Nurburgring’s 24-Hour Green Hell Bike Challenge: A Sustainable Racing Experience

I’m not sure what’s more daunting, the thought of taking a hot lap around the Nürburgring Nordschleife in a car or on a bicycle. I mean, at over 12 miles long with hundreds of feet of elevation change, it’s a recipe for disaster on two wheels. But every year, thousands of cyclists gather to take on the challenge of completing not just one lap, but multiple laps, nonstop, as part of a 24-hour endurance race.

This 24-hour bike race at the ‘Ring is part of Germany’s “Rad am Ring,” a major European bike racing festival. Think of it like Gridlife, but for MAMILs (middle-aged men in Lycra). The event features a variety of races and group rides along public roads and closed courses, covering a range of bike racing disciplines. And the crown jewel is, of course, the 24-hour ‘Ring race – an event whose difficulty is best illustrated by the challenge of completing even a single lap.

The 24-hour race combines the track’s Grand Prix circuit and the Nordschleife for a total distance of 16.2 miles, featuring 92 corners and 1,837 feet of net elevation change. At times, the grade reaches as steep as 17 percent – enough to make even the most seasoned cyclists sweat. But on the flip side, gravity helps riders come back down at speeds that can exceed 60 mph, all powered by their own leg strength. Average lap times come out to around 20 mph, with each lap taking around 50 minutes to complete.

If you’re thinking this race sounds undoable, you’re not alone. In fact, most people who enter the race are teams of two, four, or eight riders, competing in pro and amateur classes. Around 5,500 people gather for the race every year, and participants come from as far away as Japan. If you’re eager to put your bike to the test, you may want to start training for next summer’s race soon. And hey, who knows, maybe you’ll even hide an e-bike battery in your frame – we won’t judge.

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