A bit colder today but the wind is gone. So time for another long road ride. I decided on the Haasrode Tour. A ride that starts in Haasrode and makes a fine loop over Bierbeek, Neervelp , Willebringen , Hoksem and Hoegaarden. The ride is moderately hilly and the roads have dried out a lot since yesterday. Even the smaller tarmac tracks, only have to be careful with the mud that has gathered on certain points. Riding with semi-slicks means you have less control when the track becomes slippery. But I did fine and taking my usual rest at the Marollen Chapel overlooking Hoegaarden I took some time to look around. Unfortunately a bit of mist was making it hard to see further than a kilometre or so.

From this chapel the loop goes on towards L'Ecluse, Beauvechain, Pietrebais and Cocrou. From there the last leg took me over Archennes and Pecrot towards Nethen, Sint Joris Weert and along the Zoete Waters back to Vaalbeek and Blanden. This was my second long ride of the weekend and it feels good to know I had recuperated enough to keep the average heartrate low. I had 117bpm on average against 121 yesterday. My average speed was about the same - a little quicker today - with roughly the same hill factor.
On another note, I have been thinking about getting myself a titanium frame for my alu road bike. And an opportunity seems to have presented itself. I'm finalizing my decision (YES or NO , its simple really ) and will report about it when the die is cast. I will also explain my reasoning behind getting a titanium road frame if and when I get the frame , but obviously the additional comfort is a key factor.
I leave you with todays track. You can download it when you copy the link in a new window and remove the bit behind 'gpx'

Ride Stats : 69K and 540/610 heightmeters (Polar/Garmin) in 3h17mins

8161/86950