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I've still got sort of tacit permission from my wife for a long weekend in Belgium next year.
Clearly, the original objective was cobbles and classics, maybe a Sportive and Spectating combo at Roubaix or Flanders.
Buuut... I really want to explore and ride as much as I can while I'm there, and am willing to forego riding the same routes as the professionals and even the spectating if needs be.
I've found some excellent looking gravel and cobbles routes, one each taking in the classic cobbles of Ghent - Wevelgem, RvV and P-R, 85km, 125km and 145km respectively.
I could try and stay somewhere in the middle like Avelgem, but it might still require travelling to a start point each day. Alternatively just stay in Oudenaarde so at least ond route is from the door.
Only problem is that I would likely be on my tod rather than in a group, I haven't found any sort of packaged group holidays for this sort of thing.
Anyone ever done something similar? How is public transport with bikes in the Flanders/Roubaix areas?
Ta
Check out this route on Strava: https://strava.app.link/hoErfZDqUUb — Gravel Gent-Wevelgem
Check out this route on Strava: https://strava.app.link/TyRhYbIqUUb — Flanders Gravel
Check out this route on Strava: https://strava.app.link/ezKVCUJqUUb — Grit Gravel Roubaix loop
I've done the Tour of Flanders sportive 4 times, and it really is the most brilliant bike ride. The 2nd longest option packs in all the best climbs including a loop out to the Muur de Geraardsbergen which is just so iconic. Would recommend that, it's usually around Easter.
Oudenarde is a nice enough town and a good pick for a base. Gh ent is better as a place, but it's a train or car to start the day, (or an extra 30 odd mile addition to the ride)
The one flaw I see in your plan is going on your own. Can you not rustle up a few mates? Makes it a proper trip if you can find some socializing buddies, that's a close second best bit about going to Belgium.
I have a really good guide book/map called Bergs and Cobbles but can't find a copy of it online or eBay. As you are a regular here, PM me and I'll lend it you if you want. LEND though, I definitely want it back! 
For transport it's really not too bad. I think it's 4 EUR for a ticket per journey for your bike and they even have a section of their website so you can check your journey to see if there are any problems with a bike on it
https://bikeontrain.belgiantrain.be/en
The easiest way to buy tickets is just download the 'sncb' app and you can buy the ticket for you and pay the bike supplement at the same time. It's in English and is super easy
https://www.belgiantrain.be/en/tickets-and-railcards/bike-ticket
Oudenarde is a nice enough town and a good pick for a base. Gh ent is better as a place
Agreed, Ghent is a lovely town to stay in for a few nights. Oudenaarde would be ok but Ghent is lovely for a wander around
I have a really good guide book/map called Bergs and Cobbles but can't find a copy of it online or eBay. As you are a regular here, PM me and I'll lend it you if you want. LEND though, I definitely want it back!
Definitely! I'll even send you something as collateral 😎 Any of the titles below of interest?
The one flaw I see in your plan is going on your own. Can you not rustle up a few mates? Makes it a proper trip if you can find some socializing buddies, that's a close second best bit about going to Belgium.
Yeah I know, I think I'll need to compromise somewhere, the most likely buddies that might join me have already done P-R sportive so might be less inclined to do it again, but also they're less keen on gravel so the gravel/cobbles combo might not appeal to them. However I guess I would be willing to do e.g. the 3 day Flandrien Challenge with no gravel if it enticed others along.
Problem there is 3 or 4 cyclists all travelling from Edinburgh probably rules out taking the train (I don't imagine LNER/Eurotunnel would have space for 4 bikes, let alone the connecting Scotrail services) so it would require flights and transfers. Or hiring a mini-bus and ferrying from Newcastle I guess...
I did a few "package" holidays years ago but it was a mate with a minibus. He did organise everything, we did pay as "customers", he was doing it to build experience before setting up his own touring company but Brexit basically killed it all for him.
Ghent is the nicer place but Oodenaarde has some great cycling history.
I'd say research your routes thoroughly. A lot of the climbs are in a very compact area and you often end up having to double back, loop around, ride sectors both ways etc to create a route. It's quite a contrived route, put it that way.
Simon Warren (author of the Hundred Greatest Cycling Climbs series) as a book of the Belgian bergs and cobbles, worth seeking that out.
I've done a couple of the Sportives out there as well including one that used Mur de Huy.
I have to do a couple of days in Brussels with work each year - past two times I've gone to Oudernaarde day before and ridden the bergs. Very much recommended, although the landscape did remind me of riding round West Lancs with extra cobbles. But stuff like the Koppenberg, Paterberg, Muur etc is Holy ground - great experience to ride for yourself. Super easy to route, you wouldn't even need a map as it is signposted.
First time I brought my own bike on the Eurostar which worked ok, but was a bit of a hassle travelling with it. Next time I hired a bike there but it was a bit average - I didn't put much thought into it, just assumed they would be good. I'd bring my own or plan better next time.
I told the guy at the LBS I was going to do the Muur, which is a bit of a ride away from Oudenaarde, and he just looked at me and said Why? I found this pretty funny, as if this was such an absurdly basic tourist thing to do on a bike. But he then told me the last British rider to hire his bikes had put the derailleur into the spokes on the Muur, which he didn't sound very happy about.
You might be surprised how easy the Bergs are in the context of just riding up them, they're not crazy efforts or anything close. But both the Muur and Koppenberg have some bite to them, steepen up quite a bit.
You might be surprised how easy the Bergs are in the context of just riding up them, they're not crazy efforts or anything close. But both the Muur and Koppenberg have some bite to them, steepen up quite a bit.
This is very true. You ride them to ride the same ground as countless hundreds of pros in dozens of spectacular races.
If they weren't used in that context, there'd be nothing special about them really.
Just put aside any notions that you'll be anywhere near the top 200 on Strava! 🤣
if you fancy company mate, i would make one in.
ridden loads of the cobbles in belgium over the years. but plenty to go at.
ferry to the Hook or to Rotterdam, than a nice days ride to Brugge.
then Odenaarde, Brussels, Antwerp and beck to ferry. 400ish km loop.
or Dover Dunkirk ferry if easier. different route missing Antwerp. same distance.
Have been over to Oudenaard 3 times now from Edinburgh - flew in to Brussels then direct train to Oudenaard.
The Cycling in Flanders site has some good route suggestions.
We wanted to complete the Flandrien Challenge on our visit last year so we could get our names on the little cobbles in the cycling museum, timing meant we only had 2 days riding so mapped out a couple of routes, day 1 was 105km and finished in Geraardsbergen, had a great meal at the restaurant at the top of the Muur, then train back to Oudenaard, then second day (220km with a lap of the Roubaix velodrome thrown in for good measure) finished in Ypres, again easy train back to Oudenaard.
Day 1: https://strava.app.link/AabUeCbaVU b" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Check out my ride on Strava: https://strava.app.link/AabUeCbaVUb
Day 2: https://strava.app.link/59u3IPi9UU b" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Check out my ride on Strava: https://strava.app.link/59u3IPi9UUb
As above, all the climbs are surprisingly manageable, unless it's wet and muddy in which case the Koppenberg is nigh on impossible, but the pace the fast riders go up/along then is phenomenal.They're also a hell of a lot smoother than some of the sectors on the Paris Roubaix which we added in the year before, the Carrefour de l'Arbre is comically rough.
Some good food and drink options in Oudenaard too, Odnar is decent.
Did the Gent Wevelgem sportive a few years ago, it was absolutely ace. Got there early and rode to Harelbeke for the E3 race with beers a plenty.
Stayed about 2 miles outside Wevelgem in a farm type Airbnb