Big Bad Log

The weather forecast was wrong! When I got out of bed at 10AM the sun was shining, no trace of the forecast rain. Obviously it was too late to enlist for any organised ride but I quickly discovered I would be far better off doing one of my orientation runs. Since I have a GPS and with my inborn wanderlust this is one of my favorite passtimes when on a bike. I have a broad idea of what I want to do and I just add some tracks and trails along that idea as I move along. Starting out into Meerdael I quickly was mingling with riders on the SVK organised ride. I also quickly got a reminder as to why I don't like starting on organised rides outside of the Ardennes area. Some riders think they are racing and they don't mind cutting you off when passing. I had to smother a shout when some jerk nearly tipped my front wheel - he would have if I had not braked - when passing me. A bit further I passed him again but I managed to keep myself under control. A bit further I left the flock and continued on my solitary route. My plan consisted of riding towards the Margijsbos. For now I was descending into Nethen and ascending again in the direction of Pecrot. From Pecrot I dropped into Florival, after having done an extra climb along a tricky track, steep and slippery at times. I had to put the chain on the small ring to make it. Obviously yesterdays' ride was still in my legs so I selected the small chainring a lot. This offered my legs the opportunity to relax a bit during the climbs. I then climbed up into the Bois de Laurensart - in the opposite direction of the Overijse BLOSO route. I encountered a couple of bikers going downhill in the deep hollow road but they had their bikes nicely under control. In these situations the biker going uphill has right of way. Arriving at the top I dropped down again to the lawn, a big lawn between two patches of forests, and struggled upwards again into Ottenburg. I did a quick loop up and down the Tomme and then set course for the Sint Agatha Rode forest. Tackling the steepest climb into that forest - the singletrail leading upwards from the Neerpoortenstraat - I conquered the 21% slope without any problem. I had to balance my weight very carefully on this very steep trail but my Weirwolf tyres found plenty of grip on the gravelly trail.

I then descended towards the Vossekouter in Terlanen and had to conquer another 20% trail to reach the top of the Smeysberg. Down on the tarmac and then I took the path alongside the river Ijse towards the Margijsbos. A couple of nice singletracks here to make it up and down the slope a couple of times. I encountered some riders on the SVK organised ride again. They must have been the last ones on one of the longer distances, judging by their struggling on the uphills. I tackled the Bertelsheide and immediately dropped down the hollow road on the left when I reached the top. Right at the bottom and I was back on the Nijvelsebaan. Not for long because I took a left plunging down towards the Wolfshagen and further towards Sint Joris Weert. Here I added another loop into the Meerdael forest. Up into the Borrestraat and towards the Kluis, before descending towards La Hetraie after which I climbed upwards on one of the nicest and most difficult climbs in Meerdael forest. Down again towards the Kluis along the trail the Meerdael BLOSO track follows - but in the opposite direction and then back up after passing the ponds near the Kluis. I then followed a small track to arrive at the Kleine Dreef. This I followed towards the Grezse Baan. Left towards the Weertsedreef and left again on the Weertse Dreef. Right onto the Nethensebaan and following this towards the Groenveld I made a quick loop towards Vaalbeek before calling it a day and looping back towards Blanden. A great ride, the tracks were moist at places but certainly not wet. With 725 heightmeters I can not complain and I had a good feeling in my legs throughout the entire ride. With an average heartrate of 121bpm I certainly did not overdo it .

Ride Stats : 45.5K and 725/773 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 3h30mins
Map :

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