Today I wanted to do the mother of all tracks in the Grez Doiceau region. The track that Laurent Saublens marked on a map for me almost 10 years ago. The track was then 42K long and was the scene of a chrono race in october every year. That race was organized by the Blancs Gilets, the club that I still belong to but that has changed its name to Royal Velo Club Ottignies Blancs Gilets after a merger with the Ottignies club 3 years ago.
The Accro Bike is no longer organised, too many troubles with the Chaumont Gistoux community which favors its own organisations and an unwillingness to organise a lame version of the original that stays on Grez Doiceau territority. But, as I have said before, I still have the original track buried deep into my brain and today I wanted to do the 'race' version. So I took the Moots to Grez and started out on this 42K long - 700 heighmeters trail that brings so many beautiful trails together. Hill after hill, in relentless succession and only offering some relief in the downhills and flat sections. Even so , some of the downhill are very treacherous with ruts, stones, gullies and other nasties that lie an await your mistake. The trails were bone-dry and I managed to ride each and every uphill. No mean feat considering the fact that there are a couple of 24% sections. But the Moots helped me with its flawless traction and perfect balance.

I noticed a lot of orange arrows and I believe these must belong to a Chaumont Gistoux or Wavre organised ride that has taken place in the last couple of weeks, judging to the freshness of the markings. I managed a good speed throughout the entire ride and I think I did the 42K in just under 2h30. When I think of the times the racers managed all these years ago - and in more difficult circumstances, october, remember - I had to shiver. I believe Filip Meirhaeghe himself still has the all-time record with 1h45 or thereabouts. Oops, thats an average of almost 24kph .
Nevertheless I did fine, considering the fact that I rode alone, had no incentive to put down 'a time' and am about twice as old as Filip was when he rode that time. Arriving back in Grez I rode home over Bossut and Hamme Mille, adding another 100 heightmeters to finish just over the 1000m mark.

Ride Stats : 67,5K and 890/1020 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 3h45mins

4430/47405

Sun was out and with a temperature of around 20 degrees C and a little wind I set out with the Moots YBB to cover the 3 Meerdael Bloso routes. I decided to do them in the opposite direction. Starting out with the Green in Blanden, then moving on the Blue in Vaalbeek and take the Red towards Bierbeek. The trails were perfect, the Moots was zooming and I was maintaining a good pace. I felt good and my legs didn't mind the pace. When I rounded the Red and moved on the Blue again there were a couple of hills waiting. I had crossed 4 or 5 bikers but when I reached the Nethen area I had the trails for me. Allowing me to let the bike go on the downhills and put on the power on the uphills. When I reached the Zoete Waters I hopped on the Green again. The worse of the hills was behind me now , a little nasty climb next to the railroad where I could once more enjoy the enhanced motricity the Moots YBB suspension offers. This bike now is 7 years old but it looks as new as when I bought it. Titanium does not corrode neither does it know any fatigue. At least not the kind susceptible by us mere mortals.

When I reached the E40 and followed the singletracks parallel to it I stopped to make a picture of where the trail has been altered. The old railroad crossing coming from the Oud Heverlee straat, is gone. You can see on the picture the arrow on the other side, pointing up the crest next to the E40. What you need to do when you get here is follow the Oud-Heverlee straat to the left for about 450 meters. There is a railroad bridge there where you cross the railroad. Take a right after the bridge and follow the road parallel to the railroad back down to the point where you arrive at the other side of the old crossing. Just after passing under the bridge where the E40 goes over. You can then follow the Green trails again.

Me I went in the other direction for the last section of the Green, taking me past the starting point in Heverlee and back into Heverleebos where I started my ride 2 and a half hours ago. I was surprised to see that I had a very nice average. Blame it on the bike and on my legs which were indeed very good today.

Ride Stats : 56.5K and 485/585 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 2h39mins

4363/46385

15-06-2010, 21:35 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Didn't sleep too well last night, possibly due to exhaustion. But this morning I did feel quite rested. After forfilling my duties as a Belgian citizen - casting my vote for the politicians which I feel are the less corrupted - I wanted to ride towards Haasrode and check out the Vespa Club which was having a big meeting there. So I took the Moots and mad my way along the edge of the forest towards the Deugniet where there were already many Vespa's on display. I took a couple of pictures and spoke to Fernand, member of the Downhill Bikers and also member of the VWB.

After a while I rode on and did a small loop inside Mollendaal forest, just relaxing my legs, not seeking any more tension on the muscles than absolutely necessary to keep the bike moving. It was a lot colder than yesterday and after a while I chose to ride out of the forest for a loop into the fields of Valduc, where the temperature was up a couple of degrees due to the sun trying to peek through the clouds. After a last loop into Meerdael Forest, always staying east of the Naamsesteenweg, I rode home.

Ride Stats : 22K and 180/280 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 1h16mins

4306/45800

Thanks to Roger I got the GPS track from the "Route des Loups" (RDL) or 1st Wing ride, starting at the 1st Wing Airforce Base in La Bruyere. So why not try the 90K distance as a solid long distance ride. I started out and made the connection to the point where the RDL crosses the N240. The ride leads me first towards Roux-Miroir and Sart Risbart along the same roads as the Ludo Dierckxsens, a trail I ride very often. Then the RDL veers off to the left towards Opprebais where I stop to take a picture of a beautiful white windmill. The clouds are covered and at one point I feared it might start to rain but fortunately all I saw were some roads that were drying up after a little shower. I was spared from rain.

From Opprebais the RDL takes me now towards Maleves Sainte Marie Wastinnes and then into the town of Perwez. A little busy town where I have to look out for cars coming from all directions. After a couple of turns and carefully following the little ' 1 W ' signage I'm quickly out in the open again as I ride further south to Aishe-en-Refail and Mehaigne. The wind is still blowing in my back and the ride is a pleasant one so far. Some small hills and always ondulating up and down. The RDL now veers towards the East and more or less follows the river Mehaigne towards Wasseiges and Ambresin. Here some markers indicate a rest stop but obviously - since this ride took place last wednesday - I have to do without that. But I have my own food and drink and when the trail turns towards the north I begin to feel the wind. The clouds look like the sun will burst through any minute now and for a while I am riding on a plateau when I connect Merdorp to Thisnes. Then I am descending into the valley of the Petite Gette river and when I arrive in Orp-Le-Grand a long climb awaits me. The legs are beginning to feel the distance and furthermore the wind does its best to make it just that little bit more difficult. Near Marilles I stop to take a picture of some beautiful poppies next to the road. The sun does come out now and makes the wind a little less cold.

I am now back in places I have often been before and when I cross the Ravel 2 in Huppaye I stop for another bite to eat. Musn't let the energy levels fall down too much. From Jauchellete another descend in a beautiful verdoyant valley takes me towards downtown Dongelberg where I have to suffer another steep climb. Over Lathuy and Melin I then bike back towards the N240. Very beautiful region here, and the sun is now really burning a hole in my shirt. When I arrive in La Bruyere I stop the navigation on my GPS and head towards Beauvechain and Tourinnes to make my way back home. I had the track but with the GPS in my backpocket I only took it out when I wasn't sure of the signage. Still, its good to have this kind of backup, indeed in Opprebais at one point the signage was very confusing. For the rest I had no trouble at all following the little markings on the road. When I arrived home I was tired but also pleased with this ride. It was my longest so far this year.

Ride Stats : 112.5K and 720/845 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 5h01min

4284/45520

12-06-2010, 20:34 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Took a couple of days' rest , while the weather wasn't too great - some rain and wind - and today I was very eager to ride out again. Looking for an easy ride so I set out on Moots for an exploratory ride though the Dyleland. Venturing into the Doode Beemde at 2 occasions, and making my way towards Neervelp and Loonbeek taking advantage of the nice trails through hollow roads and fields. The sun was out and it was a nice 20 degrees average with a little wind blowing to cool things up. I add some pictures taken in the Doode Beemde to share the beauty of this area with you, my reader.

Ride Stats : 35K and 360/400 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 2h00mins

4172/44675

11-06-2010, 19:53 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

With a forecast of showers and the sky already filling with clouds I decided to do a shorter ride today. So I picked up where I left off after doing the second part of my Secret Meerdael loop and rode the third and final part of it today. The tracks were still perfect and this part also takes me to the Beaumont forest and then down towards the Rue de la Marbaise in Pecrot. Here there is a lot of climbing to be had and I also follow a very narrow and overgrown track between 2 fields that is on the 'Balade des Murs' starting in Nethen. I then ride towards the Kluis area where I had to witness a blatant infraction on the law when 2 cars where parked near the Hertebron, a well where people come to tap water from. I quickly snapped a picture and had to restrain myself form walking towards them and ask why they did not obey the law.

Instead I set forth on my route which led me back home with a nice ride in my legs. The pace was OK in view of the many climbs that still had to be conquered and I felt surprisingly good throughout the ride. When I arrived home it started to rain and it looks like there will be thunderstorms later in the afternoon. But as I'm writing this I already see the sun appearing again.

Ride Stats : 24.5K and 320/405 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 1h37mins

4137/44275

06-06-2010, 13:39 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

High time I got Mr.Merlin out of his winter sleep and put him to use on some trail. What better trail to start out on than the Nandrin ones? Indeed, the weather was sunny and it seemed like it was going to be a hot day. A little wind was blowing when I arrived at the town square of Nandrin. I have known these trails for more than 10 years and after all this time I still look forward to riding them. I usually combine 2 marked trails - the White and the Red - for a distance of around 45K. Throughout the years I have found some extra challenges to this already tough ride and today I was going to try out some new stuff as well. This ride is not really an Ardennes ride, it sits in between pure Ardennes and the hills of , say , Brabant Walloon. The hills are longer, higher and sometimes steeper than in Brabant Walloon but not as long and high as in the real Ardennes. Still, it is an excellent training track or just plain beautiful, especially after a period of dry weather.

Don't bother riding these trails if you don't have the trail map or a GPS with the track on it. The arrowing has faded away over the years, no one bothers to replace them and the trail map cannot be found any more. I got my copy in 1999 or thereabouts and the shop where I bought it no longer exists. So there you go. Good thing I like to share trails. You can find todays GPS track at the end of this blog entry. Either copy the track on a map or if you are lucky enough to own a GPS, just download it and upload it to your device.
The tracks were amazingly dry today. I always am a little weary when I ride here. There are a couple of places where mud can be an issue. But not today. The trails were fast and the Merlin was speeding down the long downhills like a silver bullet. Groaning through the gears when another uphill announced itself, with the sun burning a hole in the back of my helmet. Good thing the track nicely alternates between forest and field. When I reached the valley of the Ruisseau du Neufmoulin the trails really become among the most beautiful I have seen in Belgium. This little secluded valley offers a multitude of trails, all going up - or down - a 120m slope. Today I tried another loop, first slaving my way up the slope on a very steep track, then turning to the north until I reached a downhill I discovered last year. Then I had to walk because I was going uphill and the trail is really difficult, with stones, ruts and horses hooves aplenty. But riding downwards it become do-able. When I reached the bottom I had to include a short stretch of tarmac before disappearing again into the deep forest. Following the rivers edge I arrived at the bottom of the climb the red route usually takes. I took some time to eat and drink, I would need it for the upcoming climb!

Steep, rocky and long. I love this climb. The Merlin offers good traction and I had good legs so it really went well. I then turned towards the south and instead of going up to the rocks I decided to ride down a walkers trail, steep and twisty. But what fun to be able to control the bike with the brakes and take the twisty path all the way down to the rivers' edge again. From here I followed the red trail again, the legs were tiring nicely and I still had 3 major climbs to do. Steep and narrow tracks along the edge of some fields for the first 2 climbs, and then a long rocky track through a forest for the last climb of the day. Arriving in Scry all that is left is a bit of tarmac connecting to a track that leads nicely back into Nandrin. I included some pictures with this writing, but if you want to find some more, or just want to read about my past adventures on these trails , just enter 'Nandrin' in the search window of my blog. That should turn up some tales from years past. 


Ride Stats : 50K and 885/910 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 2h57mins

4113/43870

05-06-2010, 18:08 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Super weather this evening so why not take the weekly KBC MTB club ride into the field tracks of Brabant Walloon ?  We started out in Haasrode and rode through the Meerdael Forest towards Bierbeek and then on field tracks onwards to Beauvechain, L'Ecluse and the Ferme de Wahenge. Here awaited a very technical passage along a deeply carved track. It took a lot of mastery to ride on top of the berms between the deep ruts. Some guys found an easier alternative along the field parallel to the trail. We then reached La Bruyere and the edge of Melin. Crossing the road to Jodoigne and then connecting to Pietrebais where I took them for a little loop in and out of a little forest in Longueville.

The distance started to make itself feel in the muscles by now and from time to time we had to pause to allow every biker to catch up. A long downhill brought us into Cocrou which we left after crossing the N240. Another long climb into the Bois de Linsmeau and we were on the plains again. I checked my GPS to find the quickest track towards Guertechain. Here I crossed the N25 and we made our way into Les Claines. A last couple of K's through Valduc leading the group back into Meerdael Forest. When we neared Haasrode I bid them goodbye and rode back home. They were fine to find their way back into the centre of Haasrode.

Ride Stats : 45,5K and 405/465 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 2h22mins

4062/42960

Today I wanted to tackle the second part of my Secret Meerdael Loop. This starts where the Naamsesteenweg crosses the Warandedreef and needless to say, the amount of hills are multiple in this region. Add to that that I take full advantage of every nook and cranny in this - the southern part of Meerdael Forest - and loop around like some crazy bee around a pot of honey.
The trails were still moist but at least it was dry and even though the skies were covered, there had been some sunshine during the day, drying things up just a little more than yesterday.
I had a great ride, my legs felt fine and even the steepest of hills didn't have me wanting for smaller gears. There are also a couple of hairy descents but the Moots is equipped with some excellent disc brakes. Furthemore, the confidence in the Continental Mountain Kings is great. I only had to look out for a couple of mud traps which not only can stop you faster than you can blink, but they also may wash out your wheels when taken at an angle. But all went well , I felt in control of the bike throughout the entire ride. When I passed near the Savenel wall I spotted a little roedeer in a grassy field. It paused long enough for me to take my camera out and snap it. When I moved along the trail it jumped graciously over the fence and disappeared in the dark forest.

After an hour and a half I decided to ride in, leaving the last part for another day. It could have been my imagination but at one point I thought I heard a distant rumble of thunder. The forecast for the rest of the week and the weekend calls for progressively better weather.

Ride Stats : 25K and 425/470 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 1h42mins

4017/42495

01-06-2010, 18:57 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Today didn't see a lot of sunshine. Instead the clouds covered the skies but it didn't rain, or at least not a lot. I decided to take the Moots out for a reconnoitre of my Secret Meerdael Loop. The first part to be more specific. This part is more or less one big singletrack interspersed by some bigger trails to interconnect the party bits. I did however notice to my dismay that the forestry had been busy felling trees on my favorite tracks. So from time to time I had to climb over a lot of fallen trees . Not much fun I can tell you. But the parts that were free of trees were perfectly ride-able. It was a bit moist from sundays' rain but in all that didn't bother me too much. Instead, it offered a bit of cushioning and was a welcome relief from the hard trails from the last couple of weeks.

When the trail came to the Naamsesteenweg near Hamme Mille I decided to call it a day and ride home along that Naamsesteenweg. With a little more than an hour and a half on the trails I had a good workout and my legs felt strong on the many uphills and on the twisting trails, accelerating out of corners or after a slower bit. Lets hope the rains subside and the trails dry out just a little bit more, that would make them perfect. The wind was strong but nearly not noticed in the forest and the average temperature was a cold 14 degrees C.

Ride Stats : 27,5K and 280/340 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 1h38mins

3992/42025

31-05-2010, 18:44 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

My legs and body felt remarkably good after yesterdays heavy ride so I decided to take advantage of the sunny weather and do a relaxing long distance ride. I was aiming for 2 hours or slightly more and set out towards Hamme Mille to pick up on the Ludo Dierckxsens tour just after the 1St Wing in Pietrebais. The wind was pretty annoying at times when I made my way towards Happeau and Sart Risbart. Exposed in the fields until I reached Chaumont where I dropped down and left the LD tour after Bonlez. Over Grez and Hamme Mille back home I rode completing a good ride.

Ride Stats : 50K and 400/425 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 2h22mins

3964/51685

29-05-2010, 14:37 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Had an appointment with a couple of colleagues from work to ride in the forests around Hoog Linden , Kessel Lo and Holsbeek. I left from home and had to cover a 11.5K distance to meet with Koen L and Bert VH at the church of Linden. When I crossed the Diestsesteenweg and covered the last kilometer I was passed by a girl on a Mobilette. She had a white helmet with a bold black text on the back of it, written with a black felt pen : "Hello I am Eva XXX" it said . I smiled and put myself in her wheel to take advantage of her slipstream. She had noticed me in her rear view mirror and when we made eye contact I saw a twinkle in her eyes. She must have known that I had just read the message on her helmet. I had to put up with inhaling some of the smoke of her cigarette but I didn't even mind. When she veered away to the right just before we were at the Linden church, I raised my hand as a way of thanks. Eva X has made an impression.
The church bells were chiming the 6pm tune when I met with my 2 bike companions, who were already ready and waiting.
Koen and Bert know this area very well and Koen had volunteered to guide us along the many hills and descents of the forests. We left and the fun started right away. Steep uphill into the Bleekbos over roots , followed by a fast downhill only to turn and ride up the same hill again. The pace was fast from the beginning and I quickly noticed both of my companions were masters in controlling their bike. Obviously some knowledge of the area helped but even then, the biker level was high.

Koen certainly knows his way around here, we did an amazing succession of tracks, some very steep hills, including the world famous "Zounck" which surely lived up to its reputation as being one steep SOB. I made it - just - and noticed later that my GPS indicated a 26% slope.It certainly felt like that.

Koen also incorporated some nice singletracks , with twists and turns that had us work hard to control our bikes. Some of the downhills were very steep and I grazed my rear wheel a couple of times with my buttocks in order to keep my weight far enough back. I felt the tracks were nearly perfect, a little moist but not wet, offering almost perfect traction. Also on the steepest downhills, the wheels just kept on turning instead of slipping. We encountered some strange sights, like black sheep in some kind of reserve and trees that were painted white to a certain level height.

I wasn't surprised to see that we nearly had 650 heightmeters on the 30K ride. The many hills were short , steep and sweet. We did cross our own tracks a couple of times when we crisscrossed through the Chartreuze forest, Kloosterbos, Sint Gertrudisbos and Saint Geertruibos. Roughly located between Linden, Kessel Lo and Holsbeek. Or how to have a vast amount of fun on a limited area. When we were nearly 2 hours under way we decided it was time to turn back to our starting point. I still had to ride 12K and also Bert wasn't home yet.

We made our goodbyes and I rode back home, taking the GR track following the Heidebloempad over the Trolieberg as an added bonus. 

Ride Stats : 54K and 810/940 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 3h10mins

3914/41260

28-05-2010, 22:22 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

After a lot of rainfall yesterday, today saw again dry weather. So I went out on the Hilset for a relaxing long distance road ride, giving  the offroad an extra day to soak up the much-needed water. I went for the 'Haasrode Tour' which led me over Bierbeek, Willebringen, Kumtich, Hoksem, Oorbeek and Hoegaarden and then back over l'Ecluse, Sclimpré, La Bruyere and Hamme Mille. There was no wind and with a temperature of 17 degrees C the weather was just perfect for this type of ride. There were some menacing skies every now and then and I even felt a few drops but there was no more rainfall. The backroads were sometimes overflown with mud from the fields, indicating the heavy rainfall and the loose soil du to the drought.

Ride Stats : 53K and 380/440 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 2h20mins

3858/40320

27-05-2010, 20:27 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Last of the warm days it seems, so I took advantage to ride out once more. I started out along the northern edge of Meerdael forest, going towards the Mollendaalbos. Here I had to take a little detour because one of the broad lanes was closed due to a buzzard warning. The buzzard can attack passing people - mostly walkers and joggers - and it does so to protect its young. No worries, I just took the next parallel trail and arrived in Bierbeek where I entered the fields. I had a plan to connect to L'Ecluse through the fields. From L'Ecluse I then set towards the ferme de Wahenge. Here I connected to the outskirts of Melin and from there I made my way towards Pietrebais.

Lots of sandy field roads, some rutted tracks and occasional cobble roads. The land is in dire need of some rain and maybe tonight and tomorrow we might get some. From Pietrebais I looped over Heze and then dropped down towards Cocrou. Here I crossed over to Gottechain. From there it was just just a few kilometers to connect to Les Claines and enter the Meerdael Forest. I had quite a relaxing ride except for the hard conditions of the trails. The sun was veiled and it was a nice 20 degrees average with a dry northeastern blowing.

Ride Stats : 44,5K and 410/475 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 2h17mins

3805/39880

Got out of bed this morning and the sun was shining bright.I had decided to do the organised ride in Wavre. Starting in the Institut Careme - a school - and having a good reputation for being a solid ride through beautiful landscapes just south of the language border in Brabant Walloon. I set out on the Moots YBB and 17K and some 55mins later I parked my bike in the guarded bike-zone. Someone called my name, and I recognized Benno W. He had some trouble with his rear disc brake, apparently the brake pads just fell out . I left my bike with him whilst going to the inscription.

The Ride :

Paid 4 Euros, made a picture of the ride map and went back to the bike park, where Benno had come to the conclusion that a Shimano brake pad doesn't fit in a non-Shimano brake, and decided to ride the TT without a rear brake. We decided to start together and I quickly snapped a picture of the two titanium bikes whilst he went to the inscription. There were rides of 15K (guided kids tour), 35, 40 and 55K on offer. The 55K is good for a solid 1000 heightmeters.

When he came back we started, but on an uphill  just 20m into the ride he had a lot of trouble shifting and I noticed with a shock one of his jockey wheels fell out of the rear derailleur. "Game Over" it would seem and I left him there. Perhaps he was able to find a replacement and could still start, I hope so. 
The 55K ride was in the opposite direction from last year, which meant we first went towards the Bois des Neulettes before dropping down into Dion and then made our way towards Gastuche. Here we had to climb - steep - towards Ottenburg. A very nice section this, very well known to me so I thoroughly enjoyed it. Before long I was riding down into a section of the Bois de Laurensart, a famous mudhole, but this time there was nearly any mud to be seen. Care had to be taken with the deep ruts which were hard and dry. A little bit later the first rest stop announced itself. Lots of calories to eat and a good-tasting mix of water and grenadine. There were no big biker masses on this ride, we were on a loop that was reserved for the 40 and 55K riders.

Riding uphill now towards the Noire Epine where we would turn into the direction of Wavre again. A very technical downhill, I remember some steps where I had to avoid bikers standing still and then a nice singletrack section along the Terrain de Golf . After that we crossed the N4 and started making our way towards Rosieres. Some nice GR trails here before we undercrossed the E411 and started moving south towards Bierges. Here the second rest stop was situated and I had another good eat and drink.

Now followed a special loop for the 55K riders with lots of climbing and descending which brought us through Limelette and then back to Limal. The arrowing had been fine so far, a bit sparse at times but more than sufficient. I could see by the people that were walking their bikes on the uphills that things were becoming tough. A last extra loop for the 55K and all of a sudden I was riding alone. I suspect a lot of people to have cut short here. Another great downhill and I was nearing the 1000 heightmeters marker when another climb announced itself. This must surely be the last one? A the top I followed another biker and missed an arrow. After a while I became suspect and turned around. At that time I was already on the N4 descending into Wavre. 
So I turned back and quickly found the arrow I missed and another tricky descent followed, this time the last one for sure. We were now in Bierges with the Walibi parc on our left. A trail next to the railroad and we were back on the Avenue des Mesanges where the Institut Careme is situated. Very pleased with the ride which once again proved why I like it so much. A succession of nice tracks, steep uphills, tricky descents and very now and then a part where you can recuperate on some flatter trails. The amount of tarmac is kept to a minimum, obviously getting out of Wavre and entering it again is mostly tarmac. It is a big city but even here the organisers found some trails leading through parcs or small backroads. 
 

The Lowdown :
Not much can be added. This remains one of my favorite rides in this area. Well thought out trail succession, making the most of the area. Technical every now and then, steep hills, tricky descents, some sandy patches, one uphill that had everyone walking because it was simply to steep to ride. And for 2 years in a row the weather was sunny and dry, putting the icing on the cake. They had added an extra rest stop on the 55K , where only water could be had , but which proved to be a great idea with this sunny weather. A big word of thanks has to go out to all the volunteers who helped us cross the busy roads around Wavre. And of course everyone who helped - once again - to make this ride such a success. I hope they had a good attendance to help them cover the costs.

What I liked :

+Great Trails, with attention to lesser visited tracks
+the region and the use they make of what is offered.
+dangerous downhills and road crossing well marked
+big road crossings staffed by volunteers.
+distance splits well marked before the split.
+2 big rest stops and an extra drink stop on the 55K
+all this for only 4 Euros.
+Emergency number on cards handed out at the start.
+bike park with surveillance
+bike wash

What I did not like:
-arrowing sometimes a bit sparse. Care had to be taken.

Ride Stats : 94K and 1150/1275 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 5h9mins
TT Stats : 58K and 975 heightmeters (Garmin)
Hill factor : 16,8

3761/39405

23-05-2010, 19:13 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Took a day off from work today and why not use it to do something you really like? So I set out around 10.30am for a loop along the Accro Bike trails. As many of you know the trails around Grez Doiceau and Chaumont Gistoux have not a lot of secrets left for me. I like biking here and starting from an organised ride my club - Royal Velo Club Ottignies Blance Gilets - used to host a long way back I have developed a trail that encompasses 56K and in its present form close to a 1000 heightmeters. Every time I ride these trails I find something new I want to add, or replace a section with another track. Usually these small changes add to the technicality and sheer difficulty of the ride. The region is only mildly hilly - some might even think it as being below their standards - but it usually only takes one ride here for them to change their minds. The landscapes are very beautiful - even more so in the splendid sun - and the calories are burnt very fast.

The ride went fine - you can follow the exact trail by clicking on the link below - I only had a little snag with my Edge 705 when it decided to turn itself off when I asked it to recalculate the trajectory I was following. Luckily it turned out nothing was lost so I have the complete ride to share with you lot. When you go and ride this track bear in mind that there are not a lot of places to stock up on food or drink along the way, so you better come prepared. Also bring your best set of legs because the hills may be short, they are plenty and some are really steep.

But the dry weather of the last couple of weeks turned out to be a blessing for trail conditions. Everything was dry . The bike coped fine and the only care that needed to be taken was during the many downhills were ruts, loose sand and fallen trees could become very dangerous to the unwary or the overexited. When I arrived back home I wasn't surprised to see more than 1200 heightmeters. 
 

Ride Stats : 82K and 1130/1250 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 4h50mins

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21-05-2010, 20:04 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Another recovery ride this evening. Temperatures were still fine and the wind was still blowing strong. I wanted a bit more kilometers so I set out over Heverlee and Egenhoven towards Bertem and then followed the Voer valley until Vossem and Tervuren. There I paused for a picture before heading towards Overijse .

The legs felt fine and I let them do many revolutions, focussing on high frequencies instead of strenght. I got passed by a lot of roadies but that didn't bother me. I was burning less calories but the good kind . From Overijse I rode to Wavre and then Ottenburg. The wind was more or less in my face again so I turned away towards Pecrot and then climbed towards Nethen. Over Hamme Mille and then back home. Good ride, nothing too strenuous with an average heartrate of 113.

Ride Stats : 58K and 425/625 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 2h37mins

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A recovery ride was what I needed and to couple two things I decided to check out 2 vespa dealers in my immediate region to see what they were displaying . I first rode towards Ford Hergon on the Brusselsesteenweg . They also happen to sell Vespa scooters and they had quite a few on display. I then followed the Ring around Leuven towards the Naamsepoort - some very hectic traffic here - and rode towards Oud-Heverlee to look at the display of Chris Dehondt, another Vespa dealer. On my way over there I spotted a beautiful red Vespa GTS250ie and took some pictures. The pace was easy and there was a strong wind blowing but it was a lot warmer than the last couple of days so I didn't really mind. Connecting to the Zoete Waters and Sint Joris Weert to ride home through the Weertse Dreef I completed a very relaxed and pleasant ride.

Ride Stats : 31.5K and 220/285 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 1h30mins

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18-05-2010, 20:01 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Felt tired this morning, which was to be expected after two days with a lot of heightmeters and kilometers. So I decided for an easy ride on the road. It was the first time this month I took the Hilset out. I started along the Weertse Dreef towards Sint Joris Weert. The weather was fine but there was a nasty wind blowing which would hamper me in the second part of the ride. The sun came through the clouds from time to time and out of the wind the temperature felt pleasant.
From Weert I rode towards Nethen and then over Pecrot to Archennes. From Grez I climbed to Heze and further onwards to Longueville. Here I chose to ride to Dongelberg and try to make my way towards Melin and St Remi Geest .

After crossing Dongelberg I remembered the little road that took me towards Lathuy. From there I took the direction of Melin, crossing the big road towards Jodoigne and then onwards to reach this little village. One of the most beautiful villages of Wallonie, as it is mentioned when you reach its borders. A lot of the houses here are built with the typical Gobertange sandstones, giving them an ancient but neat look. Pausing to take some pictures from the church - also in Gobertange stone - I then rode towards Saint Remi Geest. Very cobbly roads in this area but also a very beautiful little village with a typical church in Gobertange stones.

From St Remi Geest I took the cobbly road towards Zetrud-Lumay and then - just before reaching Hoegaarden - disappeared on a small tarmac road that led me past Hoegaarden towards Meldert. From here I just had to ride through Bierbeek before arriving home again. On the last part of the ride, the wind was blowing in my face which wasn't helping to keep my heartrate low. But in all I can't complain with and average heartrate of just 113bpm during this ride.

Ride Stats : 62K and 540/610 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 3h3mins

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My employer wanted me on standby today. That meant that I could make a cross over my planned Ardennes ride because I needed to be at work within the hour of being called, if needed.
So I decided to do something else, involving less distance and a shorter response time if needed. I cleaned the Moots before riding out a couple of kilometers towards the Tienne Vincent in Nethen. Here I usually go to break in my disc brakes. It is a steep slope on a wide tarmac road which offer around 35 meters of height difference. I can do the braking on the way down and couple it to a nice climbing session on the way up.

In all I rode up 10 times and so also had 10 times x 3 brake sessions. Coming to a complete standstill on every application of the brakes. I could do this 3 times on every downhill. This warms the pads up nicely and allows them to bed in. The difference between the first sessions and the last is very noticeable. About halfway through the sessions I could feel the front brake becoming stronger . Strong enough to lift the rear wheel whilst braking. After I finished with the Tienne Vincent I couldn't resist adding another climb on the parallel Bruyere de Wez. Unfortunately whilst riding down this narrow street I developed a flat tyre on the front wheel. Turned out to be a thorn which had made its way through the carcass of the Continental Mountain King. Even in this Protection Version it still is penetrable. The heavy braking must have helped because I flatted during one of the braking applications. I just went through the tyre as I braked. I didn't bother looking for the whole but changed the inner tyre and rode home.

Ride Stats : 21K an 480/500 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 1h25mins

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15-05-2010, 13:37 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf