UKC

Got the chance of a week cycling and have decided to take a trip to Belgium. Some of the other lads have been on trips to Majorca or France over the past years but because of climbing I've never joined in. I said I'd have a look at places to go....ideally in Flemish Belgium.....anyone been,any recommendations?

In reply to abr1966:

Belgium is great for cycling. There are loads of cycle paths everywhere. Loads of different cycle routes criss-cross the region. You don't say if you are based in one place or touring. If based in one place, I would recommend Oudenaarde which is in the heart of Tour of Flanders country. You can follow sign posted routes around course. If touring, look up LF routes (Lange Fiets). Enjoy.

In reply to abr1966:

We did a nice tour last year from Zeebrugge taking in Leper (Ypres), Mons, Dinant, Leuvan, Ghent and Brugge.

A mix of quiet roads and cycle paths/canal tow paths. Surprisingly hilly further south. A great country to cycle through with a very apparent difference in the way motorists treat cyclists.

In reply to Batcloud:

Also a good spot to tie in with some ww1 visits if you dont want to just ride.

In reply to macmuseeuw:

Thanks.....thinking of a base rather than touring...

In reply to abr1966:

Just had a good week there cycling every day based at Velotel (a bike friendly premium inn Type place) about 10 min bike from Brugge market square.
We took bikes on hull zeebrugge and about 1 hour bike along canal direct to base just on north edge of Brugge

In reply to abr1966:

There's a great town called Oudenaard with a Tour of Flanders museum. Freddy Maertens is the curator.
Go there and pick up a map and there's loads of circuits out into the hills which take in all the cobbled climbs (bergs) made famous by the Tour of Flanders race.
The famous Koppenberg is only a couple of km out of town.
The beer is awesome!

E

In reply to abr1966:

Did a few hundred KMs there earlier this year - was great. Great infrastructure, traffic takes a lot more care around cyclists, and the roads are flat so you can eat the miles remarkably quickly.

I would recommend Ypres, Bruges, and Ghent as nice places to visit and all cycleable between. Ghent surprised me - a bit like Bruges without the tourists. We went in and out from Lille Eurostar terminal.

And as previous poster has said, the beer is indeed awesome...

In reply to abr1966:

have a look here:
http://www.gamber.net/cyclebel/
This was recommended by a friend I climbed with who lives in Belgium. You can follow the Meuse river from Namur on either bank going south, its very picturesque and flat.
Its also where all the climbing is.

Graham.