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| Tales from the Woods |
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| 04-08-2007 |
 Ride the Red |
It was 7.46 am when I turned my car onto route 666 leading towards Banneux and its Catholic Pilgrimage . It struck me that 666 was the last number I would expect in an area like this but I guess someone at the Roads' Department must have had a weird sense of humour. Took me some time to find a suitable parking spot not far from the N62 where I could get on the Red Theux route. This route - which I already did before - has the reputation of being one of the toughest in Belgium. I wanted to start real early to beat the heat. The sun was already making it's way up and the morning dew was evaporating quickly when her rays touched the wet grass. I started in Banneux because I wanted to have the toughest bit of the Red route in the beginning of my loop. The great singletrack descent towards the Forges Thiry was sadly not completely ride-able. At least at 4 spots some big tree had fallen over the trail, which meant descending from the bike and getting started again afterwards.  At the bottom of the descent I spotted the signage for next Sunday's UCI Marathon World Championships , which are held at Verviers. They are descending the Forges through an alternative path I believe.  After crossing the busy N690 I could start on one of the many steep and tricky climbs the Red Theux is famous for. The Championship track follows the Red trail for a while until they enter some private property and I had to take a right turn. After a while of going up and down, mostly through forests but also some little stretches of tarmac and lastly descending into Theux itself I was on the very steep climb which follows the Rue de Chawieumont out of Theux and up to the road leading towards the Franchimont castle. This is where the route I was on officially starts. At one point I had to walk because I was not prepared to push that hard in the beginning of the ride. When the steepest - middle - bit was over I got on my bike again. There was a family - Man, Woman, Child - taking a rest at the top of that climb and they knew exactly what I meant when I passed my hand across my throat. We shared a laugh and I was back on my way.
This is a real killer climb, especially since it is near the end of the route and it wrings the last ounces of power out of your legs. But smart as I am, I had this one near the beginning - relatively speaking since I was some 20K into my ride.
When riding towards Sassor I spotted a few bikers before me who were also doing the Red. They just left and were relatively fresh. I missed a turn near Au Fays - I always seem to miss this one - so when I got to the E42 I was in front of them. I stopped for a little snack and they passed me going down into the Thier de Polleur, a very nasty descent. In the next uphill, leading into the lower regions of the Bois de Staneu I passed them. They seemed to be already tired or were maintaining a slow pace. They confirmed me they were doing the Red route and I wondered if they would make it judging by the speed they were going it would take them a while to say the least. But then, each has his or her own pace. Mine was faster than theirs so I continued dropping out of the Staneu Forest onto the road from Polleur to Theux.
After a while I disappeared into the forest again for a steep climb towards the route du Pré des Lis. Down towards the railway track and then a little tarmac passage leading over the busy Spa road and to another rocky ascent parallel to the route de Becco . This was the first ascent which had me shift onto the small ring in front. It would not be the last. The trail then climbs more or less all the way through Hestromont, with a lovely little track leading into a green valley. But beware - the track is rock-strewn and partly overgrown with grass so it is quite dangerous if you misjudge your speed here !
Up towards the "Maquisard Inconnu" monument it now goes, via a large gravel road which leads through le Gros Thier , a nice forest. The height is creeping towards the 350 metres mark as I stop for a little break near the monument. When I leave I notice a strange sound coming from my front wheel and lo and behold, a big thorn has found its way into my tyre. Another break coming up !
I took my time fixing the tyre - must let that adhesive vulcanize - and after a while I could continue towards Banoyard , the 400 metre mark ánd the top of the Ninglinspo valley, a valley which I refer to as Dreamland . I remembered exactly which track to take from the last time I was here . Some 100 metres down I enjoyed the view from the Point de Vue Drouet, this time in full summer and the greens were even more lush. Deep down in the valley I could hear children laugh and yell. Which reminded me that I had to take care, there would be a lot of hikers and families on this saturday, enjoying the marvelous surroundings of the little Chaudiere and Ninglinspo rivers.
 I was almost back in Banneux now and only had to conquer one last muddy passage in a dense forest before joining the N606 which lead me towards the N62 again and into Banneux. My Mazda MPS was still where it was supposed to be and I just put the bike in and drove home. It was almost 2pm by now and the sun was at full blast. Apart from the flat tyre I had no major technical worries and even though I felt tired I was not spent. Already planning another ride here soon.
Ride Stats : 70K and 1565 heightmeters in 4h55mins
Hill Factor : 22.3
6849/63030
04-08-2007, 18:29 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 02-08-2007 |
| Blue Orange Red Orange Blue |
It had rained quite a lot early in the morning up to midday , or so I was told . After a few kilometers offroad I was inclined to believe that. It was not too bad but the going wasn't easy either. I planned to set out on the Blue Meerdael Bloso and in Sint Joris Weert take the Orange arrows that would lead me to Sint Agatha Rode where I wanted to do the Red Overijse BLOSO. This is the toughest one, only 13K but with some nasty climbs and 2 great descents. One with steps and some roots which were wet enough to keep me well focussed, the other one a long hollow road with some puddles that made me have to clean my bike afterwards. I felt good today and concentrated on keeping a high pace after an easy warmup along the first few K's of the Blue Meerdael route, riding towards the Zoete Waters where the route officially starts. On the first climbs I really put the hammer down and was pleased with the result. The 4K of tarmac interconnection between the two Bloso routes I used to keep a good speed and once on the Red Overijse Bloso I really went fast. After the 13K / 200 heightmeters of the Red Overijse I took the Orange interconnection back to Sint Joris Weert where I got back on the Blue Meerdael loop. This is the hilliest of the Meerdael loops and I got onto the tarmac climb along the Polderstraat which is followed by an offroad downhill through a hollow forest road towards the Kluis. Here I had to look out because there where a lot of scouts having the time of their life, doing the things scouts do.
Next came a nasty and steep climb into a beautiful valley up to the Nethen ridge. The forest was quite wet here and the downhill towards Nethen and the Savenel estate was quite tricky.
A long climb in the hollow road next to the Savenel estate wall brought me into the last few K's of the Blue route. Another sticky section. I was almost continually riding on the big ring and it was tough to keep the speed up. But I had a very good workout and must say I am very pleased with my fitness level. I hope to be able to go to Theux this weekend and score some real heightmeters.
Ride Stats : 43k and 470 heightmeters in 2h8mins
6779/61465
02-08-2007, 20:47 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| Use your head - Wear a Helmet |
Going biking? Use your head
By Robert Howard
The Hamilton Spectator
(Sep 8, 2006)
Sure,
helmets aren't cool to teenagers. But neither is spending your life as
a quadriplegic -- or ending it on the hood of a car.
The
human body is a marvellous and resilient thing, but the skull and thin
membranes that protect our brain are little protection from concrete,
asphalt or automotive steel. It doesn't matter, in the end, if a
bicyclist or a driver had the right of way. If there's a collision,
it's a pretty sure bet who's going to walk away and who is not.
The
unpalatable truth is that two area boys would likely be alive today,
and another might have escaped serious injury requiring
hospitalization, if they had been wearing helmets while riding their
bicycles. Those tragedies are just recent examples of a continuing
safety issue.
Recent
accidents -- and behaviour seen every day on city streets -- show many
youngsters are disregarding the provincial bicycle-helmet law, which
requires cyclists under 18 to wear an approved bicycle helmet when
riding a bike on a roadway or sidewalk anywhere in Ontario.
That
law has saved lives -- and saved others from lives of drastically
reduced quality or mobility. Wearing a helmet while cycling reduces
head injuries by as much as 85 per cent. Riders not wearing helmets
make up 90 per cent of fatalities in bicycle accidents.
But
the fact is that children and young teens do not appreciate risk or
consider consequences the same way as adults. The accident is never, in
their mind, going to happen to them. Parents need to insist on helmets.
It
would seem a worthwhile investment of resources -- and could save lives
-- if Hamilton police were to mount a new, proactive
education/enforcement campaign. Some kind of tiered approach of
warnings, parental contact, then penalties would be appropriate. (The
law sets fines for parents who knowingly allow their children under 16
to ride without a bicycle helmet, while cyclists who are 16 or 17 can
be fined directly.)
But
helmets are not the only safety issue among the burgeoning bicycle
population. Some irresponsible bicyclists give the majority a bad name
(and motorists near heart failure) by disregarding common sense and
traffic law. Too many cyclists breeze through stop signs and edge
through stop lights, expecting drivers to see and yield. They want it
both ways: drivers to respect their right to be on the road while they
disrespect traffic law.
And
here's a fact: A rider in fashionable black on an unlit bicycle after
dusk is virtually invisible to drivers, even if there are street
lights. A bicycle is required to have lights and reflectors after dark,
(and a bell or horn).
The
use-your-head safety rules may not seem cool but they save lives: Wear
light colours, have working lights and reflectors, obey traffic laws.
Of course, there's no sense using your head if you don't protect it. Wear a helmet -- and insist that your loved ones do, too.
LINK to Original Article
Helmets.Org
01-08-2007, 18:18 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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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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Druk op onderstaande knop om een berichtje achter te laten in mijn Gastenboek. /
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