Good bike shops in Ghent, Bruges, Brussels?

I'm very common, so perfect... :)

• Apologies to resurrect this thread -
  I'll be in Ghent next week and was wondering what people can recommend to do/see/eat etc, so far I've planned to go to Plum and Godefroot and also to visit the Kuipke track.
  Any other suggestions (cycling or non cyclying related) on Ghent/Antwerp are welcome. As I haven't been to either place for quite some time.
  Thanks.
  

I love Gent. Try out as many bars and beers as you can. Check out the cathedral, the squares and the canals. Eat stacks of top quality Flemish food. Enjoy it.

I don't know Antwerp so well, but was there a couple of years ago. Reubens House was interesting, the Cathedral is superb and the Fashion/Design Museum was surprisingly good.

Thanks andyp, any particular bars or just try them all?

Hi there Folks!

Jaw, try them all at the old part of the city, but first pik up the guide of the city for students - There you have a lot of things to do and see, with a precious help from a little piece of paper... the food is not very good... almost everywear... but I'm portuguese :) ok, the steaks r not bad... DON'T lost the Design Museum, the Van Eycks shop, the catedral & use your bike everywear!
Cheers you all

escargots! (actually whelks)...you'll see them for sale in the street.

Some of my favourite bars in Gent;

Het Waterhuis (on the canal north of the main cathedral square)
Trollkelder (near Sint Jakobs church)
t'Prayer Book (although it's in Flemish and for the life of me I can't remember what the word is)
The Gallows House (just across from Het Waterhuis and is absolutely tiny)

noted for Rollapaluza trip.

Cheers, I'll give those places a try for sure.

re-opening this thread here..

any good shops to visit in Gent, Mechelen or Brussel?

+adresses would be nice

Ghent:
As mentioned before: PLUM Gent, Nederkouter 141, http://www.plum-gent.com/
And furthermore: BIKER, Steendam 16, http://www.bikerfietsen.net/
DE LIGFIETS, Lange Violettestraat 49, http://www.deligfiets.be (recumbents)
DE STAD FIETST (=JOMASPORT), Koningin Fabiolalaan 7, http://www.destadfietst.be/
DOSSCHE SPORT, Antwerpsesteenweg 36, no website.

Van Eyck in Aalst (mentioned above), http://www.vaneycksports.com/

plum is big, nothing special though

was in Belgium last week, i know a good Italian restaurant in vilvoorde and where to get a prime horse steak. but didn't see any bike shops.

i did see a fixie skidder though.

Thanks for that, I'm off there next week with my bike club for a few days.

Just had a couple of days in brugges and gent, there is new shop in Brugges, high end moultons, pashley, stylish tools and quality books and saddles, the owner Cristian was very friendly and spoke faultless English, and he knows bikes.
www.excellerbikes.com

its at philpstockstraat 43

Is the Cohiba track bike still in Jerry's Cigar Bar?

I don't know the name of the hotel, but there's a place on Kurte Vuldersstraat in Bruges that has four bikes on turbos set up facing each around a table in the reception...

Exceller was nice for a look round, but pricey.

i stayed at the waldyk hotel, really friendly and great value, fab breakfast.And Eddy Merckx has slept there.
If you get a chance visit the half moon brewery food is fab value.. 16 euros 3 courses,and great beer

second pullingteth, ran into trouble in Brugges and this guy was amazing

last minute trip. leaving tomorrow. yes!

Just had a couple of days in brugges and gent, there is new shop in Brugges, high end moultons, pashley, stylish tools and quality books and saddles, the owner Cristian was very friendly and spoke faultless English, and he knows bikes.
www.excellerbikes.com

I can report that this place is floor to ceiling with beautiful stuff set out in a very stylish manner run by a very enthusiastic chap. Seems to specialise in British bikes and bike bits, no Carradice but he does have a good range of gilles berthoud instead. Tempted, very tempted.

Had to go to Ghent today 'on business', so paid a visit to Plum.

Interesting enough shop, but nothing to write home about - limited selection of clothing, components etc. Condor is miles better.

However, as I had travelled such a long way, I decided to buy a Plum cap as a momento. When I went to pay, the guy at the counter shook his head and said 'it's gratis - a present from Ghent'.

Fucking top service - well done Plum.

+1 for exceller in Brugges, although they don't stock very much in the way of clothing as I remember.