(Klein) Willebroek

Excellent (cycling) weather for the first time this year on Sunday. Time to go for the first longer distance:

Without a concrete aim where to go we started out towards north to cycle along some of the waterways up there. Starting along the canal from Brussels via Vilvoorde towards the Schelde. As of Tisselt there is no more cycling path along the canal, so we decided to follow the knooppunten into Willebroek. At the main bridge in Willebroek turn right to follow the signs towards Klein Willebroek. This charming little village with a small leisure port, an old lock a few nice cafes/restaurants is also a good destination to get out of Brussels for a Sunday afternoon. It is also close to the recreational areas "De Naeyer", the "Broek or Arkenbos" or the "Hazewinkel". All of this makes a nice getaway from busy Brussels parks like Tervuren or la Cambre with nice walks like this one.

There is also an American tank that commemorates the Second World War when the bridge of Willebroek over the Schelde was crucial to reach and liberate Antwerp.

Back along the Zenne it would have been nice to stop at one of the cafes next to the river (like this one at the "Zennegat" which I can really recommend). Overall quite similar to this ride but shorter.

Around the airport

I didn't have much time for a big ride this Saturday so I took this rather uninspired tour around the airport. The taste of sweet kerosene:

I did this on Saturday this weekend just after heavy rainfalls. The bike would suffer. But it is still winter so I was on my "bad weather bike". One of the criteria for the new flat was to have a decent place to clean the bike. Not a cellar or garage. The courtyard and the water hose really are a quick and easy alternative to cleaning indoors. So rain is a bad excuse for laziness.

very close to IKEA, yet countryside.

The way out through Nossegem and Sterrebeek is unspectacular, yet good to ride, safe for some passages on these concrete roads and unuseable "fietspad" through Nossegem. Just don't use it.

In Perk I passed the picturesque Kasteel de Ribaucourt which is unfortunately not open to the public. The area around it, the Hellebos, is nice for Sunday afternoon walks (and a beer or coffee at Chalet Lillebroeck). A good alternative to the Tervuren Park or Bois de la Cambre without the masses.

Back via Houtem (probably the ugliest village in the area - or is it Peutie?) into Brussels where surprisingly only minor bike cleaning was necessary:

First ride 2015 - finally

As late as never I started the new year's cycling season - last day of January. At least not a month without a ride since 2010.

And it was nothing special. 45 kilometres past Vilvoorde and back via "the Zemstes" (Zemst-Laar and Zemst-Bos) and Haren into Brussels. Riding deliberately slow to keep the heartbeat steady around 120-125 bpm resulted in a shameful average speed of just 23 kph. But it felt good to be outside again and see that in recent years the number of winter cyclists increased. Similar to the overall number of cyclists in and around Brussels. Hope this has an impact on the ridiculous obligation to use these "cycle paths".

No GPS track or photos this time except for this one where I had to stop anyway:

Wait! There was a road here last year?!

Weekend ride along Zenne, Rupel and Schelde

This great sunny Sunday I decided to go for the first 100k ride this season. A relatively flat one, along the rivers Zenne (yes, the one the runs underneath Brussels. Belgians! Why would you cover up a river that runs through a city? I'll never get that. It's what is missing in Brussels), Rupel and Schelde.

The GPS track and map is available here.




Leaving via Vilvoorde means the little climbs around Grimbergen are at the end of the tour - maybe not the best idea. However, once you are at Eppegem you already cross the river Zenne for the first time but the cycling path along the river is either non existing or non-paved. Only at Hombeek, after about 25k you reach the nicely paved "Jagpaad" that runs along the river Zenne. From here it is 40k pure cycling pleasure along the rivers.

along the Zenne at Zennegat. There's a nice little inn just left of the Bridge

for once there's good road surface in Belgium

A few kilometers down the road I passed through Klein-Willebroek which is a nice, quiet little village at the Rupel. Also nice for walking (Hazewinkel, Arkenbos) and having a drink on Sundays but hard to get to by car.

As from there it becomes a bit less scenic and less good roads. Through the industrial area of Willebroek, along the Rupel and the canal there are, however, some nice areas:

why would you make such a bikepath?

However, from there it gets better along the Schelde. A good 20k ride on nice surface until scenic Sint-Amands. You can use the free ferrys all along the way and change from one side of the Schelde to the other. Around Sint Amands it gets quite busy on Summer weekends. Understandable if you see the nice cafes and restaurants along the river. Like Klein-Willebroek I can also recommend Sint-Amands for a weekend trip out of Brussels.

Sint Amands (Foto copyright Van Grasdorff)

The way back to Brussels, some 30k or so, follows quiet back country roads and has some hills at the and towards Grimbergen. The way into the city is relatively easy.