cycling the Dolomites with strangers that turned friends

last weekend was something else. from a 10-hour drive into the mountains to riding through the stunning scenery of the Dolomites with people I’d never met before — and ending the trip feeling like we’ve known each other for years.

This one’s not about performance, watts or speed. It’s about connection. About escaping the day-to-day. And about how a shared love for cycling can make strangers feel like family.

thanks to the roadbusters and especially Stefan for making this possible: https://www.road-busters.com

🔧 Special thanks to Sandro for helping me get my bike ready and create some shots from the intro. Check out his YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-4haD8CJoTLzzb3WRBjV2w

thumbnail is shot by the talented: https://luisganssloser.com/work

the other guys:
sasa: @sasamujagic
Björn on insta: https://www.instagram.com/bjoern_nwmstr/
paco / kalle: https://www.instagram.com/pauschalkalle/

📍 Big shoutout to Nancy’s Holiday Home – incredible hospitality & bike garage: https://www.nancys.it/en

🎥 What’s in this vlog?

00:00 intro
00:50 Arriving in the Dolomites
01:39 warmup ride
02:26 bike setup & prep in the hotel
03:53 the next morning
05:00 scenic long ride
08:52 Honest thoughts on group rides
12:37 bike cleaning
15:55 way home

📢 my training wearables: https://noxl.ink/n04Qxk
💬 Use my code GERRITKNEIN at checkout
🎁 Add a FREE accessory (extra strap or lifestyle gear) to your order!

🎵 My Spotify Playlists for Running & Riding:
Chat Pace (easy sessions): https://shorturl.at/maBye
No Chat Pace (hard efforts): https://shorturl.at/6tMsF

📍 Follow the journey:
🔗 Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/74182628
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gksieben

Let me know what you think about group rides vs. solo training in the comments — curious to hear your thoughts!

music:
romeo – fractal
tristan barton – ocean
jay sanon – fatal attraction
out of flux – infinite dreams
assaf Ayalon – locked in silence
rex banner – all I need
assaf Ayalon – old man
sig howler – a trip
ziv moran – get done

welcome back to the Vlog life was loud the past days emotional big decisions I really needed to step out for a second so I took the dirty car to just ride the bike somewhere I’ve never been before and finally Bree [Music] [Music] [Music] a 10-hour ride from Germany to Italy arriving in the dolomites with wonderful weather remarkable views and finally meeting Zaza again you remember him from two videos ago all the other guys I didn’t know but we were all brought here by the RO Busters who are doing bike travels in the dolomites and we had all one thing in common which was bikes so of course we did start the travel the trip with an warm-up right [Music] [Music] [Music] yeah hey sweet thing Miss saw you in that public break room I had to PE game smile bright enough to like the host today I feel a Vibe every single time you with me brown eyes 52 after the 90minut warm-up right our conversation naturally shifted again to one topic which was bikes and we spent the afternoon and evening in the bike garage of ny’s holidays home where we were located which is a big recommendation link is in the description as well it’s a good place and a very good starting point for bike rides in the dolomites yeah I still had some maintenance to do at my bike and I was very happy that Sandro was immediately helpful and decided to help me out in Germany we always say felis Ender which says many hands make light work and he’s a former bike mechanic or a former mechanic to be honest but now turned into a freelance videographer a very good one and he just started his own YouTube channel so if you want to learn something about D Vinci resolve color grading check him out in the description and yeah I was very happy that he helped me because I am not very good at it and I don’t like do these things alone that’s why I haven’t done that in my apartment before going on the trip but it was very nice to have a proper bike room like this so so I did switch to the Continental Grand Prix 5000 tupus with all black looks I think it does look better than with a brown side wall and I’m very curious how these tires will feel so that’s how we ended the day and then went to bed to be ready for next day [Music] good morning YouTube just came home from a 1H hour easy run with wonderful views here in the doar meets in Italy with BJ now we hit breakfast and this is much needed before we go on a long ride welcome back to the Vlog breakfast look great and if you actually want to see good quality content go back to my channel I’m still not sure what route we were going to take let’s see how much we really do I will tell you in the end now we need to get ready it’s a bit hard to address today because it will be cold at some point it will be warm at some point and let’s go on the ride [Music] get [Music] 90 minutes in and it was a bit of a split in the group actually it’s my first group ride who this guy the machine The Legend So we wait for the others and then we continue got to love you want all right bab you can’t use me all right cuz you’re all I ever need got to love the one you want all right baby you can’t use me all right [Music] all got to love you want say all right baby you can’t use me all right cuz your All I Ever Need [Music] got 12% gradient but look at this I mean it’s beautiful but it’s a brutal climb 8K 600 height met I really struggle with the mix between still riding in a group but still ride and have some training you know but yeah we figure that out [Music] oh [Music] [Music] this is me off to the right and it was a bit unexpected at some points so let’s have a little chat about it I feel like I can also give you some update about where I’m at it’s a trione training right now compared to my Reflections about a group ride which was basically the first group ride I ever did so before that I the most quantity I rode with people was more maybe three people including me and I think I had too high expectations of how much of a training this is going to be so I really have mixed feelings but let’s talk about it the positives please let me know what do you think about group rights is this something you do in your training structures you enjoy or you don’t enjoy it’s amazing to meet new people share stories have a little chat while riding and just be part of that Community riding together being pulled into a page line at some point it has its own energy that I think solo rides just can’t give you dolomites the one loop with did exceptional views stunning I mean a bit too much traffic what really didn’t work for me personally is that my expectations is always when I’m on on a bike or running I I see it as a training and I’m currently training as you know for a double Ultra Trion that means every session needs to have some kind of purpose even if it’s just a Chill Zone two ride but today we ended up with like 6 hours being out there but just had a ride time of 3 hours and 45 minutes and I think that’s common for most group rides in the longer one you just you have to wait on the clim sometimes for the others if you have different training levels you make make a coffee break here you make some pictures there I just didn’t expect it I and I’m definitely I think really I’m definitely not someone who’s very structured in this training because I do train for a double Ultra Trion without a structured plan I just go by my feelings but at some point if you have too many brakes and then you cool down again and then you have to go off again I think that’s just not what I really like and even I felt that after a break then we had this one big climb of 8 km with 600 height M and I was really suffering because I didn’t feel like also mentally I didn’t feel like I have the ability now to get back into my okay we push to Sweet Spot close to FTP wattage and then therefore it was quite tough and I didn’t put out the what I usually put out no one is really to blame for that it’s my expectations of how I wrode so far and that this is just a different R for me personally I think training with one or two friends in your training level is just that kind of group ride I like but yeah it was an experience so and um but I did meet amazing people that’s what I really like about today and this this group in general like amazing dudes I have really just seen once or never before and it feels like this immediate click and this is what I really like about it so I’m really curious how do you handle it do you incorporate group rights as a training plan structure or is it just a nice add-on you put on as a cherry on the cake in your training week if you have time for it but maybe it’s also just in my mind maybe not ride has to be perfect though in the end I did 4 hours almost being on the ride today I did have a run in the morning so it’s a 5 hour training day but yeah with some mixed effort so it’s fine at least we’re not sick we’re not injured we did something and tomorrow’s a new day um where where I hope I remember next time being out there alone that I can really harass myself kill myself because maybe I wasn’t able to do so today it seems like tomorrow there’s going to be rain here if we can’t ride here because it’s snowy and rainy then we might need to leave I will now clean my bike and maybe show you some bikes in the Bike Room as there are amazing bikes out there we still need to wash the bike so at home I always have the issue that I live in a flat in the third floor so it’s quite hard to clean the bike so I will do it here as good as I can very nice to have a space where something to wash it [Music] n [Music] I mean what a dream Bike Room to have right maybe I show you just my two favorites it’s definitely not mine but I think your own bike is never your favorite but it’s good to have it finally clean again I had this Tess sealant on the frame for yeah quite some time now and it’s good to have it kind of clean so this one a beauty the off- white s works I mean it’s a tme of course it’s a beauty but still the combination with the wheels definitely can see myself riding this one and then the second one is a tough choice do I like white bikes I think at a ro bike yes but yeah I think this has this wonderful cockpit but I have to say I’m not really a bike nerd I really don’t know a lot of it as you can see I don’t maintain my bike well so definitely still getting into that bike component understanding but I like to look at them when they are so well cleaned and equipped so maybe I have have to get and dig a little bit deeper whatever it is now quite late as it’s 10 already already I think most of the guys are already in bed as they are tired from the right thinking about if I go home tomorrow as I’m not sure if another group ride would be the right thing for me and honestly just really miss my wife as well I want to go home want to be home on the weekend and could be the end of the video that’s why I’m telling you think about what what’s right for you even though it was a long car ride to go here I had a nice day today so why not go back tomorrow even though I plan to stay longer um always go with your wipe and how you feel I sto doing because I other people expect me to and this sounds rude now but it’s really just I’m defending myself that even though we I said I’m going to say one more ey I think just uh do what you like to do and Life’s too short to not do it so subscribe hit the like button if you haven’t so tell one friend about this Channel and see you in the next one take care [Music] gu in the pl pass in the re to L to the Big Sky clear no M we don’t know where we go we’re just keeping these four ties rolling sunshine and a wind BL in your hair I don’t care baby you can take me anywhere little down Hearts racing to 100 all we got to do is keep the engine running little girl every M say to a Summertime song on the radio B you and me is on me so can live a little wild and free no we know we go we just W get gone hey we don’t know where we just get