Asse and Pajottenland

Finally I found time to post about recent rides again. Initially I wanted to post about cycling in the Austrian alps in Summer. Still to come. There were too many bike rides and too many pictures to post. I'll have to do that when I have more time soon. So here we are, back in Belgium. This time the hilly Land van Asse and the Pajottenland. 

The way out of Brussels is not the best one I have to admit but it's the fastest to get to the hilly Land van Asse. Especially the part between Rogier (will they ever finish road works there?) and Simonis is challenging - to put it mildly. Just use the road, the bike path is "pas praticable". 

Once past the Koekelberg Basilique everything gets much quieter and smoother. It takes some time though to get really out into the countryside but once you are past Zellik and into Kobbegem and Mollem villages you won't regret taking the long way out of Brussels: some quiet country roads, some hills, perfect road biking:

uphill towards Asse    http://bit.ly/1unnhqU

From Asse I decided not to go back straight through Molenbeek again but take the scenic detour through North Pajottenland. Good decision, the roads and landscape are even better and it's still hilly -  a good change from the Kanal and Waterways in the North-East:

towards Lennik    http://bit.ly/11GagCd

Ok, the way back from Sint Martens Lennik is a bit boring but I could not bother to find another route than the main road into Anderlecht.

Some hills - for a change

After the flat north east it's time to go for some up-and-down cycling around Overijse.The track is available here.


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I decided to try a new way to go to Overijse, along the Knooppunten in Jezus-Eik. I thougth this was a good idea. Instead of cycling along horrible Brusselsesteenweg I followed from knooppunt 44 in Jezus-Eik towards knooppunt 44. There is a small 100m non-paved section but for the rest its fine - unless you go there in winter after some rainfall. So I had to carry the bike for some meters but for the rest this is a good way to not cycle along Brusselsesteenweg.

Groeneweg in Overijse

There is nice little connection road between this part of Overijse and Huldbenberg, the Ballingstraat:

Ballingstraat

Arriving in quiet Huldenberg, I decided to go for an additional hill instead of the main road towards Neerijse: The Smeysberg. This 15% or so hill is really a good training for the Tour of Flanders hellingen, although without cobblestones. Arriving on top, however, there are some nice roads along the plateau, before a relatively bad downhillsection to Neerijse.

Nijvelsebaan, on the Smeysbergplateau

At Neerijse, it's uphill again towards Leefdaal. Back to Brussels via Moorsel and Kraainem.