To the colliery by gravel bike — riding in Germany's Ruhr region

Driving around in the Ruhr region? Total nonsense! You'll just be stuck in a traffic jam. Life is much better when you explore here by gravel bike. Gravel bikes feel right at home in this historic part of Germany and trails lead you through the dirty backyards of our beautiful Potts, as locals like to call the area. We name it after the coal mining ‘pits’ that the Ruhr’s industrial heritage has left behind.

I put this Collection together especially for the Gravel Games, which took place for the first time at the end of September 2021 on the grounds of the former Ewald colliery in Herten. It was a really nice gravel family reunion with lots of exhibitors, cool races and plenty of guided Tours (the one I led is in the Collection too). My idea was to leave the car at home and travel by bike and train instead. I scouted some brilliant gravel routes from three easily accessible stations in the Ruhr area: Essen, Bochum and Dortmund; and the Tours are between 25 and 40 kilometres (15.5–25 mi) long. Perfect for getting into a gravelly mood before the event!

The best thing about this Collection is that all the Tours work perfectly without the event. Ewald Colliery and the Hoheward slag heap are always fascinating destinations. Here, you not only feel the pure charm of the Ruhr area, but also cycle through an important piece of the region’s history, so keenly shaped by coal mining. It’s not all history and riding: you'll get huge slices of cake at the Ewald Café, while one of the most magnificent views in the entire Ruhr region awaits you at the top of the slag heap.

What you do with the Collection is up to you. There are numerous possibilities to choose from, so how much time do you have? If you only want to ride for a short time, you can take the Bochum Tour and ride it back again. If you want to ride longer, simply combine the Tours. For example, start in Dortmund and end the Tour in Essen.You can get back to the starting point in no time at all by train. And if that's still not enough for you, just add my circular Tour, which takes you around the Hoheward slag heap in a big circle.

Whatever you decide, you can expect the finest gravel fun. I scouted all the Tours myself and worked on them until they were perfect. They represent a mix of everything that is fun on a gravel bike: a bit of road, but above all a lot of gravel paths, tracks and sometimes a few trails – it certainly won't be boring. Through this Collection, you'll get to know the Pott’s quiet, rural side. I hope you have a lot of fun!