Choosing to take a gravel bike to ride at a 200km mountain bike event might seem like a bit of a brave choice, but Timo Rokitta likes to challenge himself (and has previous form with this.) Will Timo and his friend Tim get squashed by a herd of fast charging mountain bikers on the first corner? Will they prove that #underbiking is really the way to go with off-road riding? If you want to find the answers, you’ll have to read on!
"Bartje 200 is an MTB challenge, but you can also participate with a gravel bike," replied the organiser in response to my question about whether a gravel bike was allowed. This motivated my cycling buddy Tim, who was immediately excited about the idea.
So, just before 8 am, we stood together at the start in the Dutch town of Ees, feeling a bit nervous about whether we could tackle the course on our gravel bikes. Two hundred demanding kilometers through the Netherlands awaited us. That's why we fitted heavily treaded tyres, as there are many challenging off-road sections today. At Bartje 200, it's not the climbs that add spice, but rather the singletrack trails garnished with mud and a lot of wind.
At precisely 7:50 am, the starting shot for the 6th wave, our start block, goes off. The first two kilometers are on a paved bike path through the forest, where we manage to overtake many mountain bikers. After that, we continue on an old cobblestone road, which is very bumpy. The first singletrack trail doesn't take long to appear. It's very slippery and my tyres are already being tested. Right from the start, I realise that I have a slightly different rhythm on the gravel bike compared to the mountain bikers around me. The straight gravel and sand paths, the cobblestone sections of Drenthe and especially the long asphalt sections at the beginning give me the feeling of moving really fast. But on the first singletrack trails with many tree roots and potholes, I notice how nice it would be to have a bike with some suspension. Since I speed up on the straights, I quickly reach the comfortable no-man's-land between the fifth and sixth waves, where I can find my own pace. For me on the gravel bike, the route proves to be an excellent mix of mountain bike sections, where I have to focus precisely on the lines to ride on the trails and the sand, grass and mud sections, where the main goal is to keep moving forward.
On a muddy path along a canal, Tim suddenly slips and ends up in the mud for the first time. The following very long stretch on narrow trails in the forest is very challenging. When the riders in front of me brake abruptly and I have to stop, the rider behind me falls down a slope and rolls over several times. Just before the first refreshment station, the track leads over a small bridge. The rider behind me takes the curve too fast and crashes full speed into the railing. I only hear a loud crash as he hits it. Tim arrives at the refreshment station a few minutes before me. I quickly eat something and refill my bottles.
Now comes the worst section of the entire course. To describe it in three words: mud, mud and more mud. Sometimes I can barely push my gravel bike because the water on the paths is so deep. After about 90 kilometers, the second refreshment station is in a cow barn. To get there, we cross a muddy field. I pedal like crazy but hardly make any progress. I drink two cups of hot soup and eat four raisin buns and two bananas. After the cow barn, it's back across the field, which is basically a huge mud puddle. A short but heavy downpour makes me completely wet. Now many riders stop to put on their rain jackets or wait under the trees.
A true highlight of Bartje 200 is the crossing of the "Drenthsche Aa," a picturesque nature reserve. Sandy terrain dominates the track here. A narrow part is compacted and it rolls reasonably well. But every time I want to overtake, I have to move into the deeper sand, which costs me unnecessary energy. Tim suddenly catches up with me from behind - I had lost him at the refreshment station. We now enjoy the small fast sections between the muddy parts with our gravel bikes. Here, we practically fly past the mountain bikers. This way, we more than make up for the disadvantage we have on the singletrack trails. On a very muddy path along a road, my front wheel suddenly slips and I fly headfirst into the forest. I land on my right shoulder and arm. Quickly, I get back up and just as I'm about to start again, a rider speeds past me on the right and crashes hard.
My shoulder and arm hurt a bit now, but in 5 kilometers, the next refreshment station awaits, which lifts my spirits. Here, I drink several cups of cola and take a painkiller to better hold the handlebars because of my aching shoulder. From this point onwards, the trails and faster sections alternate again. What I have to note here - mud and strong headwind are not a good combination.
The sun is now shining and our mood improves - the finish line doesn't seem far off anymore. At the last refreshment station at kilometer 153, we clean our dirty chains one last time and dive into the next trails. At a picturesque lake, it feels like a roller coaster, going up and down. But we celebrated too soon - a heavy downpour sets in, giving the forest with its moss-green floor a mystical atmosphere and making the ground even more slippery. A long cobblestone stretch shakes the last bit of strength out of our legs and arms. Three kilometers before the finish, there are three deep puddles again. I sink into them with my gravel bike up to the bottom bracket. My legs can still pedal hard, but I notice that my head is exhausted from constant focusing. But then we reach the paved bike path to the finish line - I practically fly past the mountain bikers at 35 km/h, who are now completely exhausted.
After about 10 hours, I cross the finish line, Tim arrives 8 minutes after me and he is just as exhausted as I am. We look like two breaded schnitzels and are delighted with the finisher medals we received. I don't even want to describe the state of our bikes. Since I burned nearly 7,000 calories today, I treat myself to a large portion of Dutch fries with mayonnaise and spicy sauce.
In December 2024, the winter edition of the Drenthe 200 awaits me to close out the year, hopefully with less mud next time!
If you would like to follow in Timo's tyre tracks, you can find his route here: