This morning the skies were clear and with a temperature just below 20 degrees and a breeze from the southwest things looked too good to stay indoors. So off I rode for a recovery ride that would take me over Bierbeek, Bremt and Lovenjoel towards Pellenberg. Here I descended towards the Diestsesteenweg in Linden. I followed that road until I reached Leuven. Riding around Leuven and when I reached the Tervuursesteenweg I followed that and then took a left towards Arenberg. From here I rode towards Heverlee, Oud-Heverlee and the Zoete Waters. Past the Zoete Waters and then I took a left into the Meerdaelwoud to finish my ride  through the Weertse Dreef and then following the Naamsesteenweg into Blanden. Legs felt good and the short relaxed ride sure did good after yesterdays' long ride.

Endomondo track


Ride Stats : 46K and 340/375 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 1h43mins

9534/80015

11-09-2011, 12:45 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Beautiful weather this morning and the forecast for today was good. 28 degrees C and a light breeze from the south. So around 10AM I rode out for a long ride. Following the track of the 145K version of the Biz'On the Bike ride. This is a very fine ride consisting of a hilly start around Huldenberg, Ottenburg and Chaumont Gistoux, then a long ride on the plateau between Incourt and Orp Jauche where I started to feel the effects of the burning sun. I only have one drinking bottle with me during these rides and I think that in this heat that is too little. I usually take a sip every 30 minutes and I stop every 2 hours for a Cliff bar. The dry wind and the sun - which was partially clouded but still the temperature was around 29 degrees C - have a drying effect . The wind was blowing from the south and this was a good thing, at least in the shady parts there was a little coolness. Unfortunately , when I left Orp-Jauche and set forth towards Bomal, Jauchelette and Dongelberg, there were not many shady places. In Dongelberg things started to go up and down again and the legs hurt when I had to shift on my smallest gears. This last bit again is more hilly but fortunately I had the wind in my back now. When I arrived in Melin I was confident I would make it. Damn those cobbles in Saint Remy Geest where hard on my feet. Those feet already hurt because of the high temperatures and when I stopped before the church of Hoegaarden for a second snack, just walking around a bit did a world of good for them. The last 25K were tough but I was on known grounds now and I could spread my efforts nicely. This was my longest ride this year and I am glad I did it. Now I need to replenish my fluids and rest.
 
Endomondo track


Ride Stats : 131.5K and 1060/1045 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 5h04mins

9488/79640

10-09-2011, 16:25 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

The rain yesterday did not bother me very much since I had a rendez-vous chez Filip Sport to get my righthand Campagnolo Chorus shifter fixed. A couple of very small parts were worn out causing the shifts to be sketchy and uncertain. After 1.5 month of waiting the parts arrived and the date was set for yesterday. Orr also replaced the rubber shifting covers and also installed new brakepads and brakepad holders. The existing brakepad holders were recovered to be used as housings for special brakepads to use with my carbon Campagnolo Hyperon Ultra 2 wheelset.

09-09-2011, 15:47 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

Hesitating for a long while whether to ride out - or not - today. The offroad was too muddy for a mountainbike stint, and I didn't feel like braving the fierce wind for the second day in a row on a longer road ride. But I did want to ride today because my legs felt like they wanted a bit of movement.
So I decided to do a local loop instead. Around 6K long and incorporating 2 climbs and 2 descents into and out of Blanden and Haasrode. The wind was playing with me from time to time but at least during almost half of the loop it was blowing in my back. And this half happened to be uphill so that was a bonus I was glad to cash in on. Finishing off with a couple of cooldown loops and I had a solid 60K ride which also offered a nice number of climbing meters. Making these loops is not easy on the mental front, you pass places - and people - serveral times and after a while the people begin to notice you and seem to be wondering why you are passing them so many times. or maybe I am paranoid. Nevertheless, I just ride on a do what I set out to do.

Endomondo track


Ride Stats : 60.5K and 540/585 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 2h21mins

9306/78255

07-09-2011, 15:13 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

There is a storm forecast for this evening and in front of that storm a lot of wind is blowing from the southwest. And indeed, the first part of my ride had me struggling against a gusty wind that was playing with me like a giant with a marble. While I was climbing my way out of Opvelp towards Beauvechain it was blowing straight in my face making me wish I had my climbing cassette onboard. The little hill was tuning into a mountain. Turning right towards Tourinnes brought some relief because the blows now came from the left, threatening to rip me off of my bike. Gripping my bike's handlebar with both hands and keeping them there all the time was primordial. When I had to let go of one end of the handlebar to drink I had to choose carefully where to do it.  Through Nethen and Sint Joris Weert and then towards Neerijse where I now was rewarded by a strong push in the back from Aeolus. Speeds going up to 50kph on the Sint Janbergsesteenweg and before long I was in Egenhoven where I rode towards Heverlee to return to Blanden along the Naamsesteenweg. A couple of local loops while the skies were filling up with clouds and I finished my semi-recovery ride.

Endomondo track


Ride Stats : 51K and 355/355 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 1h55mins

9246/77670

06-09-2011, 13:57 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf

This morning saw the passing of a rain front so it didn't look very good for a ride. But around noon things cleared out so I grabbed my bike and rode out . Originally I was thinking about doing a quick 40-50K ride but when I felt the sun on my skin and the skies cleared out completely I decided to ride a bit further. There was a nasty wind blowing from the west but when I arrived on the Ravel 2 from Hoegaarden to Namur, I was sheltered by the shrubberies around it. Passing Jodoigne and then forking off towards Perwez where I got the wind in my face. But with the sun out I did not mind that much. I wanted to pay a visit to Maleves-Sainte-Marie-Wastinnes and check out the little Saint-Ulric church where cycling icon Frank Vandenbroucke got married to Italian beauty Sarah Pinacci in oktober 2000.
Taking the Chaussee de Huy past Thorembais-Saint-Trond I quickly took a right to arrive in Maleves, the first of the 3 villages forming the one 'with the long name'. I stopped near an old World War 2 personel carrier.

Beautifully  restored and acting as an attraction for the nearby Musee du Souvenir . A World War 2 commemorative affair. The owner saw me standing next to the tank and presented me with a little leaflet about the museum.
Moving on I came to the church. Unfortunately it was hidding in scaffoldings but I still took a picture before riding on. It is hard to imagine Frank arriving here on that day in october with a yellow Ferrari. I think they are still talking about it in the village.

From Maleves I rode on towards Opprebais where I stopped to have a look at the big water reservoir where I learned scuba diving a while back. From Opprebais I took the N91 until Pietrebais where I veered to the right . I noticed a black cloud forming in the northwest and while I was riding past La Bruyere, Beauvechain and Opvelp I began to understand I would not be able to escape the rain. And indeed with only 5 kilometers to go, in Bierbeek, the first drops fell and for the next 10 minutes I was riding in mild rain. Still, I considered myself lucky to have been able to ride almost 3 hours without a single drop and in nice sunny weather.

Endomondo track


Ride Stats : 82.5K and 470/470 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 3h10mins

9195/77315

05-09-2011, 16:34 geschreven door Big Bad Wolf