Cycling in Belgium / Flanders

you won't see any dead bodies strewn about the countryside, they've cleared it all up now

Not even the odd hand sticking out of the ground? Sod that then.

I'll be in Brugge this time tomorrow night (on a Brompton). Where do I eat -recommendations ?

ta

Plans to cycle from Leuven to Amsterdam :

Wednesday to Saturday :

Rain, snow, sleet or sunshine :

Leuven : Antwerp : Bergen op Zoom : Rotterdam : Amsterdam

anyone interested ?

Cycled to most of those places. Belgian beers means I don't recall any details..

Brugge and Ghent go without saying:

De Kulminator in Antwerp:

Canals riding to the coast from Brugge (Damme):

Tournai was nice, Ieper for the Menin Gate and nastiness of WWI.

Riding along the coast (Breskens) towards Nederlands.

i am planning a weekend in april
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/61026742/?new_route=1

I've ridden all around there. Good fun.
#probablyundertheinfluencemostofthetime

Love Belgium. Normally end up there in a boat but had an awesome time when I cycled. I was also drunk quite a bit.

Our Club has had an annual ride there every August for the last 26 years :)
We usually ride from Calais to Oustduinkirke on the Thursday, a mystery tour on the Friday, Brugge on the Saturday and back to Calais Sunday.
I can recommend some great restaurants in Oustduinkirke;
Oustduinkirke Google maps
The Normandie looks like a ship in dry dock, about 1 mile West of Oustduinkirke on N34

The De Mikke, the best steak I have ever eaten enough said. On the N330

As Hippy says the Beers are so good it becomes hazy ;)

This is a Taverna in Veurne Town Square
Veurne Google Maps

De Strooyen Hen in St Jan-Ter-Biezen is a great restaurant that sorted us a booking for thirty people at short notice.
St Jan-Ter-Biezen

fruity biers ftw

Cycling made simple in Flanders : http://www.fietsnet.be/routeplanner/default.aspx

I'm jealous. I've always wanted to cycle in Belgium. I've done the Netherlands and thatw as amazing.

The beer looks great as well.

I'd can definitely recommend drinking it rather than looking at it.

Bank holiday weekend cycling around Flanders, off from Lille and return there.

This is a preliminary route (though I am thinking clockwise probably would work better). Any recommendations, tips, campsites, Airbnbers?

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/15866394

Here some picture of my cycle-tour, same canal .. :)

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Some more pictures from my Belgium tour, including some taken at the Tour of Flanders museum at Oudenaarde.

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I would go straight from Lille to Ghent passing (and stopping) in Oudenaarde !!!

Don't miss the Museum, the Pub and the Muur too ...

http://www.crvv.be/en/310-brasserie

Too late, I've booked a place in Geraardsbergen, this is the current version of the route, having three days we are stopping in Geraardsbergen, Bruges and last night in Lille.

I might however change the first leg to skip Tournai, and do a more northern route across from Lille to Oudenaarde and then go south to Geraardsbergen after visitin the museum.

Also, where is this canal you are all taking pictures of?

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/15942152

The canal is located north of Bruges (direction to the sea), along the north sea cycling route, direction of The Netherland.

The Canal runs from Bruges (direction North-east) to Damme and finally Slus (very nice fortified small city). In Slus you will meet the "North Sea Cycle Route".

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I would support your idea to skip Tourney and from Oudenaarde, just in front to the museum you will find the signed "red route" that it will bring you to Geraardsbergen along the road of the Tour of Flanders.

The picture shows the 3 different paths, starting at the Museum.

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You have a place to stay in Bruges?
My in-laws have an airbnb in the city centre, kinda pricey tho.
Pm me if interested and I can get you the details.

Plan a lunch stop in Ghent, Bruges is kinda shitty and full of tourists. Ghent is a much nicer city to be in.

Darn, we booked one just yesterday! Any tip about restaurants/pubs is more than welcome.

That's the idea, lunch in Ghent and dinner in Bruges.

Don't miss this
http://www.carillonoudenaarde.be

Bruges is 1 big tourist trap, just a few good places for eating: Stoepa, Osteria 45 or De Republiek. Don't really know any pubs, but the Stoepa has a good beer selection also.

Ghent has a lot more options for lunch, my favorite burger place Uncle Babe's is an option. Or you can get ramen at Seli's Noodles , Pizza at Pane & Vino, healthy veggie burgers at Tasty World or just get "frieten" at de Frietketel.

Very good. Exactly what I needed. Now where in Ghent is the best delicatessen where I can shop fruit bread cheese etc. please?

No idea on "delicatessen", I go to the nearest bakery for bread; Pain Sebastien. Everything else from the supermarket.

You can go to the fruitstand on the Vrijdagsmarkt (big market there every friday before noon) or the bio-market from 8am to 1pm on sunday just outside Gent St-Pieters train station. There is a cheeseshop in the Donkersteeg and one in the Koestraat but I never go there. Posh eatings can also be found in the Aula.

Oh yeah, coffee breaks can be done in Or (Rapha Liberty shoot with Tiffany was done there) or Labath . You can go to Bidon but the service is shit, more expensive and have no affilate whatsoever with cycling apart from their faux pintrest interior.