Five more Cycling movies for when Winter gets too Brutal
Is it cold outside and the weather just isn’t calling for a ride? Don’t worry! I’ve got you covered. Since so many of you enjoyed last year’s “When Bikes Make It on the Big Screen: Six Cycling Movies for Winter”, I decided to dig up five more bike-centric films you can watch from the comfort of your bed or sofa, ideally with a good cup of tea in hand.
A Sunday in Hell (1977)
A Danish documentary by Jørgen Leth that captures how intense the 1976 Paris–Roubaix was, as one of cycling’s most brutal one-day races. The film follows legendary riders like Eddy Merckx and Roger De Vlaeminck across cobblestones, mud, and chaos, with some race footage, team cars, and crowd being essential to make this day what it really is. It’s truly a study of both the pain and poetry of the sport. And you can find in on YouTube right here.
Rising from Ashes (2012)
Rising from Ashes was an excellent surprise. It’s a powerful and deeply moving documentary about how Tom Ritchey and Jacques Boyer helped create Team Rwanda only a few years after the devastating genocide that tore the country apart. The film shows how cycling becomes much more than a sport, and turned into a symbol of healing, identity, and hope for an entire nation. Directed by T.C. Johnstone, the documentary was recently uploaded to his YouTube channel, which you can find here.
The Program (2015)
The Program follows journalist David Walsh as he grows suspicious of Lance Armstrong’s miraculous comeback and dominance in professional cycling. While the world celebrates Armstrong as a cancer survivor and Tour de France hero, Walsh slowly uncovers the sophisticated doping scheme behind his success. It is honestly quite incredible to see the amount of trickery racers were ready to deal with, to push Lance to the finish line as fast as they could.
Macaframa (2009)
I had to include at least one of the legendary films from my early teenage years. Macaframa is a pure celebration of fixed-gear culture in San Francisco, featuring legendary riders like Jason Yim, Colin Arlen, Keo Curry, and many more. For people my age, it was one of those movies that taught us everything about riding with your own style and personality. And the best part? You can still watch it on YouTube here!
RAD (1986)
This might be my favorite discovery of all the cycling movies I watched this year. Get ready for a full-on time warp straight into the heart of the ’80s, when everything was a little too cool and BMX culture was exploding. This film had me smiling almost nonstop. It’s cheesy, corny, and has every flaw an ’80s movie can have, but RAD had me glued to the screen from start to finish. And if you’re a Macaframa fan like me, there’s a track in RAD that’s going to hit completely differently. Definitely a must-watch!
Let’s go Cru!
