The Hills have Bikes

The Hills have Bikes is a 1,150-kilometer gravel event starting in Amerongen in the central Netherlands, a country not typically associated with hilly cycling terrain but which the event's tongue-in-cheek name plays on directly. Despite the Netherlands' reputation for flatness, the route seeks out the country's limited but genuine elevation — moraine hills, river dikes, and forested ridges in regions like the Veluwe and the Utrechtse Heuvelrug — while likely extending into neighboring Belgium or Germany to find more substantial climbing, given the distance involved. The gravel-focused route reflects the growing popularity of off-road cycling in the Low Countries, where an extensive network of forest tracks and unpaved farm roads offers genuine adventure riding despite the modest overall topography.

Amerongen itself is a small village in the Utrecht province known for its castle and surrounding estate, making for a scenic and historic starting point. The event's self-deprecating name signals an event culture that doesn't take itself too seriously, even as the 1,150-kilometer distance represents a serious multi-day commitment for any rider attempting it.