Is This Dublin’s Most Welcoming Cycling Group?
Text: Izzy Copestake
Header Image By Piano Piano
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When Alberto, founder of Piano Piano, moved to Dublin from Milan, he brought with him a love of cycling and a desire to find community in his new home. As a longtime cyclist who’d pedaled through cities like Copenhagen, Milan and Alba, Alberto was familiar with the lonely rhythm of solo rides, but wanted something new from cycling in Dublin.
“I wished for a space to do what we love, together.”
“I found myself and other fellow cyclists wandering the roads of Dublin like lonely satellites. For myself and them, I wished for a space to do what we love, together,” Alberto tells District. As social run clubs began to spring up across the country, prioritising social connection above performance, Alberto realised this community was missing for cyclists, and he wanted to change that.
Piano Piano is less about performance and more about fun. The name comes from the Italian phrase for “slowly, slowly,” and the group offers an alternative to the often intimidating, lycra-clad culture surrounding road cycling. “It’s performance driven: pretty daunting if you don’t have a medium high level of fitness, as well as cyclists in general can have this slightly intimidating vibe around them: fast on their bikes, looking sharp and hyper concentrated.” Piano Piano creates a more welcoming entry point to cycling.
For Alberto, cycling is a uniquely powerful activity, particularly when it’s done as a group. “There’s a moment, when everyone is perfectly aligned, moving at the same speed, focused on the road, when everything shifts, almost transforms. You’re no longer just individual riders; you become a single, unified body that moves and breathes as one.I find it to be a transcendental, almost meditative experience.”
Unlike running or walking, cycling also allows you to cover more ground in a short space of time. “This means that every ride turns into an adventure where the unexpected can happen at any moment, and I find that incredibly exciting.”
Over the past year, the group has grown into something more than a group of cyclists, a welcoming community that is unpretentious, and gently competitive. Weekly Thursday rides offer a way for people to meet and ride together. There’s a minimum level of fitness required, as Alberto notes, but it’s deliberately accessible. “Fitness can be built, and experience can be gained,” he says. Alberto’s idea is around setting a foundation that prioritises safety, while still allowing people to grow.
And they do grow. Alberto has watched as once-hesitant riders who struggled on their first outing now take on 70-kilometre spins. “Piano Piano ignites that spark, inspiring them to fall in love with the sport.”
For many, the rides can be an emotional outlet and a mental break. Alberto has seen how much it can mean to people to find a space where they’re free to be themselves. “Sometimes experiencing that sense of acceptance for the very first time.”
“I’ve seen many friendships blossom.”
That openness has created solid bonds. He talks about the friendships that have formed. “I’ve seen many friendships blossom. People have started organising rides and planning cycling trips, or even just meeting up in town for a drink without the bikes.I would have never imagined this happening when launching the first Thursday Social one year ago.”
Despite its determination to be laid-back, the group still has a competitive edge. Monthly challenges and events like the Hill Climb Challenge add a playful spirit to the mix, encouraging riders to test themselves in a fun, pressure-free way. “There’s nothing at stake, no prizes to win, anyone can join, and anyone can come out on top.” Riders pore over weather forecasts, study wind directions, and game out their strategies like a puzzle. “It’s honestly so much fun,” says Alberto. “I never win, but it doesn’t matter, I’ve given my best, alongside friends who supported and helped me push myself.”
“There’s nothing at stake, no prizes to win, anyone can join, and anyone can come out on top.”
For now, Alberto isn’t rushing to grow Piano Piano into something too big, too fast. “I want Piano Piano to fully grasp its potential before letting it truly take off,” he tells us.
So who is Piano Piano for? “People who love cycling around a like-minded community. Who slow down by choice and ride fast for the fun of it.” Alberto has created something that feels not just like a sports group, but something that challenges the exclusive individualistic reputation of cycling, one Thursday at a time. It’s a perfect example of how connection, shared passion and movement can come together to promote overall well-being.
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