Monday, 11 July 2011

Biking in Brussels


Until recently Belgium was in fierce competition with Cambodia and Iraq to win the least-desired title on Earth: the world record for the number of days without a national government. After winning this title - which many Belgians would have preferred to concede to the runner-up - the country's attention is now on the south. Running from Saturday 2nd July to Sunday 24th July, the Tour de France will bring a lot of Belgian fans to the roadside, and all are hoping to see their new hero Philippe Gilbert win several stages and catch the ‘maillot jaune’.

Indeed, in these complex times, cycling remains one of the few true Belgian national values (alongside beer of course - how could we forget?). Both Wallonia and Flanders have their own well-known races (De Ronde van Vlaanderen and La Flèche Wallonne amongst others); but what about Brussels?

Many people say that cycling in Brussels is dangerous. Well, I do not agree. It is true that a few cities in Europe, such as Berlin, Copenhagen or Amsterdam, are much more suited to urban cycling. But apart from these few exceptions, Brussels has no cause to be envious of other major European cities. In France, for example, Strasbourg is said to be the only city that encourages cycling. That is why, for me, cycling in Brussels is no more dangerous than anywhere else.

The situation is obviously not perfect but many ‘pro-vélo’ associations are working hand-in-hand with local authorities to improve traffic conditions for commuters and other occasional cyclists. Did you know that there is, within the European Institutions, an internal association that promotes the daily use of bicycles? For more information on the European Union Cyclists' Group check out their website: http://www.eucg.eu/

The joint work of such groups has led to the creation of some very useful projects, such as the Brussels map. Published by Bruxelles Mobilité and regularly updated, it gathers lots of information that might be useful when organising your biking trips in the Brussels area, such as topography, specially-equipped facilities for cyclists (all kind of bike paths), inter-city cycling routes, location of bicycle parking areas, lists of cycling shops and more… If you want to have a look at it, the map is available at the price of €1. What a bargain!

So, for less than the cost of a metro ticket, you can buy a guide that will help you to explore every single street of Brussels by bike. Now what if you don’t own a bicycle yet? You can find many second-hand bikes for sale in different areas of Brussels (stores and repair shops, markets, small ads etc). No need to buy the latest model - a repaired and customised antique will fit the bill. The urban bikes' hype has been in full swing for some time now, so it’s not uncommon to come across people trying to ride more original bikes than their neighbours. Let's say that for the average price of fifty euro - the equivalent of a one-month subscription to the public transportation service - you should be able to become the king of the road.

I know what you are going to say. It often rains in Belgium; the roads (and their mad drivers) are too dangerous; what if I get sweaty when travelling to the office? Well, let me say that:
1) Since the beginning of our stage here, the weather has been unusually sunny.
2) You get used to the traffic very quickly and learn to overcome its traps.
3) Some Commission buildings already have showers for bike commuters.
4) Need I say more...?

Keep in mind that the fastest way to reach a point which is at the very most six kilometres away is, in 110% of cases, by bike!

And if you have trouble getting out of bed every morning, 15-20 minutes of exercise before getting to your office will wake you up much more than your sacrosanct morning coffee.

Now that sunny days are here (fingers crossed), would you prefer to go home peacefully by bike or by taking overcrowded public transport during rush hour?

And last but not least, every little helps when it comes to protecting the environment!

So, convinced? See you on the cycle paths then! If not, feel free to have a look at the following links - I have no doubt that you will eventually fall in love with cycling.


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