Evergreens – Holland's most beautiful year-round gravel routes
Bike Touring Collection by Gijs Bruinsma
7
Tours
32:18 h
257 mi
9,700 ft
In winter, I plan more routes than I actually do in real life. My rides are shorter and I usually mountain bike on familiar trails on the Utrechtse Heuvelrug. I’m not the kind of person who trains indoors – life outside is too beautiful for that. I like to get out and about, hike through the snow and freezing temperatures, ice skate when possible, and go on a winter trip in the Vosges or the Eifel.
On adventures like these, I often think about the routes I’ll do for one of my events in March. I usually share these trips on komoot and my socials. It’s great to read the reactions of novice cyclists, komoot users and experienced gravel bikers who think they already know every trail. I find it really rewarding to think that my routes give people new experiences.
So, thank you to all those who follow my komoot profile. This Collection of my favourite year-round gravel routes across the Netherlands is my way of saying thanks.
I’ve named the Collection ‘Evergreen’, the name of a popular song and the English word for trees that stay green all year. These routes have shown themselves to be perfect for year-round cycling. You’ll ride over the Heuvelrug with the famous Let de Stigterpad, explore the Veluwe and the Deelerwoud, bounce over flint roads in Drenthe, cycle past quarries in the Meinweg, head through the dense forests of the Rijk van de Keizer in Nijmegen, climb through South Limburg and take on the illustrious gravel roads through the Kroondomein, perhaps the most beautiful gravel area in the Netherlands.
You may or may not be aware that the Kroondomein area closes annually, though some gravel roads hereare accessible all year round. Few people know this, which is why a route here had to be included in this Collection.
Radio 5 has an Evergreens Top 1,000, but I don't think I'll make 1,000 routes, although a top 100 is definitely possible. That's for later though. For now, you can explore the most beautiful gravel routes in the Netherlands in this Collection.
On The Map
Tours & Highlights
- Expert04:0843.9 mi10.6 mph1,125 ft1,125 ftExpert gravel ride. Good fitness required. Some portions of the Tour may require you to push your bike.
Living on the Utrechtse Heuvelrug, I know all the trails and unpaved roads. My absolute favorite route is the round with the 'Evergreen under the cycle paths': the Let de Stigterpad. With, of course, a coffee stop at cycling café De Proloog halfway through. A vignette is not required for this route.
You…
- Expert03:0628.9 mi9.3 mph1,125 ft1,125 ftExpert gravel ride. Good fitness required. Some portions of the Tour may require you to push your bike.
Every sport has its iconic places and with gravel in the Netherlands you quickly end up at the Deelerwoud. Here are two identical trees on either side of a beautiful gravel path that is photographed by many cyclists. This gravel monument really belongs in this Evergreen round.
You start at the carpool…
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- Expert06:4638.4 mi5.7 mph1,175 ft1,175 ftExpert gravel ride. Very good fitness required. Some portions of the Tour may be unpaved and difficult to ride.
Several times a year, the Crown Domain is the Talk of the Town, because the Royal House then gets the monopoly over the trails for game management, or hunting. Fortunately, a number of dirt roads remain open year-round and you can race through the area on your gravel bike without getting shot at.
The…
- Expert04:0335.0 mi8.6 mph875 ft875 ftExpert gravel ride. Good fitness required. Some portions of the Tour may require you to push your bike.
The National Park de Meinweg rings a bell with most people, because there are not that many National Parks in the Netherlands, but who knew that there are many beautiful gravel roads that go far beyond the border? An unknown Evergreen, except for the enthusiasts. Now accessible to anyone who wants to…
- Expert04:0929.8 mi7.2 mph1,425 ft1,425 ftExpert gravel ride. Good fitness required. Some portions of the Tour may require you to push your bike.
For years I have been coming to the Rijk van Nijmegen, camping at the nicest campsite in the Netherlands 'Bij Ons In Groesbeek' or visiting the alternative city of Nijmegen. It is a fascinating area, because it is not that big at all, but it gives you the feeling that the forests and views are endless…
- Expert02:3328.2 mi11.1 mph500 ft500 ftExpert gravel ride. Good fitness required. Some portions of the Tour may require you to push your bike.
The name Erwin Sikkens is a well-known name among komoot users. I've been following Erwin for years. He is the komoot pioneer for me, who, like me, loves making routes and scouting Highlights. However, Erwin is able to process this and thus create hundreds of Highlights in the most beautiful cycling…
- Expert07:3352.9 mi7.0 mph3,525 ft3,550 ftExpert gravel ride. Very good fitness required. Some portions of the Tour may require you to push your bike.
South Limburg is the bicycle hotspot of the Netherlands. You can cycle over the famous climbs of the only cycling classic in our country, or follow the heavy mountain bike trails over these rolling hills. Gravel cyclists can also indulge themselves in this area: no wonder that South Limburg is a real…
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Collection Stats
- Tours7
- Distance257 mi
- Duration32:18 h
- Elevation9,700 ft
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