Went to Belgium last summer and did a few days riding around the classic cobbled area south of Gent, loved it so we are going back this year again but fancy trying a few days around Liège this time.

I found it quite easy to find routes last time due to the Tour of Flanders museum published them and loads were sign posted at every junction.

Anybody know where I can get some good routes taking in the classic climbs? Thinking of staying in Liège itself if anybody knows if a nice place

Watching with interest as we’re off to Belgium for a couple of weeks on Saturday. I have no useful advice as it’s our first trip but we’re taking road bikes and somewhat flexible about where we end up (camping). The Tour of Flanders stuff is definitely on the list.

For the Flanders stuff we did 3 routes out of oudenaarde all about 60miles each – all brilliant took in all the cobbled climbs on quiet roads and all sign marked.

Heading to Belgium as well, on Saturday staying 10 miles from Antwerp initially (very flat, stayed there last year) then heading to a place near Maastricht,ill be hitting 3 countries in a ride as the borders are all very close.
Going further south into France at Charlville and then back north towards Wallers to try my hand at the cobbles around the Arrenburg.

Bastogne and back?

3 countries could be a good one

I just bought a holiday home in Luxembourg province, and while all of you seem to be talking exclusively about Flanders, there is beautiful riding to be had around Wallonia, especially the Ardennes.

Wallonia Is the plan hence why we are going to Liège

If you want to do a ‘three countries ride’, you could head to the ‘drielandenpunt’ which is where the Belgian, Dutch & German borders all come together. You get the great photo opportunity of standing in one country and then having each wheel of your bike in another different counrty! It’s also the highest point on the mainland of the Netherlands – so you can also say you’ve ridden to the highest point of a country! 😉

Ardennes riding is bloody hard work though. It’s beautiful but there’s an awful lot of up and down in an average ride.

Bring your armbands though, it’s monsoon season down here.

Love that Dave

Atlas, please tell me that will have changed in the next week or so!

Liege is a dump, I’d see if you can head about 10km south and stay in somewhere like Tilff which has better access to the quieter roads. You could either look up the Liege-Bastogne-Liege route, or simply head towards La Roche or Spa. Lots of quiet roads to enjoy if you stay off the main routes, but do take your climbing legs.

Houffalize has some lovely trails but it’s a bit out of Liege

Achouffe is also good and you can combine a visit with the brewery there 😉

Recently rode in Luxembourg & that was also super. Mullerthal, not so far from German border so again a bit of a trip out of Liege area

There’s a lot of flooding around Liege at the moment!

Why is Liege a shit hole?

Is Bastogne any better? Not really precious about Liege just after a few days accommodation in that general area as the riding/roads looks good and want a few restaurants and a few pubs in walking distance.

Bastogne is a bit bland really. Nothing much to recommend it other than the war stuff. For riding around Bastogne on the road, I’d head south into Luxembourg as the roads are much better on average over here.

Atlas, please tell me that will have changed in the next week or so!

Well it’s sunny and warm today and tomorrow if that helps? Next week, MONSOOOOOOOOOOOON again.

Anybody any experience of Houffalize as it looks nice a quaint?

We are not going for another 4 weeks so hopefully it will have carmed down by then!

From what I recall of one brief stop there, it’s a typical small Ardennes town. Some bars, some restaurants, some places to stay and of course, there’s a load of XC riding around there. It was nice enough but not memorably so.

The long range forecast is awful but I’m choosing to ignore it. Usually Late June-September tends to have a lot of rain but it’s not torrential. Usually it’s warm enough not to worry about a rain coat if that helps. But we had snow in May so who knows.

Sorry to keep bothering you but what about Rochefort as a base for 3 days road biking?

To be honest, I’ve never set foot there. Anecdotal evidence says yes though, a friend did a day trip and enjoyed it but for him, it wasn’t THAT different from riding closer to home so I never went myself.

Not quite the same area but not too far – I’ve just spent a few days in the Eifel region in Germany and took the road bike for the first time. The road biking is great – smooth tarmac, loads of cycle lanes, often across the fields well away from roads. Lovely scenery and switchback valley roads, not much traffic. Not mega elevation but I prefer that.

Every time I stopped to look at a map I had someone stopping to help me too, they included an old boy in his 80’s riding a bike, two cops in an unmarked T5, couple of schoolboys of about 10 and a rough looking couple chain smoking fags! You don’t get that over here!

Did an uplift day at MTB park Hurtgenwald as well which was fun

Plan was to do 3 nights and 3 rides in Wallonia on the smooth roads – maybe a couple of nights in Rochefort and maybe a night in Houffalize or Spa
Couple of nights chilling in Gent – ace place
Couple of nights and 2 rides on the cobbles staying in Oudenaarde

My plans are staying fluid with every glance at the weather forecast! I have got until Thursday night planned and then depending which way this weather is going I may head north or south from Maastricht. I may yet again have to abandon my hopes of riding the Arrenberg forest cobbles 😥

I’ll agree that Liege is a dump, really really run down, I’m over there for two weeks working next week, can’t wait as I love it in Belgium.

If you go to Maastricht you have to head to Valkenburg. It’s another classic route to tick off with a ride up the Cauberg pretending that you’re Pip Gilbert.

Or maybe Sven Nys as the WC CX is in Valkenburg.

Booked now – 2 nights in Spa and 1 night in Huy. Should be able to most of the classic climbs round there