We focus here on issues of particular interest to the cycling (or cycle-friendly) staff of the European Institutions. Information on events in Brussels and Belgium that also concern other groups of cyclists is provided on the GRACQ, PlaceOvélo, Brussels Regional Government, and Fietsersbond websites. If you have general questions about cycling in Brussels or in Belgium, these organisations may be able to help you; if you are interested in working for improved cycling facilities in general (and not specifically in and around the European Institutions) please take at look at these web sites. The EUCG encourages its members to join a local cyclists group. They have local sections in many cities and districts (communes/gemeenten) and are familiar with the internal workings of local government. If you work for one of the European Institutions in Luxembourg, you might be interested in Lëtzebuerger Vëlos – Initiativ.
If you work for the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) in Lisbon or the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in London, you may join the local bicycle users’ group (check your local Intranet for more information).
If you would like your web site included here please contact EUCG webmaster
The official Brussels cycle map — a success story !
The official Brussels cycle map with colour-coding of steep hills is published and regularly updated (a new edition came out in September 2010) by the Bicycle Department of the Transport Policy Directorate (DPD), itself part of the Equipment and Transport Administration (AED) – which now calls itself ‘Brussels Mobility’ – of Brussels Capital Region – see http://www.bruxellesmobilite.irisnet.be/articles/velo/carte-velo.
It is a ‘must’ for anyone cycling in Brussels, as it indicates cycling routes (existing or planned ones), cycle paths, SULs/BEVs (one-way streets with contra-flow cycling) and bike (repair) shops. Furthermore, it shows the public transport network, is accompanied by a street index, and, the icing on the cake, is plastic coated so that you can use it easily during your rides (even in the rain).
The EUCG is one of the cyclists’ organisations which distributes the cycle map of Brussels for a handling charge of 1 euro.
If you are an EUCG member and you want a copy of the map, please send 1 euro (well wrapped to avoid easy detection) via the internal mail to the office address of Kerstin Ringler (RTD), our EUCG map person (Kerstin.Ringler @ ec.europa.eu), together with a clear indication of your name and office address. Kerstin will send the map to you by internal mail on receipt of the money.
If you are not a member of the EUCG you can buy a copy of the map from GRACQ or Fietsersbond for 1 euro (+ postal charges, if you wish to have it sent to you). They are located at the Maison du Vélo / Fietsershuis, rue de Londres 15 Londenstraat, in Ixelles/Elsene (near Troon/Trône Square). You may of course consider becoming an EUCG member – which we would strongly advise anyway! – provided you work for a European institution.
Service Bikes
Staff working in most Commission buildings* in Brussels have access to a total of almost 300 service bikes provided by our employer. These bikes are intended to help you get from one building to another during their work. You must return them to the building from which you took them – they belong to a given building and are not intended for one-way journeys. You are not supposed to take them home, but should make every reasonable effort to return them to their cycle rack at the end of the day.
The keys are kept by the security guards either in the garage or at the main reception. Each bike is numbered. On most bikes you will find the number on the rigid bar that attaches the top left of the carrier to the seat post.
If something is wrong with the bike, please don’t forget to tell the guard when you return it or send an e-mail to OIB VELOS DE SERVICE.
Other EU Institutions (European Parliament and European Economic and Social Committee/Committee of the Regions) also have service bikes.
*This links to a list provided by DG Administration’s Green Housekeeping. Access restrictions apply to this server if you are using a computer outside the Commission.
Bike Mate
To help people get over any apprehension they may feel about cycling to work, the EUCG runs a “bike mate” service. If you would like an EUCG member who lives near you to drop by and collect you for a few days, while you get used to the route and traffic conditions, please let the EUCG Bike-Mate coordinator ( Kerstin.Ringler @ ec.europa.eu) know. She will find a volunteer who regularly cycles to work, who can show you the various options for routes to work and back and also give you hints for riding in Brussels traffic, telling you how to avoid obstacles on the way. One of the reasons the traffic can seem frightening at first is just that it is unfamiliar. After even just a few days cycling it can feel much better (especially as you ride past colleagues stuck in their cars in a traffic jam).
If you are an experienced cyclist and would be prepared to help unsure cyclists to find their feet, please let the bike-mate coordinator (Kerstin.Ringler @ ec.europa.eu) know that you would like to offer your services as a bike mate.
What people say...
People often like cycling for pleasure, but are reluctant to cycle to work daily. The most common objections are:
- It rains too much.
- The traffic is appalling.
- Drivers are very aggressive towards cyclists.
- Cycling is too much effort (not often said, but it’s often the real reason).
- I’d get all sweaty and there are no showers at work.
- I don’t know the best way to get to work and I wouldn’t feel comfortable just shooting off on my own.
Even the EUCG can’t do much about the rain, but many regular cyclists will tell you that it rains much less than most people think. Martin has kept a record for 2002-2004. He writes:
From Aug 2002 – July 2003 I needed rain gear 9 times. Aug 2003 – July 2004 I needed rain gear 8 times. In part this rate was kept low by the fact that I was away from Brussels on business or vacation for 66 days out of the 261 week days of the year.
The most useful statistic is maybe the probability of needing to put on rain gear (taking into consideration the number of trips I did) – which works out at needing waterproofs for one trip in about 20 single journeys (i.e. one trip, either going to work or returning home, every two weeks). Less than you might think!So…. good rainproof clothing is essential when you need it but you won’t need it as often as you might think! Traffic in Brussels is notorious, but most cyclists will tell you that it seems much worse when you are in a car.
To check if it wiser to stay inside for the next hour, or, on the contrary, to hurry before rain starts, consult meteox.be, zoom in on Brussels and klick on ‘verwachting’: No moving squares? No rain!
Daily cyclists will also tell you that drivers are not more aggressive towards cyclists in Brussels than in other cities, and in fact most Brussels drivers are not hostile to cyclists who ride in the traffic. We do fear the drivers with 4 arms, though – those who change gear, change direction, smoke and use the mobile phone at the same time! A lot of research shows that the health benefits of cycling are far, far greater than the risk of an accident. If you don’t cycle because you think it is too dangerous then you increase your risk of a heart attack by far more than the risk of the accident you have avoided.
Yes, cycling is an effort. But that’s a good reason for doing it. Exercise is good for us, and most bureaucrats (us) don’t get enough. Pedalling up and down hill twice a day is an effort, and that is good for your heart, lungs, and immune system. A major health survey in Britain showed that everyday cyclists gain about an hour in life expectancy due to increased fitness for every hour they spend cycling. It also does wonders to relieve stress.
Many buildings do in fact have showers. For the Commission the list is here.
Bicycle parking
Practically all Commission buildings and other EU Instituions in Brussels have a cycle rack in the garage. A few buildings also have cycle racks outside the main entrance. Unfortunately some of these racks are not always well designed. Most of the racks in the EU Institution garages are intended to hold the bike upright by the front wheel. Not only does this risk twisting the rim of the wheel, but it is difficult to secure the frame to the rack. Furthermore many wheel-holding racks are not designed to take wide tyres, and cannot be used by people with mountain bikes. Nor are they suitable for the popular folding bikes which have small wheels.
We prefer the “inverted U” bicycle rack that lets you rest the frame of the bike against the rack, and lock the frame to the rack. The EUCG encourages the relevant services in the Institutions with responsibility for the racks to replace the current inadequate racks with the inverted-U model.
Showers
Not every building has showers, but many* do. They are almost all locked and the security guards at the main entrance to the building will give you the key. The showers tend to be in rather obscure places in the building, but EUCG knows where they are and can tell you if you can’t find the one in your building. Why are they kept locked? After all, the toilets are not locked!
The Commission is trying to keep its cleaning bill low, and locking the showers may be a way of reducing the time cleaners spend in each building. If we keep the showers clean, we have a better argument for not having to go and get the key from the guards.
So please leave the shower clean!
*This links to a list provided by DG Administration’s Green Housekeeping. Access restrictions apply to this server if you are using a computer outside the Commission.
Bicycle Shops
The Cycling in Brussels site as well as the Fietsersbond and GRACQ sites have good lists of shops.
