Got the Litespeed back this week. The play in the bottom bracket was due to a wrong inner diameter size in one of the cups. Filip Sport handled this perfectly, changing the cup for free. Now all is looking and feeling OK and I did not experience any troubles during this ride.
Decided to beat the rain by starting early - early as in 10AM that is . It was cold and there was a nasty wind blowing from the  southwest. Checking on meteox.be it looked like I would have about 2 hours before it might start to get wet.
Riding towards the Sapellenbos to pick in on the Green Bloso track I noticed my stomoach felt a bit bloated. Might have been I started too soon after having eaten. Things would getter better as the ride progressed. The Green Meerdael Bloso is pretty easy, with some interesting tracks next to the E-40 and a nice singletrack climb after crossing the railway in Oud-Heverlee. It then goes into Meerdael Forest for a spin up to the Keyberg before turning back west towards Vaalbeek where it enters the Heverlee forest. Here the trails are mostly flat and fast.
Starting from Blanden I first had to deal with the passage through Heverleebos going towards the start at the Heverlee Sports Centre. This meant a bit of tarmac and also a lot of wind in my face. I was glad I reached the Commonwealth Cemetery and crossed the Naamsesteenweg to follow the E-40 for a while. The track is covered with deeps gullies and the trick here is to find a way around them, keeping out of the mud and trying not to have your wheels slip on the sides of the gullies. This went fine and before long I was doing the new loop up the Fonteinstraat, over the railroad bridge and down the Hazefonteinstraat to reach another tricky section along the E-40. Here the track is really narrow and avoiding the puddles could mean ending up in the shrubberies or worse, on your back.
I did fine and after undercrossing the E-40 I had a to ride towards Korbeek Dyle, another very windy section. I consoled myself with the idea that I would really fly here when I got back riding this trail in the opposite direction a little later.
Another stretch of windy tarmac and I reached Oud-Heverlee and the singletrack ascent along the railway track. Nice downhill as well but the tracks and the roots were dry so there where no worries .

Moving into the Kouterbos now, after having crossed the Waversebaan and next to Meerdaelhof I reached the Keyberg area. Here the trail veers to the left for a long descent into Vaalbeek. This bit of the trail is shared with the Blue Bloso which goes into the opposite direction. Passing the Haccourt castle I reached Heverleebos again. Here the trails are sandy and fast. I turned around at the Naamsesteenweg and rode the whole Bloso again, but in the opposite direction. Stopping at the top of the railway singletrack to make a couple of pictures of the nice selection of fall colors in the trees.

As expected, the ride went a lot faster in this direction, with the wind in my back in the open sections. The bike was good even though I was used on having rear suspension lately. But the 2.2 Nokian NBX Lite in the back coupled with the titanium frame also provided a fair amount of comfort. In the front I have a Big Jim in 2.25 section which is also doing a nice job.
During the last couple of kilometers I started to feel a little rain . With an average temperature of 6 degrees I was glad to be in before it really got wet.

Ride Stats : 48.5K and 335/380 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 2h19mins

7710/82110

23-10-2010, 14:40 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

The last 2 days saw rain in the evening, yesterday even with heavy showers. Today looked a lot better, also colder but dry. So as soon as I arrived home I took the Hilset out for a spin towards Haasrode and Bierbeek. From there I rode on towards Bremt and Neervelp. Turning to the west the cold wind faced me as I made my way towards Opvelp and Beauvechain. The sun was falling towards the horizon and I saw a full-looking moon rising in the East. My legs felt OK and I was well rested after mondays fast offroad ride.
From Beauvechain I made my way towards Tourinnes and then looped over Nodebais towards Hamme Mille.

Here the light was fading fast and since I only had a tail light with me I decided to call it, quite literally , a day. The last kilometers along the Naamsesteenweg through Meerdael Forest were ridden in the shade of dusk.

Ride Stats : 31.5K and 235/275 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 1h23mins

7663/81730

21-10-2010, 20:15 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

The weather forecast for the next couple of days looks a bit grim. Wet and cold. So I decided to make the most of this beautiful late afternoon and ride the Overijse '2 Valleien' Bloso. Picking in at my usual spot in Sint Agatha Rode I whipped the Merlin around these nice trails. Starting with the Green, then the Blue , the remainder of the Green, then the Red and finishing with the Green again.
The trail conditions were perfect. I felt strong on the many climbs and of course the bike was fast in the downhills. I took some care though because the fallen leaves are hiding some trail nasties, like roots, ruts, gullies, branches, stones and the like. But with the suspension tuned in just perfect now the Merlin seems to glide over everything the trail throws at it. Just point the front wheel where you want to go, sit back on the bike a bit, let go of the brakes and you are transported exactly where you want to go.

When I returned to Meerdael I stopped at the spring near La Hetraie. The forest was already darkening in the approach of dusk so I couldn't stray . Took a couple of pictures - with flash - and the rode towards the Kluis and followed the Paddenpoel depression until where it crosses the Weertsedreef. I added the map so you may check it out yourself should you want to.
Arriving home well in time and with a good sensation in my legs. A hot bath followed by some extended stretching in an attempt to get the muscles softened up after this splendid ride.

Ride Stats : 54K and 645/700 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 2h40mins

7632/81455

18-10-2010, 20:15 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Received some good news and some bad news about the bikes I have. The problems with the bottom bracket on my Litespeed are solved. No idea what it was but I will find out when I go to collect the bike. On the other hand, Filip Sport has some problems closing the NoTubes solution on the rear wheel of mu Moots. The tyre is a brand-new Continental Mountain King Protection - a favorite of mine - and yet the fluid cannot be contained in the tyre. Funny enough the front tyre - same make, same model - didn't pose any problems.
This meant that today I had to take the Merlin out again - as if I minded - for a recon of the 45K track of the upcoming Meerdael 2000 ride. This organised ride takes place on october 31st so mark that date in your organisers, my readers. 
The 45K has some nice tracks and offers some astonishing climbing and descents. Check the map below to find out where it goes. There are 2 rest stops, one in Gottechain and the other one in Sint Joris Weert, and the Red Bull girls have agreed to be there. So be there or be square, I would say.
Personally, on the 31st, I will be aiming for the 65K, as a member of the organisation. I will leave very early to check the arrowing. The 65K is a beast compared to the 45K, I think the extra 20K offers more or less 450 extra heightmeters. So not for the meek or easily impressed. If I find the time between now and then I might recon it and put the trail map here.
I could maintain a good pace today throughout the ride. Having started more or less relaxed, to warm up in the 5 degrees C and northerly wind. But once I got out of the forest for the first time, and onto the plains towards Gottechain I could put the hammer down and let the bike and my legs do the work. 

I had a great ride, the trails were super, a bit moist here and there and getting trickier every day now with the falling leaves. When I arrived at the Zoete Waters I bumped into a big group from BigM. Said our hellos and had a little chat. They were just finishing a Meerdael Forest ride, I only had 6K to go to close todays loop. 

Ride Stats : 45.5K and 510/565 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 2h16mins

7578/80755
 

17-10-2010, 00:00 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Looked like it was going to rain so I decided to take advantage of the dry weather to do another loop or two in the Meerdael Forest. Starting on the Blue BLOSO  I encountered Alain De Munter, an old Blancs Gilets friend from the days when I was still racing MTB marathons.  He was at the Zoete Waters and looking for the start of the Blue BLOSO trail. I decided to point him in the right direction. We started out together on the trail. Now, Alain has always been a very strong rider and it was quite a challenge to try and keep up with him. He was riding at a more or less leisurely pace, I was seeing stars trying to follow him, especially on the uphills. At the Savenel I could follow him because he didn't look at ease in the deep sand. When we reached the Blue/Red split, we went our different way. He wanted to add the Red route and I wanted to stay on the Blue Bloso.
So I finished the Blue and then turned the Merlin around for the ride back, following the same trail but in the opposite direction. I felt strong and made a good workout of the several climbs. The bike performed well with the suspensions set at 95psi.

Near the end of the Blue, when I was riding back home, I encountered Alain again. He had again lost his way so I pointed him towards the Zoete Waters and from there he had to ride back to his home in Huldenberg. I hope he got home before the rain started and dusk fell. It was nice to meet him again and chat up on old Paris Roubaix VTT and other epic rides he and/or I did.

Ride Stats : 38.5K and 445/490 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 1h49mins

7533/80190

Feeling a bit weak in the stomach since yesterday evening but still rode out for a mountainbike ride along the Meerdael Red Bloso. When I got to the end, I turned the Merlin around and speeded back in the opposite direction. I put more pressure in my tyres than I usually do which meant that I felt the suspension was a bit stiff. So I will put 5psi less in each pump and see how that feels the next time I ride the bike. The trails were dry and fast and my legs were feeling strong as well.

Ride Stats : 38.5K and 340/405 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 1h45mins

7494/79700

13-10-2010, 19:21 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Sunny weather this morning but with a stiff northeasterly breeze it was not very warm except when you were in the sun and sheltered from the wind. I decided to do the 3 Meerdael Bloso's . The Merlin was setup with a bit more pressure in the tyres - Nobby Nic 2.2 - so they wouldn't give as much in corners on hardpack. With 2 bars or less these tires have a tendency to roll which makes cornering on hard soils a bit spooky at times. But with the extra pressure that spooky feeling was gone.
There was a lot of activity on the trails today. The Week of the Forest has started and also the fine weather must have drawn out a lot of people. I was maintaining a good tempo which made for some scary moments when people forgot they were in Belgium and took the left side of the road in corners. Thank God for disc brakes and quick reactions. My legs felt good and I was able to keep the pace high. On the climbs I was backing off a bit to keep the heartrate low. Some bikers passed me, but I also passed some other bikers. Mainly in the downhills where the Merlin is at ease. The leaves are starting to fall and this nearly got me into trouble when my front wheel washed away on a hidden boulder. But I could keep the rubber side down with a quick reaction .

When the kilometers moved under my wheels, the temperatures became more friendly but with an average temperature of 14 degrees I was glad to have long sleeves all over.A good warm bath and a stretching session for my leg, pelvis and lower back muscles completed this fine training session.

Ride Stats : 55K and 485/540 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 2h39mins

7456/79295

Time to really test my legs after a couple of weeks of building up the workload. SO today I set off for a strenuous ride on one of my favorite trails. The Accro Bike , starting in Grez Doiceau , the Accro Bike is a track I have been riding so many times I can ride it with my eyes closed. The 56K version has around 800 heightmeters and consists of a big loop clockwise through Biez, Cocrou, Pietrebais, Longueville, Chaumont, Bonlez, Dion Valmont, Wavre and Doiceau. To this basic loop I have added a couple of extra loops, mostly descents and climbs, to spice things up. As it stands now, the track you see below will have close to 900 heightmeters, whilst losing a kilometre of distance.
Riding from Miradal to Grez, I have ample time to warm up and I take a picture when I cross the river Train in Archennes. From there it is only a couple of kilometers to Grez, where the track starts at the Grand Place near the Church.

The weather is fine, around 20 degrees C and a little breeze from the southeast. On the Merlin again today so the challenges that the track throws at me are easily digested by the bike. At Biez, to reach the church, I cut a corner whilst taking a small track along the field instead of going the long way around on cobbles. This already saves me 500 meters and it yields a technical climb towards the church. I pause here and enjoy the beautiful horizon from this viewpoint. A picture is taken and I move on.
In Cocrou I cut another corner, not going to the bottom of the descent , instead cutting to the right after the long sandy descent and starting immediately on a climb into the forest. In Pietrebais I have added an extra climb and the descent along a small singletrack is a tricky one. Gullies covered under grass. A nightmare for most bikers. You don't see the edges of the gully and when your wheel touches those edges you need all your skill to keep the bike moving. Love it !

In the Bois de Glabais I make sure I take in every climb there is, dropping down into the Gorge des Loups, climbing back out of it, down into another valley, and taking a special track with a very steep ascent to avoid the sandy road most bikers take. Upon completing that climb, there is a small tarmac road taking me towards Pietrebais. Here you can relax a bit . There is much more to come.

Another succession of climbs and descents in and around Chaumont as the trail moves towards Inchebroux for one of the longest climbs. I begin to feel my legs but my heartrate us still fine. Having a bite to eat at the end of the climb before descending towards Bonlez. Here I can throw away my powerbar wrapper into the bin next to the church. There is a loud noise of playing children as I pass the church. It must be around their noon break. I continue towards Dion Valmont and have to walk a couple of times during the descent in the Bois des Gottes. Some trees have fallen and they don't bother clearing up the trails around here. Pity because that descent is a nice and tecnhical one I love to -try - to ride. In and through Dion valmont for a long and steady ascent towards the 2 Chapels in Wavre. I undercross the N25 and find myself walking again on the steep uphill that brings me back towards the N25.
Moving towards Doiceau now with another ascent back towards the N25, followed by a singletrack parallel to that highway and a long fast descent that ultimately brings me to the Avenue Comte Gérard d'Ursel. Having crossed that, a little track between houses brings me to a trail that has me climbing again towards the Golf de Bercuit. One downhill to go and another climb, a very steep one, brings me back into Grez-Doiceau. A last downhill - mind the gullies ! - and I'm back where I started. It took me nearly 4 hours to round the 55K course. When I look at the heightmeters on my Garmin I see that I already am past the 1000m mark. It feels like that in my legs as well.
The bike has saved me from a lot of hardship, the rear suspension - provided by Elssworth for Merlin - works like a charm and the added comfort keeps the body happy and the heartrates relatively low.

I ride home over Gottechain where I wrestle myself up a very steep singletrack . Over Hamme Mille and into the Valduc grounds I reach the forestry and make my way home through the Groendreef and the Eleanordreef. A mighty fine ride but I am nevertheless pleased to be home. It has been quite a test for my body and fitness and it remains to be seen how well I will recuperate in the next couple of days.

Ride Stats : 81K and 1200/1245 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 4h55mins

7400/78755

08-10-2010, 20:32 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Just heard the sad news that mountainbiker Gerry Werckx is dead at the age of 39. He decided to step out of this life. To me, my first memory of him dates of 2002, when I was helping at the Inscriptions at the 2nd Hagelandse chrono. Gerry arrived there very late and in a hurry. He inscribed, had a leak against a hedge, got on his bike and won the race with more than a minute on the second rider.
I didn't see much of him since then but friends of his were always saying he was happy and good-humoured. More the sadder to hear of this news.
My thoughts go out to his family and loved ones. May he find peace.
[foto copyright MTB Lily]

07-10-2010, 14:25 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

I felt a bit tired from yesterdays' ride but the calm weather beckoned me to go out. With the Litespeed having a wobbly crank and with the Moots still without wheels, I was forced to grab the Merlin. Forced is a big word since this may well be my best bike. It is certainly the bike I love to ride in the Ardennes, on the most difficult and technical trails in Belgium. Riding it in meerdael forest is a slight case of overbombing, but the added comfort and control the full suspension offers - in the climbs and during the downhills -  makes that on average I am around 1 to 1.5kph faster on any given trail. I have to add that this bike is about as light as my Litespeed, even a smidgeon lighter that the Moots, that also helps of course.
Following the trail from last saturday on my Garmin I noticed the trail conditions were better, the trails having dried up  during the last couple of days. This made for good traction. The Merlin floated over all the obstacles, even with my tired legs I was a lot faster than I normally am on these trails.

On the 2 technical downhills, I was in full control thanks to the performant brakes and I could even try out some new lines. The bike took it all. In the Nethen section, I managed to split my chain . My bad, I shifted too late upon entering a little mud pool and the chain just cracked in two. I was lucky that it happened on the exact spot of the chain lock. So all I had to do was connect the lock again and I was on my way. What are the chances of that, I wonder?

Zooming down the hill near the Kluis I only had to touch the brakes lightly - more due to caution than out of need - to correct my trajectory over a gully. When I arrived at the Zoete Waters I added a little loop in Heverlee Bos to bring me back home.
Read an article in this months Velo Vert about how full suspension bikes perform better than hardtails. I can only agree with their findings. For the same power input you go faster on a fully suspended bike than on a hardtail. And all that while enjoying the added comfort and keeping the heart rate lower.

Ride Stats : 29K and 440/480 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 1h46mins

7320/77510

Today I wanted to do a 3 hour ride. This meant some careful planning of the roads I was going to follow. I decided to start out over Haasrode , Bierbeek and Meldert to make my way to Hoegaarden. Here I got on the Ravel towards Namur past Jodoigne until I came on the trails of the Trace du Loup, the 1W ride, around Huppaye. To the right towards Lathuy and down into the valley to reach Dongelberg. Struggling up the slope after crossing the Govertange river I was marvelling at the views. The sun was playing hide and seek the whole time, and some dark clouds nicely contrasted with the earth colors.

Still following the 1W ride In came in Melin and then made my way towards the outskirts of La Bruyere. Following the N91 until I could cut to the right and reached Nodebais. From Nodebais I came into Tourinnes and then Hamme Mille. A little detour adding some time and kilometers . From Hamme Mille I decided to add another loop, going straight towards Nethen and then in Sint Joris Weert taking the Weertse Dreef back home.
I had a fine ride, the southeasterly wind was blowing warm air which made the average temperature a balmy 18 degrees C. Not to be scoffed at in the beginning of October. Legs felt stiff at the start but were fine throughout the ride. I did some elaborate 2-minute stretches coming out of my hot post-ride bath to put some stress on the tendons . I feel they have become rather stiff after my antibiotics stint. Possibly also due to the fact that I didn't ride - or stretch - for the first week into Lyme's disease.

Ride Stats : 69K and 445/580 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 3h06mins

7291/77030

After watching the Belgians and Italians lose the Mens' Elite World Championships to Norsk Powerhouse Thor Hushovd I had an appointment with some members of BigM at the Zoete Waters car park. We were to ride in the forest of Meerdael.
When I arrived around 10am it was heartwarming  to see some familiar faces again : Gail, Tom, David and José. I also met up with a couple of new ones. After the greetings were over, we set off for a 2 hour/ 30K ride into the forest. David - who has lived quite some time in Nethen - was our guide for today. He knows the forest very well and has conceived a solid ride that first took us up the ridge and away from the Zoete Waters, into Blanden and then into Mollendaalbos. The Litespeeds' Race Face Turbine LP crank arm had me a bit worried since it has developed quite some play during the last two rides , counting this one. The bearings aren't that old. As far as I remember they were put in during last winter and the bike has stayed in the shed during the entire summer. The Turbine uses a square tapered axis and it is very hard to find bearings for it. So this close to winter that is leaving me with quite a challenge. Or rather, I count on Filip Sport to sort this out. It wasn't easy last time and I imagine it will take some searching this time as well. But first I want to know what happened, it almost looks as if the bearings have shrunk.

Anyway, on with the ride. Despite the rain of the last couple of days the trails were not too wet. The sun was shining today and the warmth was a blessing . The climbs and trails followed each other in rapid succession as we proceeded towards the Mollendeel. From here David pointed his wheels towards the southern edge of the forest. We were greeted by a warm wind that dried out the trails and the small amounts of mud on our bikes and clothes. When we reached the Naamsesteenweg we paused for a little break. The pace had been good and at times I felt I still didn't have the legs I had before Lyme struck. But I also had to be careful with the pressure on the pedals. I didn't want to ruin the bearings in my crank. But as it turned out the play did not increase, it remained steady during the ride.
Reaching the western side of Meerdael Forest, the terrain becomes more accidented which meant the climbs were longer, steeper and with my worn rear tyre I had to use my power sparingly. Some of the downhills are a blast too. I was lucky when I escaped an OTB on a very steep one that ended in a step over roots. The Litespeed has V-brakes so my braking power is not as high as on my disc-equipped bikes. This meant that I couldn't brake after flying over the rooty downstep and I took another drop into a moderately muddy puddle at high speed, with the front wheel hitting first. I moved my weight backwards at the last moment, expecting the mud to be deep . I used all the travel in my front fork, but I managed to keep things rolling, partly due that the mud wasn't as deep as I thought it would be . Phew, narrow escape. David saw it all first hand and he said I looked pretty cool.

A long climb along a narrow trail follows. The trail is riddled with deep naroow gullies and on one side of it there is a barbed wire fence . So you have to be careful. I managed to ride it completely, a small victory on myself and the terrain. I just managed to keep my pedals from touching the sides of the narrow gullies, doing a sur-place a couple of times to reposition the pedals before moving on. Others were not so lucky but we all managed to ride most of the climb.

From there David took us to the Kluis area but not before another big descent and climb along a trail with ferns on both sides. It is one of the places were I might have picked up the tick that gave me Lyme. I told them to check their naked arms and legs after we passed through it . Me, you won't catch with short sleeves or pants in the forest anymore. I have learned my lesson. I usually wear long sleeved pants anyway because of my allergy for horseflies. I urge you, my reader, to do the same if you venture into the deep forest. Or use an effective tick repellent. Lyme's disease is for life.
Back to the Kouterbos and after 30K we were very happy with our ride. Thanks to David for a great adventure through the beautiful forest. The day was gloriously warm, the sun shone and the temperatures were above 20 degrees. An amazing day in october.

Ride Stats : 40K and 495/560 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 2h38mins

7222/76450

03-10-2010, 00:00 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

This morning I watched the final laps of the Womens' Elite World Championship Road Race in Geelong. As usual with the women, the race is a succession of breakaways and was very exiting until the very end. A late breakaway of Nicole Cooke and Judith Arndt was doomed for failure when the pack, with Belgian hope Grace Verbeke still in the running for a good finish, caught them some 400 metres before the line. Boyish-looking Italian Giorgia Bronzini took the Gold in a sprint with Dutch prodigy Marianne Vos, who took second place for  the 4th consecutive time. Sweet-looking Swede Emma Johannson took the Bronze after being hit on the helmet inadvertantly by a photographers' elbow in the sprint.
After that I decided to ride out myself. The weather looked foggy and some light drizzle was falling from time to time. Good thing I mounted some fenders on my Hilset. I did a good ride , almost 60K, looping over Pecrot, Archennes, Dion and Grez towards La Bruyere and Beauvechain.

Here I decided to ride back over Opvelp and Bierbeek. The drizzle became some light rain and when I entered Blanden it stopped alltogether with a watery sun breaking through the cloud cover when I finished my ride.

Ride Stats : 57K and 435/465 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 2h39mins

7182/75890

02-10-2010, 14:54 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Good and bad news from the cycling front today. Powerhouse Fabian Cancellara won his 4th consecutive World Title in the Mens Elite Time Trial in Geelong. He proceeded Flying Scotsmen David Millar and the German Panzerwagen Tony Martin. Tony even had to change his front wheel after a flat. Spartacus Cancellara rode more than 1 minute faster than the second man.
At the same time , the bad news came that Alberto Contador had tested positive for clenbuterol on July 21st in the Tour de France. The amount found was tiny, 50 picograms, but it was there. He argues that he must have eaten something that contained the forbidden substance. Questions that can be raised are, amongst others ; was he the only one of his team that had to give blood samples that morning? Did the other team members eat the same thing he did (steak, powerbars, whatever) and if so, why didn't they test positive? Will he get away with it?
And to add to the insult, also Ezekiel Mosquera - second in this years' Vuelta - also tested positive for something forbidden that can be used to mask EPO and convicted CERA doper Riccardo Riccò was compromized again when suspiscious vials were found at his home, and the brother of his former fiancé Vania Rossi , Enrico Rossi, was emprisoned for dope traffic. To be continued for sure.
Me, I had to wait until 3pm for the drizzle that had been falling since last night, to subside. When it did, and the sun came out, I couldn't resist doing an easy recovery ride , short but sweet.

Ride Stats : 30.5K and 210/250 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 1h25mins

7125/75425 

30-09-2010, 18:25 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Felt a bit tired and not well rested when I got out of bed at 8am this morning to watch the Womens Worlds' Elite Time Trial event in Geelong, Australia. Amazing how Jeannie Longo could hold on to the fifth position overall. She is 52 years old and when she had the best time she was flanked by 2 girls who - counted together - didn't have her age. What a career this woman has. Her first participation at the Worlds' was way back in 1982 ! and she has become very famous after that. Check out her website for her amazing string of results .
Today English girl Emma Pooley was the quickest of the lot. Check out the latest on http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/uci-road-world-championships-cm/elite-women/results . Tomorrow morning the Elite Men are going for it. Curious who will beat Cancellara for the title.
Me, I wasn't going to ride first but when the clouded skies seemed to break open a bit around 11am I decided to go out anyway. Did another easy ride . Had a spot of trouble with my Polar heartrate readout. Looks like I am in need of a new breastband. The signal is bad and only in the second part of my 2-hour ride did I get the exact heartrate on my Polar wrist watch. Very frustrating to see your heartrate leap to 170 for 5 minutes, then drop to 52 for another couple of minutes, and so on. Must pass at Filip Sport anyway soon so I will try to make do with this breastband for now.
The ride was uneventful, and I focussed again on keeping the heartrate low - yeah, right - and pushing low gears.Temperature was a mild 15 degrees C and there was no wind to speak of.

Ride Stats : 43K and 295/345 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 2h00mins

7095/75175

29-09-2010, 15:20 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

This morning saw a dull grey sky. Yesterday afternoon and evening it had rained leaving the streets still moist this morning. And with the sun nowhere to be seen and almost no wind it didn't dry very quickly. It almost looked like a fine mist was hanging over the country, but no rain was forecast. So I decided to take the Hilset out and do an easy road ride. Temperature was 12 degrees on average and with the cloudy skies that made for excellent conditions for riding along at a leisurely pace. I rode towards Nethen and then made my way to Pecrot, Ottenburg and Wavre. From Terlanen I tried the Bergstraat but this was closed on top so I had to take a cobbly road to connect towards Maleizen. From the ridge I could see Wavre and the VRT masts, with their top part hidden by the low cloud cover.

From Maleizen, I rode down towards Overijse and then connected to Huldenberg. A long ascent up the Smeysberg and then following the Nijvelsebaan for a while before descending towards the Langerodestraat and further on to Sint Agatha Rode. From there I closed my loop over Sint Joris Weert, the Zoete Waters and Vaalbeek.
Again a solid 51K and with an average heartrate of 117 also easy on my body. The grey skies were fine by me, they hide the sun which suited me fine today.

Ride Stats : 51K and 400/450 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 2h30mins

7051/74830

27-09-2010, 15:53 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

I had made an appointment with my friend Guna today to meet at the Zoete Waters and have a ride through Meerdael Forest together. I hadn't seen her since the Houffalize World Cup in May and since that time she has been doing 10 full marathons in Belgium, making for a fine result in the O2 Bikers Marathon Trophy. I am very proud of her .
This also meant that she was the one in shape while I was the one still struggling with Lyme and especially the antibiotics and their effect on my body. But, since this was a leisurely ride, just 2 friends meeting up and chatting up the last couple of months, I was going to be fine with the pace.
I was the guide and I decided for a mix of bigger forest roads and fine singletrails. The rains had made the forest floor wet and we would encounter several showers during our ride . Luckily the heavy leaf cover would protect us from the rain but of course the trails, especially the ones in thinner forest, were wet , muddy and slippery. But we both have enough technical prowess to deal with those kind of trails, making for a fun ride at a relaxing pace. My health did not allow me to add a lot of the very steep trails I normally do but I still managed to cram in almost 450 heightmeters in a 29K ride. First concentrating on the area above Sint Joris Weert and then making my way towards Nethen and to the Warande Ponds. I then crossed the Naamsesteenweg and showed her the biggest tree in the forest, the Dikke Eik. We also stopped at the Mollendaal refuge but by then the showers had stopped . Pity there are so few refuges left in the forest. There used to be a shelter near the Warande Ponds but this has long been gone.

From Mollendaal forest I closed the loop going towards Blanden, vaalbeek and then a short stint into Heverlee Forest. When we arrived back at the Zoete Waters another little shower made us seek refuge beneath some big leafy tree. Guna still had to ride home to Brussels but I reckon she would keep it dry. It was good to meet up again and chat about all the rides she did last summer.



Ride Stats : 38.5K and 440/525 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 2h30mins

6950/73965

25-09-2010, 18:01 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Today was another warm day, but around 3pm it started to get overcast, with thunderstorms announced. I decided to ride out, making the most of the warm september weather before it would run out on us.
I started - again with the Merlin - towards Heverlee forest. Crisscrossing at the start and then more or less following the green Bloso route . When I crossed the Naamsesteenweg I decided to leave the Green trail and started again following some smaller trail. The tracks were easy, the Merlin was smoothing all that came into its stride, and the kilometers added up on my counter. When I reached the Zoete Waters I fell a couple of drops but a look at the sky teached me it would still be some time before any real rain would fall. So I entered the Kouterbos and made my way towards the Meerdael Forest, passing the Kluis and then circumvening the forest at its Nethen edge.
Taking my time to climb up to the plateau I then made my way towards the Warande pond and crossed the Naamsesteenweg again to make my way into the eastern part of Meerdael Forest and Mollendaal forest.

I then decided to call it a day when the number of raindrops started to increase. But I didn't see any real rain until I got home. When I am typing this, however, a real thunderstorm has just past the Meerdael region. Short but with quite a bit of rain and a lot of wind. Good thing I didn't wait longer to start my ride. I made the most of the short Indian summer we enjoyed these last couple of days. The trails were still perfect today and I already felt a bit stronger than 2 days ago. Even though I still have to take my antibiotics for 7 more days I feel confident that, if I keep the intensity low, I can keep on doing these short easy rides in the forest .

Ride Stats : 32K and 270/320 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 1h41mins

6912/73440

Another day and I felt like another ride. The sun was out the whole day so again I had to wait until 4.30pm to ride out. Since I took the Moots' wheels to Filip this morning, I had to take Mr. Merlin. That bike is setup for the toughest Ardennes trails so it is serious overkill for the trails I was going to ride today but hey, it made for a very comfortable ride where I was always in control of every situation. In the downhill I could just let it go without brakes, not having to worry about violent bumps and other nasties. The full suspension bike is made to cope with all that without even breaking a sweat. So for this bike it must have been a walk in the park, or a stroll through town.

I stopped for a little while at the refuge in Mollendaal forest, took the obligatory picture and rode along. Nothing too difficult although I couldn't resist passing near the Dikke Eik and doing a bit of singletrail to get there. But long sleeves took care of me. The temperature was an average of 20 degrees C so I was glad to have the shade of the forest. Having passed the Zoete Waters I did a loop into Heverlee forest to finish with a bit of tarmac into Blanden.

Ride Stats : 24k and 200/250 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 1h15mins

6880/73120

22-09-2010, 18:44 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf