Episode 07, Part 1: The Great Belgium Randonnee
In Part 1 of this 2 part episdoe, MTB Ben and his son Aidan take you on their journey riding the Ardennes Arbalete in Belgium.
After a day full of traveling, they explore the city of Brussels by bike visiting beer gardens, the EU Parliment, and some local cafes for tasty food. Day 1 of the ride, Ben and Aidan hop a train to Liege and begin their ride on the Arbalete route. After learning that everything was closed due to the Easter Holiday, they travel to a hotel in Verviers so they can do some much needed supply shopping before continuing on the route. Day 2 the boys begin to really get into the hills and forests of the Ardennes. Aidan exeperinces some mechanical set backs (Spoiler alert - they get worse as the trip continues), but the guys are able to do some field repair and continue riding.
Part 1 ends with Ben and Aidan camped out in a tiny trailer at a campground too keep them out of the rain. They discuss their adventurs up to this point, over coming adversity which is a common need on larger bikepacking trips, and the tasty beer they were able to enjoy at a local brewery.
Part 2 picks up on Day 3 and will be out shortly.
Thanks again to this episode's sponsor, S&W Sports. Stop in before July 1st, 2023 and mention NEDIRT23 to receive 10% off bike accessories and make sure to thank the team for supporting New England Dirt!
To learn more about the route and places visited:
