Originally Posted by Alpenstock (Post 21909870)

Your average Belgian hates cyclists because they get in the way of drivers speeding on their way to work and back home. The only time Belgians like cyclists is in spring classic season, when they get to take the day off, set up their picnics along the road, and get drunk. Most people watching those races are drunk, not that there's anything wrong with that.

Plus, given all the Italian bikes that most europeans grew up with, what's the use of trying to out-do the Italians? It just can't be done.

However, now that cycling has changed to carbon-fiber-everything, there's no reason a Belgian company couldn't get into the game. On the other hand, given that beer is the Belgians' main contribution to city life, there is probably more beer-drinking going on than cycling.

If you really want to know, beer is probably one of the most important cultural and consumer goods produced in Belgium. There are still six or seven monastaries making traditional beer and there is a yeast storage facility going back hundreds of years to protect beer integrity. Not much hops are produced in Belgium though; their beer is sweet and not a lot of hops are used brewing, esp as compared to Germany or England.

So probably, given that Belgium's industrial days are long gone, as well as the cycing class that went with it, unless bikes can be 3D printed, there probably isn't going to be a serious bicycle industry there. In the end however, it is still a "great cycling nation" even though it's more of a pasttime and you will always find beer in every cycling event in Belguim.

Cheers