What happens when passion meets friendship – and both meet a clear aesthetic statement? You get something like Hearthouse. A cycling team from Düsseldorf that doesn’t just race, but truly lives the sport – with a distinct vision of how modern cycling should look and feel.
From Fixed-Gear Vibes to Team Vision 2.0
After gaining initial experience with his own project, Max Schelenz developed a vision in 2025: to found a new team – one that combines sporting ambition with a radically thought-through aesthetic concept.
Max’s first encounters with cycling date back to the rising fixed-gear scene of the 2010s. That era made one thing clear: the perception of a sport is shaped not only by results, but by aesthetic presence. By imagery. By style. Performance doesn’t end at the finish line – it begins with the first impression.
For Hearthouse, outward presentation is not a side note, but a powerful lever to help drive competitive cycling forward using the means available to them.
“a heart for racing / a house of friends”
The claim says it all. Hearthouse stands for the love of cycling – for intervals in light drizzle, tight corners on the circuit, dusty gravel kilometers, and everything that happens between race number and finish line.
“We’re not professional cyclists, but we try to invest as much time as possible into this sport. At the same time, we’re not a team of lone fighters – we’re a group of friends who take on challenges together, learn from each other, and push one another to improve.”
Twice a week, the team rolls out together through Düsseldorf and the surrounding area. This is where more than just fitness curves are built – it’s where trust, dynamics, and that team spirit develop, the kind that ultimately makes the difference in racing.
A Race Calendar with an Edge
Sportingly, the program is clearly ambitious. The team’s roots lie in classic circuit racing, a discipline with a long tradition in Germany. At the same time, the focus is forward-looking: gravel is just as much part of the plan as road racing.
On the calendar are events such as the UCI Gravel Series, the German Gravel League, and stage races like the Kaiserstuhl Tuniberg Cup near CUORE’s German office, as well as the Stuttgarter Race Days. Hearthouse deliberately moves between disciplines – because modern cycling is versatile.
Why Design Matters So Much
For Hearthouse, performance is more than wattage. Visual identity plays a central role.
“We want to embody a modern, exciting, and contemporary version of cycling. This sport can only evolve if it moves with the times – and that inevitably means it has to look good.”
The team draws on an aesthetic rooted in house music culture. Energy meets art. Underground meets passion. Clean lines, bold contrasts, confident presence. The designs express exactly what the team stands for: movement, rhythm, community.
Here, apparel is more than functional equipment. It is stage, statement, and connector all at once – between rider and race, between team and the outside world. And a strong visual concept requires a technical foundation to match. Hearthouse rides in the latest CUORE products – uncompromisingly performance-driven and developed with state-of-the-art materials. The enthusiasm was already palpable at the fitting:
“The kits are insane. The fabrics, the seams, the collar, the fit… it’s next level. We’ve gained quite a bit of experience in the industry, and we’ve never been this happy.”
The Hearthouse kit is more than just race apparel – it’s an expression of a mindset, available in the official Team Shop for everyone who wants to carry that spirit forward.
Shaping the Future of Cycling – with Modest Means and Big Ambitions
Hearthouse aims to continue professionalizing step by step – making the most of the resources available, and with a firm commitment to positively shaping the sport. This includes working with local clubs in Düsseldorf to support youth development and inspire young talent to pursue racing.
Because the future of cycling isn’t created only in WorldTour team buses. It’s built on evening training rides, at regional races, and within communities that demonstrate how contemporary and exciting this sport can be.
Hearthouse represents exactly this movement: performance-driven, aesthetic, and community-focused.
A heart for racing, a house of friends.
