In Memory of Max
We are deeply saddened by the passing of our ambassador, Max Riese. He passed away in a fatal bike accident on 15.09.2026.
Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and loved ones during this difficult time.
We feel grateful to have known him and he will be dearly missed.
To honor him we have decide to leave most of his profile here for you to read and celebrate the memory of Max.
Handle
@kleinerriese or @gravgrav.cc
Base
Salzburg, Austria .
Terrain
Gravel, MTB trails.
Three words
Fast, controlled, efficient.
The story
I started in road cycling. Working my way through the categories and racing for different teams.
At the age of 22 years old I ended my career, but somehow couldn’t get away from cycling. First XCM MTB races and with the rise of gravel bikes in the US we too wanted to ride longer and faster over a large variety of surfaces.
Most people connect me with gravel. And that’s somewhat true, 90% off the time you’ll see me riding my gravel bike. I still love to ride my road bike though and of course I spent a lot of time on the MTB riding trails and technical stuff. With friends we did some stupid rides and tested our limits. Can we ride over 500km in one day? Ride this 3 day MTB route in one go?
All bikes are beautiful, if I can I always use the less beaten path, even if it mines I’ll have to get off my bike.
Eventually I heard of the Silkroad Mountainrace and the fascination in the stories, the images and the vibe of this event kept me awake at night. It was my first ultra race and since then I became literally addicted. So much so I am now calling this my job.
It is wild to think back on this journey and what it brought to my life!
Photos by Markéta Belíková
Sidekick: Who you share the road with?
Of course there need to be a lot of gelato and coffee rides with my girlfriend. My friend Ewen is the man for stupid missions.
The spot: Your ultimate place to ride?
Kyrgyzstan will forever hold a very special place in my heart. The landscapes and its remoteness, the kindness of its people… it’s always amazing to return there.
Gear pick: The one BBB product you never leave without
The AdventureStrike 600 headlight. Super tiny and light, packable, still providing good light and battery. You can mount it with a strap, go pro style mount or even on your helmet. All while being super affordable. The MVP of lights!
