Cycling in Belgium
 

We're flying Lufthansa to Dusseldorf and taking the train to Brussels to begin a 500 km bike trip through Belgium . We found out too late the charge is $200 per bike one-way. So we're stuck renting instead of taking our own. We could rent bikes in either city. We need lighter road bikes and a good choice of sizes - can anyone help? Any ideas? Thanks!

Are you intending to do a round trip - so that you take the bikes back where you hired them from? I not sure you'd be able to do a one way rental unless you use a cycling holiday company that is willing to collect them at the end.
When do you leave?

Yes, a round trip from Brussels to Bruges, Antwerp and back to Brussels, leaving August 28.

If you want to look for detailed bicycle routes, I suggest to have a look at http://www.fietsroute.org/indexuk.php

On this website you will find detailed descriptions of bike routes in Flanders, as well as points of interest along routes of other regions. These rides are grouped by city and route. You will also find GPS routes to download.

might want to put the word brasserie in google maps whilst hovering over Belgium, should get about 350 breweries jump up. Thirst quenching

If citybikes will do, you can rent these in Brussels at Pro Velo. http://www.provelo.org/accueil_site_en.php3

In Antwerpen, try Fietshaven. http://www.fietshaven.be/Tourists.640.0.html?&L=eng

If you want race bikes, these companies might be able to tell you where you could rent these. Anyway, You can rent citybikes at Pro Velo in Brussels. If I were you, I'd take contact with these people and explain them what you want and to make sure they put the right sizes aside for you.

Hit the 'submit' button too soon ...
I was trying to say: Anyway, if I were you, I'd take contact etc. etc.

What a pity this wasn't posted immediately in the Belgium Forum ...
About renting (all kinds of) bicycles in Belgium and Ghent:
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...ike-in-Belgium

In Belgium we have cycling networks. Basically it's a net of junctions with numbers and arrows pointing you from one junction to the other. In order to make your itinerary, go to www.fietsnet.be, a combination of Google maps and the junctions and their connecting roads. Clicking a start and destination junction will give you the distance and junction-path to follow.

Topping for Bicyclefriends, stardust, or cycling flanders to see.

I'll be in Belgium in a few weeks and want to visit Bruges and take a good 1/2 day ride in that area towards the coast. (maybe about 50-60km @ 25kph)

I've found several Bruges bike shops that rent hybrid bikes, but I'm looking for a road bike for a longer, faster ride. Any recommendations? I'll be coming in from BRU airport and will have a car, so I'm very flexible on pickup location within 20km of Bruges.

I'd be happy renting a flat pedal hybrid, but even happier if I could find an SPD pedal road bike for the day.

Beware the dread cobblestones of Belgium - one reason locals use fat-tired bikes!

Racing bike rental company in Belgium | Europe Forum | Fodor's ...
http://www.fodors.com/.../racing-bik...in-belgium.cfm
4 posts - 3 authors - Last post: Jun 3, 2010
Plum, in Gent - try it - one of the most famous racing bike places - not sure if rent but have used bikes for buy re-sell - anyway check em out ...
Plum-Gent bvba

www.plum-gent.com/Kijk ook eens naar ons 'PLUM-NEWS' - Hier vindt U de allerlaatste nieuwtjes van PLUM-GENT - !!! PLUM GENT doet mee op donderdag 7 oktober 2010 - Sfeervolle ...
Nederkouter 141
9000 Ghent, Belgium
09 225 44 62

@ J62
Have you asked for a road bike? Most bike shops have both hybrid and road bikes. Most people who rent bikes will want the hybrid bikes 'cause they are occasional bikers. Cyclists (even amateur, like my husband) have their own gear.

@ PalenQ
Cyclists don't have real problems with cobblestones --> cfr. the Tour of Flanders with "De Muur van Geraardsbergen".

Thanks for the tips.


I've checked with two bike rental shops in Bruges and neither rents road bikes.

The good news is I've found a bike shop in Ghent that does, but.... I'm arriving on a Sunday, and they are closed. The rest of the week I'll be working elsewhere in Belgium.

I'll be perfectly happy with a hybrid bike, especially since there are no hills. Will continue to explore options through bike forums.

Thanks for the tips.

Some shops IME of riding bikes in Belgium for years will do a Sell and Buy Back agreement - check out Plum for this as I have had clients do that from them (but not recently).

It's a bit 'in between' Bruges and Ghent and they do have decent road bikes: Het Verzet in Deinze:

Het Verzet BVBA
Nieuwstraat 41
9800 Deinze (Astene)
tel. + 32 9 380 27 20
fax + 32 9 380 44 86
e-mail: [email protected]
http://www.hetverzet.be/home.php?page=8&detail=53 (Dutch only)
Mondays: 16.00 - 20.00.
Tuesdays-Fridays: 9.30 a.m. - 18.30 p.m.
Saturdays: 8.30 a.m. - 18.30 p.m.
Sundays: only for groups and after appointment.
Bicycle rental: 18 euro for one day, 28 euro for 2 days.

Plum in Ghent doesn't rent bicycles.

Here's the trip report.

Yesterday, 10/23 I arrived at BRU airport at 8am. Rented a car and drove to Brugge.

I knew that Bruges Bike Rentals and Eric Popelier were both open on Sunday, and only rented hybrid/city bikes.

I rented a bike from Bruges Bike Rentals for the day for 10 euros. It was a perfect weather day. 60F and sunny. I'd plotted a 50km route out along the coast and back.

The sign posts were easy to follow. While I wish I'd had a regular road bike, the 6 speed hybrid / city bike worked just fine. I visited the beach in De Haan, had a nice leisurely but steady 4hr ride before getting back to Brugges.

The weather was fantastic, and overall I had a great time. There is no better way to cure jet lag than a nice day of physical activity in the sun.

When I got back to Brugges I took a canal boat tour, ate some Frittes and waffles (not together). Later that day for dinner I had mussels and frittes. Another perfect meal.

Next trip I'm going to bring my own bike and spend a week traversing the lowlands of France, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

Thanks for all the tips.

Thanks for the feedback. Glad you had a good day cycling, and that the weather was so nice. Not obvious this time of the year (it's gray and rainy today!).

Great that you will come back for a few more days of cycling in the Low Countries by the sea. You will need accomodation then, and maybe you could check if http://www.vriendenopdefiets.nl is something for you. It's a typical Dutch way of staying with locals for comfortable prices.