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| Tales from the Woods |
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| 28-08-2007 |
 Flying - Merlin Works 4.0 testride Four |
Today I rode over to Filip Sport to talk about the possibilities of
building up a bike. Yes, it is decided, I have ordered a Merlin Works
4.0 bike at ABG today. The ride over to Hoeilaart , and back , was one of the fastest I have ever
done on some parts of the Overijse Bloso routes. This bike really makes
me fly, the suspension mellows out all the trail irregularities and I
can fully concentrate on pedalling. One thing I cannot do with a
hardtail, that is for sure. With a hardtail, you cannot keep on pedalling all the time, lest you get a coup-de-racquette in your back. The ICT suspension deals with this beautifully and you feel more relaxed on your bike due to the greater comfort. Even though I have been biking pretty tough
rides these last 4 days, I still felt remarkably fit . Whether this is
due to the bike or if I am just in the form of my life remains to be
seen but this bike for sure makes me ride pretty fast. I added a few
steep climbs I would normally hardly make with a hardtail and this bike took them all quite easily, I just had to pedal and point it in the right direction. In climbing it rivals the Moots YBB which I still feel is among the best bikes to ride up a hill with. I can keep the Merlin testbike until
this saturday and I am planning at least 2 more rides with it. I feel this bike is a major step forward in the way I bike. Filip of
Filip Sport will build up the bike. The buildup will consist of Shimano
XTR front and rear derailleurs, shifters and crankset; Hope Mono Mini
Pro discbrakes with Shimano XTR rotors, Dt Swiss XR1540 disc wheels and
either a Race Face X0 or Thomson seatpost. I will use my Morati M-bar
and the Rock Shox Reba World Cup that has been lying around waiting for
a bike for almost a year now. I have not decided if I will use 160/160 brake rotors or will opt for a 180mm at front. I have that last setup on the Moots and the stopping power is awesome but a bit over the top, even for the Ardennes. Normally the frame will be delivered within 3 weeks.
Ride Stats : 49.5K and 335heightmeters in 2h7mins
7674/71935
28-08-2007, 00:00 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 27-08-2007 |
| Sonian Forest - Merlin Works 4.0 testride Three |
Took a day off from work today to
further test the Merlin Works 4.0 full suspension bike. I opted for a
long ride today, which would take me to the Sonian Forest. In that big
forest there are a few BigM loops I interconnect and I also do the Nero
Bloso loop. This yields me nearly 100K . The bike performed again very
well. I think it almost saved my life at one point because I was
overshooting a difficult downhill - I was there before I realized it,
this bike makes me go fast! - I hit the brakes but I couldn't stop the
bike, my speed was too high. So I just let it go, down the steps I
went, bike and all. With a hardtail I might have had a tough time
making this downhill, I would probably break my frame in half by the
second or third step. Or be broken myself more likely by the impact.
But this bike just took the steps, one by one, at an amazing speed. You
can rest assured that things like this are very good for the confidence
you have in a certain bike. A few kilometers earlier, along
one of the winding singletracks of the Nero route it suddenly developed
a creaking sound which I think comes from the XTR bracket. I'm pretty
sure it isn't the seatpost/saddle or rear suspension since it only
creaks rhythmically when I turn the pedals, and then only when I push
them hard.
It's a joy on the singletracks, up and down, left and right, over roots, through puddles, I could keep the speed very high, a lot higher than with a hardtail. I had the feeling I was also faster than with the Seven Duo. I have been thoroughly testing that bike last year but the Merlin is more than a 1200 grams lighter than the Duo, which should make it more nimble by default .
At one point I developed a flat, or more correctly , my rear tyre
was losing pressure. I had to inflate it twice but I made it home
without having to replace the inner tyre.Had a good long ride today and was very pleased again with the behaviour of this bike.
Ride Stats : 99.5K and 905 heightmeters in 4h31mins
7624/71600
27-08-2007, 18:56 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 26-08-2007 |
| Nandrin - Merlin Works 4.0 testride Two |
Today
I wanted to test the Merlin in some more challenging terrain so I went
to Nandrin. This is an area I know very well and it offers some steep
climbs and tricky downhills. I set out at the little church of Scry. I
did not change any of the bikes' settings because I was quite pleased
with the way the suspension behaved. From the outset, I was on a
false-flat gravel road, with some bigger stones protruding. When I ride
a hardtail, this is one section where I have to get out of the saddle a
couple of times to avoid being hammered in the back. Well, as was to be
expected, the ICT suspension really shines on sections like these. You
just remain seated and you can continue pedalling, which results in a
more comfy ride AND a higher speed. Great!
I noticed when I climbed
into the forest that the area was a lot wetter than yesterday, with big
puddles , some of which I could not avoid, making the bike dirty with
mud pretty soon. There had been some local yoyos rodeo-ing through the
trails with jeeps leaving the entire forest road covered with slimy mud
their tyres threw up when they hammered the waterholes. Yummie!
The
Nobby Nics were not concerned though, they offer great traction and,
what is even more important, also astonishing grip on offcamber
sections. I was only surprised once when my front wheel washed out on a
wet rock I did not see and I had to react with lighting speed to keep
the rubber side down. Unfortunately I was still having trouble with the
narrow-ish handlebar, which did not help my confidence in the technical
sections and also the Sram X.0 controls would never become my friends.
Those X.0 shifters are really NOT made for my hands. No matter how I
positioned my fingers, I could NOT find a position which had me
comfortably holding the handles while allowing me to brake with one
finger and be able to shift up and down without having to adjust my
fingers' position at least once. XTR lets me do just that. That is why
I have XTR on all my bikes and why I am not impressed by the X.0
thumbies.
I got used to the X.0 rear derailleur by now so I had no
more trouble with that. Save the fact that I am used to a Rapid Rise
XTR which had me make a couple of miss-shifts, and in some occasions
these caused me to walk. I don't like to walk!
After 22K I got to
the bottom of a long climb, a perfect place to check out the way the
Fox Float R rebound control influences the behaviour of the rear
suspension. I first rode up the climb with the rebound in the middle
position, the way I had been using it all along now. The track was very
steep and littered with wet rocks, little gullies ,pieces of wood and
other rubble. I was on the smallest gear but made the climb with no
real troubles. I then rode down the trail and started the climb all
over again, this time with the rebound in the fastest position.
Immediately the rear wheel began to behave more skitterish on the
rocks, comparable to what a hardtail would do. I did make the climb but
I had to expand some more energy to counteract the way the rear
suspension acted. The fast rebound made the wheel lose control from
time to time. Down the hill again. I put the rebound on the slowest
position and rode up that hill a third time. This went great but from
time to time I did feel the sluggish return of the shock hindered my
upward motion. After this I can only conclude that the best way for me
to climb with this shock is just put the rebound in its middle position
(it has 5 clicks) and get on with it.
After this I had to rest a
little bit on a rocky outcrop and I took some time to eat and take some
piccies. The downhills had me frown because the Reba was emitting some
hissing noises. It worked fine throughout the ride though , and I
really appreciated the remote lockout for the short tarmac sections.
Perhaps it needs some attention in the form of maintenance.
In the
back all was cool. the 10cm of travel are more than enough for my kind
of riding and the terrains I frequent. I could not discern the rear
suspension stiffening under braking (can anyone?) so I cannot vouch for
it being active or not. I did not experience any pedal kickback on the
climbs.
Another steep technical climb in the fields was coming up ,
with the wheels in some kind of gutter formed by rocks and earth, the
trail restricted by sharp thorny bushes on one side, and barbed wire on
the other. This is a real killer and the bike took it well. The wheels
went where they were supposed to go, and I could keep on pedalling .
This is not a climb most people make on their first attempt. I have of
course the advantage of knowing the trail but nevertheless I was
pleased. I was very pleased with my ride today when i arrived back at
my car after some 34K and 2hours+ of riding.
So now, the million dollar question, would I buy this bike?
Well,
the answer is ...probably yes . The Merlin Works 4.0 is a fine bike,
with a rugged, superbly finished front triangle made in my favorite
metal and with an Ellsworth ICT aluminum rear suspension triangle which
was very stiff laterally, had nice oversized bearings , a solid looking
rocker and on top of that worked just fine, allowing me to hammer
while staying seated on the trails where I otherwise would have been
standing up, losing traction and speed . The climbing performance is
similar to my Moots YBB, but offering (a lot) more travel hence faster
speeds in the downhills makes this bike considerably faster overall.
The only advantage a hardtail has would be its lighter weight. But at
11kg this Merlin is no heavyweight, it is even marginally lighter than
my current Moots build.
I would opt for the Fox RP23 damper instead of the Fox Float R, mainly because the RP23 offers more adjustability.
I
would throw all things SRAM far from it though . Obviously I would
choose my preferred XTR Rapid Rise rear derailleur and those heavenly
XTR shifters. The wheels performed great and I would certainly like to
try the XR1540 disc wheelset DT Swiss offers. The dics rotors were
Shimano XTR 160mm and they performed flawlessy with the Hope Mono Mini
rotors, another thing I would not change.
The Rock Shox Reba World
Cup then , yes, I have a Reba World Cup under wraps but I would set it
to 100mm because I believe this is what the bike deserves. To be
honest, the Reba performed good even in the 85mm position but I did
feel the front of the bike was too low. I fiddled some more with the
compression knob (on the remote lockout) but did not feel a lot of
change in the behaviour of the fork whilst riding. Other then that it
dived deeper during braking with lower compression, which nearly took
me by surprise once. I upped the compression considerably and left it
alone after that . The carbon/alu handlebar/stem I would of course
replace with titanium ones, and 56cm at least instead of the 54cm the
Easton EC90 was cut too. The Chris King headset can stay,obviously, and
that Ringlé Moby Deuce 31.2mm seatpost looks so sweet, I want one !
Only
one day to go before I have to return this bike. I had a couple of good
rides on it and I think I will take it for a longer offroad ride
tomorrow, albeit with not as much hills in it as today. Unlike the bike
that can be cleaned and prepared in a few hours for its next ride, this
ole body needs more time to recuperate, no matter what bike it is on.
Pictures : CLICK
7524/7069526-08-2007, 00:00 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 25-08-2007 |
| Merlin Works 4.0 testride One |
Went to Filip Sport to pick up a Merlin Works 4.0 testbike kindly provided by ABG .
There
were two things I did not like from the start but would have to live
with. The (excellent) Rock Shox Reba Worldcup fork was set to 85mm and
not to 100mm - which would match beautifully with the bike's 100mm (4
inches) of rear suspension . Why they left it at 85 is therefore a bit
of a mystery to me. Furthermore the shifters were SRAM X0 thumbies
mounted on a carbon handlebar. That handlebar was a cm or two too
narrow for my liking. I am an XTR dude but I was secretly looking
forward to try the much-acclaimed and over-expensive X.0 combo.
The
rest of the bike was obviously top-notch to match its pedigree. Filip
mounted some DT Swiss wheels with DT340 hubs and the braking was with
my favorite Hope Mono Mini disc brakes, 160mm in front and rear . Rear
derailleur was a SRAM X.0 and the front derailleur was XTR. Cranks and
BB were Shimano XTR 2005, an excellent choice although I felt the
chainline was a bit off, being to the outside more than was good for
it, causing the chain to drop from the front big and middle chainrings
when shifting all the way up the cassette in the back. The headset was
a Chris King, a golden one , someone obviously knows my preferences.
Tyres were Schwalbes excellent allrounders Nobby Nic in 2.1 inch.
The
saddlepost was a very beautiful Ringle Moby Deuce , made from Easton
aluminum. As I already mentioned the handlebar was an Easton carbon
thingie. Stem was alu and it looked light and stiff. I put on a Flite
saddle and my Xpedo Ti/Ti pedals and weighted the bike at 11kg - give
or take a few grams . Not bad for a titanium full susser with 10cm of
suspension.
The
titanium front trangle oozed craftmanship, and that is to be expected
from a firm like Merlin, who have over 20 years of experience with the
expensive grey metal . Made with their proprietory MTS 3/2.5 tubing the
welds are smooth and even. Very simply put a work of art and a joy to
look at.
The
rear triangle is made by Ellsworth and features their much-appraised
ICT (Instant Center Tracking I believe) suspension, which is basically
a 4-bar linkage job coupled to a Fox Float R pump. I put some 105psi in
it and put the red rebound knob midway. That way I had about 1cm of
sag. On the Reba front fork I put the rebound knob in the middle
position and pumped it up to 105Psi both in the upper and lower air
chamber. I haven't got a clue what the compression knob on the remote
lockout does so I also left it in its middle position. Before getting
it dirty I had a little photo session trying to capture the details of
the bike. Check the link below for the results.
The
ride then. I decided to take it on an easy ride to start out with, to
see if everything worked as it should and also to check if my position
on the bike was right. The bike is a 17.5" frame and I got my position
dialled in perfectly, save for the slightly narrow bars and the front
end which felt a bit low.
I started out on the Blue Meerdael BLOSO
loop and from the start I felt the comfort when the rear suspension
took the stones, cobbles and roots, effectively mellowing out the ride.
I could see the suspension work when I pedalled and I also could feel
it ever so slightly. But it did not bother me. I took some of the
meaner downhills in Meerdael forest and the bike just went where I
pointed it, with fast speed and in perfect control. The narrow bars
bothered me a bit, and I could do with a titanium stem/bar combo in
front instead of the harsh alu/carbon combination that was mounted.
I
did not like the X.0 shifters, they had me wriggling my fingers in all
kinds of positions, taking my concentration away from the ride.
Furthermore I did not like the way the X.0 rear derailleur shifted, it
didn't work as precise as my XTR does, although later into the ride I
learned that instead of caressing the shifters as you do with XTR, you
needed to hammer the X.0 and then they do shift crisply and correct.
On
the uphills I noticed immediately the bike climbed very well , even the
steepest I could find it made without any trouble. Of course since it
only weighs 11kg that was to be expected. It was well balanced and the
suspension did not work against me when pedalling up the slopes. On the
contrary, it nicely followed the terrain and let me concentrate on
powering up the hill. The Nobby Nics - being what they are, an
excellent and grippy tyre - helped as well to track precisely and offer
good traction.
I rode over to Sint Agatha Rode to connect to the
Overijse Red trail, and had a blast on the tricky step downhill. Pity
another biker bailed out in front of me, which caused me to brake , but
the bike handled the dropoffs beautifully, giving me lots of
confidence. The Hope brakes, which I'm quite used to from the Moots,
are very powerful. Even with 'only' 160mm in front I had no need for
more braking power today. When I got home I noticed I used about 5/6th
of the available travel on the Float R, which I think is good. Tomorrow
or monday I plan to take the bike to the Ardennes for some 'real'
downhills and climbs.
So
far so good. I was pleased with the bike's handling, the meticulous
craftmanship, comfortable ride and yet very stiff rear end. I could not
fault it into twisting and turning. Even when standing on the pedals
and powering up a hill I felt no noticeable flex in the bracket or rear
suspension. A very good design it seems. I had some trouble with the
shifting , as I already mentioned the X.0 shifters are not my thing and
the chainline was not optimal causing the chain to drop a couple of
times when I was crossing it too much. I would have loved 100mm in
front but even with 85mm, the Reba performed flawlessly, stiff and
precise steering are a given with this fork. Some more dialling-in is
needed to make it perform a little less harsh on the small stuff. Or I
could opt for a titanium stem/handlebar to mellow out the little
vibrations. That is the setup I use on my bikes. Gave the bike a quick
once-over when I got home , brushed off a few specks of mud and it's
ready to go for another ride.
I want to kindly thank M. Van Doorn at American Bicycle Group for lending me this bike.
Also thanks to Filip at Filip Sport for providing me with the missing parts.
Some pictures can be found here (CLICK) .
Ride Stats : 43.5K and 525 heightmeters in 2h11mins
7490/7005525-08-2007, 00:00 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 23-08-2007 |
| Haasrode revisited |
Yes, a day without rain , the sun even shone when I arrived home from work. Quickly on the bike and away I went for a spin around the Haasrode tour, one of my favorite road rides which takes me along Hoegaarden and L'Ecluse, with some fine landscapes. I cut the tour short at Pietrebais and rode home over Hamme Mille.
At last I will get to test the Merlin Works 4.0 titanium full suspension bike. Since the end of last year I had been asking Marijn van Doorn, from American Bicycle Group, to testride this expensive bike. I contacted him again a few days ago and he agreed to send the bike over to Filip Sport, where it now awaits final assembly.
Should be ready next saturday. I will test it extensively and see how the Ellsworth ICT rear suspension performs. Maybe my search for a full suspension is at an end, maybe not, we'll see how the bike performs.
Ride Stats : 53K and 380 heightmeters in 2h09mins
7447/69530
23-08-2007, 19:14 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 19-08-2007 |
| Sart Tilman with Miss Piggy and Tango |
This ride was a long time in the making. I had taken Julie (aka "Miss Piggy" at the B-M-B forum ) on a tour around my Nandrin trails in April,
and she promised she would do the same for me at her home trails near
Sart Tilman. But due to our busy shedules and some bad weather when we
could make it both, I had to wait until now to have the pleasure of a
first-class guided tour in the Sart-Tilman region. Julie asked her friend Roger (aka as "Tango" on the B-M-B forum ) to come along because of his intimate knowledge of the trails in the Seraing neighborhood. Roger was the guide for the O2 Bikers Seraing roadbook which appeared in the may 2007 edition of that magazine, so he knows that area like the back of his hand. Needless to say I was in capable hands.
At 1.35pm we were ready to go, starting from the carpark at 'Le Blanc Gravier' sportcentre all the way up the Sart Tilman ridge. Roger had brought his Cannondale Scalpel and Julie her Rothwild fully and I was there with my Litespeed hardtail. Mm, I did have the lightest bike which is always nice in the uphills. Immediately we disappeared in the forest on a fast winding singletrack, with roots to make the descent interesting. We more or less descended from a height of 240 metres to the Ourthe valley, at 70 metres , taking a short uphill along our way. In the valley we headed back up again along a stony ascent which took us past the "Chateau de Colonster" , a castle that is part of the ULG (Université de Liège) patrimonium. The tracks were great , not too wet but still offering good traction. You had to look out for sharp stones and the omnipresent roots. My guides took me along some marvelous trails and at times I thought I was in the Ardennes or the Hautes Fagnes. From time to time some menacing cloud dropped a few raindrops but in all we were very lucky with the weather. From Boncelles - where I once started for an LCMT - Roger took us towards Seraing, for an amazingly beautiful loop in the Bois de la Vecquee and Bois Neuville . The technical downhill dropping us through de Bois de Rognac above the Ruissau de Villencourt all the way down to the Val-Saint-Lambert Cristalleries is surely one of the highlights of this trip. The track - which was at times pretty muddy - takes you down in a secluded valley with the little river flowing deep to your left. Some nice technical bits with rocks, roots and gullies which demanded a good choice of trail and some good tyres as well. Dropping us down from 260 metres to a mere 70 this is one trail I wouldn't mind doing in the opposite direction as well. Great stuff.
The Cristalleries Val Saint Lambert, which have a rich past and a bright future, are certainly worth a visit when you are in the area. We looped back and a tough climb was waiting for us taking us up to the Swimming Pool where the O2 Biker route starts. Some 45K into our loop this climb made me feel my legs and I had to stop for some energy , delivered by Windose . Another highlight was just a few miles away, when we followed a little river going up and down along its banks, occasionally riding though it, which effectively cleaned our bikes from the mud we had accumulated. Another small track took us along some barbed wire on our way back to Boncelles and I managed to flatten my rear tyre on a thorn. No problem, put in a new one - actually a used and fixed one - and I was good to go again. Roger also had flattened twice, both times his front tyre. Miss Julie was spared from flats. I was quite impressed by her fitness level because we were going quite fast , averaging just under 17kph on the entire 60K loop. Another drop and some fine trails meandering in the forest around Sart Tilman and we were back at "le Blanc Gravier" .
Let me tell you, this was a great ride, with two major climbs, as you can see on the profile, lots of singletracks and some major downhills - rather technical at places but never dangerous, at least not in the dry conditions we had today. A little bit of tarmac to connect the Boncelles and Seraing forest was not to be avoided but it offers a good opportunity to recover before hitting the "real stuff" again. I really had a good time and I want to thank my two guides, "Miss Piggy" and "Tango" for taking me out today. This certainly is a region were I could ride all day.
Ride Stats : 60K and 900 heightmeters in 3h36mins
Ride Profile : CLICK
7370/68975
19-08-2007, 22:21 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 18-08-2007 |
| Arrow |
Today I had promised the organisation of the Haasrode organised ride to help them with the arrowing of the trail. So at 1pm we set out for a 40K loop into Brabant Walloon. The weather was fine and the trails look very promising for tomorrows' ride. I hope they have plenty of attendents because this really is a fine trail and the longest distance of 65K takes you deep into hilly Brabant Walloon. Me I cannot free myself tomorrow morning so I will have to pass for this ride.
Ride Stats: 44K and 480 heightmeters in 2h17mins
7310/38075
18-08-2007, 16:38 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 17-08-2007 |
| Full Suspension Dreaming |
My legs felt a lot better today and
I was in an alltogether better mood as well. So I decided to try the
last part of my Secret Meerdael Loop in the reverse direction. I
started out quite late and with some dark clouds gathering towards the
evening I only had 1h30 or so of reasonable light. With reasonable I
mean when I still can see where I am going in the downhills under the
cover of the forest . When it becomes too dark surprises are never far
off. My leg feeling proved correctly since I made all but one of the
climbs. And the one I didn't make had a 40cm step in it where my rear
wheel just slipped away on the root forming the step. The forest floor
was surprisingly dry, some contourable wet patch notwithstanding. I had
a good time and was able to sort my thoughts out. I saw a nice full
suspension bike today and was wondering if it would be worth following
it up. It concerns the Ellsworth TiRuth, basically a Merlin Sworks 4.0
with an Ellsworth badge. I have no idea if Ellsworth is having
dealerships in the Benelux but I know Merlin has. Although I think the
Merlin Sworks 4.0 sells for 3000 / frame only and a little voice tells
me the Ellsworth will at least as expensive. Hmm, like I said, worth
looking into.
Ride Stats : 28K and 450 heightmeters in 1h46mins
7267/37590
17-08-2007, 00:00 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 16-08-2007 |
| Mourning |
August 16th.. is it already 19 years ago since I lost that one person that meant so much to me?
How time flies. When
I went to her grave today and looked her into the eyes it became clear
how much I missed her. She left a gap that can not be filled, there is
no-one that comes close to her. And I guess it's not meant to be
filled, that gap, that sorrow and yet also, the good things, the happy
years we had together. I remember them as well.
She
made me what I am today and I am still guided by her and what she stood
for. Her strong beliefs in love and doing well to others, her toughness
and stubbornness in pain and hard times are what I try to emulate and
even now, she gives me strenght . The strenght to face this sometimes
oh so cruel and egotistic world, where real feelings are a seldom
commodity and greed overrules all. Despite and despair, be gone ! But
then nature is like that. Sometimes beautiful, sometimes cruel and we
have to make the best of it, or die trying. Hope, Faith , Love .
I
did not want to ride out today, scattered rainshowers , wind and heavy
legs were begging me to stay inside. So I got onto the rollers.
Anastasia on the MP3 player and Stephen R.Donaldsons' last book of the
Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant were there to keep me company
while I rode half an hour at exact the right pace my legs needed to get
rid of the pain, fatigue and lactic acid of last weekends' ride .
Ride Stats : 10K in 32mins
7239/67140
16-08-2007, 21:41 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 14-08-2007 |
| Technical Meerdael |
My legs started feeling a bit better this morning so when a friend from BigM proposed an evening ride through Meerdaels' finest trails I did not hesitate. We met up at the Zoete Waters and David took us (me and Stephen also from BigM) through some of the more technical trails of the Meerdael forest. It rained ever so slightly when we left at 7pm but that did not bother us. Only the light was dropping fast so we had to watch out on those zooming downhills. My legs felt strong on the uphills and I made them all - a good knowledge of the trails helps of course -without any difficulty. It was nice to meet up with some BigM people again, we must ride some more soon.
Ride Stats : 22K and 280 heightmeters in 1h25mins
7174/66700
14-08-2007, 21:16 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 12-08-2007 |
| Raid des Sources - Chimay |
Rise and shine at 7am. The sun was out and half an hour later I was on my way to Chimay. This is a 1h30 car ride from Leuven. When I neared Couvin the hills were covered in mist. Still, no worries, I was about to embark on a marathon mountainbike raid over 100k so I was not exactly screaming for heat. Only dry weather would suffice because the extra warmth only adds to the exhaustion..
The Ride:
Around 9.30 I was at the inscription where I forked over 12 and got my number and a little card attached to a lanyard. This card was to be used for punching in the control markers at the feed zones along the ride. There were 5 feed zones evenly spaced out on this distance. Great, so let's go!
I had a possible riding time of 6 hours in mind when I started out, but things would evolve. Read on.
The first kilometers were relatively easy, the track was reasonably dry - small wonder after last thursdays' downpour, so I could settle myself into a nice and comfy pace. We were going through some fields and the sun had dried out the trails here . After a while, I was remeniscing my last outing here some 5 years ago , when all of a sudden the first uphill appeared. Steep and wet in an overgrown hollow road and I was too late to drop my chain on the small ring. So I had to grin and bear it. I made that hill but I would not forget to drop my chain the next time. At the top of the second big climb there was a photographer I think it was Denis Hardy, the organiser - taking some pictures. I quickly shifted onto the middle ring - looks better on the pics - and tried to look calm and collected.
After crossing the N99 , road that connects Couvin to Chimay, the real Raid des Sources was about to begin. We were entering the forests now and the height lines started oscillating between 200 and 350 meters. Things were getting serious quite quickly !
After 13.5k we had a first feed zone and after 25k the second. This was also the place were the 100k split off from the 65k distance. We were at the rivers edge here, so instinctively I knew a big climb was following . From here on I would ride relatively alone. Having started late and with most chrono riders going for the 65K distance, this is one of the great advantages of doing the longest distance. The extra loop started with a 27% climb on tarmac (thank God!) out of a village and slowly but surely I creeped into the forests again . At one point I was riding next to a big lake barrage du Ry de Rome - at 270 metres of altitude. After that, a small trail took me up to the plateau at 330 metres through some damp forest which reminded me of the Vosges. At the plateau the track was following a singletrail for several kilometers on end , green and lush landscapes galore. I had to look constantly for the best passage, since we were crossing mud-holes and little tricklets all the time. There was a fair amount of water and mud here, but due to only 75 people riding the 100K, the trail was not beaten to a pulp and fairly easy ride-able.
Far from easy were the descents, some rather rechnical with wet rocks and roots thus demanding the utmost concentration not to let the speed get up too high. I managed them all very well but I screamed a few times because I thought I lost it. Luckily my bike got me through . The uphills were typical of the Chimay region, steep - usually around 20% - and due to the wet floor pretty difficult to ride. My wheel was slipping all over the place with the sticky mud filling up the gaps between the knobs on the tyres and sometimes I just made the hill, sometimes I didn't and had to walk a few meters. About halfway through this 40k loop we encountered our 3rd feed zone and control point.
I was passed at one point by the eventual winner - Wouter Cleppe - and I was amazed at his speed and seemingly ease with which he was tackling a mean uphill. He rode the 100K in 4h29mins, which is quite amazing. After an amazingly beautiful but very tough loop we were back at the barrage where we had about 1.5K of tarmac to relax our muscles a bit. After that, an impossible climb had me walking up a crest and I was back in the rough following some forest trail again meandering through the trees.
With some 65k I was at the 4th feedzone (which was actually the 2nd - I had now completed my extra 40k loop) and I took my time eating and drinking. At this point the mental thing comes in. You realize that you would already have finished had you not chosen the longest distance. With still an average TT distance to go you have to keep your mind firmly on the right track. Furthermore the fatigue was making itself feel and the tracks were now worse due to the many riders having ridden over them. After that 4th feedzone there was a long climb taking us all the way up again. It was very steep at places and along the way I was passed by an enduro motorcycle of the organisation. I had seen him at the rest stop and he replied to my gentle wave with a Bonne Chance while he poured on the horsepower and rocketed upwards.. Yeah, I would need some good luck for sure! I was thinking how nice it would be if we could swap our bikes for a while but quickly let go of that tought when a mean downhill was announcing itself.
The relentless succesion of climbs and technical descents were effectively sapping the strenght out of my legs. I saw some riders standing next to the road, they were waiting for the organisation to pick them up wasted and dead- tired and probably having seriously underestimated the difficulty of 100K in this area.
Around 81K into the ride I came to the last feed zone. I had teamed up with a team-mate of Wouter Cleppe and we more or less rode together for a few kilometers. The track wasnt wide enough to ride next to each other but we managed to talk a bit along the way. The trail was now very muddy. Tough conditions due to the fact that all the distances had passed over this trail, effectively munching it into a brown splashy pulp. A few sections were really really bad, and I had to jump around from dry side to dry side to keep my feet out of the muck - the gullies were too deep to ride . Luckily we were sent onto some bigger forest tracks as well, so we could recuperate a bit between muddy patches.. This nearly was Trop is teveel too much of a good thing. Some 10K before the finish we came back onto field roads and the trails were dry now. I was feeling elated and actually found some hidden strength and started accelerating , enjoying the small tracks between the barbed wires. The last couple of Ks were on tarmac, having me zoom along at 30kph. After 6h36 of riding time and 6h57 actual time I was clocked off at the finish. Taking some pictures along the way and splashing out at the feed zones takes some time of course.
Got a nice finisher T-shirt and a one-litre bottle of Chimay. Rinsed my bike and got a shower before heading home again. It was 6.30pm when I arrived tired but satisfied after a very long day.
The Lowdown:
What I liked :
- Arrowing was flawless, both red paint markings on the floor/tarmac as arrows yellow/black panels.
- Plenty of feed zones , evenly spaced along the distance.
- Feed zones were well stocked with food and drink and friendly people.
- Great trails !
- Bike-wash was sufficient at 4.30pm.
- Shower facilities first-class.
- Danger signs at the really tricky descents and at the road crossings.
- Nice to get a t-shirt and a one-litre bottle of Chimay beer.
What I did not like:
- Bike-wash might have been busy before 4.30pm with only 3 jets.
- Damn mud !
- Dangerous passage in Chimay village at the end of the ride.
Synopsis:
Clearly a very professional and well-honed organiser and team, with the 15th edition this year they clearly know their fantastic but unfortunately slightly underestimated - region and make the best of it, lacing together a 100k trail is no mean feat. Trails are tough and singularly beautiful , a combination most mountainbikers will appreciate. Succession of sometimes very steep climbs and sometimes rather technical descents and kilometers of singletrack , 80% through forest must be mountainbiker heaven. I did ask the organisers to consider moving their ride back to the 15th of August though, as it has been for all these years. That date has become a landmark in the calender so why change it?
The area of Chimay Viroinval Eau Blanche and Eau Noire - is a bit underestimated I feel and not well known to the mountainbikers in Belgium. The valleys are not as deep as in some parts of the Ardennes but the region is well compared to Houffalize . It offers a lot of trails I saw several marked routes along the way and as I already said, the hills are steep - to be compared with La Roche perhaps - and offer between 100 to 150 meters of vertical ascent in one go. But what really makes this area shine is the amount of singletrails credit has to go to Denis Hardy and his team for lacing them all together some next to the rivers , meandering up and down with lots of roots and rocks making them very technical at times. I particularly remember a trail near Bruly-sur-Pesche where I had to walk quite a few times due to the technicality of the track. Of course the rain had made it a lot wetter than it usually is. The only drawback this region has is that is not along any of the major highways in Belgium, which means that getting there by car is not evident.
Some pictures..
The Bare Facts :
Ride Stats : 100K and 1650 heightmeters in 6h36mins
Hill Factor : 16.5
Mud factor : high
Organisers' Website : CLICK
Ride Profile : CLICK
Results of the 100k Marathon :
 
Video Footage from the ride: CLICK (copyright Cédric)
Google Earth Map of the 100k marathon :
7152/66420
12-08-2007, 00:00 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 11-08-2007 |
| Choices |
Today I got on my bike to do an easy ride. The sun was out and it was
quite warm on the roads. Offroad I could see there were a lot of deep
puddles, but the sun was already drying things out fast. Tomorrow the
forecast calls for sun as well, which makes riding through the mud a
bit more bare-able. I passed by Filip Sport to get me some Windose gels
to fuel my muscles during tomorrows' ride. I tried these out during
last saturdays ride in Theux and they got me through with flying
colors. Lets hope they will do the same tomorrow.Went to Verviers this morning. I picked up my inscription package and got some goodies as well : a nice Rolini T-Shirt, a Q8 petrol IOU cheque for 5 and a set of mountainbike gloves. So that nearly constitutes the 20 inscription fee. Still I will not ride here tomorrow. To make a long story short, I had already pre-inscribed for the Verviers 45K race when I found out that Chimay had moved their Raid des Sources from August 15th to August 12th. This ride had been on August 15th for as long as I can remember so I was quite chocked to find out I got a luxury problem on August 12th.
Furthermore Chimay sports a new distance of 100K which I would like to try, having done the "classic" 65K over there 2 times already. My choice was further influenced by the amount of rain Verviers got last thursday compared to what the Chimay region had to endure. Verviers got TWICE as much. Another factor is that I don't get the opportunity to ride in the Chimay region that much. While I will probably be in the Theux region again next week.
Of course the Verviers race is only 45K and 1400 heightmeters as compared to the 100K and 1800 heightmeters Chimay offering but I don't mind the extra mileage, on the contrary. I felt from the beginning that Verviers should have offered a medium distance (say 60 to 70K) as well as the short and long distances . Verviers is more technical, hence a lot more dangerous in these wet condition. The reports from people who rode part of the Verviers trail today were talking about slippery and outright dangerous conditions. Lots of rocks and they were wet and slippery. Now from experience I know that Chimay also has a fair share of roots and stuff and they will be wet as well. For Chimay I do have to ride my car for 3 hours as opposed to the 2-hour return trip to Verviers.It's always sad that you have to make a choice like this - I wish that they would have kept the Chimay ride on the 15th - but thats the way it is and I had to deal with it. The money issue (I "lose" 20 ) doesn't bother me that much, it's not a deciding factor for me. Tomorrow I will have to pay another 12, and this will probably get me another T-shirt and selected Chimay beers (which I don't drink - any takers?) , as well as 5 feed zones.Ride Stats : 52K and 330 heightmeters in 2h10mins7053/64770
11-08-2007, 17:40 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 10-08-2007 |
| Jerk |
Another easy ride planned. I set out to follow some new markings passing in front of my door but I lost them pretty soon. I later discovered them back in Sint Joris Weert and there was a 40k/90k just before exiting that town. Must look into that further when I plan to do a longer ride. Had a close encounter with a car - small delivery truck actually - whose driver forgot I had right of way and the jerk would have bumped me off the road if I didn't pull myself out of its path. Some guys are really asking for it. I hope he gets it soon , and I really hope it hurts!
I am changing my plans for the weekend. I will not ride the 45K in Verviers, instead I will do the Raid des Sources in Chimay . It's been a while - I think it must have been 2002 - since I had the opportunity to ride it and this year they added a 100K distance. This promises some 1800 heightmeters which would suit me fine.
I will go to Verviers tomorrow instead and try to shoot some pictures while looking around in the expo area. That way I can go and pick up my entrance package and T-shirt as well or maybe get a refund. I will have ample opportunities to ride in that area later this year. The fact that it rained all day yesterday - making the parcours outright dangerous - also was very influential in my decision to change my plans
Ride Stats: 36K and 230 heightmeters in 1h31mins
7001/64440
10-08-2007, 18:13 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 08-08-2007 |
| Favorite |
An easy road ride on the menu today. Legs still felt great though so my average was good. It rained a bit during the day but near the evening things dried out miraculously so that at least the roads were dry. Lets hope it doesn't rain too much tomorrow in the Ardennes because this friday I plan to pre-ride the 45K distance of the Mountainbike Marathon World Championships in Verviers . That way I can keep my options open for next sunday.
The girl? Oh , she is my hot favorite for the World Championships. Click on the pic to find out who she is.
Ride Stats: 30k and 215 heightmeters in 1h14mins
6964.5/64210
08-08-2007, 20:22 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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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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