Summer Trip
 

The last week of August my wife is heading for Mallorca with the ladies from her family. I was going to do Normandy but that was when my 17yo was going with now she’s staying home so I want to be able to bail and get home quickly if I need to.

Arrive Amsterdam the evening of the 22nd then spend the 23rd riding the city and seeing the sights.

24 Amsterdam to The Hague it’s 40 miles so it should only take the morning and leaves the afternoon to see the city.

25 The Hague to Bruges it’s 100 miles so this is an all day affair.

26 Bruges to Brussels it’s 66 miles so while not an all day affair it’s close enough.

27/28 depart Brussels depending on how I’m feeling.

This as all scratched out via bike map is there anything else I should be aware of?

In 2017, I rode from Amsterdam to Passau. The first day, I rode to The Hague. By my odometer, it was 48 miles. I used bike paths that went west through the coastal dunes. Be aware of wind. Here is my journal entry of that day's riding, the first of the tour.

On a previous trip, I had met a someone who lived near Brussels. I asked about a route to his place and got this reply:

I met Lieven, who lives in Brussels, on my ride in Southern Italy and asked him about a route from Amsterdam to Brussels. Here is what he wrote:

From Amsterdam you take LF2 to the Belgian border. Very well indicated, nice and calm route!
http://www.nederlandfietsland.nl/lf-...f2-stedenroute

It looks as the gpx file is on the site, but you won't need it, once you are on track and outside Amsterdam, everything is well indicated till the Belgian border.

Belgian border to Brussels you can continue on the same track (it makes a detour via Leuven and can be less indicated, so gpx file might be usefull here). Anyway don't take Boomsesteenweg between Antwerp and Belgium (busy road, similar to the one where we met). Iit is the shortest way, but no fun at all. Best is to follow the LF2 to Brussels as any other route you take will be very busy (a lot of traffic between Brussels and Antwerp). http://www.groteroutepaden.be/route.php?itemno=95 (site with more info and gpx file, google translate the dutch). If you want to make a shortcut you can follow the LF2 till Mechelen and then go straight to Brussels (it can be busy and not so nice, but it will be only 20 km).

If you want, in Brussels you can sleep at our house.

Next day I can escort you out of Brussels direction of Namur, but honestly this is not a nice part, so I would advice you to take a train (appx 30 min) to Namur from Brussels. From Namur you can take the RV2 to Bouillon (I did some parts of this route, it is nice), and you will be very close to Luxembourg. Rando-Vélo Itinéraires and RV2 The tracks might be not so good indicated and there are gpx files on the site.


In the end, I didn't go to Brussels, I ended up riding East through Aachen. Here is the route I rode: https://trackmytour.com/7FT8g#1612165 . Here is a link to my complete journal if you are interested: https://www.biketouringtips.com/show...ges.php?jid=60 .

Thanks for the information!

i have just been looking at the LF2 route and while it doesn’t run the coast I hadn’t thought about the wind. It also breaks the ride up into three easier days vs short/long/medium. Like all things in 2022 there’s an app for it too with navigation and off line maps.


https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...02fb67461e.png

Looking at the areas it goes through I might be able to camp along the route instead of hitting the hostels like I planned.

As much as I don’t like to admit it the planned route with signs makes the trip more comfortable since I don’t speak any of the languages.

Now I’m off to search camping.

As far as I know the LF2 route has been discontinued.
It still exists but there's no signage and no official gpx files I believe.

For routing in Europe (and finding campsites) https://cycle.travel/map is very good.

There are lots of interesting ways to go go where you want to go and cycling/navigation in that part of the world is very easy.

Enjoy!

A brand new camping site just opened in Brussels, close to the Atomium:
https://www.camping58.be/

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...6d8145a6b.jpeg
I got into Amsterdam this morning, I’ll head to Brussels tomorrow morning

I used this super easy and effective dutch routing app, Fietsknoop

I don't have a dedicated GPS , so at first used my phone, but I'm not keen on having my phone on a handlebar mount or having it on all the time, so I ended up just writing down the days routes "junction post numbers" on paper to follow the Fietsknoop suggested days route.

Looked at phone the times we missed a junction or just wanted to see exactly where we were.

Used it a bit also in Eastern Belgium, but don't know how far it extends

Is there a reason that you used a front fender in rear? I suspect you did it because you had it and it fit, but if there is a technical or logistical reason, I am curious.

Having the fender extend down to near the BB really did keep less grit going over the FD chain area, just as lower front fenders keep stuff off the chain more too.

I know you don't have a FD.

Its the short version of the SKS 75’s, the long version covers the whole rear tire. Mounting fenders on this thing is a PITA and these mount up quick. I’m going to convert it back to flat bars for the winter when I do that I’m going to try a nice long set of Berthoud’s.

Got it. When I disassemble my bike to pack with S&S couplers, my full size fenders do not fit in the case. I have experimented with a variety of shorty fenders. I considered trying a front fender on back for that reason.

First day done, due to some bad map following on my part and some bad navigation from bike map it was ~135km day


https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...474dcbe92.jpeg

I like the frame geometry on that bike. Nice bike.

Ha, you sound like me. I always seem to take the "scenic" route. 😉

Had I not had a hard end time it wouldn't have bothered me so much but I had to be in Brussels by Wednesday night because I had to work Friday morning. That bad bit of navigation made the third day a long and hard. I intend to go back to the area in the spring and maybe follow the coast but I don't plan on going back to Belgium or Brussels.

Why not your BG? It is such a pretty bike.

It is a pretty bike, but it's sitting in a box in my garage while I decide where I want to take it.