73k, H1.2k
TdB Regulations 2025
XLIV. Tour de Biere
Individual Time Trial – Friday, August 29, 2025
- Location: Holín – sports field
- Registration: from 16:00 to 17:00 – first rider at 16:15
- Course: “Prachovský Circuit”, Hill’s variant – along the bypass road
- Finish as in previous years on the meadow in front of Holín
- ATTENTION: Careful turn onto the meadow required → deviation onto the road or crossing the line = DISQUALIFICATION!
Information:
- The time counts towards Saturday’s tour.
- If absent, the rider receives the time of the last in the category +10%.
- Registration & bike check on Friday ONLY for time trial participants, not for those riding only on Saturday (technical & organizational reasons).
“In Memory of Hillouš” – Saturday, August 30, 2025
- Location: Jičín – Matěják, departure towards the Letná roundabout
- Registration: from 08:30 to 09:35 – latecomers will not be accepted!!!
- Start: exactly at 10:00 – no exceptions!
- Course: Hill’s Plan – according to attached map – this year classic route without changes
- Finish with safety detour in Kbelnice near Rumcajs
- ATTENTION: Section Valdštejn – Hrubá Skála has pedestrians!
- Distance: 73 km
Categories
- SCHWARZ – Men (no age limit)
- Bike without gears, with TORPEDO BRAKE!!!
- Not allowed: handlebar extensions, toe clips, clipless pedals, or similar improvements!
- VETERANS – from 60 years old, born 1964 or earlier
- Any bike allowed
- WOMEN
- Any bike allowed
Mandatory Equipment
- Front brake
- Both mudguards
- Working light
- Rear reflector / rear light
- Bell / horn
→ Checked at registration – 5 minutes penalty per missing item!
Note: Partial tolerance for “freewheel crickets” and shiftable torpedo hubs – 30 minutes penalty!
DO NOT FORGET YOUR HELMET!
Current road traffic rules apply to ALL participants!
Additional Information
- Time limit: 8 hours – late arrival = removal from results list
- Fee (includes Hill’s Plan, souvenir sticker, swimming pool entry & finish line beer upon submitting stamped map): 200 CZK
- Finish & Closing: Jičín – Kníže swimming pool – awards ceremony at 18:30
- Afterwards: gathering, tents, refreshments, fun & music by Mr. STANIOL!!
Hillo’s Original Historical Rules
The event was held every year on the last weekend of the summer holidays (the weekend where the preceding Friday still falls in August).
On Friday afternoon there was the “time trial,” which was optional, and any absence was compensated by adding the time of the last rider in the given category +10%.
On Saturday morning followed the “main race.”
The only qualification and essential mandatory equipment was a good mood.
The rest simply meant riding the course according to Hillo’s plan from start to finish, and at each checkpoint consuming at least one beer (ladies were allowed a small one). At the finish, the last beer had to be drunk, and the drinking time was measured and evaluated (the so-called “intermediate time”).
Categories
- M – Men / up to 59 years* – only on “SCHWARZ” bicycles
- V – Veterans / 60 years and above* – on any bicycle
- Z – Women / women and girls – on any bicycle
* Age is calculated by year of birth, not by the exact date.
For example, in 2010 the veterans’ category included those born in 1950 or earlier.
SCHWARZ
And what exactly is “SCHWARZ”? Simply an old bicycle with the so-called torpedo hub – the world-famous, most perfect freewheel hub.
The absence of this part meant disqualification – exceptions were granted by Hillo only for rare designs such as historic giant wheels, etc.
To the frequent question: “Does the bike have to be the SCHWARZ brand, or is a UKRAINA enough…?”
The answer: it doesn’t have to be the SCHWARZ brand specifically, as long as it complies with the rules (torpedo freewheel hub, front brake, light, reflector, etc.).
It could therefore also be from other world brands: Achiles, Bismark, Eska, Skládačka, SOBI20, ČZ …
Additional Equipment
Bicycles in all categories had to be equipped as follows:
- Two brakes / front brake + rear = torpedo (SCHWARZ)
- Working headlamp and rear reflector
- Bell, horn, or other signaling device
- Both mudguards
- …everything functional! → otherwise 5-minute penalty per missing item.
- Handlebars are also recommended 🙂
Travel gear and outfit were left entirely to your imagination – period clothing was welcome.
Event Conditions
- The event took place under full road traffic conditions.
- Participation was at your own risk, without exceptions!
- A cycling helmet was recommended!
More here: https://www.tourdebiere.cz/hillova-pravidla/
Amendments to the Rules Enforced by Time
Based on experiences from previous years, there is still ongoing clarification and a kind of supplementing of Hillo’s rules. We do this very reluctantly, but we believe Hillo himself would understand.
Before any change is made, a council of Hillo’s helpers—composed of his friends and long-time participants of the event—meets and, after a long and thoughtful debate (often even accompanied by spiritual connection with Hillo himself), decides on the modification.
In order not to alter the past rules, these changes are added here under the historical rules as such.
Gears, freewheels, derailleurs, etc.
Since old bicycles of the SWARZ type from long-gone times have started to appear, equipped with original gear systems and other mechanical wonders, we decided to admit such bicycles to the event. However, these bikes will receive a 30-minute penalty, so that the originally announced SWARZ – torpedo category is affected as little as possible. The possible assessment of the historical authenticity and design is left to Hillo’s helpers during the technical inspection of the bikes.
This exceptional penalty will also be applied to other “improvements” that may appear on bicycles from past times that contradict the original rules. The penalty will apply to each such “deficiency.” For example: a historical bicycle with both a derailleur and a freewheel (i.e. no torpedo brake) = 2 × 30 minutes penalty, etc.
Extra beer
As stated in the original rules, at the checkpoint at least one beer must be consumed. There is also the well-known unwritten rule that an extra beer = one minute time bonus. We would like to clarify that this bonus only counts if the extra beer is drunk at a new checkpoint, in other words, only for an additional NEW stamp, not for several beers at the same place!
No support allowed
Hillo would never have wanted his event to be a race with planned support from third parties. Therefore, we emphasize that any planned help on the route—such as a support driver in a car, pre-delivered beers, etc.—is strictly not allowed. It goes against the original intention and is simply unfair!
A random local with a welder who welds your crank back on, or someone giving you a spare inner tube, is allowed, since it is unplanned help and strengthens the bond between spectators and participants of TdB.
Prohibition of bicycle exchange
In the same spirit as the previous point, it is forbidden to change your bicycle during the event. Whether it is using one for the time trial and another for the race, or swapping in between, it is not allowed. For this reason, one control sticker is attached to the bike, so it is clear which one passed inspection.
Remember that preparing your SWARZ and its ability to endure is part of this great event. Keep this in mind, please. We do this for joy, not for cheating and arguments.
Change of date
The date may only be changed in justified cases, and only to the last week of the summer holidays, i.e. both days may fall in September. This change first occurred in 2017, when the completion dates of certain road closures and the availability of some of Hillo’s helpers required it.
Due to uncertainties about how these “extra stamps” were obtained, it has been decided to return to one minute as a purely symbolic value, not as a tool in the fight for leading positions. We trust you will understand this enforced change.
More details here: https://www.tourdebiere.cz/hillova-pravidla/