want to race overseas

[Michele]

Home hosting in Italy I guess its not that common.
One choice might be rent a room/sharing apartments but that's something you usually find in major cities especially for students who move around for join some universities.

 

[craig1985]

Anyone have any advice regarding living and racing in the states or europe ??......i would like to try it for six months see how it all goes and take it from there...not quite sure how the whole visa thing goes if theyll let me stay after extended periods etc etc but ill work that out.
if anyone knows of accomadation or good places to stay that wont break the budget or im willing to bunk with other cyclist trying to do the same thing...anyways would love to get some help regarding this as im keen to make the jump over there in the next 4 to 5 months cheers.
if anyone out there has done this would like to hear how you went about it .

You are allowed 90 days in Belgium or Holland without a visa, providing you are not working.

 

[fatandfast]

You are allowed 90 days in Belgium or Holland without a visa, providing you are not working.

if you fly into Frankfurt or London,both normally cheaper than most Belgian airports. You can drive into Belgium and live the rest of your life as long as you don't get into trouble with the police or try and collect welfare. Belgium is like a forced labor camp,just ask anybody,most will tell you they want to be somewhere else. Better kebabs than most countries.Kebabs are why most people remain living in Belgium

 

[LugHugger]

if you fly into Frankfurt or London,both normally cheaper than most Belgian airports. You can drive into Belgium and live the rest of your life as long as you don't get into trouble with the police or try and collect welfare. Belgium is like a forced labor camp,just ask anybody,most will tell you they want to be somewhere else. Better kebabs than most countries.Kebabs are why most people remain living in Belgium

What about the beer? Surely the second best reason to live there after cycling?

 

[Michele]

I thought it was due to fries!

 

[Lifeshape]

Frites, beer, cobbles and bikes. You can't go wrong in Belgium unless you have no heat. As for FatandFast's suggestions were remarkable and nothing short of inspiring. Could probably sell those ideas and be a contributor to Fodor's!

 

[Michielveedeebee]

Anyone have any advice regarding living and racing in the states or europe ??......i would like to try it for six months see how it all goes and take it from there...not quite sure how the whole visa thing goes if theyll let me stay after extended periods etc etc but ill work that out.
if anyone knows of accomadation or good places to stay that wont break the budget or im willing to bunk with other cyclist trying to do the same thing...anyways would love to get some help regarding this as im keen to make the jump over there in the next 4 to 5 months cheers.
if anyone out there has done this would like to hear how you went about it .

Indeed, come to belgium. The best place to stay is in Kortrijk honestly, I live here and race too. As we've got a university too it's easy to rent a room/studio...
accomodation is fine and it's a lot cheaper than in Gent, Leuven, Brussel or Antwerpen. You can get in here easily There are loads of very nice rides to do, from flat to hilly to cobblestones.
If you'd like more information you can always mail me at michielvanderbauwhede@hotmail.com or PM me Good luck

 

[Michielveedeebee]

hehe so i heard ..carbon is definetly a big no no there....im going 32 spoke shallow rim =equals no problem
Well less problems anyways!

HOPEFULLY

I'm riding carbon and live in belgium, it's no problem whatsoever
Concerning races there is at least 1 every weak and in vacations up to 5 so don't worry

 

[GreggGermer]

I'm riding carbon and live in belgium, it's no problem whatsoever

Unless your given the carbon parts (especially handlebards, stem, seatpost, saddles) I wouldn't suggest to a rider they bring carbon to Belgium. I have a box full of broken carbon parts to back up that claim. It isn't that carbon is bad, it's just a matter of reliability and cost. The difference in cost of carbon to standard metal equivalent is usually great enough not to justify the expense.

Now if you are pro and they will just give you the parts when you break them, then by all means, use carbon.

 

[Michielveedeebee]

Unless your given the carbon parts (especially handlebards, stem, seatpost, saddles) I wouldn't suggest to a rider they bring carbon to Belgium. I have a box full of broken carbon parts to back up that claim. It isn't that carbon is bad, it's just a matter of reliability and cost. The difference in cost of carbon to standard metal equivalent is usually great enough not to justify the expense.

Now if you are pro and they will just give you the parts when you break them, then by all means, use carbon.

no, seriously, just avoid doing cobbles too much and your bike's just fine
Now question is were you rode in belgium?

 

[craig1985]

Thinking about what fatandfast said a few pages ago, it got me thinking, and it will probably happen in 2011 at the earliest, but I was thinking about popping over to So Cal for a month, as a vacation and to do some racing as well. I know people in San Diego and they have similar things to what you said with the female form over there (why I want to go ). It would happen during your summer months (eg August) and do some racing and go out and do some training.

I have no idea where the best places would be, and how I would go since I hold an Australian racing licence and what I would need to do to be able to race. I would wear my club kit in the races over there. I have done races where there have been one or two people from the States, who are here on vacation and they were doing a race, and even one or two Italians. I would certainly be something different to what I'm used to.

 

[luigiV]

yyeh so cal sounds very good...maybee the language barrier wont be as much as a problem as belgium!....but belgium would be better racing and most likely more of it.
i want to find out if theres much english speeking over in belgium...or would i be trying to translate every word someone says hehe.

 

[craig1985]

I don't think you will have any language problems. If you go to Brussels, you might want to dust off your French.

 

[Michielveedeebee]

yyeh so cal sounds very good...maybee the language barrier wont be as much as a problem as belgium!....but belgium would be better racing and most likely more of it.
i want to find out if theres much english speeking over in belgium...or would i be trying to translate every word someone says hehe.

You won't be having trouble with your language, everyone in flanders can understand and speak english

 

[GreggGermer]

no, seriously, just avoid doing cobbles too much and your bike's just fine
Now question is were you rode in belgium?

I've rode all over Belgium (5 years racing, three as a pro) ... Lived in Oostende, Oostkamp, Zingem, De Pinte, Oudenaarde (so mainly East and West Flanders). My carbon recommendation comes from living here since 2002 and watching carbon break time and time over again.

As I said before, if you got the cash and the carbon is what you want, buy it. If you would like to use the extra cash you save and race and extra month or two in Belgium (or live in better conditions), then go with a simple alloy equivalent.

On my personal bike I have carbon on the seat stays and the fork (with alloy steertube).

 

[Michielveedeebee]

I've rode all over Belgium (5 years racing, three as a pro) ... Lived in Oostende, Oostkamp, Zingem, De Pinte, Oudenaarde (so mainly East and West Flanders). My carbon recommendation comes from living here since 2002 and watching carbon break time and time over again.

As I said before, if you got the cash and the carbon is what you want, buy it. If you would like to use the extra cash you save and race and extra month or two in Belgium (or live in better conditions), then go with a simple alloy equivalent.

On my personal bike I have carbon on the seat stays and the fork (with alloy steertube).

hmm, ik ben nog niks tegengekomen ze me carbon... nuja, zolang rij ik er ook nog nie mee...

 

[luigiV]

so youre saying i can just fly to belgium from australia with no visa hehe and stay the for 2 years if i like as long as i dont get into any trouble im ok is that what youre saying?
is that fact?..or youre just assuming this

 

[Michielveedeebee]

dunno about the visa part but you'd be allright in Belgium

 

[craig1985]

so youre saying i can just fly to belgium from australia with no visa hehe and stay the for 2 years if i like as long as i dont get into any trouble im ok is that what youre saying?
is that fact?..or youre just assuming this

You can stay up to 90 days. But I guess if you pop over to Germany or the Netherlands for a weekend or two and come back into Belgium you might be alright.

FYI, the Schengen Agreement