The Hills Have Bikes takes riders from the Netherlands into Germany on a demanding self-supported bikepacking loop, starting and finishing at De Proloog café in Amerongen. Organised by Adventure Bike Racing, the event is built around a varied off-road route that seeks out the hills, forests and trails across the border.
The course covers 1,151 km with approximately 11,330 m of elevation gain, with around 60% off-road terrain. Gravel roads, sand, rocks, roots and singletrack make up much of the route, requiring riders to be comfortable across a broad range of surfaces. Navigation is based on a supplied GPX track, with riders responsible for managing their own progress and resupply.
The race is fully self-supported, with no private assistance or pre-arranged resources allowed along the route. Participants can enter Solo or Team categories, and must complete the entire course under their own power. It is an endurance challenge where self-reliance, navigation and steady progress matter as much as raw speed.
Based on this event's terrain, difficulty and riding style you might like these ultra events.
The Hills have Bikes covers 1150 km with 11300 m of climbing along the way — a fairly gentle profile from start to finish.
For The Hills have Bikes, we'd recommend a Gravel Bike — plan on 45-50mm Tubeless tires and a wide-range drivetrain, something like a 38-40T (1x) chainring paired with a 10-51T cassette, to handle the terrain comfortably.
The Hills have Bikes carries an overall difficulty rating of Advanced. The terrain itself is rough, technical terrain for a good stretch of the route, the climbing is steadily rolling, with a healthy amount of climbing, and conditions tend to run mild and generally comfortable.
The Hills have Bikes runs on July 23, 2027, placing it firmly in the summer riding season, with long daylight hours, though heat can become a real factor.
The Hills have Bikes runs primarily on gravel, and we'd recommend 45-50mm Tubeless tires to handle it comfortably.