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