As a cycling publication, we’re delighted whenever a prominent figure puts cycling in the spotlight. Lars Klingbeil (SPD), Federal Minister of Finance, and Carsten Schneider (SPD), Federal Minister for the Environment, went on a joint cycle ride last week on the fringes of the Federal Cabinet’s closed-door meeting. The media reported it as a ride on road bikes – but the photos reveal a gravel bike with a SRAM groupset for Klingbeil and a Stevens cyclocross bike for Schneider. The latter is a rare bike for true connoisseurs and testament to his long-standing love of cycling. As early as 2012, he spoke in interviews about cycling trips on his cyclocross bike and on the road. Just last year, he auctioned off an older Canyon road bike from his collection for a good cause. All of this is evidence of a passion for cycling, and that earns him brownie points from us. Praise is also due for the early start: at 6.15 am, Klingbeil and Schneider set off on their bikes from Neuhardenberg Castle in Brandenburg. According to Schneider, after an hour and 45 minutes cycling across the countryside, they had clocked up 26 kilometres. That’s perfectly respectable for a pre-work workout.
To put it mildly, however, a look at the photos shows that their outfits come across as a bit wild. We asked an AI to carry out an AI style check – a tongue-in-cheek way of getting a neutral opinion: what are these two ‘cool’ bikers missing? We used the 5.6 Sol model from OpenAI and Claude Sonnet 4.6 from Anthropic. We were surprised to find that OpenAI even analyses their sitting position, whilst Claude recommends specific brands. Here are the answers:
AI Style Check: Anthropic Claude Sonnet 4.6
Cyclist 1 – Gravel bike (dressed in dark clothing)
Positive
- Helmet: LAS helmet in a modern gravel/all-road style – goes well with a gravel bike
- Shoes: White cycling shoes with BOA fastenings – functional and stylish
- Socks: White cycling socks – classic and neat
Room for improvement
- Top: The dark long-sleeved top looks like general sportswear – not a dedicated cycling jersey (no back pockets visible). For gravel riding, a specialist gravel jersey is recommended, e.g. from Castelli, Pas Normal Studios or Café du Cycliste
- Trousers: The dark shorts feature the Under Armour logo and look like ordinary sports shorts; they aren’t proper cycling shorts with a chamois. This is a real comfort issue on longer rides
- Glasses: No cycling glasses or sunglasses visible – highly recommended for gravel riding (protection against wind, dust and insects)
- Gloves: Not included – particularly useful when riding a gravel bike on uneven terrain
Overall look: The outfit isn’t coordinated – there’s no cohesive ensemble
Rider 2 – Cyclocross/Stevens bike (white and black)
Positive
- Jersey: ASSOS long-sleeved jersey – a premium brand, professional and well-fitting
- Cycling bib shorts: Another high-quality pair of cycling bib shorts, with a good fit (Editor’s note: the AI didn’t look closely enough. Schneider is wearing a pair of loose-fitting shorts over his bib shorts.)
- Helmet: Giro road helmet – classic, complements the look well
- Socks: White cycling socks – a perfect match for the black-and-white kit
Significant weaknesses
- Shoes: The biggest problem! He’s wearing blue running/trainers (not cycling shoes with a clip-in system). For a cyclocross rider using clip-in pedals, this is a practical problem and, stylistically, a clear faux pas. Recommendation: Road cycling shoes or cyclo-cross shoes, e.g. from Shimano, Specialized or Giro – in black or white to match the kit
- Glasses: Standard prescription glasses instead of prescription sports glasses (e.g. Rudy Project, Oakley Prescription) – not the best solution for sport
- Colour coordination: The blue shoes clash completely with the otherwise harmonious black-and-white ASSOS kit
AI Style Check by OpenAI
Both come across as friendly, relaxed and authentic whilst cycling. The rider on the left is on a modern gravel bike, whilst the one on the right is on a more classic cyclocross bike. Although their bikes belong to the road racing family, they are more robust and versatile than pure road racing bikes.
What’s missing from a cool look isn’t so much a more expensive bike as a more cohesive overall look:
- Clothing with a sporty gravel or cyclo-cross fit
- Sports glasses and matching accessories
- Suitable cycling shoes and pedal systems
- a calm, controlled posture
- bicycles that look tidy
- a distinct style for each rider
The rider on the left already has a modern, minimalist approach to gravel cycling. The rider on the right has a cyclocross bike with a classic racing character, though his outfit currently looks a bit more eclectic in terms of style.
Stylecheck recommends that Klingbeil adopt a better sitting position
1. Left-hand rider: modern gravel style
The black bike is the most striking feature of its overall appearance. Disc brakes, wider tyres, the dark colour scheme and the robust build give it a modern gravel or all-road look.
Its slightly more upright seating position is on a Gravel bike Not entirely wrong. Compared to a pure road racing bike, the following features are often desirable here:
- more control
- a clearer overview
- a slightly more relaxed upper body posture
- Stability on poor ground
- elbows slightly bent and positioned a little wider apart
So he doesn’t need to adopt an extremely low road-racing position artificially. It would nevertheless look more sporty if he:
- tilts slightly further forwards from the hips
- with your shoulders relaxed
- with her elbows slightly bent
- keeps his hands steady on the brake levers
- stabilises the upper body
His outfit can also be a little less ‘race-fit’ than that of a pure road cyclist. However, in the photos, the top looks considerably looser than necessary. A close-fitting gravel jersey or a plain performance jersey would be a good compromise.
Ordinary sports shorts remain the biggest stylistic flaw. More suitable options would be:
- a pair of black bib shorts
- or a pair of slim-fit gravel overtrousers worn over padded inner trousers
- Alternatively, a subtle cargo bib short with small side pockets
- Cargo bib shorts, in particular, would go very well with a modern gravel bike and look less like classic road cycling kit.
AI Style Check recommends different shoes to Schneider
Right-hand rider: classic cyclocross style
The white bike is not a classic road racing bike, but a cyclocross bike. This is reflected in its sporty geometry, robust design, greater tyre clearance and the older braking and frame design.
This gives the bike an interesting, classic cyclocross feel. There’s no need to make it look like a modern aero road bike. A well-maintained neo-retro cyclocross look would be far more appealing. (Editor’s note: The AI is really going off the deep end here. What does a cyclocross bike have to do with an aero road bike, and what is a ‘neo-retro cyclocross look’?).
His bike may look visibly functional and a bit more ‘mechanical’. Nevertheless, it’s worth toning down the look a little:
- new black handlebar tape
- neatly aligned brake levers
- well-maintained tracks and lines
- clean chain and sprocket
- identical bottles
- compact black saddlebag
- no loose-fitting clothing
His blue trainers still look out of place. Better options would be:
- White cyclocross/gravel shoes for a classic look
- black shoes for a more understated overall look
- black-and-white shoes as a link between the bike and your outfit
Matching SPD pedals would emphasise the cyclo-cross character far more convincingly than platform pedals with reflectors.
Posture
His slightly more upright riding position isn’t necessarily a problem on a cyclocross bike either. In cyclocross, control and quick weight transfer are more important than maintaining an extremely aerodynamic position at all times.
In the photo, however, the arms appear to be relatively straight. Regardless of the type of bike, the following would be better:
- elbows slightly bent
- relaxed shoulders
- neutral wrists
- a steady grip on the hoods
- strong upper body
- Looking further ahead
On loose or uneven ground, your elbows should not be locked. They act, in a sense, as additional suspension.
They don’t have to look like traditional road cyclists. A shared gravel/cyclo-cross look can be a bit more rugged and less sleek. Nevertheless, the garments should be chosen carefully and coordinated in terms of colour.
TOUR Summary: AI Style Check
Of course, the AI style check isn’t a serious analysis – it’s more of a tongue-in-cheek bit of fun. How does artificial intelligence assess the appearance and style of the two ministers? After all, the AI was trained on thousands of photos showing male and female road cyclists and gravel bikers. We were surprised that Anthropic’s AI even recognises and recommends brand names. The AI Style Check shouldn’t be taken too seriously. It also contains errors (see Schneider’s two pairs of trousers on top of each other) and sometimes goes a bit off on a tangent. What’s more, everyone should choose exactly the clothes and bikes they personally like. Nothing beats personal taste, and what really counts are the wonderful moments spent on the bike. The AI style check is also not linked to any political judgement. TOUR does not promote individual politicians, but we support any publicity that encourages people to spend more time on their bikes.
Kristian Bauer
Editor