bike hire in Belgium?

vermooten
vermooten Posts: 2,697
edited January 2009 in Tour & expedition
Bike hire in Belgium - doable?
You just have to ride like you never have to breathe again.

Manchester Wheelers

Comments

  • Have you looked into Eurostar, now that you can book bikes on to the train you're travelling on? And if you're coming direct from Manchester by train, it's only a five-minute pedal between Euston and St Pancras.
  • vermooten
    vermooten Posts: 2,697
    edited May 2009
    Hi yes good point, I looked at that and indeed flight + excess is more than the Eurostar. Eurostar also takes 5h40m which is probably not too different to the flight once check-in and so on are taken into account.

    But I still prefer to hire a bike over there I think. It's just somehow neater.
    You just have to ride like you never have to breathe again.

    Manchester Wheelers
  • Nack
    Nack Posts: 61
    Definitely agree with bucksmatt - I live in Brussels and have taken bikes to the UK on a regular basis for sportives and Eurostar is by far the most convenient way to transport bikes, all you need is a bike bag which will take in your bike. Ideally the bike bag will fold into a rucksack which you can take with you to the hotel. Besides, taking your bike on Belgian trains is a doddle (as long as you pay or a ticket vélo) !

    You can try and ring one of the shops on the Irisnet website (http://www.fiets.irisnet.be/en/right_equipment_en.htm) but I really doubt that any will have any racing bike available.

    You wouldn't believe the trouble you have to go through in Belgium with cycling, from sourcing bike parts and accessories (I've yet to find a decent Belgian online bike store) to unhelpful bike shops (with a few notable exceptions) which will not let you test ride any bike...

    I'm planning on doing the 260km version, which one are you doing Andy?