Belgian cycling, of course!
Make no mistake: Belgium is a country that spoils those who want to travel on a steel horse. Retro or hip, traditional or electric, quality, speed, comfort, aesthetics, there is a vast choice... and something for everyone.
Of the hundreds of bicycle brands that circulated in Belgium until after the Second World War, only a handful remain. But the range is also expanding with the arrival of new brands.
- The oldest is L'Avenir, founded in 1898 by the innkeeper and bicycle dealer Frans Mariën from Koningshooikt in Antwerp. Today, the fourth generation mainly produces electric models: for everyday use, city bikes, trekking bikes and folding bikes.
- Oxford - which looks British but is actually a Belgian company - started its activities in 1925. Today, it sells 35,000 units a year, including electric bikes and, since 2018, speed pedelecs.
- Achielle, named after the founder of the family business in Zwevezele, West Flanders, in 1946, will assemble a beautiful retro bike with the 'Handmade in Belgium' label to order.
- With the Granville, you get a technically advanced and comfortable bike of superior quality. Between 1952 and 2000, it was better known as Ludo, the manufacturer's son.
- Ridley, since 1997, has been appealing to sportsmen with fast racing and cyclocross bikes as well as mountain bikes.
- Two engineers bet on electric speedsters in 2017. Ellio was praised in 2021 for its outstanding design.
- The trendy Cowboy, born in 2017, received an award for the best bike design in 2018. You can only buy this sustainable alternative to the car online.
And to complete this brief (though far from exhaustive) overview, we should definitely mention the bike of our legendary Cannibal: the Eddy Merckx Cycles.