A little bit of rain last night, nothing much to worry about but this morning it was still grey and rather cold. Left home to pick up on the Red Meerdael BLOSO route. The plan was to complete the Red, make the connection towards the Green via the Blue, complete the Green and then return home. I started out easy in a dark and damp forest. The tracks were moist but not wet. Lets say the dust was gone, in some places it didn't even sem to have rained at all. A little bit of an extra loop near Valduc and soon I was on my way towards the starting point of the left in Bierbeek. Took a couple of pictures of Meerdael Forest when the sun peeped through the clouds.

I usually don't pass the start near the Borre in Bierbeek because there is a much nicer little track running parallel to the tarmac road that passes the start of the Red route. A little further the track joins the cobble road just before this turns right towards Mollendaal. Then follows the long climb back into Mollendaalbos and towards the highest point in Meerdael Forest. Reaching the point where I got on the Red route I hd to do a little section again before reaching the junction where it meets the Blue route. Following that until you reach Vaalbeek. Here I got on the Green route. This is a lot less hilly and follows some broad doubletracks into Heverleebos. The tanktrack alongside the E40 ws completely dried out, a sight seldom seen. This enabled me to drive straight through all the swooping pits. Normally you have to steer around down, lest you want to get wet. The long section in the Dyle valley towards Korbeek Dyle enabled me to cruise and enjoy the landscape. Coming back towards Oud-Heverlee I completed the green to arrive back in Vaalbeek. A nice and relatively easy ride with an average temperature of 13 degrees C. I believe autumn is well and truly upon us now. I would like to go to the Ardennes somewhere this week but judging from the weather forecast picking the right day may not be obvious.

Ride Stats : 51.5K and 390/500 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 2h41mins

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04-10-2009, 15:12 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

A couple of days' rest because I had a severe case of saddle soreness but today I decided to ride out anyway. Still not fully healed and the pain was the main reason I didn't do the Meerdael BLOSO routes completely but opted to do only the Blue. The more hillier of the 3 anyway. I rode towards the Zoete Waters and started there on the Meerdael Blue. One climb and a big descent later I was in Sint Joris Weert where I turned towards Sint Agatha Rode to make the connection with the Overijse '2 Valleien' BLOSO routes. The 2 valleys obviously refering to the Ijse and Lasne (Lane) valleys. I did a little extra loop in Sint Agatha Rode, with a nice singletrack between the houses and then I was in the Zesdagmaalstraat, where the Overijse Red passes. The tracks were extremely dry and dusty so I had no trouble at all except preventing my tyres to wash out in the turns and getting caught in dried-out gullies and ruts.

It took me 1h50 to complete the 32.5K of the 3 Overijse routes and returning in Sint Agatha Rode I made the connection back towards Sint Joris Weert following the yellow arrowing. Returning on the Blue Meerdael I immediately was in for a long climb out of Sint Joris Weert. This blue route is the more hilly of the 3 and offers 2 big climbs and a nice flowing descent towards Nethen. The descent was almost done without hitting the brakes. The long uphill alongside the Nethen wall was made more difficult by the sections of loose sands, draining my legs of energy. By now I had decided to only do the Blue Meerdael. The pain whilst sitting on the saddle was still too much. If you add the Red and the Green Bloso routes in Meerdael you will reach the 100K barrier quite easily. I have done this ride a couple of times already - you can check the Blog entries of July 19th, 2007 and September 8th of last year. I have uploaded my GPS track of today to EveryTrail and you can check it out by clicking on the link below.

Ride Stats : 68K and 800/915 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 3h42mins

Meerdael Blue combined with Overijse 2 Valley route at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail: Travel Community

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02-10-2009, 18:00 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Around noon the sun was peeping through the cloud cover and I gathered myself on my Moots for an easy ride. I put a little more pressure in my tyres because I was going out for a mixed ride, some tarmac, some offroad. Starting out into Heverlee forest I came accross a slow-worm (Anguis Fragilis or Hazelworm in Dutch) lying in the middle of the track. Probably warming up a bit in the sparse sunlight. After having taken its picture I moved on for a big loop, taking small tracks and bigger ones. During these kind of rides I never have an exact plan, I just follow my front wheel. After a passing through Heverlee and the Arenberg campus I came in the area around the Bertem petrol station alongside the E40. Making a few loops over singletrails, then crossing the E40 and following the Green Bloso route towards Korbeek Dijle.

Here I disappeared into the Doode Beemde. We have seen a considerable amount of days without rain so I wasn't bothered about getting my feet wet. On the contrary, every trail here was dry and hard. Passing over wooden boardwalks that normally stand over moory ground, there was no water to be seen underneath . There were big groups of young juveniles with guides, they were probably busy cleaning up the area or attending an explanation about the Doode Beemde. Crossing the pastures I saw some beautiful brown cows grazing, some with calves. The tracks pass straight through their pastures, so I musn't forget to close the fences. Nearing Sint Joris Weert I decide to ride towards Pecrot and La Malaise. Further on towards Bossut and then down towards Hamme Mille. I see a big white church standing out against the horizon and realize the old church of Tourinnes La Grosse is out of its scaffolding. It has been getting a thorough cleaning since last winter and now the big tower is back in all its splendor. I decide to ride up to it and take a couple of pictures. Looping around it I managed to get a picture from high up on one of the surrounding hills.

My last couple of kilometers then bring me back along the Chapelle Sainte Corneille in Mille and into the Meerdael Forest. After more than 3 hours but with an average heartrate of only 105bpm I am back home with a nice distance under my belt. Now its time for a days' rest and perhaps later this week I might go to Nandrin or the like. The only factor seems to be the weather. It has been dry for a long time but it looks like it 'might' rain nearing the weekend. Just have to wait and see I guess.

Ride Stats : 84K and 425/540 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 3h15mins

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29-09-2009, 18:52 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

This morning saw a lot of mist so I had to wait until noon for the sun to come out. But then the conditions were ideal for a long ride. Not too warm and almost no wind. I decided to ride the 50K version of the Accro Bike, once an organised ride that was held in October and offered a 42K version, also as a chrono, and a longer 50K version. The version I ride dates from 2001 or 2002, after that the ride did not enter the Chaumont Gistoux area. In 2008 it was decided not to organise the ride any more. With the recent O2 bikers roadbook focussing on Grez Doiceau, I had not ridden the Accro Bike for a while. The O2 Bikers roadbook uses a lot of the same trails, but mostly in the reverse direction. It also offers some new trails, trails that I could use to make a special version of the 50K Accro Bike.
I started out as usual riding through Bossut and Archennes towards Grez Doiceau. The Accro Bike starts on the village square and then rides in a clockwise fashion through Biez, Cocrou, Pietrebais , Longueville, Chaumont Gistoux, Inchebroux, Bonlez and Dion Le Val. I added an extra descent over a singletrack in Pietrebais followed by a long ascent from downtown Pietrebais all the way up to the chapel in Longueville. From there I continued along the Accro Bike trail, descending into Heze and then clicking on the 42k version. I added and extra descent/ascent into the Gorge aux Loups , and then found a new trail in the Bois de Glabais, so that I didn't have to do the difficult - read, unride-able - sandy ascent. The new trail runs parallel to the sandy groove and is steep as well, but still manageable. A bit further, in Les Bruyeres I avoid the very steep ascent, taking a more moderate climb to reach the same connection in the Bois de Chaumont. When I climbed out of Bonlez, on a small tarmac road, a dog attacked me. Somehow it had escaped from behind its fence. It bit me but only superficially. I screamed my lungs out, partly to scare the dog, and partly to let go of my frustration towards the owners of the canine attacker. It didn't pursue me and after checking my upper leg I found nothing but some squeeze marks. No blood. So I decided to move on.

In Dion Le Val I also added a small extra loop , dropping down into the fields from the N25 and then turning left to ride back upwards towards the N25 again. Just before the tunnel I turn right and follow a singletrack that eventually reaches a long downhill into Dion Le Val. Another long climb into the Bois de Bercuit, followed by a downhill towards Gastuche. Back upwards on the same slope and after another downhill I'm back in Grez-Doiceau. The ride is 55K on my GPS and offers 900 heightmeters. Thats 5K and 100 heightmeters more than the original Accro Bike Trail. The dry conditions made it a breeze to ride it, taking into account that the relentless following of climbs and descents, some up to 27% makes this ride a challenge, both physical as technical. When it has rained you can add an extra hour to your total time, the trails become very heavy and very difficult when wet. Not to be underestimated. I offer the trail map and a link to the GPS track. Beware loose dogs and keep the noise level down on the small trails.
I returned towards Meerdael with a good feeling throughout the ride. I felt strong today and wanted to do some extra mileage in Meerdael Forest before arriving home after almost 5 hours on the bike.

Ride Stats : 84K and 1130/1250 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 4h59mins

Accro Bike 55k Special BBW at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail: GPS Community

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28-09-2009, 00:00 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf