I've just got back from a long weekend cycling in Belgium. It's been said before, but the cycling facilities they have there are so far ahead of ours that it is embarassing.
The canals are wonderful. Many great big, tree-lined canals, usually with a wide (6-10 ft) tarmac path on each side. The main roads are pretty good too. Proper cycle lanes, wide enough for two abreast and protected from the traffic, and (the critical thing which we get wrong), priority over traffic joining from side roads. Then the cities; being able to go the wrong way up one-way streets in places like Bruges and Ghent makes it so easy to get around. Finally the drivers; virtually everyone gave way to us, even when we weren't expecting it. I didn't use my Airzound once in 120 miles, and hardly used my bell - only for the odd pedestrian to warn I was coming.
I was expecting to see some electric bikes but the only other one we saw was another Wisper, on the back of a car in the queue for the Shuttle at Calais!
Looking forward to going back
Frank
The canals are wonderful. Many great big, tree-lined canals, usually with a wide (6-10 ft) tarmac path on each side. The main roads are pretty good too. Proper cycle lanes, wide enough for two abreast and protected from the traffic, and (the critical thing which we get wrong), priority over traffic joining from side roads. Then the cities; being able to go the wrong way up one-way streets in places like Bruges and Ghent makes it so easy to get around. Finally the drivers; virtually everyone gave way to us, even when we weren't expecting it. I didn't use my Airzound once in 120 miles, and hardly used my bell - only for the odd pedestrian to warn I was coming.
I was expecting to see some electric bikes but the only other one we saw was another Wisper, on the back of a car in the queue for the Shuttle at Calais!
Looking forward to going back
Frank
