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    Belgium

    Cycling the Low Countries // World Bicycle Touring Episode 28



    We took the Dover to Dunkirk ferry and rode a few miles in France before cycling through Belgium, the Netherlands, and Northern Germany. We primarily followed the North Sea Cycle Route, or EuroVelo 12, to travel through this part of Northern Europe.

    During this section of our bicycle tour, we dealt with record high temperatures and difficult wild camping. The riding was consistently flat and got a bit monotonous at times, but we found nice beach forests and incredible bicycle infrastructure to keep our spirits high.

    We rode this section in July of 2022.

    Blog post with GPX and more route info:

    The North Sea Cycle Route

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rollingexistence

    Support us on Patreon and get early access to our videos: https://www.patreon.com/rollingexistence

    Bicycle gear list below. We’re running a mix of traditional panniers and bikepacking bags.

    – 2020 Surly Ogres
    – 36h Rohloff Speedhubs
    – 36h Son 28 Dynamo hubs
    – Ryde Andra 40 rims
    – Marathon GT365 29×2.0 tires
    – Avid BB7 brakes, 200mm front, 160mm rear
    – Sinewave Cycles Beacon headlight/USB charger
    – Ergon SMC Core (Andrew) Terry Butterfly Century (Jenny) saddles
    – Rogue Panda custom frame bags
    – Ortlieb Back Rollers Plus rear panniers
    – Bedrock Bags Hermosa front panniers
    – Tubus Cargo rear rack (Andrew), Tubus Logo Classic (Jenny)
    – Planet Bike AL fenders

    Camera Gear:

    – Fuji X-T4
    – Fujinon 16-80 mm f/4
    – Fujinon 23 mm f/2 prime
    – GoPro Hero 8 Black w/Media Mod + DIY windscreen
    – Rode VideoMic Pro
    – Mavic Mini 1 drone

    Music Credits:
    Monma x cocabona – Garnet
    – Provided by Lofi Records
    – Watch: https://youtu.be/Lp9m6P8_BZc
    – Download/Stream: https://fanlink.to/lazySunday

    Laffey – Nighttime
    – Provided by Lofi Records
    – Watch: https://youtu.be/pteMemoeai4
    – Download/Stream: https://fanlink.to/summernightsEP

    Laffey – Crush
    – Provided by Lofi Records
    – Watch: https://youtu.be/VGJCW-5rQiE
    – Download/Stream: https://fanlink.to/summernightsEP

    Flitz&Suppe x Mr. Käfer x Kupla – Ato
    – Provided by Lofi Records
    – Watch: https://youtu.be/UkUuwjMsW84
    – Download/Stream: https://fanlink.to/YokaiEP

    Jhove – It All
    – Provided by Lofi Records
    – Watch: https://youtu.be/8-wFwslDUbY
    – Download/Stream: https://fanlink.to/lazySunday

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    36 Comments

    13. T Man on

      It's a shame you didn't mention the places you went through after Amsterdam & in Germany, it would have made it more interesting for me.
      Though thanks for sharing your travels.

    15. ramdynebix on

      We rode most of your route in NL as well late this summer, just in the opposite direction. Recognized a lot of places 😄. And also a Hilleberg tent, just like us.

    19. Mardiff V. on

      The problem of finding a hidden camping site could have avoided by looking at Google Maps in the satellite image mode. Then you can see where the forests are, where you can stealth camp.
      Instead of following the coast along the Eurovelo 12, you could have the route: Antwerp, Breda, Nijmegen, Arnhem, Apeldoorn, Zwolle, Groningen to Leer, Germany. Plenty of small forests where you could have camped.

    23. Lucas K. on

      I see comments that wildcamping is illegal in the Netherlands. I think that is not completely correct. The national law was abolished a few years ago, so it is no determined on local level.

    31. ohjajohh on

      9:09 those things protect ships from the wind. It's usually quite windy there, and without this construction ships have a very hard time steering straight in small canals

    36. Sailing Aeolus on

      Interesting comment about the Netherlands being expensive. What was expensive? Food or digs/camp site fees? Also any problem wild camping in Germany? Supposedly illegal but that may just be for trouble makers?

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