"Stories only happen to those who are capable of telling them.
The rest of the world is just background noise.
We do not remember things as they happened.
We remember the stories we have told ourselves about what happened.
Memory is mankind’s first creative act."
— Paul Auster
These words by Paul Auster accompany the video from our latest photo shoot, capturing its essence even before the images begin.
Because a photo shoot is not simply a collection of photographs. It is not a list of Alpine passes, kilometres travelled or breathtaking views. It is a story. And every story begins with a lived experience. In June, we set off for Switzerland with one simple goal: to experience a different side of the Alps.
Jëuf was born in the Dolomites, mountains that have shaped the way we ride, explore and observe the landscape. They are home. But the Dolomites are not the only Alps. An entire mountain range stretches across Europe, made up of valleys, glaciers, iconic passes and roads that seem to have been designed to be ridden by bike.
We chose Switzerland because it represents another face of the Alps. More rugged at times, more immense at others, yet capable of giving us the same sense of freedom we feel every time we begin a climb. Riding here reminded us of something very simple: it does not matter where a climb ends or what the pass we are crossing is called.
What matters is the privilege of experiencing these places at the right pace. The pace of a bicycle.
A bicycle allows us to truly enter the landscape. To listen to the sound of the wind, feel the air change with the altitude and stop where a car would simply carry on. It is a different way of travelling. Slower. More authentic. Closer to the mountains.
With this photo shoot, we did not simply want to present a collection or technical garments. We wanted to tell the story of a way of experiencing cycling.
For us, the Alps have no borders. They speak different languages and change in shape and character, yet they all share the same ability to inspire those who cross them.
And perhaps this is the message we brought home from this journey: every mountain holds a story. The bicycle gives us the chance to step inside it. It is then up to us to choose how to tell it.