I just found out that we are moving to Belgium (Antwerp) later this year. Anyone know what cycling is like there?

We lived for 3 years on the Dutch/German border near Roermond and I am wondering if cycling in Belgium is rather like Holland. If so, I am delighted.

I last cycled through Belgium probably 20 years ago so this may not be too much help... but my memory is of a great network of small roads, with lots of elderly 'roadies' out at the weekends. Don't recall the same level of segregated paths as Holland but I didn't go into the towns much.

You could always have a nosey with Google Streetview to get an idea of the street layouts where you'll be living...

This sounds very positive:

[bikethoughtsfromabroad.blogspot.co.uk]

--
Peter Eland - Velo Vision publisher

If you have only a little knowledge of cycle racing you'll be aware of the vast network of single-track roads and forest tracks (some still cobbled) that criss-cross the countryside. I'm sure you'll enjoy cycling there - it's always exciting to set off on rides having not ridden the roads before.

The north and west is like the Netherlands.

The midlle gets litlle gets hillier around Namur.

You cross that river that goes to Leige and beyond and a get blooming steep hills.

Eastward is hillier.

You can do a tour of lots of Beer brewisies. Like the Trappistes.



Grrr. I getting confised in the compass. I better have a look at one now.

I've only done a couple of weeks touring with a Belgian voluntary group -[flanderstour-en.blogspot.co.uk] - it was great. Lots of cycle paths. Though the Belgians said that the Netherlands was better, it was unbelievably good after the UK. Not many hills!
The divided roads often had defined cycle routes and most footpaths in the cities seemed to be marked as shared so everyone was on the lookout for cyclists. Lots of cycling contraflows down one-way streets and best of all motorists were quite relaxed about giving way to cyclists. When we were on a minor road wanting to cross a major road, the leaders would walk onto the road, hold up his hand palm forwards and the cars stopped! No drivers tooting, they were smiling while 18 cyclists crossed! Cars often stopped to let cyclists & pedestrians cross.

Thanks for the advice. I have done a bit more reading and discovered that the North of Belgium is very much like Holland for cycling and as that is where we will be living, I am very happy with that news.

What town are you moving too?

As I mentioned in the Opening Post, Antwerp.

Grrr.
Whereabouts in the city. North, south, west or east. In the city istself or one of the villages just outside it?

what are you going there for? Work. What you do?

The last time I was neary in Anvers was last year when I go struck by Hayfever.
Snot coming out nose and crying a lot and the eyes stopped working. In the end I was back to the seaside.


Ages ago I was in camping in St-Job-in-'t-Goor, north-west of Antwerpen, when my bike had a problem with it's bottom bracket. It kept in unscrewing. I took it a shop and the owner welding it in, "Sealed for life," is what he said to me. He aslo told me to I could gift Maastrict on a towpath folling the canal behind to shop. I went and it did.
It was a Rick Powell frame.