Why RIDEHARD.HU?

Ridehard.hu was established in 2016 with the aim to realise unique cycling tourism projects. As the years pass more and more events are based around electrically assisted eMTB bikes and team building cycling, granting the core of Ridehard.hu, the hard core cycle touring and training camps retain their place in the calendar. Traditional programs serving the icing on the cake also carry on: the cycling adventures are complemented by the hip restaurants, ice cream parlours, cafés in addition to the region’s must-see attractions.

Our services
  •           E-bike touring with rental packages
  • Team building cycling camps
  • Private bike tours, cycling-related programs
  • Training camps on the island of Tenerife
  • Study tours
  • Diverse cycling events
  • Expert bike-related assistance

THE BEGINNINGS

The first main event held under the Ridehard.hu name was a cycling study tour in 2017, where a group of cycling journalists from a number of continents got the chance to experience bike riding around Lake Balaton and along the Danube Bend. The program was accompanied by the finest of local gastronomy and wine tasting. The 8-day event had quite a favourable reception in the international media, hence we decided to carry on the project by organizing study tours for the global cycling media in the Muraföld region and around Lake Tisza in the course of 2018. The participants then included journalists and influencers who took part in some vibrant events as well as having the opportunity to take part in an organized road cycling competition.

„RIDE HARD!”

Concerning the more traditional cycling experiences, we began organizing winter training camps in Tenerife, where cyclists could put down their base miles in January and February for the upcoming season, in ideal weather and road conditions. These caps became more and more popular among the amateur bike aficionado serving also as holiday excursions for some, as well as providing a chance for Hungarian elite cyclists and even champions to prepare for hard racing from the spring. The better-known participants include the now top professionals Attila Valter, Márton Dina, Szilárd Buruczki, András Parti as well as the complete junior national team.

Beside the training camps we also organized various road cycling outings as well as one of most popular amateur bike event, the Tour de Hunguest. The latter took place in 2019 with a large field calling forth major traffic closures as it traversed the east part of Hungary. The 2020 the event was first postponed date due to the COVID situation, yet a large number of participants still rode from the highlands of Lake Balaton covering the region all the way to the western borders. It saw a similarly positive reception in the Hungarian media as the study tours, in addition we are proud of the fact that participants choose return in 2020 despite the pandemic.

The E-Bike experience

Conforming to world-wide cycling trends, our event calendar saw a shift towards pedelec e-bikes. The first step involved organizing test rides in the Balaton region, Visegrád and the countryside near Budapest picking up 100% positive feedback. 2019 saw the launch of a collaboration with the Művészetek Völgye Festival, where the visitors had a chance to try out and experience a sizable fleet of modern e-bikes in the course of the 10-day event. The Balaton Highland region undoubtedly compromises of exiting and scenic cycling routes, so the success of the initiative was given.

In 2020 we signed an agreement with K2, the official Hungarian distributor of Scott bicycles in order to purchase a personal fleet e-bikes. This allowed us to propose regular e-bike tours and test events in the Buda Hills in the immediate vicinity of the capital. Pedelec bikes widen the scope of possibilities for cycle touring, permitting participants to cover greater distances, levelling off differences in strength and ride experience.

Likewise electrically assisted bikes infiltrated our team building training programs where the above-mentioned levelling effect is more than welcome. We are ready to organize any type of bike-based programs with the aim of building solidarity within a group, including multi day adventures. The number of participants presents no significant obstacles when it comes bike-related programs since we have managed to successfully organize many events numbering 50 to 100 riders, including ambulance support and road closures.

The founder of Ridehard.hu

Tamás Takács, a well-known figure in the Hungarian cycling culture not only founded Ridehard.hu, but takes an active role in organizing events, planning out routes as well as providing professional advice when it comes to choosing bike equipment for the participants. Takács was previously the editor of the largest cycling magazines in Hungary, Velo.hu and Bikemag. Apart from his professional background, the Ridehard.hu founder is an avid bike racer both on and off- road.