It’s been silent on the LesFlamandSS front since we hosted SSCXEC18 Koksijde. Time for an update (even if there are hardly any singlespeeds involved in the upcoming post).
Back over at SSEC 2017 Evanton, a race called the HT550 (Highland Trail 550) was happening at the same time. Up until then I did hear about this crazy bikepacking loop through the Scottish Highlands before, but never really thought about riding it myself.
After nearly 8 years of non stop singlespeeding, I felt the urge for a new challenge. Our bikepacking trip towards SSWC 2015 Japan had been a lovely adventure, why not go out for some longer rides and start exploring the bikepacking scene a bit more.
My eye spotted a new event: A-Cross the 5. ACT5 is a 1200 km (18000 alt) single stage self supporting mountainbike loop going through Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Germany and Holland. 95% offroad trails and a suggested “time limit” of 7 days. Sounds like an epic adventure! Would I be able to finish such a crazy ride?!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BfWFZBRnET7/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
I decided to give me 1 year of “training” to transform me from mellow beer drinking singlespeeder to racefit (geared) bikepacker.
Well, actually a problem occured: I really hate “training”. Just can’t do it! I love riding my MTB, but I hate anyone or anything telling me to ride my bike when, where and how. Also I have a huge dislike for riding rollers and tarmac.
So, I decided just going out for really long and/or hard rides would become my training. Fuck training, just pedal!
Suddenly the ACT5 organisation started another event called A-Cross the 3. ACT3 is a 500 km (10000 alt) sub 72 hrs race through Belgium, Germany & Luxembourg. In other words: only the most technical and hard part of big brother ACT5. Perfect “training”!
I didn’t use my car during winter, I rode everywhere and through any kind of weather on my bike just to get some mileage in my legs. I used to ride around 5000 km a year, suddenly I was doing 1000 km a month.
Another event that catched my eye was Malteni Gravel Bootleggers. A 250 km ultra CX / cobble / gravel ride on Ronde van Vlaanderen & Roubaix terrain. I decided to ride my SSCX bike from the Dutch border towards Brunehaut brewery, ride Bootleggers the next day and ride home again on day 3. Or a total of 500 km harden the fuck ups on the SSCX bike.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bhec5sZBA5U/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
A bit frightened for 3 hard days of riding, I took my bike and started pedalling. The Bootleggers loop ended up being pretty tough! However, after a very long day in the saddle hitting mud, bergs and cobbles I did reach the finish before it started getting dark. At the finish I got rewarded the “gravel spirit” prize for riding my SSCX bike there and back.
Getting rewarded a medal like that, and realising that I could actually pull off a stunt like this gave me a huge mental boost!
Weeks passed and I felt ready for ACT3, what would become my very first timed bikepacking experience ever.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BiKp0rZhx23/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
At the start I was checking out setups and other riders like a real rookie. I had been told the Luxembourg passage was extremely hard and technical, therefore I didn’t really push my limits on day 1. Then all of sudden a problem occured: at the end of day 2 a huge thunderstorm passed Luxembourg, causing me to seek shelter at a campsite, doing less mileage than planned.
The wind and rain got in my tent, causing my sleeping bag and clothes to get wet.
All I could think off was that I just had to push my limits and try to reach the finish before I need sleep again.
Well, you should know trailbuilder Stefan does love himself some proper technical and bike-a-hike sections. After a hard day packed with rain and mud it quickly started getting dark again, the finish wasn’t even near…
But I still really didn’t feel like setting up camp in a wet tent in this kinda weather so I just kept on pedalling until it became light again. Damn that was the hardest thing I ever did up until then: ride through the night in rain, mud and cold. But because of this effort I did reach the finish within the time limit, rolling over the finish as 5th rider. With only 7 out of 20 riders making it to the finish, I started realising that I might be a lot tougher than I ever could’ve imagined.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BiSHsIeBPyE/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Receiving congrats for my epic “allnighter” from both Race director Berten De Canne as trail builder Stefan Maertens gave me another mental boost for all the adventures to come…
4 months quickly passed and there it was: A-Cross the 5!
Would it be twice as hard as ACT3? I changed some details in my setup (bring less) and felt strong to go for a finish within the time limit again.
Lesson nr 1: don’t think about the next day, just push as hard as you can from day 1 on! During the next week I would often bump into Pierre Burton. Pierre is a guy I know from the singlespeed scene, I always considered him to be much stronger than me, so I told myself: as long as you keep on meeting Pierre, you’re doing great!
After a few days of suffering on the bike we got news that the official time limit got extended with 12 more hours because a few last minute adjustments in the course compared to last year seemed a lot tougher than expected.
Anyway, It was good to know we have 12 more hours, but I didn’t want to use them, I really gave it my best to be able to finish on saturday, as planned.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bm8At5oHg9F/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
After hitting lovely singletracks, climbs and descents for days in a row, I started suffering like hell near the German part, thinking I lost too much time to be able to finish on saturday. This was one of those parts that had gotten a lot tougher than last year. I pushed my limits again and after one hell of a sufferfest I reached Holland. From Holland on the trails became a lot easier and the speed returned.
Luc Bertram, another friend from the singlespeed scene, was chearing for me along the way somewhere near Dutch Limburg. It was so fine to have a chat with him, I got a little mental boost and quickly pushed my pedals towards Zandvliet again. Pierre and I reached the finish in position 10 & 11. Again only 18 out of 45 starters would be able to reach the finish within the time limit. Another job well done!
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bm772c5HDqW/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Sore ass, sore legs, sore arms,… but fuck yeah: we made it!! Was this harder than ACT3? Well, the first 200 and the last 200 km were a lot easier. And it was summer instead of spring. Than again it was a lot longer. I guess it was just a wee harder.
At the ACT5 finisher party a guy named Alan asked me if I’d fancy riding the Highland Trail 550 next year? He said: if you can finish ACT5, you’re welcome at my HT550 event… at first I told him I’d love that, but maybe in 2020, I didn’t think my wife and kids would love seeing me even less in the weekends to prepare for one of the hardest mountainbike races out there.
A few weeks passed, when all of a sudden Berten asked me if I’m interested in joining the HT550-ACT-riders team. Since we could split car & ferry cost I was very interested. I quickly convinced my lovely wife and took this oportunity with both hands. After all, I hadn’t been in shape in many years and right now, well I kinda was… It seemed logical to just go for it in 2019 instead of waiting another year!
Berten had finished HT550 twice before, I listened to his stories like a little kid, learning from what he had to say. The other riders in our Belgian team are Ben Steurbaut – a bikepacking multi talent with numerous wins behind his name – and Steven Geelen – another ACT5 finisher – who just like me didn’t have much experience besides riding ACT3 & ACT5.
Just like preparing for ACT3 & ACT5, I used the Malteni Bootleggers in april as a perfectly timed training ride towards the HT550. Again I would go for a hard weekend of 500 km crushing cobbles, bergs, mud and terrils on the singlespeed crossbike. This years edition was even harder than last year since they dropped the Flanders region and added numerous French terrils. But still I managed to finish sooner. Already in april I felt I was ready for my HT550 challenge.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BwJ56laFB9x/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
With one month to go I got sick and couldn’t ride my bike for almost 3 weeks. Damn, so far my perfect preparation… on the other hand, you don’t lose a “fond” like I had in 3 weeks. We’ll just have to see how hard this HT550 actually is.
I spent a lot of time finetuning my gear and bike. I even wore my MTB shoes at the office the week before we set off to Scotland just to make sure all blister areas were hardened. I wasn’t going to be in my fittest shape due to getting sick, so the least I could do was make sure my gear and bike were in perfect condition to conquer the HT550.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BxvEwvIIih_/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
The last evening before the start all riders go out to the river to have a meet and greet and a cold HT550 beer from the creek. It’s a lovely way to feel welcome and share stories while you meet all riders.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx2vYajoRvJ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Saturday morning: after traditional Scottish breakfast at the Real Food Cafe, Alan takes us to the start for a short speech and we’re off…
I set off with a moderate pace, realizing that this is gonna be one hell of a hard ride, after all, it is known to be one of the toughest mountainbike events in the world!
After a few hours it starts raining, rain would become a constant factor during the week to come. Day 1 already takes us over lovely singletracks and muddy sections towards the roof of the HT550. Where I got passed by many riders uphill, I quickly overtake some riders again on the singletracks down… I reach Fort Augustus just in time to have a pasta at the famous pizzeria where most riders meet and eat at the end of day 1.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx5eMetoG9H/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
The moment I want to jump back on my bike Berten walks in. We start chatting, and for a moment I wanted to stay with him and ride together the next day. Then again: I realise I have to ride as much miles as I can on day 1, so I keep on pedalling for about 2 more hours before I put up my tent around 12 o’clock.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx8KVeSoXHh/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
The weather sucked hairy balls: we had 2 days of continuous rain, followed by 2 days of relatively good weather, followed by 3 days of rain again. A lot of the trails were already flooded because it had been raining a lot before the start. On day 2 we had to pass several wild rivers some riders didn’t dare to pass on their own.
One by one riders started scratching because of the cold and dangerous weather. I myself had never been more cold and wet than this before, but scratching while feeling strong wasn’t an option.
During the next couple of days we were guest in a breath taking landscape, filled with lovely trails, lovely people and stunning wildlife. I managed to ride 170 km (3100 alt) on day 1, followed by 160 km (2000 alt) on day 2. Also I bumped into my honorary Scottish Zombikers member Andy Laing, he was riding a 100 mile section in opposite direction to chear for all HT550 riders. It sure was lovely meeting him for 5 minutes!
https://www.instagram.com/p/ByD7wVhINEk/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
After 2 cold and wet nights in my tent I start getting tired. On day 3 I rode the most northern part of the loop. This is a nasty part, packed with muddy swamp and steep bike-a-hike sections. While putting up my tent all tired and exhausted on day 3 I snap my tentpole.
Damn, there goes my tent… the moment my pole snaps it starts raining, as if it was meant to be. I keep on riding until I find a picknick bench. Since it’s 1 am and fatigue and cold are slowly killing me after a really hard day on the bike. I decide to make a tarp out of my tent and try and sleep on the bench with 136 km and 2800 alt in my exhausted legs.
The idea was as bad as it sounds and after 2 hours of really bad sleep I decide to start riding again to get warm.
https://www.instagram.com/p/ByD9oNEoulY/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Riding alone at 3 am in between snowy mountains somewhere in a remote area in the Highlands makes you feel small. It makes you feel so lucky to be part of the world. At 4 am I see a herd of deer pass just in front of me. About 100m up the hill they stop and start staring at their guest. This moment I realised my tent broke for a reason. This was that reason: being here, at this spot, on this moment.
Day 4 leads us to Ullapool, after a proper refill in Ullapool I hit Coffin Road in the evening: an epic bike-a-hike segment. Quickly I realise that my biggest weakness here are these bike-a-hike sections. Also just 2 hours of sleep and being over halfway the loop in miles doesn’t help feeling strong today. I call it a day after the extremely fun downhill after Coffin Road and try my best to fix my tentpole with whatever I can find. 99 km and 1600 alt in the legs today.
https://www.instagram.com/p/ByD-AQoIFt1/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
On day 5 we need to pass 2 legendary parts of the HT550. The Fisherfield river crossing and Postman Path. Fisherfield had never been this deep before, my balls almost touch the cold water while last year riders only needed to go ankle deep to cross. Today is the first day that I really feel weak, tired and think about quitting for the first time. I just don’t have the power anymore to ride sections I could’ve easily cleared earlier this week.
After a very hard day with a lot of hiking, jacked up knees and ankles and “only” 52 km (1425 alt) on the counter, the famous technical single track “Postman Path” takes us to Kinlochewe.
As from Fisherfield I had been bumping into a group of 3 riders with a similar pace. They decided to go for a quality meal, a few beers and a good night sleep in a bunkhouse. I quickly decide to join them, some proper food and sleep will hopefully boost my legs and mind for the final 270 km still to come. 52 km in a day: tell someone at home and they wont believe you, but damn, this was one hell of a hard day suffering. I even endured a crash and hit a rock with my smartphone camera. After breaking a tentpole, my Revelate framebag zipper, a ripped bar roll, a hole in my seatbag, my POC sunglasses, one vibram sole and now my phone, I think there should be a “HT550 proved” quality label out there!
https://www.instagram.com/p/ByHxRPfoBq4/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Day 6: the ankles and knees hurt like hell from all the hiking yesterday. Common sense tells me to stop and spare the knees. However, I didn’t come here to quit… I realise I might suffer permanent damage if I keep on going, the idiot in me takes over and pushes me to keep on going. 145 km and 2825 alt later, I reach Fort Augustus, cold, wet and completely wiped out. I hit a public toilet for shelter, the heat dryer will become my best friend for the next couple of hours…
One more day! Our ferry leaves on saturday, so today is the last day for me to reach Tyndrum again. As soon as I hit Fort William I take a really long break to have a Scottish breakfast, warm up and find strength to go out in the rain for the final section: the West Highland Way. During the last 120 km (2100 alt) of the week we suffer rain again from the moment we wake up, till the moment I reach Tyndrum.
Ben welcomed me at the finish, damn it felt so good to make it. Ben already finished after 4 days and 14 hours, fitfucker that he is, he came in shared 2nd place, I can’t imagine how hard he must have suffered riding all this in only 4 1/2 days?!
It took me 6 days and 11 hours to complete the hardest edition of the HT550 so far. Only 22 out of 64 riders made it to the finish.
I ain’t the best climber, I ain’t the best downhiller, I simply suck at bike-a-hiking, but in the end I did make it, so I guess in general I ain’t that bad at all…
Being asked my opinion by Javier Simon (worlds toughest singlespeeder to exist) directly at the finish: I told him I can’t imagine doing this ever again. It was just insane to go through all this suffering by choice.
But 2 hours later, after a long shower and a few beers, I kinda started liking what I had to endure. After all: the loop is amazing and the nature stunning. Yes it is hard as fuck, but hey, a few hundred people want to be part of this and only 64 were actually carefully chosen to be part of it. Who am I to wine? This was fucking epic. This was insane and I started loving it more and more!
Unfortunately the experienced Berten suffered a rookie mistake: bringing the wrong brakepads. In his search for proper brakepads he lost too much time to be able to finish before we need to leave for the ferry. Also Steven didn’t make it because his shoes broke down on him. He ended up losing a lot of time finding new ones. In the end they both had a lot of fun out there, and that’s what really matters.
I want to thank Alan for letting me be part of this adventure! Also many thanks to Berten, Ben and Steven for the cosy roadtrip we had.
And most of all many hugs and kisses to my lovely wife Tineke for letting me go out on 3 amazing bikepacking trips in 2 years time. You’re the best!!
Right now I’m really looking forward to ride some cosy singlespeed events and mellow gravel rides. Nothing too hard, just chill, ride and party!
Blah Blah Blah by Dave Zombiker
Les FlamandSS 