Beautiful sunny day but a dry and arid wind blowing from the northeast made it feel a lot colder than it actually was. I decided to ride the Haasrode tour, one of my regular rides, following some old arrowing leading me towards Haasrode, Bierbeek, Willebringen, Hoksem and Oorbeek. The Goudberg geosite  marks the furthest northeasterly point of this route, so from there onwards I had the wind more or less blowing in my back. But by then I was already starting to feel like an icicle.

I would see a real icicle in a field not far from L'Ecluse whilst making my way towards La Bruyere. From there I left the Haasrode tour and rode back home over Beauvechain, Tourinnes and Hamme Mille. The air only contained 40% of humidity which made for a bright red sunset. The sun's color was due to the smog over Brussels I believe. Still it was a nice sight and I'm sorry I didn't stop to make a picture. But by then I began to feel the cold in my fingertops and the setting sun made me speed home even quicker. The last half hour it was 'lights on' making this a nightride after all. The average temperature was with 2 degrees C one degree less cold than yesterday, but the wind made it feel a lot colder.

Ride Stats : 50K and 360/440 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 2h18mins

1595/16225

Cold and even some light snow during the day. This winter is surely one of the worst - or best if you like snow and ice - since ages. I can not remember seeing that my snow in one season or so many days with freezing temperatures. Luckily we can dress for the occasion and I did ride out after watching the finish of the competitors in Paris-Nice. I only wanted to do an easy recovery ride so I chose to do a loop involving little climbing, instead focussing on easy roads. My loop took me through Heverlee, Egenhoven and then towards the crest above Leefdaal. There I turned left towards Neerijse and then continued towards Sint Agatha Rode before turning towards Sint Joris Weert and the Zoete Waters to close the loop. The average temperature was 1 degree C and there was an unpleasant breeze blowing from the northeast.
Today I saw an article where they stated that this july Minister Schouppe wants to introduce the European Car Registration Plate in Belgium. The colors of the Belgian car plates are now red lettering on a white background. Minister Schouppe wants to change this to black lettering on a white background. So far so good but the next step is more difficult to come to terms with. The European plates all have 7 digits . In our system the oldest numberplates have 5 digits and the newest ones 6.
So all Belgian cars must be fitted with NEW numberplates that are comform to the European system . Quite a big change. The worst change is for the owners of personalized number plates. In Belgium you can get a personalized plate for 620 or 874€, depending if you want 6 or 5 digits . Obviously the combination must be available and has to include at least 3 numbers and 2 or 3 letters. Some combinations - like the abbreviations of political parties and the like - are of course forbidden.
Now Mr Schouppe, in all his wisdom, also wants these personalized plates to have 7 digits, so he came up with the bright idea to add the digit 9 (or 99) in front of the combination. So someone who now has the number plate JAN-001 will get 9-JAN-001.
I can understand the frustration of all those who see their investment brutalized and changed into something hardly personalized at all . I doubt that Minister Schouppe will offer those people the possibility to get their money back. There are already Facebook groups who protest against this action and demand that the personalized number plates are left alone - they can become back on white that is not the problem . Time will surely tell how this will evolve.

Ride Stats : 34K and 250/280 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 1h33mins

1545/15785
  

08-03-2010, 20:09 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

This morning saw a rather cold but clear and bright sunny start. When I rode out around 10.30am it was freezing still but the sun was already upping the temperature . There was a cold northeasterly wind blowing. I wanted to play around a bit with some trails around Overijse and Meerdael so I started out in Meerdael Forest slowly working my way towards its southern edge where I could drop into Nethen and then climb towards Pecrot. Here I made sure to add the famous railroad singletrack in my trails and from Pecrot I made my way towards the Bois de Laurensart for some climbing and descending along interesting trails. The bike was handling well with my tyres on a low pressure of 2.0 bar. It takes some getting used to on tarmac - especially in the corners they tend to roll a bit - but the grip is great and so is the comfort from the 2.25 Big Jims on this low pressure. 

The sun made the trails tricky. In short, whenever you saw the sun on the trail, you had to beware because the top layer would have defrosted just enough to make it slippery. So when you were in the forest, there were no worries, the trails were dry-ish and dependably stable. But whenever you came into a field, or a patch that would accumulate some sunshine, care had to be taken to keep the rubber side down. I made my way along the Overijse red route, in the reverse direction, for some time, adding a little loop here and there to check out some interesting trail and/or ascent/descent. When I arrived near Ottenburg I descended towards Terlanen and from there I made my way into the Sint Agatha Rode forest. In Sint Agatha Rode I added a couple of heightmeters and then made my way back to Meerdael Forest over Sint Joris Weert.

In this forest I did a bit more trail-exploring and ended up in the Speelbos near the Everzwijnbad. I did not ride the bridge over the hollow road. Instead I made my way over it, bike in hand, careful not to slip into the netting. I wonder if anyone would try to ride this. I would surely like to be there and record it on film. Its not that long but if you miss the narrow bridge you end up in the netting, bike and all. From there I rode back towards the Naamsesteenweg, crossed the bikers bridge and added another loop over Hoog Blanden and the Wijngaardberg before returning home with a nice amount of pleasurable kilometers under my belt. The weather was just fantastic, if you didn't mind the cold wind, and I had an average temperature of 2 degrees C. This was quite OK with the right clothing and the shelter of the forest.

Ride Stats : 46,5K and 700/770 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 3h08mins

1511/15505

07-03-2010, 15:36 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Today was another dry and sunny day with some light frost overnight. I noticed when riding home from work that the forest tracks seemed dry and figured I might as well ride offroad. There was a cold northerly wind blowing when I rode out and made the connection the the Green BLOSO trail of Meerdael Forest. The tracks were indeed dry, with some light moisture here and there and some soggy patches in the lower regions in the Dyleland. When I crossed to the Blue BLOSO near the Zoete Waters I could start with the more hilly sections of this trail. The bike felt fine, the trails were great and the light sufficed to aalso connect the Red BLOSO and finish off with the remainder of the Green. I did leave out the long climb from Bierbeek towards the forest, instead looping around over the Bremberg - an extra climb - and also the track next to the Naamsesteenweg I did not do. Instead I followed the Naamsesteenweg for a bit before turning right into the forest again. It might have saved me some mud on my bike, and I did not lose anything significant. When I arrived home dusk was setting in and the sun was being reflected by the houses in Hoog Blanden . I had a good ride, average temperature of 5 degrees Celcius but I never felt the cold because I was protected by the forest from the cold wind.

Ride Stats : 56.5K and 515/605 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 3h01min

1465/14735

04-03-2010, 20:22 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Today another beautiful sunny day and when I got home from work I decided to ride back to Meensel and take some pictures of a 2007 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX MR. I had contacted the owner and he told me the car was standing on his drive and I was free to take as many pictures as I wanted. It was still durty after a track weekend in the North of France but other than that it is immaculate.
Some may ask what is this with the Wolf and fast cars, but those who know me also know that I have inherited a weak spot for fast cars in general and these last couple of years for fast Japanese cars in particular. This one is a real killer, I am not at liberty to discuss its real power potential here but lets just say that it has 280HP in its standard form, 4-wheel drive and a torque that can bend the road. I have made a series of pictures that can be seen on my Flickr page for those that like this kind of stuff. Here is the first picture to get you started.

Other than that, my ride was an uneventful one. I basically rode the same lap as last saturday except that I returned over Binkom, Lubbeek, Pellenberg , Lovenjoel and Bierbeek this time. The weather was great, just a little bit of wind and with a temperature of 7 degrees it was lovely to be out there.

I am hoping that it will remain mostly dry for the remainder of the week so that I may consider riding offroad again soon. In the meantime I am enjoying these road rides just as much. Even more so when I have a goal, like today.

Ride Stats : 51K and 365/425 heightmeters in 2h18mins

1408/14130

Today the weather was calm and sunny. After the passing of yesterdays' storm - Xynthia I believe it was called - it was a much needed period to measure up the damage and clean up the debris. I rode out around 4pm and planned to do a longer ride. Starting out towards Ottenburg and Wavre and then making my way from Tombeek towards Rosieres I was nearly hit by a falling tree. The fire brigade was cutting some trees next to the road and just as I passed them I heard a big branch falling on the road, forcing me to brake in order to avoid it. Would have been better if they put up some signage. Anyways, I rode on unscathed and from Rosieres I climbed towards Maleizen. From there I could do some kilometers on the big ring. Just adding some power training from time to time now to up my speed and make my legs stronger. With the wind - there was not very much wind anyway - in my back I could make good speed. Dropped into Hoeilaart and then rode towards Overijse, climbing out of it following the Hertstraat and then making my way over the crest towards Terlanen. From there I decided to add an extra loop over Neerijse and Egenhoven. From Egenhoven I ade my way towards Heverlee and then back home. The average temperature of 6 degrees felt good and in all I had a very satisfying ride today.

Ride Stats : 66k and 425/510 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 2h52mins

1357/13705

01-03-2010, 20:11 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Today I wanted to ride in a completely different direction . So I chose to ride towards Meensel, a little town between Tienen and Sint Joris Winge. My sister lives in nearby Binkom so this gave me an opportunity to pass by . It had rained in the late night and morning but around 10am it dried out and I noticed on meteox that it would stay dry for the rest of the day. Not a cloud in sight, at least not a cloud bearing rain. I started out over Bierbeek and Korbeek Lo and then climbed up towards Pellenberg before plunging into Lubbeek. From Lubbeek I had to climb again to make it into Binkom. From there Meensel wasn't very far away. 

Another reason I came this way is that I know someone in Meensel who has a nice collection of fast cars. I knew the chance of finding him home with the car I really wanted to see - a heavily tuned electric blue Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX - was slim. But at least I was going to try to spot his other car, a beautiful white Ford Focus RS II. And indeed , the Mitsu was nowhere to be seen, but the Ford was there. So a picture was inevitable. When I rode back towards Binkom I did spot the Mitsu coming from Attenrode and riding towards Binkom. He later told me he was preparing it for a trackday in Ecuyers tomorrow . If he had known I was there, etc... But I will catch him and his car later, I'm sure.

From Meensel I rode back towards Binkom for a little stop at my sisters' and then rode towards Boutersem, Vertrijk and Neervelp. From Neervelp I rode my usual loop over Beauvechain, Tourinnes - where I spotted a nice Ferrari in a local Honda garage - and Hamme Mille. In all I had a very satisfying ride in temperatures over 10 degrees C and with only some wind to bother me in the latter part of the loop. 


Ride Stats : 59.5K and 395/430 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 2h47mins

1291/13195

27-02-2010, 20:01 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Today it was dry most of the day but of course the moment I got my bike out it started to rain. Only a few drops so I didn't bother and started anyway. My plan was to ride up to Maleizen but when I arrived in Wavre and the rain had gotten more intense I decided to ride back in the direction of Overijse and then Huldenberg. Very wet streets now and I already had to switch on my lights because the clouds made it darker earlier. When I arrived in Sint Agatha Rode it stopped raining so I decided to add a bit more after I passed the Zoete Waters and rode into Oud-Heverlee. Riding into Heverlee along the Waversebaan I crossed the Naamsesteenweg and rode towards the Geldenaaksebaan and onward towards Haasrode and Blanden. So I did get a nice distance after all, with a couple of more heightmeters as well.

Ride Stats : 51K and 405/420 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 2h15mins

1231/12765

25-02-2010, 21:15 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

When I arrived home it was raining and the forecast called for scattered showers. However half an hour later it cleared out a bit so I took my bike and rode out. In the beginning there was some light rain very now and then and a very noticeable southern wind made the droplets have a lot more impact. When I turned towards the south it stopped raining and to my amazement even the sun came through for a spell that was long enough to make me finish the remainder of my ride, which took me through Opvelp, Beauvechain, Tourinnes, Hamme Mille, Nethen and then to Sint Joris Weert, the Zoete Waters , Oud-Heverlee and Heverlee. Very much the same loop as yesterday evening but with an added section in the beginning riding over Bierbeek-Bremt and Neervelp. My legs were fine and the temperature of 10 degrees C was very enjoyable.

Ride Stats : 42.5K and 270/320 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 1h49mins

1180,5/12345

24-02-2010, 17:36 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Raining the whole day, but around 5.30pm it was only a light drizzle so I rode out. An easy road ride in the dusk and pretty soon the drizzle turned into a light rain that didn't bother me much except for my glasses that became wet. The light of my beam and the headlights of cars I crossed were reflected by the waterdrops, making it difficult at times to see where I was going. Temperature wasn't great either, only 4 degrees C on average. But still I had a satisfying 40K ride. Better than sitting at home and sulking about the rain I'm sure.

Ride Stats : 40K and 255/300 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 1h49mins

1138/12025

23-02-2010, 21:57 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

This morning the skies looked promising and the forecast was calling for a dry day with chance of brighter skies in the afternoon. I had recovered sufficiently yesterday to try another long ride today. My wheels first carried me to Heverlee and the Arenberg castle where I paused at the Banmolen to take a couple of pictures. There were a lot of people taking a walk, jogging and biking in this area, which belongs to the Leuven University grounds. The mill is very old - 17th century and it sure could use a cleanup and an overhaul. I also noticed a lot of debris floating in the water of the river Dyle. This is our heritage , lets try to keep it in a good shape so that people in a 100 years from now can still see how life was a couple of centuries ago.

I then rode towards Egenhoven and followed some small tarmac roads until I arrived near Leefdaal. I dropped down into this small village and stopped to admire the church and a statue that was erected to commemorate the martyrs of the first and second World War. Again I took some pictures, taking advantage of the shy sun piercing through the clouds and illuminating the hard concrete of the statue.

From Leefdaal I then rode towards Duisburg, taking the backroads, and I noticed there were lots of mountainbikers riding on these small concrete roads. I can't blame them, the offroads are soggy and wet and it is immensely better to save your energy riding on tarmac roads instead. I stll have a long way to go, the hard winter has kept me off my bike more than I wanted. I did ride out of course but it was mostly for shorter offroad rides, and not the longer road rides that build up a solid base to attack the new season. Still, my form is not bad, I just need to ride more of these 2-3 hour road rides. 
From Duisburg I made my way towards Overijse and Hoeilaart. Turning around a bit - and everyone who knows Hoeilaart means that this means riding up and down some steep but short hills - I arrived near the town center when I spotted these 2 beautiful Classic cars. I spoke to the owner for a while and he told me he had been to the "Legends Boucles de Spa" Rallye yesterday. He had a good time and at least this way I could also spot a couple of these legendary classic Escorts.

From Hoeilaart I made my way towards Maleizen, but not before adding a couple more climbs whilst leaving Hoeilaart behind me. From then on the ride got easier. The wind was blowing more or less in my favour now and I could put the chain on the big ring. Trying to keep it there I focussed a bit on power training whilst making my way towards Maleizen . In Overijse I spotted one of my favorite cars, and in my favourite color as well. Pity they are so expensive, but this one seemed to be on sale. It had US licence plates and could do with a good clean-up.

From Maleizen I then rode over the plains of Terlanen. In Terlanen I chose to do another big climb and turned towards Ottenburg. But not before I made a picture of the water mill spanning the river Lane.

I began to feel the kilometers - and the heightmeters - by now and settled for the easy road from Ottenburg towards Sint Agatha Rode and down into Sint Joris Weert. Just another 8K now to ride to the Zoete Waters and then over Vaalbeek back home. I had a good long distance ride, easy on the heart with an average of 121 beats per minute. The weather was clement , only the wind bothered me during the first half of the ride but the temperature was between 4 degrees when I started and 7 degrees C when I arrived home near 2.30pm.

Ride Stats : 73.5K and 650/705 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 3h33mins

1098/11725

21-02-2010, 17:57 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

I felt a bit tired this morning, yesterdays' ride had been fast and I did not feel fully recuperated. Still , I had a day off from work and I wanted to do another ride today, so around 1pm I rode out. I had this crazy idea to ride all the way to Ottignies- Louvain La Neuve. It is quite some distance for a winter ride but I decided to give it a go. If I felt it would be too much I could cut the ride short at a couple of places. It was only 3 degrees today and a nasty wind was blowing from the west. From time to time I could feel some rain or snow on my face.  But I was wearing enough protection and rode through Meerdael forest towards Sint Joris Weert and then over Nethen towards Pecrot and Archennes. Here I was surprised by some colorful vegatation . The snow had melted and the grass looked a bit dull and lifeless. But the colors in these trees - yellow and tints of red - had in them the promise of spring. I stopped and took a picture.

From Archennes I crossed the N25 and rode through Dion, Dion Valmont and Dion le Val. Crossing the road from Wavre to Perwez I made my way over some VERY BAD cobbles towards the outskirts of Corroy Le Grand before turning right and riding into Louvain La Neuve. Here, on the Boulevard Baudouin 1er I saw the red relic of an old cyclotron and took another picture. 

Dropping down into Ottignies, with the Bois des Reves on my right, I knew I stll had a long way to go. Crossing Ottignies and Limelette then passing the Walibi parc in Bierges, I had a long climb ahead of me towards the centre of Bierges. From here I followed the old markings of the Maleizen organised ride. They brought me towards Rosieres and then I crossed the language border and I was back in Overijse and Flanders.. Into Tombeek, then towards Terlanen and Sint Agatha Rode. I had the wind in my back now - at last - and it was easier to ride the bike now. From Sint Joris Weert I rode towards the Zoete Waters and then over Vaalbeek back into Blanden. Quite a ride and I was very pleased when I arrived home again. Just goes to show that you can do more than you think. All you need is some courage and go for it.

Ride Stats : 65.5K and 520/585 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 3h11mins

1025/11020

19-02-2010, 00:00 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

After a couple of cold days with lots of snow on the roads last evening saw at last the arrival of a rain zone, and an upwards leap in the temperature which brought it to the positive side of zero. When I arrived home today I even saw it was 8 degrees C. High time to get on my bike and do a ride on the now frost- and icefree roads. Due to the higher temperatures the snow has melted which leaves the offroad wet and soggy. So I will have to wait a couple of days to let the water evaporate . Hopefully, because it might as well start to rain leaving things even wetter. Or it might just get colder again which will stiffen things up.
Anyway, today I chose the Hilset to ride on the roads , doing a medium loop around Bierbeek, Bremt, Neervelp, Opvelp and Beauvechain. On my way back I passed in Tourinnes, Hamme Mille, Nethen and Sint Joris Weert before arriving at the Zoete Waters for the last stretch over Vaalbeek back home. It felt good to be able to ride on dry roads, with just a little bit of wind and best of all, positive temperatures throughout the ride.

Ride Stats : 40K and 275/315 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 1h45mins

959/10435

18-02-2010, 19:46 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

It was snowing lightly this morning. I rode out with the plan to pick up on the Zoenk organised ride which passed 300m from my home, and then do the 65K loop until it got back in Vaalbeek. That way I would have the most interesting bit of the loop and since I wasn't going past the start/finish I had no right to stop at the 2 rest stops. But that didn't bother me. I hardly drink during my winter rides and with the pace I was making I would be burning mostly fatty tissue.From the start, when I joined the tracks of many bikers on the Margrietendreef, I felt that the trails would be a lot more slippery then when I rode alone 2 days ago. Due to the many tyres that passed before me, the trail became icy and very treacherous. It would snow throughout the entire ride and this new snow added to the icy conditions. Best was to ride in new snow, but this was not always possible. When I reached the first serious downhill in Nethen it proved near to impossible to brake without locking up the wheels. And of course, when the downhill is steep, you simply HAVE to brake. I tried but I slided on my left side. From then I was a bit more cautious and chose to walk the steepest parts of the downhills. Even walking down was difficult. Some bikers tried to ride but many would abandon soon and choose to walk or ride with one foot grazing the ground. When you had a good view of where you were going, you could choose to let the bike go, not touching the brakes except the rear one. And then - with a lot of luck and perhaps a bit of skill - you would make the downhill with the rubber side down. Luckily, when the 55K and later the 65K trails split off from the lesser distances, there were less bikers which meant less trails and less icyness. Except for the tarmac roads, and the cobbles, where care had to be taken. The field roads near to Bossut were covered with deep snow .

Most of the tarmac trails were full of snow as well , there was no salt used here, and your best bet is to ride in the middle of the road, between the car trails, where the snow would be looser and thus offering more traction. Luckily the very steep tarmac roads were clear of snow, it would have been very dangerous otherwise. When I reached Gastuche and got set for the long climb towards Ottenburg, I knew the most difficult part of the 65K trail was coming now. The Zoenkers have conceived a very nice succession of climbs and downhills here. The track was the same as last years' - which I had done a couple of times with my GPS - so there were no surprises for me. I knew the trails intimately which helped a lot to anticipate where the slippery parts would be. Still, sometimes even on flat trails all of a sudden my front wheel would start to slide. Lightning fast reactions were needed. I saw some evidence of fallen bikers, some skid marks here and there and I also saw bikers crashing in front of me. I hope that all went well and the damage was limited to some bruises and hurt pride. The section in Nethen, after the second rest stop , was also a very nice one, with the Pecrot singletrack taking on a new dimension of difficult. Trying not to look down into the abyss on the left, trying not to let your wheels slip. Very demanding biking. The temperatures were mostly just below zero but sometimes the tracks were close to muddy. On these parts of course there was no danger of sliding. When I reached Nethen again the lesser distances were joining the longer ones again and the icyness of the trails increased. Upon reaching the Vaalbeek border I decided to ride in, leaving out the last bit of the ride which was mainly in Heverlee bos. Not a lot of challenges there. I was surprised at the amount of heightmeters my Garmin returned. Perhaps they did add some extras but mostly I believe the track was the same as last years.
When I got home I was very pleased with my ride. The cold didn't bother me, and even though I had some bruises on my left hip and shoulder I could not complain about my physical prowess. I felt tired , both mentally from the concentration and physically from the sheer difficulty of the ride. Thanks to the Zoenkers. Even though I had the track on GPS I was glad that the arrowing was immaculate and I'm sure that for those who payed the insciption fee, the rest stops proved to be well stocked.

Ride Stats : 57K and 840/915 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 3h59mins. -1 degrees C average temp.

919/10120

14-02-2010, 17:02 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Today I set out through Meerdael forest focussing on riding offroad through the fields towards Sart-Melin. The roads were still too icy to risk riding with the Hilset so I just took the Litespeed and its knobby Big Jim tyres and set out on the snow and icy trails. Had a wake-up call very early during the ride when my front wheel parted sideways. I succeeded in staying upright, don't ask me how. From then on I was more weary. I rode through Mollendaal on a cobbled road towards Opvelp and then further on towards Beauvechain. My GPS lead me along mostly field roads with the occasional small tarmac connection. The field roads were mostly fine to ride but sometimes the snow got deeper and my wheels washed away from side to side. But some careful steering and anticipation got me through all the difficulties. The worst was the black ice. It looks like an ordinary wet spot but it is very slippery and icy and its best not to touch the brakes when riding over it. Couple that with cobbles that are angled in all directions and you get the picture. This is a very good way to learn how to control a bike.
When I arrived near Sclimpré I noticed the church of Sart-Melin in the distance and plotted my route towards that point. In Melin the main roads were still snowed under. No salt here, just some sand and ashes which also prove very effective against the ice. I had no trouble riding over the roads. Soon I arrived near Morsaint and from there I rode through Pietrebais . It started to get darker now and I decided to make my way up towards the N25. I was the first on the bikepath leading next to it and I rode in the direction of Nodebais to stop at the little chapel.

Took some pictures there and then set forth towards Nodebais centre and onwards towards Tourinnes. Still on smaller roads but then I made my way up towards valduc and decided to follow the N25 through Meerdael forest because it was really getting dark now and my hands started to get numb from the cold. Still I had a great ride, all kinds of snow and ice with some magnificent views and a great red sunset to boot.

Ride Stats : 37.5K and 285/315 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 2h8mins. -4 degrees C average temp.

862/9205

12-02-2010, 20:55 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

This winter really is turning out to be exceptional. This morning it started to snow again, yielding nearly a 1000K of traffic jams and 5cm of new fresh whiteness in our forests and fields. Obviously I could not resist riding out. The temperature was perfect, -3 degrees C , so the snow stayed and even more so, when I rode out, it was snowing heavily . The trails were great, some of them were even virgin with my tracks the first through them. Where there had been tractors or jeeps it was very slippery but I felt very stable today. Whether this had something to do with the Power Balance bracelet I was wearing I don't know. Fact is that in 5 cm of virgin snow you don't always see what is lying beneath it. My wheels touched ruts, trees or roots and none of them succeeded in tipping me over. I stopped frequently to take some pictures so that those of you who didn't have the opportunity to be "out there" today might still enjoy some of the magic these conditions bring. The forecast os for a little more snow but most of all it will remain below zero for the rest of the week so this snow might still be around next weekend.

Anyway, I had a great time, met one biker in Meerdael Forest who seemed to be following the Bloso trail. Me I kind of did a reverse perimeter ride. Starting out easy in Heverlee forest and then turning towards Meerdael Forest . I kept to the bigger roads whenever possible, only incorporating a couple of steeps climbs. Traction was good as long as I was the first on the track. Nevertheless I had to walk on on occasion when my rear wheel lost traction in a deep rut and the slope was too steep to get going again.

Ride Stats : 30K and 275/390 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 2h3mins. -3 degrees C average temp.

825/8890

10-02-2010, 18:55 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

It was again getting colder today with an unpleasant northerly wind forcing me into the forest. Not that I minded because the cold also stiffened the trails, and the mud was almost gone. I decided on a perimeter ride starting out along the Blanden and Haasrode rim of the Meerdael Forest. When I reached the Valduc plains I ventured into those until I reached Mille. Then I returned along the Valduc estate - admiring the 700 year old taxus in their garden - before venturing into Meerdael Forest again.

The wind was freezing and I cut the ride a little shorter than I had originally planned. Instead of adding the Kouterbos and Heverlee Bos perimeters I stayed into Meerdael Forest, grazing Nethen and Sint Joris Weert before returning alongside the Weertse Dreef and the outskirts of Vaalbeek. The air tasted of dust, probably caused by the smog alert that has been initiated since yesterday. The northeasterly wind brings along some very fine dust particles from the German Ruhr area and beyond. Not very healthy but I didn't ride fast enough to cause heavy breathing. Instead I focussed on a relaxed tempo just enough to break a sweat under my Gore Tex clothing.

Ride Stats : 24K and 230/250 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 1h25mins

795/8500

08-02-2010, 17:47 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Looking to do another easy recovery ride today I set out towards Heverlee and Egenhoven. From there I  took the valley towards Vossem and onwards to the Parc of Tervuren. It was hazy and cold but there was no wind. There were a lot of people wandering through the Parc of Tervuren; some walking, some on a bike, rollerskates and even on horseback. Avoiding all these obstacles I paused briefly to take a picture of a painting depicting the Parc behind it. Nice effect, I wish I had more time to to something more with that setup. Will have to wait until the next time I'm passing at that spot.

From Tervuren I rode on towards Duisburg and Eizer. Taking the 18% climb there to get on the crest overlooking Huldenberg. From Huldenberg another long climb and descent taking me towards Sint Agatha Rode.  From there I rode towards Sint Joris Weert and chose the Weertse Dreef to return home.

Ride Stats : 47.5K and 320/380 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 2h17mins

771/8250

07-02-2010, 14:10 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Hi there girls and boys, the wolf is back after a week recovering from some nasty beastie that settled in his stomach last friday. Over the weekend it was snowing and I couldn't do much more than looking outside and try not to think about food. After that I just wanted to give my body time to strengthen itself. The weather was either snow or rain so I didn't miss much action anyway.
But this morning saw dry and clement weather, with a hesitant sun trying to warm me up when I rode out. I decided on an easy road ride. The offroad was still very muddy and strenght-sapping. So I rode along a big loop incorporating Bierbeek, Opvelp, Meldert and then riding towards Hauthem and Hoegaarden.

Overlooking Hoegaarden I felt the warm sun on my face before dropping down towards the river Grande Gette (or Grote Gete) I followed the Ravel alongside it towards Sainte Marie Geest. To my right and passing through Saint Remy Geest and Melin I reached the N240 which I followed towards the N91 and then took that road towards Hamme Mille . From here I continued home along the N25. I still didn't feel very strong but I managed to ride a flat rhythm and keep my heartrate low. Hopefully next week will see the offroad dry out a bit so that I can tackle some more challenging rides there.

Ride Stats : 45.5K and 310/360 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 2h12mins

723/7870

06-02-2010, 13:47 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Took a day off from work today hoping to get a long ride in. The forecast called for temperatures around freezing point and some winter showers. When I rode out through Meerdael forest towards Grez Doiceau it was 2 degrees C and the skies were menacing but it was dry. My plan was to do the O2 Bikers roadbook that starts next to the church in Grez Doiceau. In Meerdael forest the trails were almost dry and there was some powdery snow lying here and there. So far so good.
When I was climbing up towards Bossut it started to rain however. I quickly noticed that it simply wasn't cold enough for the roads to be frozen. So the top soil was a slippery kind of muddy soap. I was wondering at this point if I should go through with my planned ride. The bike was already covered in mud and it wouldn't get any better.
But when I arrived in Grez I started on the roadbook , I would see how things went , if in need I could always abort the ride and head home. I left out a very muddy bit coming out of Grez opting for tarmac instead. When I disappeared into the forest it had stopped raining. I stopped to whipe my glasses clear of the disturbing little droplets. I needed to see where I was going. The trails were treacherous. Here and there it was muddy, at other places the ground was still frozen and solid. Tracks conditions were constantly changing. As long as i was climbing or descending it wasn't so bad. But on level ground the water would remain standing on the frozen underground, making for a very slippery and loose clay that would cover me and the bike even going at very low speeds. But I continued along the trail. Near Dion I left out another difficult section taking a long climb on a road instead. A dobermann was taxing me as I rode by. It was walking loose - laws seem to be different on the other side of the language border - and I was trying to think what I would do if it decided to have a go at me. But the dog lost interest pretty soon and I paddled along. Down towards Bonlez where I left out a little section along the river Train. This is muddy even in summer so I wasn't really interested to find out how it would be today.

Another precipitation, this time hail or light snow. The roads got a bit whiter, but remained soft and slippery. At some points I had to be careful because some of the puddles were iced and sometimes the ice was thick enough not to break making my wheels slip. Also the sections on cobbles were interesting. Good for the technique and I rode along. When I neared Heze I came to another patch of field roads that were very - VERY - muddy. I already decided to skip a section descending into a muddy valley where I had passed a couple of times before last year, and had to walk because of the deep ruts and tracks made by forestry machinery. I followed a parallel road that would lead me nicely towards Pietrebais. But the road was very bad, and it took a while before I was in Pietrebais. Then the next section announced itself. A little track along the river Pietrebais and then a nice climb up towards the fields again. Down towards Cocrou and then further along towards Gottechain. I added an extra climb and tricky descent before making my way towards Grez again, closing the loop. It had started to rain again, and the last 12K riding from Grez back home, I tried to stay on tarmac as much as possible. When I got home I gave the bike a good rincing. In all I had a good ride. I was pleased that I had persisted and rode the loop instead of cutting short and riding home. It was a pity it wasn't 3 or 4 degrees colder, the trails were very muddy today making the ride tougher than I wanted it to be. Still, with an average heartrate of 127bpm I didn't strain myself unnecessary, making this a good solid long slow distance ride. Just the kind of ride I needed.

Ride Stats : 58K and 730/830 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 3h52mins

678/7510