Cycling The National Sport

I live in fear of the day that I accidentally hit a cyclist when I am out and about driving my car.  At the moment I drive a UK spec car which means that the steering wheel is on the wrong side and therefore I have to be quite sure of what is around me before I make a manoeuvre. 

It is useful to set the scene here.  The Belgians are passionate about their cycling as much as they are about their beer, in fact on occasion the two appear to go together!  The country has about as many hills as Cambridgeshire, which would also explain the popularity of bicycles in that part of the world too.  For the most part there are few significant hills to contend with, but that said, their whole attitude to cycling is different to that of the UK.

There are miles and miles of dedicated cycle lanes, although be warned that mopeds and small motorbikes also use them at breakneck speed.  The country is pro bicycle in every sense.  During the weekend in the spring and summer months you will find herds of lycra clad bodies pedalling by and quite frankly ignoring most of the highway code as they do so.  That is not to say they just swan around all over the place, no, what I mean is that they will ignore give way signs and other traffic signals, especially when in groups.  Like bouncing gazelles it would seem the one at the back is the most at risk of being picked off, so they urgently press forward and keep going.

I was driving thorough Antwerp one day and An was sat with me, she suddenly shouted to watch out as I veered and just missed the bike that had gone through a red light and was crossing the pedestrian crossing.  Despite the cyclist being in the wrong, I would have been blamed regardless.  In the UK such cyclists do not get the same level of respect or indeed impunity.  In the UK if I was passing cars or lorries then I know the risks and am bloody careful.  The Belgians on the other hand are much more aware of bikes and therefore they don't worry so much about overtaking.  That is until they come across a British driver whose mind set is somewhat different to the locals, in which case they get the scare of their lives and are lucky to escape!

The really good thing about bikes in Belgium is that there are people of all ages out and about going to and from shops and schools.  You get pensioners on nice comfortable bikes that your average Brit would not be seen dead on, complete with saddle bags.  I would encourage you to visit Leuven, the bicycles are not much to look at but the girls riding them are somewhat more pleasing to the eye in this university city.

One of my pastimes, I find this difficult to phrase because I don't get much pleasure from it, is running.  In fact it is best to describe it as a slow jog, which I do to keep fit and try to keep the weight under control.  Anyway, the point I want to get to is that when I go running I have to be wary of the bikes, especially the herds.  They do not slow down and they do not give you much room.  In fact you can get the odd disgruntled expletive as you seem to get in the way.  I must add that for the most part there are no footpaths, or at least not to the extent that we have in the UK.  The priority seems to be road, cycle lane and then footpath.  In the city centres they are better but in a lot of places they don't have them.

There are some die hard cyclists and there was a run I did fairly recently in a bit of a blizzard with thick snow lying on the ground.  Lets face it there was not many people out and about and I was seriously concerned about slipping and accidentally ending up in the Demer river.  Imagine my surprise when I was passed, very closely by a speeding cyclist!  I did not have time to swear at him and thankfully I did not end up falling.  Such is their commitment to their National sport.

I cannot really say a lot about the sport itself as I have little interest in it.  I could not tell you who the big players are or what famous competitions are held.  I think I prefer to cycle alongside the canals and stop at the local hostelries for a sample of beer in the sun, that way I get the best of Belgian culture in that respect.

Well that is all for now.