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| Tales from the Woods |
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| 02-06-2008 |
 Secret Meerdael Loup |
Had a day off from work today and I decided to check out part 2 of my Secret Meerdael Loop. Those who know or have ridden it with me as a guide know its a toughie. So I took it very easy and relaxed . The trails were pretty overgrown and I had to remove a branch here and there as well. I left my mud fenders on the bike, because it had rained a little bit during the night . The weather was sunny and warm . I took the time to stop and take some pictures to wet your appetite. If you feel like joining me on these trails don't be afraid to contact me. The only thing I ask is to leave your GPS at home. The trails were moist but not overly so, and my Jimmy/NBX Lite combination found traction most of the time. The only time I had to get off of my bike was on a very steep climb in Nethen were I kinda fell asleep and my front wheel collided with the gully border. I was right awake afterwards and tried to be a little more concentrated the rest of the ride. Some of the downhills were very nasty and because I was with the Litespeed I was at the limit of my V-brake powers trying to brake at the end of them. But I had no troubles, in some downhills, speed is your friend. I was pretty tired but very satisfied near the end of the ride. The weather was rather hot with 25 degrees and it was rather broody with thunderstorms building up. By the look of the clouds it would seem that this time we will not escape them.Ride Stats : 39k and 665 heightmeters in 2h54mins3893/36580
02-06-2008, 00:00 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 01-06-2008 |
| Easy ride |
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No rain or thunderstorms in sight, instead nice and sunny weather even though the humidity was a bit high. So I rode out for an easy ride. Legs felt good and the roads I chose were not too difficult. Riding over Bierbeek, Meldert, Hoegaarden and then a little bit of Ravel route before heading towards Sart Mélin, one of the most beautiful villages in Brabant Walloon (or so they claim). Little detour to check out my favorite donkeys in Pietrebais but they were nowhere to be seen. Only the stallion was there, mother and son were missing. I headed back towards Hamme Mille and across the Meerdael forest to complete a good recovery ride.
Ride Stats : 52K and 355 heightmeters in 2h16mins
3854/35915
01-06-2008, 17:04 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 31-05-2008 |
| Accro Bike 52K again |
Today I had an appointment with Guna to ride either the 42K or 52K version of the Accro Bike. The Accro is one of my favorite rides in my neighborhood so after only having been there last week I didn't mind going back there again at all. I met up with Guna just before Wavre and we rode to the Bois des Neulettes to enter the trails there. On our way I passed near the Golf terrain to incorporate a little bit of offroad. The narrow trail was overgrown and Guna got a wake up call when she landed on the floor, luckily not doing any harm to herself or her bike. The trails were moist in the shaded areas and the climb taking us out of the terrain was impossible, very steep and no grip for our tyres. A little bit of tarmac in and out of Basse-Wavre and soon we were at the 2 chapels of the Bois des Neulettes. For a detailed description of the Accro Bike trails and a map I refer you to my BLOG entry of the 24th of May.
The first steep climb in the Bois du Tour proved too much for us, too wet and offering no grip. But the rest of the trails were great and - the occasional puddle notwithstanding - rather dry. I had expected them to be a lot muddier. Oh well, can't complain, the track is difficult enough without mud . Some of the downhills were demanding our full attention and I was pleasantly surprised when Guna followed me on what I consider to be the trickiest of them all. Descending into the Bois de Glabais with my wheels slipping and sliding from one gully into the other, whilst trying to avoid the rubble, stones and pieces of wood . We followed the little rivulet at the bottom, instead of opting for a way around it as I did last week, and even though it was a lot wetter here there was no real difficulty or too much mud.
The continuing succession of climbing and descending makes this a real tough ride. I had warned Guna because from experience I know some people start out too fast on these tracks only to fade away by the end of the ride. But I think we kept a good speed, allowing us to enjoy the trails to the fullest without overly exerting ourselves.
The amazing landscapes - sometimes one would think to be in the Ardennes - make this a ride you enjoy even though your legs are being squeezed out with every climb. We stopped to have a little snack at regular intervals , eating and drinking is of paramount importance on long rides like these. Not to my surprise Guna chose to do the 52K version, and since I had cancelled my Ardennes ride for tomorrow I didn't mind doing the longer version today as well.
The weather was amazingly good. It had rained considerably last week but this saturday it stayed dry. It was warm with temps over 20 degrees C and even though some menacing clouds made me fear for rain at one point, the clouds later dissipated and left the warm sun to shine down on us again near the end of the ride. Only trouble was that our supply of drink was running out. So on our way back towards Overijse we stopped in Basse Wavre to fill up at the local store. Me I chose for a Coca Cola (giving me a boost of energy) , Guna went for water and something to eat. We split near Tombeek and I had to fill up again in Sint Agatha Rode - another coke. On my way home I stopped to admire a young fowl - it couldn't have been more than a week old. Arriving at home I felt tired but very pleased with my day. I believe Guna will have biked around 140K today - very impressive !
Ride Stats : 110.5K and 1285 heightmeters in 6h33mins
3802/35560
31-05-2008, 00:00 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 25-05-2008 |
| Taking it easy |
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Today I had decided not to go offroad, it had rained considerably last night and during the morning scattered showers also provided some extra water. Around noon I rode out for an easy recovery ride, following the "H"aasrode tour over Bierbeek, Willebringen, Hoksem and Oorbeek all the way to the little chapel in Huldenberg, there I turned around and rode the same loop back towards home. Along the way I only felt some drops of rain and passed some wet streets on another occasion. In all the weather wasn't too bad.
Ride Stats : 55K and 445 heightmeters in 2h24mins
3600/33545
25-05-2008, 14:58 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 24-05-2008 |
| Accro Bike 52K |
Normally I would do an organised ride tomorrow but with the forecast rain I was shifting the major ride of the weekend to the Saturday. Today. I got out the Moots , my rear wheel back in working order thanks to Filip at Filip Sport who replaced the broken nipple and trued the wheel . Leaving for Grez Doiceau around 10.30am , passing through Meerdael Forest and Archennes to the start of the Accro Bike . This version dates from around 2001 when Laurent Saublens drew it out on a map for me. I have the official 'race' distance of 42K - which I did earlier this year - and also a version which spans some 52K and has a few more heightmeters. Both rides are tough but today I opted for the longest distance. The trails were perfect and as it turned out I made each and every climb, only having to get off of my bike for the stairs in Héze. These stairs I have never ridden, perhaps with the Merlin I would, but ever since a collegue at work crashed heavily on them a few years ago, I don't even consider riding them anymore. They are narrow . I include a picture from them taken on an earlier ride. I also include a map of both trails for those who want to give it a go. The start is in Grez Doiceau, which is located just North of Biez in the top middle of the map.   
I felt exceptionally good today and on my way home I did some extra trails in Meerdael, stopping at the Hertebron for a refreshing refill of water. The Accro Bike ride turned out to be 59K and 920 heightmeters with my additions. When I looked at my average speed I was very content. The Moots is most certainly a good bike and I wasn't as tired as I usually am when I do these trails. Weather conditions were good as well , slightly overcast with temps around 21 degrees C. As I write this the clouds are getting darker, it looks like it can start raining any minute. But I already had a very satisfying ride today so I can wait and see what tomorrow brings.Ride Stats : 90k and 1230 heightmeters in 4h51mins3545/33100
24-05-2008, 20:08 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 22-05-2008 |
| KBC MTB Meets Adri's Secret Loop |
Another thursday, another ride with the KBC mountainbike club. After some tracks in Heverleebos and making our way to Haasrode to pick up an errant member, we rode into Meerdaelwoud. Here I was asked to lead so I took them on part of my secret Meerdael loop. The first part with some meandering singletracks. The pace had been high up till then and I kept the pace high on the singletracks as well, making sure no-one was left behind though. The trails were ideal, moist but not wet , offering good grip and traction. We made a brief stop at the forests' large tree, an old oak, and I made a picture of the gang posing under the tree.
I then set out for some more tracks and after crossing the Naamsesteenweg in Hamme Mille, also added in a few climbs. Not too much because I didn't want to make it too tough, but I could hear they were enjoying it. Some fallen trees made me look for - and find - some alternative trails around them. In all I had a pretty good ride, my only problem seemed to be the Polar Wearlink which didn't transmit my heartrate like it should. I've seen this before and it usually means getting a new one. My last one lasted for 2 years, this one I have from May 2007 so it barely made it for a year. I might wanna try the warranty but that leaves me without a means to measure my heartrate, so basically without being able to ride. Ride Stats : 40.5K and 370 heightmeters in 2h08mins3455/31870
22-05-2008, 21:18 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 20-05-2008 |
| Mottige Bergskes |
I wanted to do the Mottige Bergskes route today, or at least try to do as much as I remember from it. The MB is a ride that started in Berlaar and passed at the Zoete Waters, going into Brabant Walloon and taking in quite a bit of nasty climbs . It was marked MB on the tarmac but the markings are long gone by now. Nasty Climbs kinda translates into Mottige Bergskes hence my nickname for it. I started out along that route, taking a little detour, and a nice 14% climb, up to the "Circuit de Golf de Bercuit" from which I kinda got lost and had to take a bit of field to get back onto a cobble road. Then taking the road from Perwez to Wavre and the first really steep hill announced itself climbing out of Wavre , quickly descending back into it, crossing the Chaussée de Louvain and taking another fiendishly steep hill to climb up to Ottenburg. From there I descended into Terlanen and took the Moskesberg out of Terlanen, dropping back into it and then up and down the Smeysberg in Huldenberg. By now I was on the 50K bloso route that starts in Heverlee so I decided to follow that for the remainder of the ride.
My legs felt surprisingly good and well recuperated so the hills didn't pose any real problems. At the end of the ride I was glad to be home though, with a good average speed and a more than fair amount of heightmeters it was a demanding ride. The weather was clement although in the latter part of the ride I had a fresh easterly wind blowing against me.
Ride Stats : 71K and 780 heightmeters in 3h02mins
3415/31500
20-05-2008, 21:30 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 18-05-2008 |
| Bois des Reves |
Didn't feel like an organised ride today. No doubt most trails would be muddy and since going to the Ardennes under those circumstances is out of the question I answered positively to the invitation of Michael - aka the Big Dane - from BigM to go and have a workout at Bois des Reves. Bois des Reves is a parc in Ottignies where they have a MTB trail spanning some 2.8K and 80 heightmeters. Over the years I've added to that and now my lap consists of 5.5K and 140 heightmeters. We met at the carpark and I did a first lap with Michael showing him the way around the trails. He decided to stick to the 2.8K loop and since he was a lot stronger in the uphills and I wanted to do at least 40K today I let him ride alone. He needs to work on his technique and also for that Bois des Reves is great. The trail consists of some downhills with switchbacks that have roots in them, followed by steep uphills and some tricky passages over roots. The safety nets from last years' Belgian Mountainbike Championships were still there. One passage in particular took me 3 laps to feel secure enough to ride it. But I did and I was pleased with that. The rest of the track is just a matter of staying concentrated and push hard on the steep uphill sections. I left it on the middle ring and I made all the hills.
 
I found another alternative uphill which avoids having to turn on some roots and is a bit less steep than its alternative as well. The sweeping downhill through the valley which the Piste VTT follows was blocked by a big tree so we needed an alternative for that as well. I only saw Michael again at one point when he was trying to figure out the best line down on one of the switchbacks. I showed him the perfect track and after that I didn't see him again. When I was finished doing my laps I waited for him at the entrance but it appeared he had already gone.. Hmm, not very nice to leave without a message but I'm sure he left because his car wasn't at the car park either. Me I had a very good workout, and a tough ride as well. 7 big laps netted me almost 1100 heightmeters. The Litespeed was more than sufficient on these trails - it's light and nimble - but on some if the more technical tracks I would have prefered a stiffer front end (blame the SID for that ) and some suspension in the rear. The ride's profile tells a thousand tales I'm sure.Ride Stats : 40.5K and 1080 heightmeters in 2h51minsHill Factor : 26.6
Ride's Profile : 
3344/30720
18-05-2008, 18:43 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 17-05-2008 |
| 2 Valleien Route |
It had rained considerably last night and during part of the day so I mounted mud fenders on the Litespeed and left with waterproof clothing as I rode up to Overijse to meet with Guna. Amazingly enough not a single drop would fall during our ride together. I proposed to do the 2 Valleien route, a marked BLOSO trail with starting points in Overijse, Terlanen and Ottenburg and covering around 36K and some 480 heightmeters. Guna did not do them before so I was curious about her opinion about them. They are rather interesting, with some nice hills, some rather steep and a couple of tricky downhills, especially on the Red route. I was expecting quite a bit of mud but as it turned out only in the forest were a few muddy sections. Some of the downhills proved quite a challenge though because of the wash of water which had carved some gullies . But on the whole the tracks were fine.
 
17-05-2008, 18:55 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 15-05-2008 |
| Waiting for the rain |
Temps were not as high anymore but the wind was also gone. All was quiet in the forest that lay still with held breath as if in wait for the rain. Much needed rain as all is bone-dry. I took the Litespeed and the narrow 2.0 NBX Lite tyres gave me quite a workout as I hobbled over the rooty singletrails of the first part of my secret Meerdael route. About 50 minutes into the ride it started to rain, just enough to feel it but not enough to make me turn towards home just yet. I completed the loop and stopped at the Warande pond for a little while. A stork flew away as I made my way around the little pond.
My bike was covered in debris that stuck to the raindrops while I made my way through the little trails. I didn't feel like riding any more that about 30K so I arrived home in time to avoid the real downpour later in the evening.
Ride Stats : 27K and 285 heightmeters in 1h34mins
3235/28910
15-05-2008, 20:32 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 12-05-2008 |
| Lasne and back again |
This morning when I woke up I noticed my legs were still full from this weekends' rides. So instead of adding another 1000hm+ ride at Ferrieres I decided to take it easy and do an active recovery ride instead.The weather was still great and I set out on my Hilset. The plan was to ride all the way to Lasne, were an organised ride was starting today, have a look around and ride back. Over Terlanen, Tombeek and Rixensart I followed a softly hilly terrain, my heartrate at a safe 105bpm average. In Lasne I made a quick tour around the starting area and the returned over Rixensart and Tombeek to Sint Joris Weert. I stopped to take some pictures of the donkey family there, they were already four. 
12-05-2008, 14:38 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 11-05-2008 |
| 14th Rando La Champetre at Libin |
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Sunday morning, 6.30am. Sun is out, rise and shine. After the 1st of May ride in Tellin , which left me with a dual feeling - one of elation because of the beautiful landscapes, but also a feeling of bitterness because of the unreal muddy conditions making the ride leave a bad memory - I was keen to go to Libin, which is just a few K to the south of Tellin. This would give me the opportunity to ride once more in this magnificent region.
The Ride:
Sunny morning, ride to Libin went fine, cruise control on the MPS set to 130 and hey presto, one hour and 5 minutes later I was in Libin looking for the start. Took some searching but when I found it, I could park within 10 metres from the tent where the inscriptions were held. They offered distances ranging from 15 to 65K. I opted for the longest one and forked over a 5 note. Not far from the tent there was a big barbeque where they were already warming up the cinders for the wild-boar feast which traditionally takes place together with the mountainbike rides and walks being offered by the locals.
I set out with the Moots today and the ride started off taking a little stretch of tarmac which took us out of Libin and up to the E411. There we went offroad for a nice little multitrail section alongside this highway. The first distance split came up and I was not surprised to see the majority take one of the shorter distances. The 55 and 65K loops took us down off the plateau into the forest and along the river Lesse. Some 13K into the ride the first rest stop added a bit of Tesseire+water and some raisins to my energy reserves. We followed the river along a 65K-only stretch which became quite interesting after we crossed over a bridge and returned upstream along a very tricky singletrack ondulating up and down the river bank. Only one passage was too complicated to ride and the rest demanded some concentration and skill. I loved it. When we joined the 55K track again, we entered some kind of wildlife parc and climbed steadily for about 5K and 220 heightmeters until we reached the 450 metres mark. Some nice passages along the way and the trail didn't shy away from passing through the forest proper, little chalk markings leading us from one rock to another. The trail was strewn with timber and little logs, but remained ride-able . We stayed more or less on the plateau, although the trail went up and down continuously. We hooked up with the track of the Tellin ride north of Transinne with a singletrack passage upwards I remembered from last weeks' ride -when it was so muddy we couldn't ride it. This time it was only steep but no problem riding it. When we passed under what looked like a wooden gate I was sure we were on the Tellin trail. A quick downhill later and we were at the second reststop, some 31K into the ride. I had met up with an old acquantance from the "Rode Lintjes" and we rode together for a while, reminiscing. He was still on a bike without suspension which he has owned since 1985 but he told me he had just purchased a full suspension bike. I think he will be mightily surprised by the difference in ride quality and comfort.
After
the second rest stop the trail plunged towards Mirwart where we hooked
up again with the Tellin trail, but we took it in the other direction
this time. Another very nice technical passage took us alongside another river. We contoured Smuid and more or less stayed next to the river. Some very wet passages under the railroad left me with wet feet. I was beginning to wonder at this time if we would make the 1200 heightmeters that were announced. With hills on both sides of us the organisers decided to remain next to the river. Hmm, not good for a heightmeter-junkie like me. But then we left the riverside and started climbing . A wet passage through a stream left me with soggy feet again but with 26 degrees C I didn't mind at all. At the 3rd rest stop, 46K into the ride, I filled up on food and drink and asked the guys if they knew if we were yet to climb a lot. They told me a "big one" was coming up but when I looked at my Polar and saw that I had only 750 heightmeters at this time, I thought it would have to be a VERY big one to yield us 500 heightmeters in the last 18 or so K's. In fact, not long after the 3rd stop, the best climb of the day announced itself. Very steep and over lots of roots, forcing me onto the granny gear for quite some time. We nearly made the 450m mark but just before that the track dropped us down again. Not for long because we started climbing again. I saw the hill to my right and started to grin, yes, this looked good. Indeed we went to the ceiling of the ride, 500 metres over a slowly climbing track, sometimes narrow, sometimes widening up but steadily climbing. We were joined by the shorter distances and after a little descent we went back up again, until some singletrack spat us out at the edge of the forest and overlooking Libin. Great, my legs felt fried but I was elated. The track went into the fields and dropped us nicely into Libin, some 100 metres lower. When I checked my Polar I saw that we only made 62.2K but the last couple of climbs elevated the heightmeters to just over a 1000.
The Lowdown:
What I liked:
+ great region if you love forests
+ arrowing sparse but sufficient
+ some nice technical passages
+ 3 well stocked feed zones, evenly spread over the distance
+ friendly organisors
What I did not like:
- no showers?
- a little less mileage than advocated
- a little less heightmeters than advocated/expected
Synopsis: Great ride. These forests are very beautiful this time of the year with the young green foliage filling up. The sun was hot but because we were in the forest most of the time it didn't bother me. In fact, temps were ideal especially next to the rivers and the coolness which emanates from them. On the 65K I was riding alone most of the time, filling my lungs with pure air and listening to the sounds of the forest. Birds, the crickle-crack of my tyres on the track and the sound of my chain running through the gears were all I could hear. Forest murmurs. The organisation didn't take full advantage of all the hills they had here - or perhaps they were not allowed into areas where the Tellin organisors passed only a week before? Some nice technical passages - this sets it apart from Tellin - and still a reasonable amount of heightmeters. The trailbuilder didn't shy away from passages straight through the forest on virtually non-existent tracks, demanding the utmost concentration. I hit a rock twice with my rear wheel and upon cleaning my bike I saw that one spoke had ripped its nipple. Bummer and not the first time this happens to me with these wheels.
The Bare Facts:
Profile of the Ride
Some pictures taken by Schijfrem
Ride Stats : 62.2km and 1025 heightmeters
Hill Factor : 16.5
3144/28115
11-05-2008, 20:02 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 10-05-2008 |
| Merlin in Wonderland |
This afternoon I had an appointment with Miss Julie in the little village of Deigné. Deigné is situated about halfway between Banneux and Aywaille and not very far from Theux either. Names that ring like bells in every mountainbikers head. Julie knows the trails here pretty much by heart and she set out more or less following the trails the annual organised ride in Deigné offers. We set out on a nice little climb from the start , rocky rooty and rather steep. This was the maiden trip of my Merlin in the Ardennes and it turned out to be quite a trip. We climbed into the fagnes area leading towards Hautregard and Vert Buisson, the tracks were very technical at places with roots, ruts and some rocks protruding and making me very happy to be on a fully and not on a hardtail. At more than one occasion I know I would have come to a full stop using a hardtail, but the Merlin carried me merrily over all the pitfalls the terrain threw at us. Past Vert Buisson we were to descent into what I like to call Wonderland. The slope leading down into the Ambleve valley and where a couple of little rivers cut their way down through some very pittoresque scenery. We first descended along a very rock strewn section and made our way back up on a trail parallel to the river Chefna along some pretty technical trails. At times the track was just too technical and we had to walk. But these were exceptions, most of the time there was a little trail you could - just- ride.
The tracks Julie chose were among the best the region has to offer, mostly singletrails or rock-strewn trails leading upwards with the little river on our right flowing through crevasses and making for quite a wonderful view. But I had to keep my eye on the trail . I hadn't been here before, although I seemed to recognize some trails from the Banneux rides I did a few years ago.
The Merlin Works 4.0 climbs like a goat, the Nobby Nics run at 2.0 bar (I have NoTubes installed) and they found always some traction The suspension did its best to smoothen out the ride over cobble-like rocks. Things shifted under my wheels all the time but this amazing bike just kept on rolling. The XTR drivetrain made it easy to shift up and down, even at low speeds and full tension when the trail suddenly became a LOT steeper and I needed the chain to drop onto the smallest cog in the front. Not one mis-shift. Amazing stuff. Up on the Porallee plateau again and now we were making the descent along the Ninglinspo, with a very nice technical singletrail at the beginning and a full-blast downhill dropping some 250 heightmeters and crossing the little stream a couple of times. Before we arrived at the bottom Julie turned to the right and we were set for another long climb over a difficult and steep trail. Julie is a very good climber and her bike - a Liteville 301 - is particularly well-suited for this kind of terrain. We both own titanium hardtails as well but between you and me, a hardtail is not the bike for this kind of terrain. It would kick like a mule on all the rocks, roots and ruts we had to continually clear. After a long and difficult climb a great downhill followed, taking us around Mainire with a great view over the Valley of the Ambleve. Another climb followed before we dropped down, more or less into Deigné. Just another tricky track with a little rivulet running through it. The weather was great by the way, temps of 26 degrees C and the sun in full blaze made me very happy we did long stretches in the forest. At places where there was no shade many a drop of sweat was shed.Wow, what a great ride this was, even though Julie cut out one loop we nearly had 40K and a whopping 925 heightmeters, yeah, this is one hilly region. And such beautiful scenery , with very technical trails and a real challenge for bikers and bikes around every twist in the trail. I had a great time and I want to thank Julie for making this ride happen. I'm sure we will we back here for some more rides in this wonderful area.Ride Stats : 38.6K and 925 heightmeters in 2h44minsHill Factor : 243082/27090
10-05-2008, 19:08 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 06-05-2008 |
| Merlin Magic |
Temps around 25 degrees made me wait until 6pm before I ventured out on the Merlin Works 4.0. This was my first serious outing on my newest bike and I wanted to test it on the Meerdael Bloso's and do the Red Overijse Bloso to add some climbs. I put 120psi in the Rp3 shock and 110psi in the Rock Shox Reba. I quickly noticed that 120 might be a tad too much but I left it like that during the ride. My legs were still tired from last weeks' 3000 heightmeters but what a blast this ride was. From the outset the light Merlin (it weighs 10.9kg - only 500 grams heavier than my Litespeed and 100grams lighter than my Moots) felt nimble and quick to react. I have to get used to the smaller saddle (a Xesco 240) but the seating position seems to be spot on . The suspension worked like I expected it to do - I have tested a bike like this extensively last August - and the full XTR drivetrain of course performed flawlessly. The kilometers flew by and before I knew it I was tackling one of my umpossible climbs and taking it without any problem whatsoever. The superb traction through the combination of the ICT rear suspension and the Nobby Nic tyres gave even my tired legs no trouble at all with the 20+ percentages. Downhills were a blast. I flew, only lightly grazing the brakes from time to time and taking everything that the track threw at me. Having 10cm of travel is great. The Hope brakes reacted quickly and consistenly, having been well braked in during my first ride a couple of months ago.
The No-tube tyres also made me less worried about risking a flat. After completing the Red Overijse Bloso I returned to the Meerdael forest to add the Blue Bloso and finish with the rest of the Green trail. I was surprised I got 60K when I got home, averaging a low 125bpm heartrate and still having 21.6kph average speed is really very good and a sign that the bike goes fast without me having to put in a lot of effort. Merlin Magic for sure.
Ride Stats : 60k and 615 heightmeters in 2h47 mins
3003/25735
06-05-2008, 22:09 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 04-05-2008 |
| Sart Lez Spa |
This ride is a part of the "Challenge du Gileppe et Hautes Fagnes" , a series of rides in and around the Hautes Fagnes area in Belgium. It is their 18th year so I expect the organisation to be very well honed by now. The weather has been clement since friday so most of the mud should be gone. But, since this is an Ardennes ride, one must always expect some wetness, if not mud then surely from passing through rivers. Lets go ride and find out.The Ride:Sunny morning, temps around 14 degrees at the start in Sart lez Spa, a little town not far from Theux and Spa.. names like bells in every mountainbikers' ears for sure. I pay 3.5 for the longest distance, which is announced to be 50K. There are also distances of 16, 28 and 38K on offer. The 50K has 3 rest stops (ravito's ) . The Moots is all cleaned up from the Tellin outing and ready to go. I start out pretty easy along a nice downhill singletrack which takes us to a point I remember from my Longest Uphill ride. It would not be the last time I see familiar landscapes. Immediately follows a steep and technical uphill taking us towards Sart and later Le Wayau. We cross the E42 and then the road towards Cokaifagne.. a nice little downhill stretch towards the little river Hoegne follows.. yeah, this is where the fun starts. We follow the river upstream for a bit until we turn left and a long uphill takes us through the forest towards the 400m marker. Down again it goes, the legs are awake by now and I have good control over the bike. Now follows a climb which takes us more or less into the fagnes. Some parts are very technical with rocks and roots, others very steep. I drop the chain on the 26 in front and grit it out. At this stage my legs are not yet in full force but I can find a good rhythm and the climb goes well. The 500m heightline is reached a first time. We drop down again towards the river Hoegne and I make a picture of a nice little bridge spanning it. After that a little tarmac uphill before dropping onto an old railroad track (minus the track ) A bit too technical this bit and I decide to walk it. Then it goes along the track more or less downwards until we find the first rest stop some 18K into the ride. Lots of stuff to eat and only water to drink. Oh well, water is best anyways. The arrowing up to now has been more than sufficient, a little sparse at times using chalk and/or red arrows on white background. Very visible and well-placed. Not troubles at all following the right track. At times they really use very narrow tracks and you DO have to be careful to not miss a little track going left or right into the forest. Nice .After the first rest stop follows a long climb which takes us to the ceiling for today.. 550metres. From then on its downhill most of the time for a long stretch which ultimately takes us to Nivéze.. where we find our second rest stop . The chateau is looking down on us.. inviting. Yes, we go all the way up there. A great technical section, steep uphill, singletrack winding up with roots, rocks and ruts trying to stop our forward movement. Great, I love the Moots here, it takes care of all the obstacles with ease, only demanding me to put it in the right gear and point it where I want to go.
The terrain is changing now, the uphills are shorter and we pass through the fields from time to time. The maythorns have not yet been pruned but I notice a lot of bikers standing next to a flat wheel nevertheless. It takes a bit of luck, but also som knowledge of where to ride to avoid the thorns. After Nivéze we ride to the north passing, but not entering, the Bois de Staneu. The tracks remain challenging from time to time, with some recuperation sections in between. After a tricky downhill we arrive at the 3rd ravito. A last time to stock up on calories before attacking a nice steep rocky uphill.. my wheel is slipping on the moist rocks but I manage to keep on riding. A quick downhill followed by what must be the steepest uphill so far. I nearly made it.. nearly because at the last stage the sheer steepness of the hill combined by the wet soil made my wheel slip and brought me to a standstill.. merde.. Oh well.. On a very nice singletrack I hear someone behind me asking if he can pass.. I tell him to wait since it is not a race. Mm, he is not pleased and tries to pass me on the right - next to the abyss. He touches my wheel and has to abandon his maneuvre. He is really pissed now and again asks me to pass. I again answer him I don't intend to let him pass since this is not a race. He starts calling me names and passes me riding up the slope on my left. He gives me a thump whilst passing me and powers away, still calling me a "Sale Flamint". I wonder how he guessed that A bit further I see him repeat the same show with the next couple of bikers - a father and his son - this is one popular guy for sure ! There are others behind me but they don't insist on passing where they really can't/shouldn't and wait for an opportunity when the track becomes wider and/or less technical. I put him out of my mind to further enjoy my ride, silently hoping he will be standing with a flat wheel or something next to the road.. but no such luck. The ride now comes closer to Sart again and a lot of bikers from the shorter distances join us. You can tell by their lack of power on the uphills and lesser technical skills. I don't mind, I am patient and await my time to pass them. They all enjoy their ride and why should I bother them? A little later I am back at the starting area in a baking sun. Very pleased with the ride. The bike is not too dirty so I just put it in the MPS and after taking a nice hot shower I leave for home.The Lowdown:
What I liked:
+ great technical passages and long climbs
+ steep climbs, roots , rocks and ruts galore.
+ arrowing sparse but sufficient+ 3.5 is cheap+ 3 well-stocked ravitos on the 50K+ hot showers+ friendly people at rest stops/inscriptionWhat I did not like:
- one asshole on a singletrack- a few guys without helmets - still
- some tarmac sections could be avoided
Synopsis: Great ride. For sure, the ride can be divided in two sections. The first half consisted of long steep climbs going up from the river Hoegne into the fagnes and down again. After the first reststop another killer climb follows. All is intersected with some nice little technical tracks. The second bit is less hilly, meaning the climbs are shorter but surely not less steep. Some passages through fields allow the muscles to recuperate a bit. Up till the end there are still technical tracks so better stay awake, there is a trap after every corner. Great stuff for your bike-control. The sunny weather added to the overall cheerness of this ride and I'm sure it was a hit for the organisation. With next weeks' Ardennes Trophy coming up a good rehearsal ride in this great area of the Ardennes.
The Bare Facts:
Profile of the Ride
Pics of the 50K taken by Schijfrem.
Ride Stats : 51.8K and 1030 heightmeters in 3h08minsHill Factor : 19.882943/25120
04-05-2008, 19:29 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 03-05-2008 |
| Haasrode Toer |
Another fine day so I set out around 10am for a 3 hour easy ride. My legs were feeling better today and the softly ondulating landscapes around Bierbeek and Tienen brought me to the little chapel in Hauthem where I usually make a stop to climb up the little terrace overseeing Hoegaarden and some other villages. A bronze plaque directs you towards a lot of churches visible in the area around the little chapel.After a few minutes I rode on towards L'Ecluse and further towards La Bruyere. I made a little detour over Happeau to check out my favorite donkeys but they were nowhere to be seen. Further on I passed through Pietrebais and Cocrou towards Grez-Doiceau. Here I decided to call it a day and take a shortcut over Bossut and Hamme-Mille to make it a nice 66K. Ride Stats : 66k and 530 heightmeters in 2h51mins2891/24090
03-05-2008, 19:07 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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