Conference noted::bicycle

         I can give some shop names that I have dealt with and have been 
    happy with.  The one that I like the best is International Bicycle
    shop in Brighton, Mass.  If you make it to Boston's western suburbs
    you may want to look around one of Frank's Spoke and Wheel shops
    ( located in Framingham, Mass, Westborough, Mass and Sudbury, Mass ).
    You can look under Bicycles in the Boston yellow pages for the 
    phone numbers of these shops.
    
        Abe;
         

    Peter,
    
         Some numbers of the shops that I mentioned.
    
    International Bicycle Center  (617) 783-5804
    
    Frank's ( through main shop in Waltham, Mass ) 
         (800) 649-3644
    
         Hope you know how to do international dialing.
    
         As far as the 600 gruppo is concerned, my guess is that the price 
    that you quoted from Belgium is about the same as what you would pay
    in the US.  I have not priced the gruppo lately but bought a full
    one about 2 years ago for around $400 US, the price almost surely
    has gone up due to US/Japan currency adjustments.
    
         I have a question for you since you are from Belgium.  Belgium 
    is a country that has about equal numbers of people who speak
    different languages ( the Dutch speaking Flemish and the French
    speaking Wallones(sp?), does this cause any ethnic strife in the
    country?
    
        Abe;  

    Many thanks for your answer.
    Now your question. First of all we are Flemmish and speak Dutch the
    same for the Wallonies who speak French.
    The situation in Belgium is as follow:
    Belgium is Since last year a federeal country split into four
    communities. The nord is Flanders (Dutch speaking), the south is Wallonie
    (French speaking), in the middle you have the capital (Brussels) plus 19 
    surrounding village whish are officially bilangual. The forth very small 
    part is the German community (of course just beside the German border).
    In general spoken all people who live in these "different parts of
    Belgium live in harmony near and with eachother. Most of the people
    are bi/tri or even quat-langual. 
    Of course their is some healty rivality between the different
    communities when it comes to sports and other non live-important
    things.
    It are only the politicians who are creating problems.
    Ex. We have one social security for the country which is based on
    solidarity. The politicians are argueing about who is getting most 
    out of it compared to what they are putting in. They call it
    onequal money transferts between the communities.
    
    So, this in short what's going on in our little country where it is
    very nice to live.
    
    P.
    

    .... And I'm going there the week after next (looking forward to
    that)...
    
    Peter,
      Any routes/places to visit between Blankenburg-Ieper-Armentieres (in
    France) ?
    
    /rod

    Ieper is worth to visit. It's their that we had the WW1 battles.
    You still have the trenches, some museums and uge grafeyards.
    
    Brugge is also not to far from Blankenberge.
    
    For the rest I will look on the map and post you a note next week.
    
    P.
    

    
    And if you're going to Ypres (or Ieper in Flemish) then stop off at the
    Kemmelberg about 10 kms away. This is the 1 in 4 cobbled climb that
    Ghent-Wevelgem uses. I have actually won a race up there... OK, so it
    was just me and some friends running up it, but it was still damn
    hard...
    
    Graham.

    So that's the Kimmelburg, Tyne Cot and Hill-60 (plus probably going via
    Sniper corner)....

    
    Just a thought regarding the Wallon-Flem rivalry. This was one of the
    reasons that Eddy Merckx was so popular in Belgium. He was from
    Brussels and so both main Belgian parts didn't feel guilty liking him.
    Criquielion was never accepted to the same extent because he was a
    French speaking Walloon and so the Flemish were always supporting
    another more-Flemish Belgian rider.
    
    I'll shut up now...
    
    Actually, I won't. Belgium is one of my favourite countries, even more
    so than France, and yet is always overlooked. If anybody is holidaying
    in Europe, give Belgium a thought. Bruges is still the only city that
    I've found more beautiful than Edinburgh and the Belgians are amongst
    the most friendly people you'll ever meet. Give it a go. The beers
    excellent for a start... :-)
    
    I will shut up now... :-)
    
    Graham.

and they invented that well-known culinary delight - chips with mayonnaise!!

    
    ...which you can buy from vans at every cyclo-cross to keep you warm
    while you watch.
    
    And fruit beer...
    
    And the best chocolate in the world (forget that Swiss muck...)
    
    Why do I suddenly feel hungry?  :-)
    
    Graham.

    Sounds great! What do they feed the fans?

    
    expired cyclists.... :-)
    
    Graham.