Autumn usually means trading my road bike for something sturdier — comfort over speed as winter looms. But last year, an irresistible detour: news that the K-41 bucket-wheel excavator, one of Europe’s largest machines, had surfaced from the depths of the Belchatow mine for maintenance. A fleeting sight, maybe once a decade. So I mapped a 135 km route, laced up my cycling shoes, and set off to meet this industrial legend.

The Journey: A Wind-Battered Pilgrimage

This was no ordinary long ride — it was a late October pilgrimage to a mechanical titan, fought for every kilometer. The Polish autumn showed its teeth that day, hurling relentless winds across the open fields that left me wrestling my handlebars for control. The route carved through golden forests trembling in the gusts, past villages huddled against the weather, and over exposed roads where the crosswinds nearly knocked me sideways.

Yet as the industrial skyline of Belchatow finally emerged through the haze of effort, so did the silhouette of the K-41 — a steel colossus parked like a sleeping giant beside the pit, its stillness a stark contrast to the battle it took to reach it.

Face to Face with “Babcia” (The Not-So-Gentle Grandma)

Nicknamed Babcia (“Grandma” in Polish), the K-41 is anything but frail:

• 7,200 tons of steel — heavier than 500 double-decker buses
• 195 meters long — a blue whale would look small beside it
• 72 meters tall, dwarfing a 16-story building
• A 17.5-meter bucket wheel, each scoop large enough to swallow a car whole

Despite its brute force, it runs on electric motors, devouring 9,000 cubic meters of earth per hour to feed the nearby power plant. Normally buried in the mine’s abyss, its rare appearance drew a handful of cyclists and locals — all of us craning our necks in awe.

The Reward: When Effort Meets Awe

Most cyclists chase mountain vistas or coastal roads. I chased a monument to human ambition — a machine so vast it defies logic until you stand beneath it. In the soft autumn light, its jagged frame looked almost sculptural, a temporary art installation of grit and scale.

Getting there by bike made it more than a photo op. It turned the journey into a slow unveiling, each kilometer heightening the anticipation until the machine loomed into view — silent, surreal, and utterly worth the burn in my legs.

The Best Rides Are the Unusual Ones

If you ever crave a ride that’s equal parts endurance and discovery, keep an eye on Belchatow. Industrial sites hide some of Poland’s most staggering spectacles — you just need the legs (and curiosity) to reach them.

Next time, I’m bringing a wider lens.

Would you ride to see this? (Honest answers only!)

🗺️ This destination and other cycling highlights are pinned on my

Global Cycling Map (opens in a new tab).