Mick Hartley

A long weekend in Belgium featuring, as usual, plenty of cycling, confirms my belief that it’s pedestrians rather than motorists who make life in the saddle such a different experience from Britain.

It’s true that cars in Belgium are in general more accomodating to cyclists – motorists often stop to let cyclists cross busy roads – but it’s pedestrians who have to make the concessions that keep Belgium such a cycle-friendly place. Cycle routes may occasionally be on the road, but are far more commonly on the pavement – and often enough there’s little or no demarcation. Stepping aside for a cyclist is an everyday occurrence for Belgian pedestrians. Three of us were walking out for an evening drink by the banks of the Schelde (Duvel for me, since you ask) down a quiet country road, and had to move aside to let a couple of cyclists go past. Not a car in sight. My inner pedestrian couldn’t help but wonder why they couldn’t go on the f***ing road, but my Belgian comrades were shocked at my intemperate comments. For them that’s normal. In London you’d be dining out on a story like that for months. You’d probably need therapy.