Wide and clear lanes, tight asphalt, no obstacles and as few intersections as possible where cars pass. Such a bike lane - on which you barely stand still at traffic lights - sounds almost like a dream. The province Brabant is working to make that dream come true and is tackling it big; from north to south and west to east it is building Brabant namely to a kilometre-long express cycle route network. Cycling in North Brabant has thus risen with a bullet on the list of things-to-do this summer and autumn. Because that's what everyone wants right? To ride on tight trails.
The F261 between Tilburg and Waalwijk is one such express cycle path that is already in use. Two distinctive green stripes and a centre lane even separate the two halves of the road. And you'll find a 'bike rest area', may sound a bit corny but you will find chill benches with a canopy and a picnic table. A great place to recharge for a while.
Also between Breda and Etten-Leur, Den Bosch and Oss and Eindhoven and Valkenswaard, you'll skim over the asphalt, as well as between Tilburg and Rijen. The latter cycle path is brand new - it was opened at the end of June 2022.
Bicycle avenue
And then there is another gem in the Breda area that makes us cyclists very happy: the Fietsallee. This is a network of super-tight cycle paths between Breda and Alphen. The best-known cycle paths are Slingerdreef and Huisdreef. On these very wide and largely car-free cycle paths, you wind right through farmland and forests. And do you have a gravel bike? Then just dive off the smooth tarmac into the woods. The best of both worlds side by side.
The Fietsallee is the perfect cycle path when you want to go for a spin on a beautiful summer evening after work. Especially during 'golden hour', the light here shines beautifully through the trees on the cycle path. As Huisdreef and Slingerdreef are very sheltered, this is also a must when it is windy.
Bels Line
Not entirely coincidentally, Fietsallee is connected to the Bels Lijntje. This spot between Tilburg and Turnhout was home to a railway until the late 1980s. Since then, it has been replaced by a 37-kilometre-long cycle path that takes you in a straight line through the Flemish and Brabant countryside.
French Lane
Another delightful road is the Fransebaan in Alphen. It may not be a cycle path, but you won't encounter many cars here either.
Crescent path
The Langstraat - a region between Den Bosch, Tilburg and Breda was once the centre of the shoe and leather industry in our country. The Langstraat railway line ran through that region. Many shoe factories were located next to this railway and shoe sellers travelled with their shoe models to other parts of the country to sell their shoes. Therefore, the railway soon got the nickname Halvezolenlijntje. In time, the Langstraat increasingly faced competition from abroad. As a result, the region's vibrant shoe industry collapsed. In the late 1970s, the railway line was demolished and partly turned into a cycling and walking path. This is another of our favourite cycle paths in the Breda area.
Route cycling in North Brabant: over the smoothest asphalt!
We built you a route of about eighty kilometres in which we have incorporated the above cycle paths. From the Fietsallee to the Halvezolenpad and the Bels Lijntje, this route will take you through central Brabant! Cycling in North Brabant thus becomes a real party.
Good to know:
- You can shorten the route considerably by taking the new express cycle path F58 from Tilburg to Rijen and then cycling back to the starting point via Dorst or the Rijksweg and Bavel. You then miss the express cycle path between Tilburg and Waalwijk and the Halvezolenpad, but end up with a round trip of about 50 kilometres.
