My experience is that Berlin tends to be focussed on growing the "cycling community" for rich guys. If you are not on a new-ish roadbike in the right lycra, most don't even acknowledge you with a nod if you come across them on a ride. I've done many different sports in my life and while I enjoy the sport, roadcycling never felt like a very welcoming community comperatively.
When I was first starting out in cycling, I very much felt the same way. Then, as my own training became more focused, I realized that these people are not waving to me because they are so focused on what they're doing. I don't want this to put you off, but as you get further into your training, you'll be pushing yourself harder and harder. You'll push yourself to the point of pain, even! It's kind of hard to be cheery and wave to people when you're in pain, you'll agree. The odd thing is, you'll end up craving this pain and it will be the main driver of your rides. It sounds odd, but it's the truth. So, stick with it, I say. Your perspective will change and instead of seeing people who are rude or unapproachable, you'll see people who are just focused and maybe in a bit of pain.
Wow, didn't expect this. Born and raised in Berlin, Spandau. Rode some of the rides you filmed on as a young lad. Living in the US for 17+ years now and having gotten back into cycling a bit over a year ago, this video got me emotional. Miss my home. Miss it even more with a bike under my butt. Thank for the memories @GCN
I'll never get over seeing Berlin like this. I was stationed in Germany in 1988 and was there when the wall came down. Chipped my own piece off of the wall when we went on Nov 16th. Thanks for showing us around!
As a one-time Berlin resident I enjoyed seeing the city again, even if so briefly. Although the video suggests otherwise, the "cycling scene" in Berlin is hardly new, with an impressive number of clubs (34) and fabulous events in the beautiful velodrome. The city has a great tradition of races and Rund um Berlin still exists as a children's race but there are plenty of other events for amateurs in the RTF calendar. Also no mention of VeloCity Berlin, which attracted over 33,000 cyclists in 2022, making it Europe's second biggest race. An interesting aspect of the city is the vintage/retro bike scene, with Berlin having a disproportionate number of great shops--and Sir Bradley Wiggins buys bikes there too!
What delayed learning English across Europe was TV and film dubbing. Countries where English language TV and films have not been dubbed, but rather subtitled, have had an earlier start learning English. Of course there are reasons of history, national pride, and preservation of native language too.
It's interesting to see cycling in other countries especially because I'm too old to hang out with young hip fast riders (and wouldn't have done it when I was that young)
@@gcn Philippines but look at how it is well suited to the very cheap end of the market (I got my $200 bike fixed in even small villages which wouldn't work if I had branded bike) and how everyone that cycles more than for transport wears a helmet because it's part of the image (something I wish my fellow Brits would do) No idea how you'd make a story out of this and I no longer live there so can't really help
Wow my hometown! Good job GCN. Standert is a great representation of what Berlin road riding has to offer. Berlin is almost comically flat. It's basically a pancake all the way around. As stated in the video if I go for a 100-200k ride you sometimes get even less than 100m of elevation. I think I could smash a TT at this point but I absolutely dread the climbs haha. Cycling in Berlin is mostly about meeting up in the city and then heading out. It's way nicer in the outskirts and traffic is insane downtown all day since the city is always bustling and busy. It's a great hub for sure and the athletic scene in Berlin is like a box of chocolates. I dabble in a few disciplines just because there's so much on offer in the city and there's huge scenes for every level of athletes from casuals to absolute sweatlords. It's lovely.
Berlin has several great mountains: in the West, Teufelsberg is the second highest at roughly 120m (ok, that one is artificial... - it's basically the debris from old Berlin that was bombed into oblivion during wwII and that was then dumped ouside the city proper on the construction site of the never finished war-technological faculty), and the highest is the Arkenberge mountain ridge in the Northeast, which used to be around 70m high, but in the last century an adjacent landfill has grown to a towering 121m. Then there is the Kreuzberg at 96m, and in the southeast you will find the Müggelberge (114m). If you head further southwest into the Brandburg steppe, there are the Krausnicker mountains (highest of which is Wehlaberg at 144m). But the fastes way to make elevation gain is probably still to shoulder your bike and run up the stairs from the water level up to the deck of Stößenseebrücke. 🙂 But yes, Berlins highest "mountains" are all man-made. If I remember correctly, RUclipsr Roadbike Party has even done an everesting attempt in a multi-storey car park...
@@turboseize You're being very generous with the word "mountains" but yes we do have the odd hill if you looking for it. I used to live in Köpenick and I'd always smash my face in on that Müggelturm climb. just going up there time after time until I had to claw myself home haha. Good place to ride your bike in general!
A video series about what international cycling culture is like is a great idea. Biased - but ever considered visiting India? Team LBB in Bangalore or Equipe Goa Invencivel in Goa could be a great point to reach out to.
Amazing video! I have lived in Berlin for a year and discovered absolutely amazing cycling routes around the city in basically all the direction. East to Muggelsee, South around the airport loop, East to Potsdam and North is also awesome!
Berlin has a population of ~4 million people. My city is slightly above 100,000 residents. Unless their average group size is 40, my one-person group ride is bigger (per 100k people). 😂
All the best to Nils, super performance on screen as on road too! Enjoyed a lift by him and his father last summer on the Krone, a real pleasure to see how elegant he is riding his Radon bike!
Hey guys, you absolutely have to come to Münster for the Lohmann training meeting. It's really going on at the weekend, there are always 30-60 people. The lawns hard through the Münsterland. Minimum average here is 35 km/h plus
This is my fav GCN video to date! Really gave me good feels for the cycling community we had in Baton Rouge in the early 2000s --Also a very flat city not known for cycling but we had a few key leaders who started the local group ride and we grew from there. We even have a velodrome! Berlin seems like a lovely place to ride a bike!
I was a resident of Berlin for almost 4 years and rode my steel vintage road bike around everywhere. Must say, Berlin has always been a cycling city. From the straight up vintage bikes (shoutout to Steel Vintage Bikes!) to the race machines at Standert, Berlin has a bit of cycling for everybody.
I lived many years in Berlin....brought my first mountain bike there. I rode year round...got rid of my car.. I loved riding along the canals. Take the canal path behind Schloss Charlottenburg, climb some stairs, ride through this tunnel ( there's even a light switch you turn on to light your way through), you exit & there's this cute taverna. You continue on along through one of those little gardens with tiny houses that they have in Germany & eventually you come out in Spandau. I don't know if it's all still there...thus was year 2000. I was there mit u ohne die Mauer. Ich vermisse Berlin. 😢❤
I love the presentations of the cities and places to ride. You have to come back over the pond to Colorado! You have been here several times and done a bit here and a bit there, Steamboat Gravel, Science in Boulder, etc. Time to put the pieces together. We have sensational organized rides, The Triple by Pass, Tour of the Moon, Mount Evans Hill Climb (can you pedal at 14,000 ft of elevation?), and others. The history of cycling in the states with the Coors Classic back in the day. Ride to the level of your smile.
As much as I like having all of those groups in Berlin, they always feel very exclusive: I feel I need to show up in and on a specific kind of gear and if it isn’t just that, I might feel my fitness isn’t good enough to join them.
Thanks for voicing your concerns! You are not alone on this one, group rides of all sorts can be very scary. The best thing to do would be contact the club before hand and see if the culture fits you. There are clubs of all speeds and sizes, we would push people to get involved and see what works for them 🙌
Really cool and inspiring video. But I would really appreciate it if you will go to the countries like Romania where the cycling community is not that great and bring it to another level.
@@gcn one of the most popular bike riders in Romania is @bucharestbiketrafic and for sure he can help you by offering a Bucharedt city tour if you contact him. And his English is also very good. I look forward seeing this video😍
I Love the Idea of these Videos! But maybe try to show more of the actual scene then just one shop (the video feels a bit like a paid promotion, if so please make that more obvious in the video) and one tour. There are loads of fantastic events, locations and tours and of course people. Sure thats more work and research then one afternoon riding but would be a cooler representation of "the Scene"
Great point! This video is all about Standert and the community they have grown, we would love to go back to Berlin and find some more hidden gems. Any ideas where we should be looking? 👀
I was stationed in Berlin during the Cold War. I was so awesome to be part of history. I watched the wall come down. I used to ride my cannondale to work during warmer months. The cobble stones were so hard on the wheels.
I’m a Berliner and ride in Berlin for many years. I really like your concept of showing the cycling scene of different cities but it’s a shame that what your showing of Berlin, about style and performance it doesn’t show the real and true spirit of inclusivity from Berlin. Also the documentary focus on one brand instead of showing other amazing places and stops that the city has to offer. I recommend you to show different point of views and communities maybe not even linked to brands in feature videos.
Hi Sebastian! Great to hear from a Berliner 🙌 - We understand this we only showed a very small part of the riding scene in Berlin, our focus for this video was meant to be on the burgeoning community around the Standert brand. Berlin, like many cities, is full of different communities and we would love to celebrate all of them! Would you like to see us head back to Berlin? Can you think of a communities that we missed during this trip?
Guys, get your sunscreen and come to São Paulo, Brazil. Prepare yourself for 40Km/h without a stop sign, lots of action with an average speed of 48km/h+ on the busiest avenue in the country. There are many daily groups and others routes to enjoy. Also, there are nice roads in the countryside, just 1.5 hours of driving. GCN has many fans around here, and we would love to ride with you.
These guys are the biggest snobs I have ever seen. Some months ago they promoted dangerous and illegal cycling on public roads in an Instagram video and acted like assholes towards any comment.
Great Video! Great to see my cycling playground on your channel. Maybe you can come back in summer. Grunewald is so much more beautiful, when its green ;-)
I don‘t think this is anywhere near being representative for „cycling in Germany“. The reality outside of Berlin and Cologne is that cycling is still on the ground and I don‘t see that changing. On the one side we have the capital hipsters with their posh flagship stores and on the other side we have the BDR as the governing body which is still stuck in the 70s and in between that there are a lot of people that are not attracted by either side and ride around on their own. In the last years, most of the bike shops outside of big cities have changed to „e-bikes for the elderly“ stores and you can‘t be sure that you can buy a new chain or set of cleats there any more because it‘s „too enthusiast stuff“.
Also born and grown up in Berlin but on the MTB side of life. ;-) Come back in the summer and you will find Berlin much less appealing. That shot of the entrance of S-Bahn station Alexanderplatz ? Impossible to film then as it would be full of drunk homeless people using it as their toilet, right in front of you if necessary. 😉
Depending on where you live, there will almost certainly be a cycling group nearby that caters for all abilities. It might be worth looking online or asking in your local bike shop to get a grasp of what's available. Most clubs will have a website that'll state their different group distances and speeds! They'll also likely run beginners rides every now and again for cyclists new to group riding to get to grips on bunch riding and etiquette.
I'd like to know how the drivers react around cyclists. It seemed pretty good there. This would be a great series to see place around the world so when we decide on a cycling destination we have an idea of what it brings. Come out to Long Beach, CA. It's crazy busy out here but there are a lot of cyclists of all types.
Hope u guys (Hank and Alec), come ride with us here in Copenhagen. I ride with Rapha once a week (on Wednesdays), would love to have u guys join u don't need to be a member to join u can just turn up and come along for the ride. I'm a big fan of GCN too so would love to hangout and chill with u guys as well.
Not exactly a city, however, on a holiday I got talking to a keen triathlete who owns a bar on the Island of Kefalonia in Greece and the cycling there looks amazing. Would be nice to see some of Greece on your channel
As a long time citizen of Berlin I can tell you riding in Berlin sucks! Don't come to cycling holidays to us. If you are on a gravel then you might love Brandenburg or the outskirts of Berlin. What you show is a hipster, ultra expensive, exclusive and able-bodied scene of mostly men which is not very welcoming. I have stuck to riding alone.
Yeah, that's the impression I got too. It seemed more like a canned commercial for a single cycling shop. If there was a real cycling "scene" there would be people of both genders. And as another commenter pointed out in a city of 4 million people a group ride of 40 - 50 people really isn't all that large.
@@jensenhealey907efi while I haven’t been to this particular group it just presented itself how I perceived other Berlin riding groups. They might be multicultural but that does not necessarily imply diversity, at least from my experience. Part of the lack of diversity in cycling probably boils down to cost of material and maintenance and the high commitment you have to make also in terms of available time. It’s also probably still a totally male dominated sport (although instagram might give you another impression :D). And what do we men like? Competition an rivalry 💪 I think Berlin has space for a leisure oriented, fun and adventurous bike group that’s focused on sharing the joy of riding and not just grabbing your fronts slipstream and is welcoming to one’s that only have time maybe once a month for longer rides. Also sometimes I feel GCN forgets who their viewers actually are. 5% competitive interested riders, 95% leisure riders. The videos I enjoy the most are the once where they achieve to show the joy of riding, like the commuter videos or the one where they went on Budget cycling bike packing with two fellow viewers. I think the latter is my most favorite video, I really could relate to those guys, especially the introverted one 😅 Sry for TL;DR
I have the same Impression. Why would anyone pomote cycling in a City anyways? The average German cities spends 6 Euros per citizen per year on cycle paths. It’s dangerous to cycle there. Rather go cycling in Freiburg or Bavaria in the Alpes.
Just wanted to make clear that I also do enjoy the competitive content GCN is making. I mean who doesn’t love their track cycling videos or their gravel videos like king Alfred way. The presenters also make the impression as if everybody would have fun riding along with them, definitely not narrow minded folks. So yh GCN keep it up, but we want Hanks dad back in the videos. :p
Cool ride. That Standert bike had a dent in the top tube. If its steel you can fix it. Paul Brodie on RUclips repairs bent and frames and removes dents.
Alec I think you are talking down the Herne Hill / CP cycling 'seen'. I think name two good World Tour Riders and one Grand Tour winner to come from it!
"Which other cities should we visit next? Let us know in the comments below!" Kuala Lumpur. Pubcycle 2023 Le Tour de Damansara X will be on 17th or 16th December; of a Sunday, there are so many cyclists in KL, it's like something from a Hitchcock movie.
I like the idea of presenting a city‘s bike culture. But, please, take a wider look around. There are literally thousands of „everyday“ cyclists in the city, and tons of workshops to accommodate them (they often tend to like those old steel-frame road bikes from the 80s). There’s also a gravel scene in and around the city and, as other commentators have mentioned, large events/activities such as Sternfahrt, the Critical Mass movement or the VeloCity. Also, you could look at the way bicycle infrastructure is set up or has been improving in recent years.
I'm surprised how accepting car traffic was to having the bikes in the car Lanes on main roads. In most cities in United States just about every car would have been blowing horns at you 🙂🇺🇸.
I ride some of those roads everyday. If you are not in a group, traffic is not very accepting, but luckily there are bike lanes on most main roads now.
@@gcn yeah don't ride it on the main streets in the Great Lakes region, you will definitely get honked at, and you are really taking your life into your hands even if you have three blinking lights on the back 🙂. Side streets and minor roads are fine, but the big busy streets unless you're just crossing and with a big group, don't try it please 😀.
@@ThelastSkeleton yeah that's definitely true, the other side of the pond is definitely much more of a car culture. But that's all right, I grew up here, I know how to handle myself on the bike or in the car.
Hank & Alec teaming up in a video ? Letting them loose in a crowded environment ? I like how the "higher-ups" at GCN are thinking, if they are trying to rid themselves of Crazy Puppy Hank, might as well have him go away in a blaze of glory 😂🤣
When I see the ignore the bike Planes in a City where cars really aggressiv to you think they will kill you even in cars. And only Grunewald? No Müggelberg and Müggelsee? Why only Grunewald?
@@sportbootjo there are good road around the Müggelsee for road bikes or climb with a road bike the Müggelberg which are 8-12%. Grunewald is overrated. Only Westberlin is overrated too. East has some good bicycle ways. Ond from ber in the City with car is stupid and takes longer the public traffic. Only stupid drive in the City where many many traffic jam are. And I live in Berlin!
For the next city, well I'm going to assume you want to keep it within driving distance 🙂... How about the heart of the mediterranean, and capital of the last great ancient empire.... Rome! And a good chunk of the British Isles were once ruled from Rome 😎.
@@gcn Yes! You'd love it, in a few kms we can be pedaling in a busy city as we can pedal up the Douro River and find incredible scenery. I am fortunate to be able to train sometimes with cyclists from the national platoon, as well as Ivo and Rui Oliveira. Cheers
@@-xz5cr9hz9gteg Yupp, right hand off the Kleine Heerstraße when they rode back to Mitte and they missed the Teufelsberg as highes point in Berlin where Jens did an Everest for charities reasons
That was at checkpoint Charlie, one of the few border crossings between the soviet sector and the free part, also the location of the only direct stand-off between american and soviet tanks ever. There's a museum nearby depicting the brutal reality of the inner-german border and telling the stories of the people who tried to flee into the West (many of whom paid with their lives).
Which other cities should we visit next? Let us know in the comments below! 👇
Shanghai
Love the idea! Excited to see where you guys go next 🎉
Go to Chicago.
L’viv, but I will email you separately about it! Great episode chaps
Ireland 🇮🇪
Showing a store and their employees prestens the cycling community of a big city? this video feels like a commercial spot for standert ;)
My experience is that Berlin tends to be focussed on growing the "cycling community" for rich guys. If you are not on a new-ish roadbike in the right lycra, most don't even acknowledge you with a nod if you come across them on a ride. I've done many different sports in my life and while I enjoy the sport, roadcycling never felt like a very welcoming community comperatively.
yea that's my experience aswell
Yes but not Cycling in general, Mountainbikers always greets each other and talk with you if you see them.
Just might be a personal thing with you? Never experienced what you state here
@@Grubengrabgeraet they're generally going in the same direction 😅 I've met some right mtb strokers in my time
When I was first starting out in cycling, I very much felt the same way. Then, as my own training became more focused, I realized that these people are not waving to me because they are so focused on what they're doing. I don't want this to put you off, but as you get further into your training, you'll be pushing yourself harder and harder. You'll push yourself to the point of pain, even! It's kind of hard to be cheery and wave to people when you're in pain, you'll agree. The odd thing is, you'll end up craving this pain and it will be the main driver of your rides. It sounds odd, but it's the truth. So, stick with it, I say. Your perspective will change and instead of seeing people who are rude or unapproachable, you'll see people who are just focused and maybe in a bit of pain.
Wow, didn't expect this. Born and raised in Berlin, Spandau. Rode some of the rides you filmed on as a young lad. Living in the US for 17+ years now and having gotten back into cycling a bit over a year ago, this video got me emotional. Miss my home. Miss it even more with a bike under my butt. Thank for the memories @GCN
Glad you enjoyed it!
I'll never get over seeing Berlin like this. I was stationed in Germany in 1988 and was there when the wall came down. Chipped my own piece off of the wall when we went on Nov 16th. Thanks for showing us around!
Wow that sounds like quite an experience! 🙌 Have you been back? Maybe it's time to get on the bike out there 👀
It was fun having you guys here in Berlin! Had a great time.
Thanks for showing us the city... and for going easy on Hank! 😂 When you coming to Bath?
@@gcn You're welcome! Hopefully soon, would love to come over for some nice summer rides. 😊
As a one-time Berlin resident I enjoyed seeing the city again, even if so briefly. Although the video suggests otherwise, the "cycling scene" in Berlin is hardly new, with an impressive number of clubs (34) and fabulous events in the beautiful velodrome. The city has a great tradition of races and Rund um Berlin still exists as a children's race but there are plenty of other events for amateurs in the RTF calendar. Also no mention of VeloCity Berlin, which attracted over 33,000 cyclists in 2022, making it Europe's second biggest race. An interesting aspect of the city is the vintage/retro bike scene, with Berlin having a disproportionate number of great shops--and Sir Bradley Wiggins buys bikes there too!
Seeing these dudes makes me feel like im getting bounced at the door when showing up i my decathlon kit
Hey you're not alone, their kit probably cost more than my bike
Come on, that doesn’t matter all, as long your legs hold up )
Well clearly you have never been to a Rapha ride lol
Don't gatekeep yourself
@@Michaelsmith21588 Are these guys usually all bling or do they have legs as well ?
Thank you so much for this video guys. I live in Berlin Mitte and I am so happy to see my city on your channel!
We loved spending some time in Berlin! Have you ever been out on the Standert group ride? 💨
@@gcn Never heard of it... Until yesterday ;) will definitely do it in spring and summer!
the level of conversational English with a few of the people you spoke with on camera was stronger than a lot of native English speakers.
For shure. Thats also due to the fact that cycling is not cheap. So the average socio economic status is very high and especially this video shows it
@@laurenz323 Yeah but besides from that english is rising in importance in general in germany and the youth speaks pretty good english nowadays
Well, Tom and Isaac are native English speakers.
Knowing Berlin, chances are high that some of them are native speakers..
What delayed learning English across Europe was TV and film dubbing.
Countries where English language TV and films have not been dubbed, but rather subtitled, have had an earlier start learning English. Of course there are reasons of history, national pride, and preservation of native language too.
Loved the energy and camaraderie in this video. I hope to see a lot more videos from around the world!
Glad you liked it! We'd love to get out to more places for an explore!
It's interesting to see cycling in other countries especially because I'm too old to hang out with young hip fast riders (and wouldn't have done it when I was that young)
I am young and you are totally right about the scene. I don't hang with them either.
Can you think of any other cycling cultures we should explore? 👀
@@gcn Philippines but look at how it is well suited to the very cheap end of the market (I got my $200 bike fixed in even small villages which wouldn't work if I had branded bike) and how everyone that cycles more than for transport wears a helmet because it's part of the image (something I wish my fellow Brits would do)
No idea how you'd make a story out of this and I no longer live there so can't really help
Wow my hometown! Good job GCN. Standert is a great representation of what Berlin road riding has to offer. Berlin is almost comically flat. It's basically a pancake all the way around. As stated in the video if I go for a 100-200k ride you sometimes get even less than 100m of elevation. I think I could smash a TT at this point but I absolutely dread the climbs haha. Cycling in Berlin is mostly about meeting up in the city and then heading out. It's way nicer in the outskirts and traffic is insane downtown all day since the city is always bustling and busy. It's a great hub for sure and the athletic scene in Berlin is like a box of chocolates. I dabble in a few disciplines just because there's so much on offer in the city and there's huge scenes for every level of athletes from casuals to absolute sweatlords. It's lovely.
Glad you liked it! Its a great city
Berlin has several great mountains: in the West, Teufelsberg is the second highest at roughly 120m (ok, that one is artificial... - it's basically the debris from old Berlin that was bombed into oblivion during wwII and that was then dumped ouside the city proper on the construction site of the never finished war-technological faculty), and the highest is the Arkenberge mountain ridge in the Northeast, which used to be around 70m high, but in the last century an adjacent landfill has grown to a towering 121m. Then there is the Kreuzberg at 96m, and in the southeast you will find the Müggelberge (114m). If you head further southwest into the Brandburg steppe, there are the Krausnicker mountains (highest of which is Wehlaberg at 144m).
But the fastes way to make elevation gain is probably still to shoulder your bike and run up the stairs from the water level up to the deck of Stößenseebrücke. 🙂
But yes, Berlins highest "mountains" are all man-made. If I remember correctly, RUclipsr Roadbike Party has even done an everesting attempt in a multi-storey car park...
@@turboseize You're being very generous with the word "mountains" but yes we do have the odd hill if you looking for it. I used to live in Köpenick and I'd always smash my face in on that Müggelturm climb. just going up there time after time until I had to claw myself home haha. Good place to ride your bike in general!
A video series about what international cycling culture is like is a great idea. Biased - but ever considered visiting India? Team LBB in Bangalore or Equipe Goa Invencivel in Goa could be a great point to reach out to.
Now that would be a special trip! Maybe sometime in the future
Amazing video! I have lived in Berlin for a year and discovered absolutely amazing cycling routes around the city in basically all the direction. East to Muggelsee, South around the airport loop, East to Potsdam and North is also awesome!
Berlin has a population of ~4 million people. My city is slightly above 100,000 residents. Unless their average group size is 40, my one-person group ride is bigger (per 100k people). 😂
All the best to Nils, super performance on screen as on road too! Enjoyed a lift by him and his father last summer on the Krone, a real pleasure to see how elegant he is riding his Radon bike!
Thanks a lot! Very nice to hear that. From now on riding and racing on a standert bike though 😉
@@nilsbrinsmead Well deserved contract/deal! I wish you a successful season on that good looking Standert bike!
@@sportbootjo Thank you!
Hey guys, you absolutely have to come to Münster for the Lohmann training meeting. It's really going on at the weekend, there are always 30-60 people. The lawns hard through the Münsterland. Minimum average here is 35 km/h plus
Hank rocking the rim brakes 😍😍
I can’t imagine Hank as the type to belly up to the bar and not make friends instantly. Seems like I genuinely good guy to hangout with.
Sounds about right to us! Any excuse to make friends! Think he should work on that moustache before heading back to Berlin 😂
This is my fav GCN video to date! Really gave me good feels for the cycling community we had in Baton Rouge in the early 2000s --Also a very flat city not known for cycling but we had a few key leaders who started the local group ride and we grew from there. We even have a velodrome!
Berlin seems like a lovely place to ride a bike!
Great that we could take you back to those early days! Berlin was a hoot! Where should we send Hank next? 👀
the scene is accepting only if you can afford Rahpa kit lol
No rig raf
I have done a lot of Group Rides in Berlin, including the Standert ride and own the cheapest kit I could find. No one ever cared as far as I can tell
@@sumselknoten This is great to hear! The Standert team were all very nice 🙌
I was a resident of Berlin for almost 4 years and rode my steel vintage road bike around everywhere. Must say, Berlin has always been a cycling city. From the straight up vintage bikes (shoutout to Steel Vintage Bikes!) to the race machines at Standert, Berlin has a bit of cycling for everybody.
Great video! Had a lot of fun with you guys 😃🙌
Thanks for getting involved! We are thankful that Hank came back in one piece! Thanks for taking it easy on him 😂
During the Tour de France in Berlin, there was a point for the mountain jersey in the Grunewald forest
I lived many years in Berlin....brought my first mountain bike there. I rode year round...got rid of my car.. I loved riding along the canals. Take the canal path behind Schloss Charlottenburg, climb some stairs, ride through this tunnel ( there's even a light switch you turn on to light your way through), you exit & there's this cute taverna. You continue on along through one of those little gardens with tiny houses that they have in Germany & eventually you come out in Spandau. I don't know if it's all still there...thus was year 2000. I was there mit u ohne die Mauer.
Ich vermisse Berlin. 😢❤
I love the presentations of the cities and places to ride. You have to come back over the pond to Colorado! You have been here several times and done a bit here and a bit there, Steamboat Gravel, Science in Boulder, etc. Time to put the pieces together. We have sensational organized rides, The Triple by Pass, Tour of the Moon, Mount Evans Hill Climb (can you pedal at 14,000 ft of elevation?), and others. The history of cycling in the states with the Coors Classic back in the day. Ride to the level of your smile.
As much as I like having all of those groups in Berlin, they always feel very exclusive: I feel I need to show up in and on a specific kind of gear and if it isn’t just that, I might feel my fitness isn’t good enough to join them.
Thanks for voicing your concerns! You are not alone on this one, group rides of all sorts can be very scary. The best thing to do would be contact the club before hand and see if the culture fits you. There are clubs of all speeds and sizes, we would push people to get involved and see what works for them 🙌
Just about got enough time to watch this before Strade starts perfect timing 👍
Sounds like the perfect morning!
Caught some Standert bikes on the US crit channels and instantly had to check them out, loved the look and colourways
Very clean looking bikes 👀
Rim brake, rim brake, more rim brake. Hank, Angela, Nils, Srandert, all rim. Much respect.
The cycling industries nightmare!!! 👻
Love to see my home being featured. I would have loved to bump into Hank though. Lovely chap!
Really cool and inspiring video. But I would really appreciate it if you will go to the countries like Romania where the cycling community is not that great and bring it to another level.
Glad you liked it! That's a great idea, we'd love to go and explore some lesser known countries to see what the cycling scene is like there!
@@gcn one of the most popular bike riders in Romania is @bucharestbiketrafic and for sure he can help you by offering a Bucharedt city tour if you contact him. And his English is also very good. I look forward seeing this video😍
I Love the Idea of these Videos! But maybe try to show more of the actual scene then just one shop (the video feels a bit like a paid promotion, if so please make that more obvious in the video) and one tour. There are loads of fantastic events, locations and tours and of course people. Sure thats more work and research then one afternoon riding but would be a cooler representation of "the Scene"
Great point! This video is all about Standert and the community they have grown, we would love to go back to Berlin and find some more hidden gems. Any ideas where we should be looking? 👀
I was stationed in Berlin during the Cold War. I was so awesome to be part of history. I watched the wall come down. I used to ride my cannondale to work during warmer months. The cobble stones were so hard on the wheels.
I’m a Berliner and ride in Berlin for many years. I really like your concept of showing the cycling scene of different cities but it’s a shame that what your showing of Berlin, about style and performance it doesn’t show the real and true spirit of inclusivity from Berlin. Also the documentary focus on one brand instead of showing other amazing places and stops that the city has to offer. I recommend you to show different point of views and communities maybe not even linked to brands in feature videos.
The focus on the Siegessäule was really silly, like putting in 10 shots of Big Ben.
Standert put money into this hidden ad, it's fairly obvious.
Hi Sebastian! Great to hear from a Berliner 🙌 - We understand this we only showed a very small part of the riding scene in Berlin, our focus for this video was meant to be on the burgeoning community around the Standert brand. Berlin, like many cities, is full of different communities and we would love to celebrate all of them! Would you like to see us head back to Berlin? Can you think of a communities that we missed during this trip?
@@Beppon Standert put exactly 0$ into this video, just FYI 😉
@@kesavek11 in germany the currency is euro, in UK pounds - it’s not a bigger surprise that u didn’t pay any doller$_$ 🌝
@@filliam_ Oooh really? Thanks for the info, after living in Germany for 10 years I didn’t noticed 🙄
While the video is very well made and fun to watch, to me this begs the question: Why not a collaboration with GCN auf Deutsch to show them around? 🤔
Another time maybe? We'll see what we can do!
Loved having Alec in this video - such a good complement to Hank. More Alec please!
Hmmm, I cannot understand a word he says, has a strange accent.
Guys, get your sunscreen and come to São Paulo, Brazil. Prepare yourself for 40Km/h without a stop sign, lots of action with an average speed of 48km/h+ on the busiest avenue in the country. There are many daily groups and others routes to enjoy. Also, there are nice roads in the countryside, just 1.5 hours of driving. GCN has many fans around here, and we would love to ride with you.
You should definitely visit Hamburg and Rad Race ✌🏼
We have done! And we have a couple of video's about it ruclips.net/video/NpsedSzZyYs/видео.html
These guys are the biggest snobs I have ever seen. Some months ago they promoted dangerous and illegal cycling on public roads in an Instagram video and acted like assholes towards any comment.
Would have loved to meet you guys here in Berlin 😍
Great Video! Great to see my cycling playground on your channel. Maybe you can come back in summer. Grunewald is so much more beautiful, when its green ;-)
love how the first scene is just them riding next to a mandatory cycleway
Great video and lovely looking bikes by the brand. Love Berlin, great city!
Some very special looking bikes 🙌
This feels like the cycling equivalent of copa90, do more cities, love it!
Love Berlin cyclists. Did not fall for disc brake marketing.
Standert make great looking bikes. Would be great to see there UK presence grow and be able to try one.
Wonderful, I saw you filming at the Brandenburg Gate
More of this please. Also way more Alec!!!!!
What would you like to see Alec do next? He's got some cracking GCN+ docs 👉gcn.eu/7Pp
(Opening scene) Director: Guys, yell at the camera as loudly as you can and give it high energy
Hank & Alec: We got this 😂
Hank & Alec: Ourselves got this. :-)
As if we need to tell these two 🙌
I don‘t think this is anywhere near being representative for „cycling in Germany“. The reality outside of Berlin and Cologne is that cycling is still on the ground and I don‘t see that changing. On the one side we have the capital hipsters with their posh flagship stores and on the other side we have the BDR as the governing body which is still stuck in the 70s and in between that there are a lot of people that are not attracted by either side and ride around on their own. In the last years, most of the bike shops outside of big cities have changed to „e-bikes for the elderly“ stores and you can‘t be sure that you can buy a new chain or set of cleats there any more because it‘s „too enthusiast stuff“.
Make this a series. Alec is a top tier GCN guest...Rome next??
Hopefully we will! We'd love to go there
Lots of road cycling on the channel recently... when will we get a West Highland Way on a road bike video? :D
Also born and grown up in Berlin but on the MTB side of life. ;-) Come back in the summer and you will find Berlin much less appealing. That shot of the entrance of S-Bahn station Alexanderplatz ? Impossible to film then as it would be full of drunk homeless people using it as their toilet, right in front of you if necessary. 😉
@@andrewfennell6511 sounds like you barely travelled anywhere in this world
I have never joined a group ride yet because I am afraid I might be too slow and also I am not aware of the "dos and don'ts" of groupriding...
Depending on where you live, there will almost certainly be a cycling group nearby that caters for all abilities. It might be worth looking online or asking in your local bike shop to get a grasp of what's available. Most clubs will have a website that'll state their different group distances and speeds! They'll also likely run beginners rides every now and again for cyclists new to group riding to get to grips on bunch riding and etiquette.
15:05 "Until the police threw us out" - didn't expect anything else from a Berliner.
More videos like this please! Make them all around Europe 👏🚴🏼♂😍
Did you catch Hank in Girona? 👉 ruclips.net/video/4ehdnrJYxwo/видео.html - Where should we send him next?
@@gcn Grantham 😂
I wish my local town had a group ride like that. It just doesn't happen here in the middle part of the USA other than maybe in Colorado.
I'd like to know how the drivers react around cyclists. It seemed pretty good there. This would be a great series to see place around the world so when we decide on a cycling destination we have an idea of what it brings. Come out to Long Beach, CA. It's crazy busy out here but there are a lot of cyclists of all types.
I had a nice time watching this video :)
Glad you liked it! Where should we go to next?
@@gcnChoose a city in India 🙂 May be Bengaluru 🙏🕊️
It is incredible Hank can brake without disc brakes? How is it possible GCN?
Hope u guys (Hank and Alec), come ride with us here in Copenhagen. I ride with Rapha once a week (on Wednesdays), would love to have u guys join u don't need to be a member to join u can just turn up and come along for the ride. I'm a big fan of GCN too so would love to hangout and chill with u guys as well.
Now come to Munich ... we even have hills here.
Well sort of. 50 km from Munich, yes.
Cycling in the English gardens...Great time.😎
@@Aniqa101 Don't forget Col de la Poubelle!
Not exactly a city, however, on a holiday I got talking to a keen triathlete who owns a bar on the Island of Kefalonia in Greece and the cycling there looks amazing. Would be nice to see some of Greece on your channel
As a long time citizen of Berlin I can tell you riding in Berlin sucks! Don't come to cycling holidays to us. If you are on a gravel then you might love Brandenburg or the outskirts of Berlin. What you show is a hipster, ultra expensive, exclusive and able-bodied scene of mostly men which is not very welcoming. I have stuck to riding alone.
My sentiments exactly. 👍🏻
Yeah, that's the impression I got too. It seemed more like a canned commercial for a single cycling shop. If there was a real cycling "scene" there would be people of both genders. And as another commenter pointed out in a city of 4 million people a group ride of 40 - 50 people really isn't all that large.
@@jensenhealey907efi while I haven’t been to this particular group it just presented itself how I perceived other Berlin riding groups. They might be multicultural but that does not necessarily imply diversity, at least from my experience. Part of the lack of diversity in cycling probably boils down to cost of material and maintenance and the high commitment you have to make also in terms of available time. It’s also probably still a totally male dominated sport (although instagram might give you another impression :D). And what do we men like? Competition an rivalry 💪 I think Berlin has space for a leisure oriented, fun and adventurous bike group that’s focused on sharing the joy of riding and not just grabbing your fronts slipstream and is welcoming to one’s that only have time maybe once a month for longer rides.
Also sometimes I feel GCN forgets who their viewers actually are. 5% competitive interested riders, 95% leisure riders. The videos I enjoy the most are the once where they achieve to show the joy of riding, like the commuter videos or the one where they went on Budget cycling bike packing with two fellow viewers. I think the latter is my most favorite video, I really could relate to those guys, especially the introverted one 😅
Sry for TL;DR
I have the same Impression. Why would anyone pomote cycling in a City anyways? The average German cities spends 6 Euros per citizen per year on cycle paths.
It’s dangerous to cycle there.
Rather go cycling in Freiburg or Bavaria in the Alpes.
Just wanted to make clear that I also do enjoy the competitive content GCN is making. I mean who doesn’t love their track cycling videos or their gravel videos like king Alfred way. The presenters also make the impression as if everybody would have fun riding along with them, definitely not narrow minded folks.
So yh GCN keep it up, but we want Hanks dad back in the videos. :p
I keep hearing about Minneapolis, USA having a really good bike culture. I’ve not been there.
One for Hank maybe 👀
@@gcn Please not during the winter months he's been through so much already...
Now, that’s cool! 🤙
Please revisit Limburg area in NL
GCN: makes a video with Berliners
Münchner: triggered.
Wären mehr Berlin-Videos möglich?:)
Cool idea for a series. Honest question: Is this video sponsored by Standert? Why only show that one brand out of so much cycling culture?
Sehr cool! Nächstes Monat bin ich a Woche dort 😊
Cool ride. That Standert bike had a dent in the top tube. If its steel you can fix it.
Paul Brodie on RUclips repairs bent and frames and removes dents.
Alec I think you are talking down the Herne Hill / CP cycling 'seen'. I think name two good World Tour Riders and one Grand Tour winner to come from it!
Hank… in the land of the Giants.
Hank calling someone else a leprechaun. 😂
Do Paris next
I'm sure they wouldn't mind being sent there 😉
"Which other cities should we visit next? Let us know in the comments below!"
Kuala Lumpur. Pubcycle 2023 Le Tour de Damansara X will be on 17th or 16th December; of a Sunday, there are so many cyclists in KL, it's like something from a Hitchcock movie.
Awesome.
I like the idea of presenting a city‘s bike culture. But, please, take a wider look around. There are literally thousands of „everyday“ cyclists in the city, and tons of workshops to accommodate them (they often tend to like those old steel-frame road bikes from the 80s). There’s also a gravel scene in and around the city and, as other commentators have mentioned, large events/activities such as Sternfahrt, the Critical Mass movement or the VeloCity. Also, you could look at the way bicycle infrastructure is set up or has been improving in recent years.
Please try ride in Jakarta, Indonesia 🤣
That would be a great one!
Did i see Olly on a ladder in a picture ?? (1:21)
Is that Rohan Dennis at Standert cycles?
You have to go to Münster
I'm surprised how accepting car traffic was to having the bikes in the car Lanes on main roads. In most cities in United States just about every car would have been blowing horns at you 🙂🇺🇸.
Its allowed here when youre in a bunch and i think the european cycling is averaging way higher in traffic so the stupid cars get used to it
I ride some of those roads everyday. If you are not in a group, traffic is not very accepting, but luckily there are bike lanes on most main roads now.
Its a luxury not found too often but when you do it makes it a much nicer place to ride!
@@gcn yeah don't ride it on the main streets in the Great Lakes region, you will definitely get honked at, and you are really taking your life into your hands even if you have three blinking lights on the back 🙂. Side streets and minor roads are fine, but the big busy streets unless you're just crossing and with a big group, don't try it please 😀.
@@ThelastSkeleton yeah that's definitely true, the other side of the pond is definitely much more of a car culture. But that's all right, I grew up here, I know how to handle myself on the bike or in the car.
Hank & Alec teaming up in a video ? Letting them loose in a crowded environment ? I like how the "higher-ups" at GCN are thinking, if they are trying to rid themselves of Crazy Puppy Hank, might as well have him go away in a blaze of glory 😂🤣
Que? Getting rid of Hank? I couldn’t think of a more silly idea.
I hope not, I enjoy Hank, especially when they can get Hank's Dad in a video too.
it is kind of annoying that they are riding one meter away from the cycle lane in the intro without using it
When I see the ignore the bike Planes in a City where cars really aggressiv to you think they will kill you even in cars.
And only Grunewald? No Müggelberg and Müggelsee?
Why only Grunewald?
After arriving Berlin by plane at BER and travelling to Mitte by car there is no wish or need to visit Köpenik again by roadbike ...
@@sportbootjo there are good road around the Müggelsee for road bikes or climb with a road bike the Müggelberg which are 8-12%. Grunewald is overrated. Only Westberlin is overrated too. East has some good bicycle ways. Ond from ber in the City with car is stupid and takes longer the public traffic. Only stupid drive in the City where many many traffic jam are. And I live in Berlin!
Berlin cycling scene or advertisement for Standert and a group ride with their employees?
Come to Bangalore, India!
Alec would be a GIANT leprechaun. 😂☘
I thought it was Conor with a false beard at first! :-)
Discover Ghent with Lovelo team
Do Montreal in the winter.
Maybe one day!
Rather breathe oxygen then carbon oxide when i go for a ride.
No snow???
For the next city, well I'm going to assume you want to keep it within driving distance 🙂... How about the heart of the mediterranean, and capital of the last great ancient empire.... Rome! And a good chunk of the British Isles were once ruled from Rome 😎.
That certainly would be worth the trip!
Did you ever consider do something similar in Portugal ? ( Oporto ) Cheers
We haven't yet... should we? 👀
@@gcn Yes! You'd love it, in a few kms we can be pedaling in a busy city as we can pedal up the Douro River and find incredible scenery. I am fortunate to be able to train sometimes with cyclists from the national platoon, as well as Ivo and Rui Oliveira. Cheers
Germany. Jens Voigt!!!
They rode past his home (not knowingly?) as I could see during the group ride :D
@@-xz5cr9hz9gteg Yupp, right hand off the Kleine Heerstraße when they rode back to Mitte and they missed the Teufelsberg as highes point in Berlin where Jens did an Everest for charities reasons
Can anyone explain the picture of the American Army Sergeant in the middle of the road? I don’t think the US Army has a presence in Berlin these days.
That was at checkpoint Charlie, one of the few border crossings between the soviet sector and the free part, also the location of the only direct stand-off between american and soviet tanks ever.
There's a museum nearby depicting the brutal reality of the inner-german border and telling the stories of the people who tried to flee into the West (many of whom paid with their lives).
@@turboseize I thought about that but it was so long ago that I disregarded it. Good to know it’s still appreciated.
Berlin is my favorite city I lived in, but in summer time only ;)
Did you ever get out on your bike? 👀
Sure, lots of commuting and social rides ;)