Belgium Day 1

Coming to Belgium as a cyclist, I certainly had my expectations. I was hoping for idyllic country roads, cobbled climbs, a cycling-mad atmosphere, and plenty of beer, waffles and frites. While some of those were certainly met, there were a few surprises waiting along the way. After landing yesterday, I met Patrick Bevin, a Kiwi pro moonlighting for the U23 national team (normally riding for Bissell in the U.S.) who unfortunately was left without a bike after BA managed to lose it in Heathrow. Climbing on this morning I began my arduous journey out of Brussels. The published bike routes simply do not exist. If they actually do, they are not signed. Thank god I had programmed the route into my Garmin so I had some semblance of the vague direction I was supposed to be heading. There were several beautiful streets along the way, some cobbled, others perfectly paved, most with lanes which was a major plus. Finally exiting the city, I was instantly plunged into a thick forest from where the Fietsroutenetwork started, just outside the official city limits. An extraordinarily extensive route of signed bike routes, they connect across Flanders. I was delighted to find a few strade bianche deep in the forest. Working my way out to civilization again, passing through suburbs and towns, along a 12 inch wide dirt path next to a field. I made it to my destination, an incredible shop called Goodeau Cycles, packed wall to wall with Merckx bikes. The way back proved to be a little more interesting, as I was often forced off-route by some obstacle or another only to figure my way back again. The first park back within city limits had one of the most savage stretches of cobbles I've encountered yet. My arms were in agony after the run, at one point my rear wheel hit so hard I heard the rim vibrate and sound like a tuning fork. Weaving my way through an industrial landscape also proved to be less than fun. Bad roads, somewhat sketchy areas made me drive for home that much harder.