/40130
29-05-2007, 21:41 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 28-05-2007 |
| Great stuff |
Predicting the weather in Belgium must be a very difficult thing. Before the weekend the forecast looked as if we were going to get rain all through saturday, sunday and even monday. Saturday? Hmm, yes a little moist in the morning and some rain after 5 o'clock in the evening. Sunday? I don't remember it raining, it might have rained a bit during the night.
And then today, rain predicted, but what happens? Great weather - no sun, but dry - with just a few drops. I cannot tell what happened in other parts of Belgium and I'm sure it can be a matter of a few kilometers, but in the Centre it was a GREAT weekend weather-wise.
That also had some consequences on my mileage. I thought I would have a few days off of biking, but it turned out I biked on all 3 days.
Today saw me on part 2 of my Secret Meerdael loop, a succession of hills and singletrail, only leaving the forest on 2 occasions.
 Great stuff, if I say so myself. I was out with the Litespeed and I must say , I am really pleased with the 1.8 Nobby Nic tyres I put on a few rides back . Especially in these moist-but-not-wet circumstances with only the occasional mudhole , they perform splendidly. Narrow tyres yes, but with very good grip, also on the offcamber stuff. Their narrowness makes them a bit less comfortable and also the braking distance is a bit longer due to the diminished footprint but I really love them. They give me a lot of confidence on the steep downhill stuff. I made all the downhills and I also made all the uphills, except one where I was so amazed I was going to make it that I lost concentration and got stuck between 2 roots. Aargh... I descended again and rode up once more, this time passing the nasty roots with flying colors. I normally leave my chain on the middle ring but this time I decided to drop it on the small ring a lot, which made it less tough and kept my heartrate low. Had a great time today and when I consider the weekend, I am very pleased with the rides I did. Hopefully it will rain for a couple of days now so I can get a few days' rest before heading off to France for a biking adventure.
Ride Stats : 42K and 745 heightmeters in 2h58mins
4767/39935
28-05-2007, 16:06 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 27-05-2007 |
| Beautiful grace |
I just had to post this pic. I got it from the Litespeed Blog. No mention of a photographer but if anyone knows, please be my guest. I love the crispness of the shot, and the way biker and bike seem to form one whole , she really blends with the bike, grace, grit and strength are obvious .
Biker is Portugal Pro Vanessa Fernandes and the event is the Worlds Duathlon Championships in Gyor, Hungary. Bike is a titanium Litespeed Ghisallo.
Check out Vanessa's Website
27-05-2007, 00:00 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| Pannekoek |
Living on the border of Brabant Walloon on the edge of the Meerdael Forest certainly has its advantages. Lots of hills and lots of forest just next to my door. One disadvantage is that I need to really make an effort to get a recovery ride in. Either I stay on the rollers, ride at 20kph or I ride to the North. Through Leuven and then further on towards Mechelen I can follow the Vaart canal which makes for a nice pannekoek ride. For those not familiar with the term, pannekoek means flat. In the week I tend to shy away from the traffic in the city but during the weekend Leuven is a quiet town and I have no trouble riding through it on my way to the canal. Today I set out for a short recovery ride - revovery for me means an average of below 109bpm - and I got in a fine ride averaging 106bpm. Only the first and last stretches of the ride had some denivellation in them , the sides of the pannekoek as it were.
Ride Stats : 30K and 100 heightmeters in 1h18mins
4723/39190
UCI Cross Country World Cup #2 , Offenburg, Germany
Definately NOT pannekoek was the 2nd leg of the UCI Mountainbike Cross Country World Cup at Offenburg. The girls had a dry race save for the last 2 laps, and Irina Kalentieva grabbed the win with a sizeable gap between her and Canadian Marie Helene Premont. Multiple World Champion Gunn Rita Dahle-Flesjaa was third.
all pics Copyright Adri Haine 2007
The Chinese delegation , which surprised us all at Houffalize earlier this year, could not pull that off again, but still Blue Jersey World Cup leader Ren Chengyuan got a solid 7th place. Marga Fullana got in another good ride finishing a strong 4th. Full story and some pictures at Canadian Cyclist. The full result can be found HERE
Here is the moment of glory for little Irina Kalentieva, when she wins after the race was rendered very tough and super-technical due to torrential rains.
 Pic Copyright Rob Jones
 Pic Copyright Rob Jones
to end, here is a video interview with one of the sports greatest : Canadian Alison Sydor. Video was shot in Offenburg before the race.
27-05-2007, 00:00 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 26-05-2007 |
| Snail Trail |
I wanted to do one long slow ride this weekend. First I was thinking about doing the Ludo Dierckxsens Classic - or at least the hilly part of it - but then Moster Blond, who is back form a fabulous biking trip to Spain, contacted me to check whether I wanted to ride in the Dyleland area. Yes, of course I would.
So we set up to meet at the Zoete Waters but due to a last minute bug on her bike we met at Filip Sport in Hoeilaart instead. I had to get a minor thing on my bike fixed as well so we both took advantage of the little pit stop.
Upon riding towards Hoeilaart I came along this little snail, that was leaving its wet trail whilst slowly crossing the tarmac bikepath. I took some pictures before gently lifting it off the dangerous road and putting it among the green grass at the side of the road.
 It was arranged that we would ride the Overijse BLOSO's . These are not too difficult but on the other hand do offer some minor technical challenges. MB was talking about her trip and I was talking about things back home, it felt good to open the chatterbox with her. The trails were great, here and there last nights' rain had left them a bit slippery but that only added to the fun. We said our goodbyes upon reaching Overijse again and I rode off towards Huldenberg, where I took the time to photograph a particularly gnarly looking tree.
 Further I went towards Terlanen and St Agatha Rode , where I made the fiendishly steep climb in the St Agatha Rodebos. Another climb in Pécrot and then descending towards Nethen and the Meerdaelwoud. I had a little drink at the Hertebron, a spring in the forest which is supposedly clean after a bit of coli infection 2 years ago. Well, let's hope so anyways. I was thirsty and the cool water refreshed me.
 
Big Thanks to whatever angel is watching over me for keeping our ride a dry one.
Although the average speed was not high throughout the entire ride , I thoroughly enjoyed being out there and the fine company of MB and the chat we had helped me to see some things that had been bothering me in brighter light . I consider myself very lucky to have a friend like her.
Ride Stats : 83.5K and 895 heightmeters in 4h42mins.
4693/3909026-05-2007, 22:49 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 25-05-2007 |
| Rambo |
Here is our cat. His name is Rambo and he has diabetes. A few years back he was dropping weight and drinking most of the day, which made us go to the vet. The diagnosis was chattering, at least at first. The vet told us that if he didn't receive any treatment , he would die within a few months.
But, if we were to administer him daily injections with insulin, he could live for a long time to come. We love our cat and that is why we have been doing this for 3 years now, twice every day. Since the injections need to be given every 12 hours to keep the sugar levels in his blood a steady as possible - we chose 6am and 6pm - this has taken some organising and missing out on holidays as well.
Most people don't bother or are just assuming that the loss of weight and drinking is normal - hence their cat dies. Most people suck.
Rambo was born on the 5th of June 1994. Yep, this makes him a senior alright. He has always been such a friendly cat, as cats go. I can't remember him being viscious or lashing out - ever. Lately he spends most of the day lazing around, eating and lazing around again. His hind legs have suffered from the diabetes so he cannot move for big walks, which means he just advances a few meters and has to take a rest. He doesn't suffer and has no pain. He can purr so sweetly when he is being stroked . He has never been outside since we live close to a very busy road. The closest he gets to beng outside is during the summer months when we open a window and he can sit , smell hear and watch the outside world from behind a mosquito net. He obviously enjoys these moments very much.
I hope you like the little collection of pictures I included here. It took me a while to figure out how to include pictures in this blog but now I found out you can look forward to more pictures popping up in the text from time to time.
Some of these pics are without copyright notice - at least none visible to the eye - but that doesn't mean you can download them and put them on other media without mentioning the author . Copyright Adri Haine 2007
25-05-2007, 21:52 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 23-05-2007 |
| Pruneaux d'Agen |
Met up with Christine Vardaros, former Lotto-Belisol and current Pruneaux d'Agen professional cyclist , to do a little exploratory ride towards Wezemaal. She had posted a story concerning a collectors' item bike that intrigued us by its age and I found out that the shop that had it made - Van Den Eynde - still existed , in Wezemaal indeed. So we got together to check that out. The weather was gorgeous - sunny and a little windy next to the canal, and we set out on a leisurely 103bpm pace - less with held breath - over Wijgmaal and Rotselaar to our destination. Christine had a real cool bike as well - I should've made a picture I know but if you click on the mascotte picture you will see a pic Christine made some time ago..
We found the shop and it turned out to be a glossy place with lots of cool bikes - none as cool as the collectors' item though - and the guy at the shop actually knew the bike as well . We looked around a bit for other peculiar stuff but apart from some flashy golden-coloured Campagnolo wheels we didn't find any more collectors' items.We had both a little more time so we set out back towards the Leuvense Vaart to chat our way up to Kampenhout, where we U-turned a couple of times while we decided which part of the Vaart we wanted to ride on to in order to catch as much of sunrays as possible.
Christine had me enthralled with her stories and deep knowledge of food and supplements . I find myself eating too much of the same stuff all the time , and I'm hoping to get some more variety. So I have to check up on some of her writings on that subject.
Anyways, I had a great ride and am looking forward to a next occasion. Gee , I might even consider taking my trusty non-titanium road bike off of the rollers (gasp ! kapow ! ) or - more likely - put on some 1.0 slicks on my Hilset because I have the feeling that when she really puts down the pedal and goes for Mach speed I will be hard pressed to follow her on my fat-tyred bike.
Thanks Peanut for the fine company today, I really appreciate it . Be well and lets meet up again anytime soon.
Ride Stats : 63K and 140 heightmeters in 2h46mins
4562/37770
23-05-2007, 00:00 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 22-05-2007 |
| Transportation phase |
Yess , at last some news from my new car. Remember ? It has left Production Phase and has entered Transportation Phase. Whether that means it just boarded the boat from Japan or is on a lorry in Antwerp harbour is to be seen. I opted for a cool recovery ride today, and my average heartrate of 106bpm was cool enough I would say. Legs felt good but not yet fully recovered from Sundays' marathon ride. The weather was not great but still with 17 degrees C it was just about right for a slow ride. Tomorrow it will be sunnier which is nice because I will start a little earlier then today. Upon returning from work at 7pm , I jumped on my bike and after my hoth tub I jumped back in my car to have my hair cut. At home around 10pm , grab a bite to eat and get ready for bed. Been feeling pretty tired these last few days - weeks actually when I think about it. My morning pulse (42-43 ) , body temperature and weight (69kg) are normal yet I don't feel great. Could be I suffer from pollen since I cough up some flumes from time to time . I am taking it easy on the rides and we'll see what develops.
Ride Stats : 34K and 210 heightmeters in 1h29mins4499/37630
22-05-2007, 22:33 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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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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