Red Bull Steel Horse

If you thought you'd seen everything the Dutch have to offer when it comes to cycling, brace yourself! Red Bull Steel Horse is where people bring their homemade, two-wheeled contraptions and try to complete an obstacle course over the water. It's wet, wild, very silly and a lot of fun!

Red Bull Steel Horse (Stalen Ros)

The Dutch may be known for their risky and laissez-faire attitude to cycling safety, but this is on a whole other level. The game is simple: a complicated and narrow track is built over the Prinsengracht in The Hague. What this year's track will look like is still a tightly guarded secret, but in 2023 there were steps, ramps, bumps and a balance beam! Teams of two have to race as quickly as possible to the end of the track and ring the bell, trying to avoid a dunking in the canal as they go!

The bicycles that they ride are not your usual bicycles either. The rules for the homemade or adapted vehicles are that they must have two wheels, handlebars and a brake, they can only be powered by leg power and gravity, two people can sit on it all the way to the end of the race and it must be original. 

This means you might see people race down on a penny farthing or a bike that looks like a Roman chariot, or even a canoe! The designs are incredibly creative, but not always very aerodynamic.

Points are scored not just for reaching the end quickly, but also for the design of the bike and their outfit. The crazier, the better! 40 teams will be competing, and you are guaranteed to see some spectacular splashes.

Attending Red Bull Steel Horse

The event takes place in the Prinsengracht in The Hague, which is easily accessible by public transport. Given the competitors are risking getting a full-body dunking, it's only fair that the event will go ahead even if the weather is bad, so make sure you dress accordingly!

It's free to come and watch, with no registration needed, and banked seating is erected to ensure a view for all. The best spots will fill up quickly though, so don't get there too late. You can find out all about getting there and the starting time on the Red Bull Steel Horse website.

Thumb photo credit: Jarno Schurgers / Red Bull Content Pool