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| Tales from the Woods |
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| 14-06-2008 |
 Rain rain stay away |
It looked like it would rain all morning but when the sun peeped through the clouds I decided to take my chances and do a local ride. Nothing more local than the Meerdael BLOSO routes so I tackled those. The trails were pretty dry, except for some muddy puddles which were easily avoided, in most cases. I had mounted my fenders so I didn't care either way. At one point I even began changing my mind about attending an organised ride tomorrow. It didn't look THAT bad so why not? But when I exited the forest I saw a big dark cloud looming and all I could think of from that moment on was to make enough speed to make it home dry. Well, I almost succeeded. I had lost some time when my front fender decided to break free on a tough downhill. Probably due to the shocks. I tried to attach it again - it is some kind of eccentric thing that attaches to the inside of the fork tube - but failed to make it stick. So into my backpack it went and I rode on without a front fender. When I arrived on the last bit of the trails it started to rain very gently but then the gentle drizzle changed into a downpour. Luckily at that point I only had about 2K to ride. Made it just a bit wet but before things really got torrential.Ride Stats : 55.5K and 510 heightmeters in 2h48mins4315/40020
14-06-2008, 15:35 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 10-06-2008 |
| Ravel |
A couple of days of nice warm weather so I couldn't resist taking a day off from work to do a long LSD ride. I set out over Bierbeek, Meldert and Hoegaarden towards the Ravel No2 Hoegaarden-Namur. This is an old train track that has been closed and instead there is a tarmac road for bikers and hikers. The slope is very gradual and at the end it drops nicely into Namur. It was warm and I took it very easy, keeping my heartrate around the 110bpm mark to stay on the edge of the fat-burning processes. Not that I have any fat to burn but that way you can literally ride for hours . In Namur I took a little break to eat a powerbar.Returning the same way the road is generally downhill but there was a noticeable wind blowing from the North so that kinda evened out the effort needed. A little over 5 hours riding time brought me back home. I just read in the paper that our "National Pride" , Tom Boonen, has been caught sniffing the white powder, cocaine. I hope they punish him - if not only to make him see that he is not above the law . It looks like he can't get his private life under control. Making a lot of money obviously the lure of drugs and other vices - he was caught speeding at 180 where 90 is allowed - is great. He would do better focussing on his biking. As far as I'm concerned Quick Step should fire him for this. Lesser drivers have been fired for lesser causes. I hope he recovers from this and doesn't turn into another VDB or Pantani. Ride Stats : 120K and 600 heightmeters in 5h03mins4210/39050
10-06-2008, 16:44 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 07-06-2008 |
| Hagelandse Chrono |
The 8th edition of the Hagelandse chronorit would certainly be an edition to remember. It had been raining for 3 days in a row and obviously we were expecting a lot of mud. Even though during the race the rain halted and tracks dried out a bit towards the end, it was indeed a mudfest extraordinaire.Going to Langdorp this saturday morning was a little victory on my inner demons. I am not really a mud-adept but I was so keen to go I just got in my car and rode over there. The Ride:
Got a nice T-shirt and .5 back on my pre-inscription fee when I showed them my UCI licence at the Inscription. It was still drizzling when I prepared my bike - mudfenders and all - and rode up to the starter. Starting is on an individual basis so this means there is no crowd at the start but the faster riders are on your heels pretty soon. But there were only chrono riders on the track and all went very well. No fuss about passing, you just move over when you can and the faster guy - or girl - passes, usually muttering some thanks. The organized rides (distances of 20 and 40K offered) are for tomorrow. Very nice of the organising team to let the racerabbits run amongst themselves. The first loop took us towards the famous Bosberg, with around 5K of singletracks and steep uphills and descents showing us just about every trail on that mountain. It is sandy here and traction was still good. Coming back towards the start along the river Demer brought us the first really heavy mudsections. The upper layer - wet grass and clay - was very slippery and soon all gearing was covered in grime. No use oiling your chain, it was washed off in less than a couple of K's. My fenders kept me safe from flying mud but obviously the rest of the bike got covered pretty fast. I had mounted a JImmy up front and an NBX Lite in the back. Not bad but on the really slippery trails they were hopelessly looking for traction. After 11K we arrived back near the start and those who wanted could get something to drink at the first reststop. After this there would be 3 more rest stops. Spread evenly at 33K, 45K and 65K into the ride they provided us with all a marathon biker needs. Some yummy chocolate cake - full of fast sugars - and you could get a new drinking bottle, filled with energy drink or water. Great system this, and just one of the little niceties which show this organisation is pretty well honed and tuned to the needs of the biker. The ride was pretty straightforward, a repetition of steep climbs - usually only 20 to 30 heightmeters in one go - and sometimes very tricky descents. I recognized some names - Walenbos, Wijngaardberg - but basically every time we went into a forest the light faded - it was still raining lightly at this point - and things got slippery . I had to walk a couple of uphills, and also some downhills at this point.
Around the 42K mark I lost control of my bike - on a flat section in a field - and went into a deep gully which was running alongside the road. I went over the bars and landed on my hands and chest. Ouch. Nothing hurt but it kinda took the wind out of me for a while. I also needed a little time to become confident in my tyres again after that fall. Some 4 hours into the ride the rain stopped and gradually the trails became less slippery - drying out a bit or perhaps a change of soil. There still were many deep puddles but I didn't mind those. I had my Sealskinz on and riding through the puddles cleaned my drivetrain a bit which provoked less noise from my chain running over the dirty chainrings and cogs. I began to push a little harder on the pedals now, and made all climbs except the really steep ones. Also on the downhills things went better, except for the really freaky ones. My braking power wasn't what it used to be and it was difficult to control the bike with the brakes gripping on some parts of my rim and slipping on other parts. It provides wheelstalling and that is not something you want on a slippery floor. At certain points during the ride there were controls - people who put a marking on your race number to prove you had been there. A missing marker at the end means disqualification, obviously.The arrowing was sparse but very adequate. Little neon-yellow plastic arrows held by rubber strings. Very green as well, no tape, staples or nails needed. The only times I overran a turn was when it was into such a narrow track you barely saw it. The singletracks were amazing, especially on the Bosberg and also during the last 12K of the ride. Sweeping through the forest, demanding your full attention. The drop into Aarschot I remembered from earlier editions and I knew the last 2.5K was along a fast track on the Demer borders. Tired but very satisfied I made the end with some 5 and a half hours on my Polar. There was a bit of a queue for the bikewash which was well-stocked for usual days with 6 lances (3 of them high pressure) but when the ride is this muddy perhaps a few more would have made for a faster development here.
One more thing about the times necessary to get a Gold, Silver or Bronze brevet. They seemed unrealistic considering the meteorological circumstances. As it stands, only 2 riders got a Gold . I feel the organisation should have upped the times, taking into account the difficult circumstances.
The Lowdown:
What I liked:
+ the region, very beautiful.
+ well honed and experienced organisation.
+ well stocked rest zones - they had drink bottles with Energy drink so you could leave yours.
+danger signs at road crossings and some downhills
+ organisation provided emergency numbers
+ sparse but adequate and very visible arrowing
+ friendly people at the rest stops
What I did not like:
- the abundance of mud.. but what can you do?
- unrealistic target times for Gold, Silver and Bronze brevets, considering the weather conditions.
- only 6 hoses at the bike rinse.. with all the mud people were queueing and getting cold...
Synopsis:
I met a lot of old acquaintances, which was nice. Girls and boys - you know who you are - thanks for saying hello to me and taking some time to chat up, it really felt good. The ride for me was very satisfying, I hate mud and me making it and actually starting here was a small victory on myself. This whole ride was a battle with oneself - resisting the urge to turn in and surrender. Every person who made it is a bit of a hero. I have done this chrono 4 times now and I love the Hageland. But today it was not served by the meteorological conditions. Still, I made it and I am happy. The organisation gets the thumbs up - very honed and almost professional. The Bare Facts:
Profile of the Ride
Organisers website
Results (Zip File)
Picture gallery (Paul Helsen)
Movies of the ride by Fons Moors : Part 1 + Part 2 + Part3
Ride Stats : 85K and 975 heightmeters in 5h24minsHill Factor : 11.54044/38120
07-06-2008, 00:00 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 05-06-2008 |
| We Will Ride! |
It rained heavily the whole day, and I was not exactly looking forward to ride in the forest this evening, but at least when we started out - there were 4 of us including me - at 7pm with the KBC MTB club, it had stopped raining. I mounted my fenders and set out to guide the guys around some challenging singletrack into Meerdaelwoud. The pace was slow, the floor was wet and roots and puddles were demanding our attention whilst trying to keep the rubber side down. The leaveswe brushed were heavy with water - adding to the overall wetness - and the tracks were closing in on us . The forest reminded me of a rainforest; wet and damp and some fog forming under the darkening canopy. I was following parts of my Meerdael Loop but in the reverse direction. We passed along the Dikke Eik and crossed the Naamsesteenweg just before the Hamme Mille border. Now the terrain was becoming more hilly but I was trying to avoid the really steep stuff because the muddy track made it difficult enough as it was. Some downhills were very technical and the ever changing conditions - wet,dry,mud,sand,roots,gullies,fallen trees - gave us a real technical workout. At some parts I was amazed how little mud there was - most of it probably washed away to the sides of the trail - but here and there a little bog demanded our highest concentration. Dropping into Nethen - nice steep downhill - I wondered for a while to take the long hollow "jungle" track upwards to the plateau but when Freaky tried to ride the first part of it, and got stuck, we decided to take the chicken way around.
05-06-2008, 22:09 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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| 03-06-2008 |
| eyes in my back |
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Couldn't resist the sunshine so i set out around 7pm for an easy recovery ride. Temps wer low twenties so not too bad and the sky was free from menacing clouds. Sometimes you need eyes in your back because I got nearly run over by a car.. someone was trying to cut it short between me and him when trying to pass me the same time as a car from the other side of the road. I felt the sigh of his mirror against my side but luckily he didn't hit me. He was also lucky that he didn't have to stop anywhere soon, I was out for his blood . When I rode in there was a huge black cloud following me and a rainbow also indicated rainfall.
Ride Stats: 33K and 205 heightmeters in 1h25mins
3927/36785
03-06-2008, 21:06 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf
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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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