Today it was very warm, almost 18 degrees C when I rode out just before nightfall. There was a strong wind blowing from the south, bringing in subtropical air from Spain and further. The stiff breeze made me decide to stay under the cover of the forest. The tracks were far from dry though, and the myriads of fallen leaves made riding the trails sometimes very tricky, especially when night fell and I had to find my way with my Lupine Tesla 4 light burning a white tunnel in the dark that surrounded me like a warm shroud on this november evening. I started out easy with a bit of Heverleebos and then more or less followed the bigger roads along the edge making my way towards the Kouterbos and later Meerdael Forest. I was very careful on the downhills along the Nethen edge and noticed my bike was getting a good workout because of the splashy mud. The sandy patches on the long Savenel uphill were a breeze though. Stiff from the wetness they were very ride-able. Crossing the N25 and then making my way towards Valduc and the fields on the southeastern edge of Meerdael I had the wind blowing in my back as I sped along towards Bierbeek and Mollendaalbos. A last section of trails riding past the Blanden cemetery and making my way back home. The cardiovasculars felt a bit better already and even though the going was tough I only averaged 125bpm which is a good sign of recovering my strength.

Ride Stats : 33K and 365 heightmeters (Garmin) in 1h57mins

8602/88900