Cinelli x Bike Aid: racing beyond borders

Some partnerships are about watts.
Some are about wins.
This one is about people.

For 2026, Cinelli rides alongside BIKE AID — a German Continental team built on something bigger than racing: creating real pathways for African riders to compete, grow, and chase futures that don’t always come easy.

Yes, they’ll race hard. Yes, they’ll race fast. But the story starts long before the start line.

Not just podiums. Possibilities.

Cinelli was born in Milan in 1948. BIKE AID was born in 2005 as a cycling community in Germany.

Different places. Same belief: cycling can change lives.

What started as a grassroots movement grew into one of Germany’s largest cycling communities — over 1,200 members — and eventually into a Continental team racing across the globe. Along the way, more than €1,000,000 has been raised to support development projects and athlete opportunities.

Pressure 2 — Now Carrying More Than Speed

For the 2026 season, the BIKE AID roster will race and train aboard a fleet of custom Pressure 2 Team Edition bikes.

The Pressure 2 is our race platform.
Fast. Responsive. Aerodynamic. Made to perform when the road gets serious.

But this version carries something extra.

The team edition design brings together Cinelli’s expressive Milanese energy with visual elements inspired by BIKE AID’s identity and mixed African culture. Symbols. Patterns. Movement. Color. Not decoration — conversation.

A race bike that tells stories while doing 50km/h.

And while the team edition isn’t available to buy, the same race-bred Pressure 2 platform is — because performance should never be exclusive.

KEY FEATURES

• Aerodynamic Headtube Design & Aero-enhanced Tubing Profiles

• Lowered Fork Junction

• Optimized Fork Head Geometry

• Tyre clearance up to 32mm

• Integrated Handlebar and Cables

• UCI approved

• Racing Geometry

• Over Benchmark Stiffness

• Integrated One-Side Blind Dropouts

The Riders

The 2026 BIKE AID roster includes 13 riders from different backgrounds, including three from Eritrea. Different languages. Different roads growing up. Same fire when the flag drops.

BIKE AID creates a structure where talent meets opportunity — combining racing, education, and intercultural exchange. It’s about building athletes, but also building futures.

And that’s something we can get behind.

More Than a Sponsorship

This isn’t a logo-on-jersey situation. It’s a shared mindset.

We’ve always believed cycling is culture. It’s art. It’s identity. It’s rebellion. It’s connection. It doesn’t belong to one country, one aesthetic, or one story.

Working with BIKE AID means amplifying voices that deserve a bigger stage. It means helping riders take the next step. It means proving that performance and purpose are not opposites.

They belong together.

The Road Ahead

In 2026, BIKE AID will race close to 100 events across continents.

The Pressure 2 will be there for the attacks.
For the crosswinds.
For the breakaways that may or may not stick.

And behind every effort, there’s something deeper than a result sheet.

This is racing beyond borders. Beyond expectations. Beyond the idea that cycling is only about who crosses the line first.

Sometimes, it’s about who gets the chance to start.

Photo Courtesy: @jonas.schnabel