For the third year in a row, I’m back with a few more cycling films to watch while you’re comfortably wrapped up indoors and winter does its thing outside.
Unfortunately, I only managed to find four films this year. Still, I think this selection offers a satisfying range of entertainment, from ’80s wacky teen comedy, artful documentary to a Japanese comedy and an absolute classic. Hopefully, there’s something here to keep you entertained through the colder months.
Life Cycles (2010)
Life Cycles renewed my appreciation for cycling in its simplest form. When you spend so much time immersed in new standards, technical developments, and supposedly “revolutionary” products, it’s easy to lose sight of why we ride in the first place.
With its stunning visuals, a simple message, and extraordinary cinematography, Life Cycles offers a welcome reminder to slow down, go outside, and simply ride…
Youtube Link
BMX Bandits (1983)
This is simply not a good movie. BMX Bandits is a kooky film steeped in heavy 1980s vibes, set against an unmistakably Australian backdrop and punctuated by a few BMX sequences. Most of the runtime, however, is devoted to a goofy group of villains, three horny teenagers, and enough awkward moments to make you stop and think, “Damn, this really isn’t very good.”
That said, with a couple of friends and a healthy dose of tongue-in-cheek humour, BMX Bandits can still be a good time, if you’re willing to laugh at how wonderfully basic it is.
Mash SF (2015)
After including Macaframa last year, MASH SF 2015 had to make the list. It was the film that set the fixed-gear world on fire, inspiring many of us to take to the streets and ride the crest of a new wave of riders.
Even if you’ve already seen it, MASH SF 2015 is still well worth revisiting. Beyond the riding, the film is packed with details that are easy to miss on a first viewing: the bikes, the builds, the locations, the style, and the atmosphere… There’s a good chance you’ll discover something new each time you watch it.
Messengers (1999)
Finishing with my favorite cycling film of the year: Messengers.
Set in Tokyo just before the turn of the millennium, Messengers is both a comedy and a love letter to Japanese messenger culture. The story is nothing special: a corporate woman is forced to take on a job as a bicycle messenger and tries to make the best of her unexpected new lifestyle.
But what makes the film so enjoyable, however, is its wealth of niche references and its perfect depiction of late-1990s Tokyo. Messengers was genuinely entertaining to watch…. Highly recommended
Woops…
