At 3.57 pm, a crowd has already gathered in front of the entrance to the event site. Everyone is waiting 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 site 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 collieries in Europe and at times 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 above the surrounding area – a difference of around 111 metres. Covering 170 hectares, it is the largest slag heap in the Ruhr region. It was created from the colliery’s waste rock. New land, quite literally: land that would not exist without mining. Today, people walk, jog and ride gravel bikes on the slag heap; there are even mountain bike trails. And in just under two hours, a cycle race will take place here.
Up once
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 the matter. However, I can’t help them with an Allen key – I’ve got neither water nor 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 for test rides. After a brief chat about cycling, 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 to start after me, this is her very first race. She’s nervous. I tell her I’m delighted she’s here. Just as the mountain time trial 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 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 to welcome the next one, and the next, and the next, across 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.
Inspiration
Saturday gets off to a cloudy start. But during a morning yoga session on the roof terrace, patches of blue sky peek through, hinting at a sunny day 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 exhibiting items but is also selling them. Some 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 are giving people wanderlust, but also the accompanying talk by Kathi Kruse, who is recounting her cycling adventure, ‘Final Frontier Patagonia’. There’s always something going on on stage too – from a live podcast with velo.FM to an in-depth discussion on ultracycling with Max Riese.
Birthday present
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 on offer 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 taking up cycling, she used to set off with a tent, hiking boots and her dog.
Her stories move me; I’m delighted to see how the bike is once again 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 gushes, 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 goes off for the Rose Scary Schotter gravel race. 250 riders are set to tackle the seven laps of 6.6 kilometres each, with a total elevation gain of over 660 metres – a record number of entrants. Many are about to tackle their very 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: a short, steep climb to the left, or a longer bend to the right. Christina, who has already competed here in 2025, explains this in the starting block. Last year, she didn’t take the steep climb until the fourth lap – which, she reckons, cost her third place. This year, she wants to do things differently right from the start. I’ve skived off 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 go left. 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 quitting, but my willpower was stronger.” None of the worries she’d had beforehand came to pass. The route was well within her capabilities, even though there were technical sections. She was almost always given a warning before being overtaken. Christina, too, 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 rainwear
It’s a dull, rainy Sunday. I’d probably think twice – or rather, 17 times – before deciding whether I fancied a trip to Gravel Ground right now. My answer would probably be the same 17 times over: it’s so miserable… Others are die-hards, though, 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