HELLS 500 has always been at the sharp end of innovation and adventure. It’s this approach that keeps us interested, excited, and constantly seeking up.

It all started with a bunch of guys who liked riding in the hills. Too much.

We liked the fact that as hill riders we were on the fringe, so rather than race – we would set ourselves goals that no one else was doing. The pre-requisite for any challenge that we set was that it had to be tough. To qualify, it needed to be too difficult to just go out and ride it. We would spend months training up for each new epic – usually timed with the onset of spring. This meant that the crux of our training every year was undertaken in the cold, dark, and wet winters when everyone else would stay under the doona.

It was this approach that would eventually lead to the mark of the cloud emblazoned on every Hells 500 riders arm, and the grey stripe across their chest. It is a symbol that reminds others that while they are taking it easy over winter, that’s when we ride the most. Each challenge completed lead to another more difficult, as these things tend to do. Soon we were clipping in on a hellish 2-day 500km epic through the High Country, including 10,000m of climbing. It was all kinds of tough, and word travelled. We started to get introduced as “those Hells 500 guys”. It stuck. Hells 500 are not afraid of the odd epic. In fact, the more odd, the greater the appeal. Click here to read more about some of our previous epics..

EVERESTING.
Hells 500 are the creators and custodians of the Everesting concept. It’s a fiendishly simple concept, and a fiendishly difficult endurance challenge to complete. Pick any climb, anywhere in the world and ride, run or scramble  repeat after grinding repeat until you have notched up 8,848m vert. In one activity. Or take it a step further and complete and Everesting 10K or Everesting Roam 10K. Complete the Everesting and you are legible to wear the Everesting kit or the Hells 500 Grey Stripe kit. 

While a Half Everesting is a great achievement it does not qualify for the Everesting or Grey Stripe kit. You need to complete the full Everesting to be legible. 

Everesting, all the kids are talking about it these days. See the coverage

THE GREY STRIPE.
This stripe signifies Hells 500 riders who have completed either an Everesting, or have notched up more than 10,000 vertical meters in a ride to complete an Everesting 10K or Everesting 10K Roam. Either way it’s bloody tough. They have put their blood, sweat, and tears into that sucka. When you see the grey stripe out on the road you know you are looking at one hard bastard.

SWEET GEAR.
Hells 500 produce a range of kick-ass cycling kit, tees, stem caps, and limited edition socks. To check out the range of Hells 500 merch, visit the site.

COMMUNITY.
Birds of a feather and all that. Our crew are scattered all over the globe, but they are tight. We look after one another, and we support the things we believe in. You can stalk us on Strava, check our feed on Instagram watch cat videos onFacebook, or do whatever the hell you do on Twitter.