biking in Belgium

[thwart]

Just got the word that my wife will be presenting some research in Leuven, Belgium, in mid-September. I'll be tagging along, and hoping to get a ride or two in... :banana:

Anyone have any rec's for renting a road bike in that area (Leuven is a college town not far from Brussels)?

Any thoughts on things to do and see?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

[weisan]

Thwart-pal, contact my pal Eddy Merckx, tell him weisan sent you. :beer:

[cnighbor1]

there is a greaqt book on it
the problem is the number of canals and need to find a bridge across
book shows that

[Marcusaurelius]

Bruges if it's anything like the movie--not sure about cycle routes though.

[MadRocketSci]

Bruges if it's anything like the movie--not sure about cycle routes though.

It is pretty much like that...cobblestones galore...minus the gunfire...

There are some bike shops near the town square (where the bell tower is) that rent cheap bikes...the wife and i rented a tandem and took a nice ride to Damme (Jean Claude's home town) on the bike paths...

[11.4]

I lived in Belgium for several years and go back to see track racing in winter and enjoy the countryside in the summer. Belgium on a bike is like a hodgepodge of different riding opportunities. The country is rather significantly industrial anywhere close to the cities, which means dirty, busy roads with lots of trucks, and ever bit of pavement is doused with diesel which is slippery as anything when dry and suicidal when wet. You learn bike handling skills quickly. Many roads are very smooth asphalt, some are concrete with annoying cracks between the slabs, and yes there are some cobbles. You won't find as many cobbles as you might expect because the country is assiduous about modernizing its roads, which means replacing cobbles.

Expect wind, hills that pop out of nowhere and demand lower gears than you'd ever expect, more wind, bad road signs, countless side roads that only the locals seem to know but let you get away from bigger roads. It's not unusual on country roads to have cow manure and junk all over the roads -- Belgian racers shave in part to avoid skin infections from the stuff thrown up by their roads. In the summer and early fall it can be disgustingly dusty and you absolutely need wraparound sunglasses to protect your eyes. There's great local food everywhere and you'll find people who appreciate cycling everywhere.

What else? The Coke is much sweeter than the formula sold in the US so be prepared for it. Remember that mealtimes are not like American mealtimes -- plan your riding around their schedules or you will be scrambling for food at the wrong times. Cars are used to driving very close to riders so again, just be used to it. You're expected to know how to handle a bike. The white stripes on the roads are far more dangerous than those in the US -- you hear about it but you have to experience it to appreciate how bad they are when wet. Did I mention the diesel? The oil from the diesel fumes is all over the roads and it leaves a residual slipperiness you have to watch out for.

There is a decent bike shop almost anywhere -- at least enough to replace a cable or chain or that kind of thing. I always found them gracious about helping with a small problem or if you need to buy a new tire. (The country does go through tires rapidly.) You hear in the US about how tire tread isn't really necessary, and slicks are the most efficient, but that's on smooth US roads. In Belgium, you'll appreciate some tread on your tires because it has to grab onto the sides of cobbles, dirt, edges of asphalt, moss, and other surfaces that slicks just can't handle. Unless you have divine inspiration, just get Vittoria Evo Pave II's in 24 mm and be done with it. You don't need the 27's unless you are riding 200 km a day of bad cobbles. Watch out for the cracks in the concrete pavements -- you can sometimes lose a tire into them and the crash ain't pretty. Anything you need and can't find in the way of bike equipment can be mailed to you within a couple days within the EC, so be sure and have a couple very well-equipped mail order shops programmed on your phone in case you break a derailleur or something. However, you'll see more equipment in Belgian shops than you probably ever will in the US. Don't take carbon wheels -- you look like a poseur and while there are plenty of those in the local community, someone with some basic 32 or 36 spoke durable wheels will do just fine. The wind will really keep you busy with deep-section rims. And the concrete cracks will beat you up more than any cobbles you run into. Remember that Jean Stablinski had to hunt all over northern France to find enough cobbles for the few sections in Paris Roubaix, but there's annoying pavement everywhere.

Bring sunscreen. Bring a light rain jacket. Bring leg warmers. And always plan on two bottles on your bike -- you'd be surprised how far you can sometimes ride without meeting a single horse or human.

Hope that helps. It's a great place, but there's a reason it produces hard riders for the cobbled spring classics and the big sprint stages. You'll probably remember the wind in your legs longer than anything else. But enjoy it all. Nowhere else in the world do people love cyclists like they do in Belgium.

[thwart]

Hey folks, especially 11.4, thanks for all the info.

Sounds like a lot of things in life... hard work but entertaining... if you can keep the right mindset.

Had a chance to do a little more online research, and it looks like it's quite easy to rent 'city bikes'; road bikes not so much. Anyone have any luck in that area?

[Dekonick]

I am not as familiar with Leuven as 11.4, but the riding around Brussels can actually be quite nice. Get routes ahead of time...

Some fantastic riding close to Luxembourg - also around Orval. People are used to bikes and will treat you well... on any weekend you will see cyclists re-fueling at a local bar with a beer and some cheese etc...

Enjoy!

Remember the weather is extremely unpredictable, minus the fact it will rain. Plan for chilly and wet.

Enjoy!

Also you are going to be there in prime mussels season - any month with a 'R' if I remember correctly... nothing like a pot 'o mussels and frites... some of the best student food will be pasta in a local pub. Yummy and cheap!