Sergio Rides Bikes

Rare proof that I actually ride bikes and don’t just take photos of them. Soaking wet, legs burning, and loving every second of it.

Posting this as a reminder of why this event is so special. Rain running off the helmet, low visibility, being cold in the summer, and total commitment from everyone on the road.

Events like this are the heart of the local cycling community.

If you haven’t yet, you can still make an impact at cypresschallenge.ca and better yet, also line up next to us on the start line at Cypress Mt. (with new tarmac🤞🏻).

Side note: Second time wearing the new GS kit, second time it rained in Mt. Seymour. Two weekends in a row.

Gastown Grand Prix. Same city, same week as a World Cup match I was at. One cost $800+. This one was free.
Blocks away from each other, BC Place and Gastown both held big events in downtown Vancouver. For this they only shut down a few streets for world-class racing. 162 elite pro racers, two Ferraris running lead and follow car for the peloton. Zero dollars to watch. What a place to live in.

To ride here is to understand the equalizer firsthand.

The most incredible part of these mountains isn’t just the altitude, it’s the community it attracts. On any given switchback, you are sharing the road with the global soul of cycling, and if you’re lucky, a WorldTour team will rocket past you on a training camp, showing you the staggering gap between amateur passion and professional machinery. (Please never try stay on their wheel).

You realize that despite our different backgrounds, budgets, or languages, we are all drawn to the mountains for the exact same reason.

The Dolomites hold the crown bike trip destination because they remind us that cycling is a universal language.

Have you ever experienced the scale of these passes in person, or is it still the ultimate dream? Let’s talk below 👇

You are walking through Prague, seeing Assos on prime real estate right next to Rolex and Prada, the shift is undeniable. Go to Amsterdam, to see Rapha’s community clubhouse. You even see that mass-market giant Zara has entered the chat, selling their own gravel jerseys and cycling glasses right next to a custom gravel bike display in Valencia.

And then Pharrell adds a Pinarello on the Louis Vuitton runway? The premium cultural crossover is complete.

But this isn’t just about things getting more expensive. It proves a massive shift in how cycling culture is built. The old playbook of relying solely on World Tour racing to sell gear is far gone.

Today’s dominant brands know that modern marketing lives on interest media like Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, mixed with real-life community hubs. We don’t just buy what’s fast in the peloton anymore; we buy into the stories, creators, and local premium spaces that make us feel connected to the sport.

Personally, I think this cultural glow-up has more pros than cons when more people join us, and for making the sport more design-forward and relevant.

What do you think? Are you loving the high-fashion, media-driven era of cycling, or do you miss when it was just about the pure, gritty performance?

No climbs. No cars. No idea where I was.
Some trains, lots of sheep out of nowhere, and thousands of people biking to work like it’s the most normal thing in the world. Because, it is.
This is what road biking in Amsterdam actually feelt like.

The longest ”climb” is in Slide 6, at least from what I found around Amsterdam. Endless bike trails, deep grey skies, and a headwind that forces you to earn every single kilometer.

Two days, 244 kilometers, and a grand total of 370 meters of vertical gain.

Riding out of Amsterdam was pure, uninterrupted tempo once you clear the urban area. You follow a canal until it dissolves into a d**e, turn into a block of wind, and just keep spinning. It’s FLAT, brutally windy, and completely incredible.

If you ever find yourself looking rent a bike, I used .cc , but you can also use . Load the routes to your head unit before you roll, .cc website has lots of routes.

While riding in the city always respect the local bike traffic rules like you’re at a driving test, and just ride outside the city to the forests!

Ask away in the comments!

Just over a week with the point and shoot camera on my back pocket, and now I’m noticing the light, random details, and even other riders moods.

Kinda changed the whole feel of riding for me, and yes is making me slower. But that’s a good thing, right? RIGHT?

Can’t be the only one who feels this way.