At 3.57 pm, a crowd has already gathered in front of the entrance to the event site. Everyone waits patiently. At 4 pm sharp, the way is cleared – not a second sooner. The crowd starts to move. In the heart of the Ruhr region, amongst old slag heaps and right on the grounds of the Ewald colliery, the second Gravel Ground by MAXXIS is all about gravel bikes for the whole weekend.
The Ewald Colliery, on whose site the Testival takes place, was founded in Herten in 1871 – named after Ewald Hilger, one of its co-founders. Over the decades, it developed into one of the most productive coal mines in Europe and at one point employed several thousand miners. The last shift was worked on 28 April 2000.
Now the landscape is different; people now spend their leisure time here. The Hoheward slag heap, situated in the immediate vicinity of the colliery, rises 153 metres high, towering some 111 metres above the surrounding area. Covering 170 hectares, it is the largest slag heap in the Ruhr region. It was created from the mine’s waste rock. New land, quite literally: land that would not exist without mining. Today, people walk, jog and go gravel cycling on the slag heap; there are even mountain bike trails. And in just under two hours, a cycle race will take place here.
Mountain time trial up the Hoheward slag heap
The Van Rysel Legend of the Halde mountain time trial is new this year. 2.6 kilometres, 80 metres of elevation gain, up the slag heap once. As I’m about to warm up for the race, I come across two men on gravel bikes who look as though they need something. I ask them what’s wrong. However, I can’t help them with an Allen key – I’ve got neither water nor any tools with me.
One of them wants to buy a titanium bike and is taking the opportunity to go for a test ride on the Radon Tigard. There are over 50 exhibitors at the Testival, many of whom have brought bikes along that are available for test rides. After a brief chat about the technical details, I set off on my own titanium bike towards the starting line. Without warming up.
Around 80 riders set off at one-minute intervals. The women go first. I chat to the riders in front of and behind me. For the rider due up after me, this is her very first race. She’s nervous. I tell her I’m glad she’s here. Just as the hill climb is due to start, the sky above the site of the former coal mine is almost as dark as wet tarmac. It’s drizzling.
The seconds are counted down, then the spectators cheer us on loudly. For me, the 2.5 kilometres take eight minutes. When I reach the top, I’m greeted by those who started before me. I catch my breath briefly, then clap as the next one, and the next, and the next cross the finish line, until all the women have arrived. When asked, “How was it?”, the answer is always the same: “Exhausting”. On the spur of the moment, we line up for a group photo. The rain is unpleasant and cold. We head back down just as the first men reach the top.
Later, during the prize-giving ceremony, beautifully crafted trophies will be presented, and a Van-Rysel gravel bike will be raffled off amongst all participants.
Source of inspiration
Saturday gets off to a overcast start. During a morning yoga session on the roof terrace, however, patches of blue sky peek through, hinting that a sunny day lies ahead. Visitors and people who have just collected their race numbers for the ‘Scary Schotter’ gravel race are strolling through the Expo. Questions about tyres, bikepacking bags, lights and, of course, bikes are answered patiently. For the first time, Supernova isn’t just displaying items but is also selling them. Some people decide straight away to buy new bike lights, whilst others have a chat and come back again and again … and again. Then the decision is made: yes, I’ll take it.
At the MAXXIS stand, it’s not just the travel photos that stir up wanderlust, but also the accompanying talk by Kathi Kruse, who recounts her cycling adventure, ‘Final Frontier Patagonia’.
Groupride for a birthday
Karin is just leaving the festival site when I speak to her and ask what brought her to the Gravel Ground. Her answer is tentative at first, then full of enthusiasm. She plucked up the courage and rode in a group for the first time today – on her 65th birthday! Over 25 guided tours are offered free of charge. With names like ‘Kumpel, Kanal & Pottliebe’, ‘Easy Peasy Beginners’ or the ‘Supernova Nightride Schlägel & Eisen’, they showcase what the Ruhr region has to offer as a gravel cycling destination: not just an industrial backdrop, but also stunning routes. Many tours are fully booked within a short space of time. Karin has opted for an easy tour. To do so, she’s postponed her children’s visit until tomorrow. She’s been going on excursions and bikepacking tours on her gravel bike for three years. Before she took up cycling, she used to go out with a tent, walking boots and her dog.
Her stories really move me; I’m delighted to see, once again, how the bicycle is living up to its potential to bring people together, because Karin has already arranged to go cycling with others again next week.
For Karin, the tour is her birthday present to herself; for many others, it’s the highlight of the weekend. Tjorven, known as @tjorven_geschwindigkeit, also has excitement written all over his face when I ask him about the Nightride. “It was brilliant – riding a gravel bike through a mine wasn’t on my bingo card,” he enthuses, because, just like last year, the night rides were a very special highlight; they took participants through the Recklinghausen training mine.
"But my head got the better of me"
Even before Karin’s ride gets underway, the starting gun is fired for the ‘Rose Scary Schotter’ gravel race. 250 riders are set to tackle the seven laps of 6.6 kilometres each, totalling over 660 metres of elevation gain – a record number of entrants. Many will be riding their first race, and some are worried: will there be jostling? Is the course too challenging? The route is varied: climbs, flat sections, technical sections and fast descents. At one point on the course, you have a choice: to the left, a short, steep climb; to the right, another bend. Christina, who has already raced here in 2025, explains this in the starting block. Last year, she didn’t take the climb until the fourth lap – which, she suspects, cost her third place. This year, she wants to do things differently right from the start. I’ve skipped the course recce myself, so I’m as nervous as a cat on a hot tin roof. On the first lap, I spot the section straight away and take the left-hand route. For Frauke from the Windkante Rottstrasse e.V. club, the Scary Schotter is her very first gravel race – and the first time she’s maintained such a high heart rate for so long. At the finish line, she says: “On the third lap, I thought about giving up, but my willpower was stronger.” None of the worries she’d had beforehand came to pass. The course was well within her capabilities, even though there were technical sections. She was almost always overtaken with plenty of warning. Christina also reports proudly at the finish line, “It worked out!” From the first lap onwards, she took the steeper route. She finishes second.
Put on your rain gear
It’s a dull, rainy Sunday. I’d probably think twice – or rather, seventeen times – about whether I’d fancy a trip to Gravel Ground right now. My answer would probably be, seventeen times over, ‘It’s so miserable…’ Others are hardy souls and throw on their rain gear. Although the festival site is noticeably emptier, people are still testing bikes, going on rides and, most importantly, today is the Gravel Ground Rockets children’s race. For some of the children, too, racing is a whole new experience.
Sandra Schuberth
Editor