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| Tales from the Woods |
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| 31-07-2007 |
 Do The Skinny |
I
mounted my Ritchey Tom Slicks on my Hilset because I wanted to see how
they performed on this bike. Since I have to put at least 3.5 bar in
them to keep them from snakebiting on ridges, I was not expecting too
much comfort. From the first meter you can feel the difference in
rolling resistance, the Tom Slicks roll like .. well they roll very
slick. This makes it easy to maintain the speed. Since the wheels'
diameter is considerably less you also accelerate a lot quicker but it
is not as easy to maintain the speed . I had to split my workout in two
parts since I had to be home for the cats' insuline injection at 6pm.
But I managed to squeeze in a good 35K in just over 1h24mins, give the
injection and jump on my bike again for another 12K . The weather was
great, around 22 degrees C and no wind to speak off. The ride was
harsher than with the big 2.1 tyres but it was quite manageable. 
31-07-2007, 19:49 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 29-07-2007 |
| Haasrode Tour |
Another
ride late in the afternoon. Set out to do part of the Haasrode tour but
ended up doing the complete loop. Pace was moderate and I started to
feel the kilometers I have been doing this week but I managed to bite
the bullet and complete te full loop. No more troubles with the cranks
which was fine to notice. It had been raining this morning but now the
weather was dry even though there was some noticeable wind blowing and
it was only 16 degrees C. But since I'm wearing long sleeves and pants
I hardly notice the cold.
Ride Stats : 69K and 535 heightmeters in 3h2mins
6660/60510
29-07-2007, 21:52 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 28-07-2007 |
| J.I.T. |
Waited until the Tour de France TT to start. A real thriller that was with the 3 pretendents for the overall finishing within 30 seconds of each other. Me I wanted to do the 65K Maleizen tour, which I pick up on at Archennes. It goes over Grez-Doiceau, Chaumont Gistoux, Mont Saint Guibert and Corbais and then towards Ottignies, Wavre, Terlanen and Maleizen. From Maleizen it loops over Ottenburg back to Archennes. Quite hilly it is too and I picked up a few extra hills along the way. Had something weird happening to my crank. I had been noticing yesterday that my front derailler seemed to have moved outwards but after adjusting it, I noticed again it was moving outwards during the ride today, causing it to rub against the middle ring.
Looking more closely I noticed that the gap between my crankarms and my frame had changed. In essence, it looks like my bottom bracket axis has moved to the left, thus bringing the chainrings closer to the frame. I gave it a gentle tap with a hammer and that made it move back to the center. Weird stuff, but the Tune titanium axle is only suspended in two bearings so it makes sense that it can move a bit.It's on long road rides like these that I think I might just get me a road bike. But taking into account my taste for titanium I fear this might cost me around 7 to 8000 Euros. I have been eyeballing a custom Seven Aerios for a while now and maybe I should just go ahead and get it made.
Not that the Hilset is bad but on these long rides I feel a real roadbike might give me the edge, just being more suited for the job. I can mount 1" tyres on the Hilset but that still does not give it the same impetus as a real roadbike would. I was home Just In Time before darkness fell. I left at 6pm and indeed around 9.45 things are getting pretty dark already. Had a good ride though and I'm quite pleased with the amount of heightmeters too.Ride Stats : 87K and 775 heightmeters in 3h47mins6591/59975
28-07-2007, 00:00 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 27-07-2007 |
| Meerdael Forest to Sonian Forest and back |
Lots of wind today, which made me decide to further recce the Vlaanderen Fietsroute in the direction of Brussels. From the Meerdael Forest the route loops towards Leefdaal and then drops towards the Yse river. The route then follows this meandering river along its left bank all the way to Overijse. A very nice hardpack singletrack, just wide enough for two bikes to cross each other. From Overijse it went to Hoeilaart and next to Groenendaal Station. A bit further just alongside the Forest Museum I entered the Sonian Forest. The wind had been blowing in my face all the time - a little less in the Yse valley but still perceptible enough - and I was glad to be in the forest where things were quiet . Riding along the majestic rows of tall beech trees whose leaves were filtering the sunlight made me feel like Siegfried in the Forest Murmurs. I went all the way to the Middenhut where I just had 40K. The way back was a blast and took me half an hour less because the wind was now giving me a nice push in the back.
Ride Stats: 80.5K and 425 heightmeters in 3h37mins
6504/59200
27-07-2007, 16:06 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 24-07-2007 |
| Slippery when Wet |
Wow, tonight and the first hours of today a gusty wind
and some rain got free play over our part of the woods. Still when it
dried out a bit around 11am I jumped on my Litespeed with the intention
to do a few hours of singletrack riding. Luckily my secret Meerdael
loop has just that in its first 25K or so. The forest floor was wet,
wetter than I imagined it would be. Yet I persevered and was thoroughly
enjoying the singletracks, slippery and wet making for a good technical
training as well. About 15K in the ride , things became suddenly very
dark and it started raining again. My good fortune fairy was with me
because I happened to be within a few 100 metres from the Mollendaal
shelter. This shelter was filled to the brim with big-eyed girlscouts
but I managed to squeeze myself and my bike under the overhanging roof
just the same. They were Dutch and were doing the Red Bloso route on
hired Trek mountainbikes , starting from the Kluis where they were
camped. I explained to them that we were close to the highest point of
Mollendaal, so from now on it would be more or less downhill for them.
That cheered them up a bit.
When the rain ceased I bade them
farewell and got back on my tracks. The fresh rain made things even
slippier and I had a few narrow escapes. Good thing my Schwalbe Nobby
Nics 1.8 dug in really good so they helped me to keep the rubber side
down.
The
sun burst through and the sight of a wet forest with sunrays stroking
the leaves and evaporating the rain is really a joy to behold. When I
got home I had two bikes to clean, the Litespeed obviously but also the
Hilset had been getting some rain these last few weeks and was
developing a dirty look. I took the best part of an hour to clean them,
in a way expressing my thanks for the faithful services they have been
giving me for quite some years now. Rubbing them dry and coating them
with beeswax to really make the titanium shine and they are ready for
new trails.
Ride Stats : 32.5K and 310 heightmeters in 2h01mins
6348/58190
24-07-2007, 18:15 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 22-07-2007 |
| Belgian Cross Country MTB Championships |
Yesterday
and today I was at the Belgian National Mountainbike Championships,
held in Ottignies Louvain-la-Neuve. I saw some great racing on a very
selective track, some 6.2K long with 280 heightmeters each lap. Our
National Cyclocross hero Sven Nys took the title with the Elite Men ,
before Filip Meirhaeghe who fought the entire race to come back in
Svens' wheel, but was not strong enough to do so.
Trek
teammates Kristien Nelen and Petra Mermans battled it out in a sprint
with Kristin taking the jersey in the Womens' Elite class.
Our
own Sebastien Carabin took the title with the Junior men. Hans Urkens
and Benny Heylen got the title in the Masters 1 and Masters 2 class and
Bjorn Brems had a very convincing victory in the -23 Mens class.
I was a signaller on the race track but nevertheless I managed to take a few pictures, which you can check out HERE. 22-07-2007, 00:00 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 19-07-2007 |
| Combine my friend, combine |
It had been a
while since I combined the Meerdael and Overijse BLOSO routes, so why
not today? Last time I did those I strayed a bit from the routes to a
102k distance and just over a 1030 heightmeters. Today I started out
with the idea of trying to go for an average of 20 kph. The weather was
sunny with overcast patches and even some raindrops. Great for biking !
The first part of the Meerdael routes - I usually start on the Green -
up to Sint Joris Weert went very easy and when I had about 26.5K on th ecounter I took
the short interconnection towards Sint Agatha Rode and the 'Twee Valleien
Route'. Just 30K when I came upon the Overijse trails and some 34K
later I was back in Sint Agatha Rode. Interconnect back to Sint Joris Weert again and continue on the Meerdael Bloso's.
My legs started to feel the
constant succession of mean little hills and my neck muscles were
straining from the jolts I got on the downhills. I took them pretty
fast since the trails were absolutely amazing - dry but not dusty,
moist but not muddy - just ideal for mountain biking. Back on the
Meerdael BLOSO's I stopped to take some water from one of the springs
near the Kluis, the toughest bit of the ride was yet to come - the Blue trail in
Nethen.
Soon I was dropping under the 20kph average mark because the uphills became longer
and the downhills were too short to recuperate or make good any time lost on the uphills. But once I was in Hamme
Mille things started to flatten out a bit and I could stay on the big
ring most of the time, making good the lost time and upping the average
back over 20kph. It cost me a lot of effort though and I had to dig
deep mentally to stay on the track instead of taking a shortcut home.
My ass was starting to hurt too near the end of the ride, making it
increasingly difficult to remain seated. But the body is a wonderful machine, and
with some incentive from the brain it can achieve great things. Near
the end I was well over my projected average but I would be lying if I
said I wasn't pleased to be at the end of the ride. The bike performed
flawlessly, as it has been for almost 6 years now. I only need to get
the ceramic rims on my 2001 Crossmaxxes replaced, the ceramic coating
is going/gone.
Ride Stats : 96K and 970 heightmeters in 4h43mins
6264/57570
19-07-2007, 16:30 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 17-07-2007 |
| Championships |
Took
a recovery ride along Hoegaarden, Jodoigne, Dongelberg, Longueville and
Grez-Doiceau today. Lots of wind but temps around 25 degrees made the
ride yet pretty enjoyable. It had rained considerably last evening so I
will wait a few days before going offroad again.
Ride Stats : 72K and 495 heightmeters in 3h15mins
6084/55970
Yesterday
and today I helped my club prepare the Belgian CrossCountry
Championships which will take place this weekend in the Bois des Reves
at Ottignies Louvain-la-Neuve. The circuit is most demanding and will
surely reward the most complete mountainbikers with the National Title.
The track is 6.25km long and has 280 heightmeters in it. That means
that the Elite riders - who have to do 7 laps - will cover some 43K and
a stunning 1960 heightmeters. The height profile of one lap can be
found HERE, and THIS is a map of the circuit done with Google Earth. All relevant information can be found HERE. I
will be around Saturday and Sunday, as a signaleur at the top of a long
climb - called "la Piste de Ski". This place is also ideal for me to be
taking some pictures. Hope to see you there.
17-07-2007, 00:00 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 15-07-2007 |
| Accro Bike-Beat the Heat |
5.58am.
Rise and shine, give the cat his insulin injection and prepare to head
out for a tour around one of my favorite training rides : the Accro
Bike. This ride starts in Grez-Doiceau and I have two versions - a 42K
and a 52K one. Today I decided to do the 52K version and do it in the
reverse direction. This is a very good exercise in remembering a trail.
You have to know it by heart to be able to ride it in the reverse
direction without hesitation. I know this trail by heart, I have done
it so many times and each time again I am amazed at its beauty and
deceiving toughness. It is a steady connection of climbs and descents,
one after the other. The 42K version has some 650 heightmeters and the
52K version around 800.
I started early to avoid the heat. I am still wearing long-sleeved
shirts and pants, and even though this is not that much hotter than
short sleeved stuff, it helps when the temps are cool. When I left it
was a marvelous 16 degrees C and during the ride temps would rise to
about 29 degrees. My average temperature was 21 degrees though, because
near 11am the sun was hiding behind the clouds and lots of the trails
pass through cool and lush forests.
Some of the little tracks were overgrown but with my long pants I was
immune to the nettles and prickly thorns. The smell when riding along
the freshly cut and harvested grain fields was making me reminiscent of
my youth, when we used to play in the haystacks. The corn was gently
whispering in the wind and I felt great to be able to be out here and
ride. All the while I did not forget to check my legs for horseflies
because even though I wear long pants, they can bite through them if
need be. But since I have been applying some DEET before leaving I have
not been bothered. Yet it doesn't hurt to be vigilant. 
Some of you might think I'm a bit crazy doing all this stuff to avoid
being bitten but I know why I'm doing this, don't worry. A couple of
years ago I was bitten by horseflies twice within a fortnight and the
second time the allergic reaction was a lot more violent than the first
time. The doctor prescribed me an EPI-pen
which I had to take along . The third bite in a row might send me into
anaphylaxis and an Epi-pen is the only thing that can save my life when
out in the field. Since I have been bitten twice this year - albeit
that the first one was without much harm - I am not taking any chances
thank you !
Anyway, the trails were great today and when I arrived home just before
noon I felt tired but very satisfied. I had a narrow escape with a dog
near the end of my ride - I think the poor bugger is half deaf now from my
screaming and yelling - and I nearly turned around to have a go at its owner .
There are 'dogs on a leash' signs everywhere so I figure that if I am
attacked by some runaway mongrel it is my good right to protect myself
and if I get a hold of its collar I will see its tongue turn blue
before I let go. Pity I can't do the same with the owner - because that
is where the blame really lies.
Ride Stats : 81K and 1055 heightmeters in 4h51mins
6012/55475
15-07-2007, 12:56 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 13-07-2007 |
| Bois des Reves |
Ah, at last I was going to ride in the Bois des Reves
again. This is an amusement parc near Ottignies Louvain-La-Neuve where
they have a permanent mountainbike trail, some 3K long and sporting a
whopping 80 heightmeters. That may seem like nothing much until you
ride it. It's on the side of a hill and the track is taking you up and
down that hill several times , with some nice lacets, roots and steps
everywhere. It takes a good rider to make this lap without setting foot
to the ground. It was slightly drizzling when I set off for my first
big lap. I usually combine the "Circuit VTT" - which is marked - with
a trail going all the way around the parc, consisting of a big climb
starting out on the bikers trail towards Louvain-La-Neuve, then taking
to the right climbing all the way up to the top of the forest, two
times right again followed by a very fast descent on a forest road .
That way, MY lap is 5K long and yields me 130 heightmeters. With the 2007 Belgian XC Championships
taking place here in 2 weeks, there were a lot of bikers on the
circuit. Some youngsters from my club were having some kind of
orientation exercise and they were all over the place. I also saw
Sebastien Carabin and Morgane Van Lierde who were practising on part of
the Championship circuit. From what I've seen of the circuit , it will
be very technical, with at least one major downhill - no, I did NOT
ride it - going almost straight down the slope. I hope the Croix Rouge
will be well staffed because this could prove to be a dangerous spot.
The thing with Bois des Reves is, there is not a moments' rest. Your
heart rate is going up and down like a yo-yo, you are either on a steep
climb or on a technical descent , always on some narrow singletrack.
That will be another major point for the Championship. Passing others
riders will be a tricky affair, since the trails are narrow and always
ondulating up and down, with not much room for error. Of course , only
part of the circuit is open now, since the other half is in an area of
the parc that is normally forbidden for bikers. I met Laurent Saublens
and he told me that the final lap will be some 5K and 280 heightmeters.
The track will be fully marked for reconnaisance purposes from
wednesday July 18th. .
So I lapped 8 rounds of MY lap, which yielded me just over a 1000
heightmeters. The tracks were moist which made the downhills tricky,
but manageable. I felt tired but very happy having done a good
technical and climbing training.
Ride Stats : 40.5K and 1055 heightmeters in 3h01mins
5861/54270
13-07-2007, 14:33 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 12-07-2007 |
| Goose Tail |
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No biking today. Instead I went out to play with my newest aquisition, a (second-hand mind you) 300mm F2.8 Nikkor AF-I lens. I first set off to spot some planes at nearby Beauvechain military airport but there were none to be seen, at least not in the air.
So I set out for the Zoete Waters Ponds and took a nice series (well - I like them ) of some goose splashing and spraying.
 and, turning around, he splashed even more..
..and then, he came swimming a little bit closer to me, as if asking : "Hey dude, did you get that or do I have to do it one more time? "
Well, I got him allright. The light was poor with the overcast sky so I only got 1/250 to 1/320th shutter speed with the lens fully open. It might look easy to get these shots but I can assure you it's not. This goose is at around 5 to 6 metres from me and it doesn't sit still for a second. So you need to be patient and then it's a combination of skill - pushing the trigger at the right moment- and (a lot of) luck. I like the effect of the water droplets, some are sharp, some blurry, giving a nice suggestion of the speed with which they are being hurled around.
The camera/lens combo weighs around 5kg so I mounted them on a Monopod to be more stable. Here is a pic of what the combination looks like.
Looks heavy doesn't it. I can assure you it is.
Oh well, I hope to be out on my bike again tomorrow, riding my car to the Bois des Reves and do some laps on the very technical and hilly MTB trail in that forest. The weather forecast looks good with even some warmer weather forecast for the weekend.
12-07-2007, 20:22 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 11-07-2007 |
| Vlaanderen Fietsroute |
Some light drizzle this morning did not stop me from going out. In fact, I like the weather as it is, not too hot and relatively dry. I wanted to do a recovery ride so I rode out along the Vlaanderen Fietsroute Lf6 which passes through Meerdael. This is an A to B route so the plan is to follow it for however long you fancy, turn around and follow it back home again. I decided to turn at the 1h30 mark, just past Goetsenhoven. There were still some clouds heavy enough to spill a little rain but I never had to stop for shelter or even wear a Gore Tex raincoat. Legs felt fine considering the heavy load they had to endure these last few days.
Ride Stats : 65.5K and 530 heightmeters in 3h02mins
5821/53215
11-07-2007, 14:40 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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