Bicycle cliches in the movies

[Bikkhu]

Just watched "Enemy of the State" on DVD. Got me thinking -

Why is it that bike riding is so badly done in movies?

List of cliches:

- the protagonist picks up a bike in a hurry to flee etc, then TWISTS the bars from side to side in an obvious effort to lose his balance as quickly as possibly - and looks like he has not mastered the bike handling skills of an average 6 year old...

- A pedestrian chasing a bike will ALWAYS keep up with the bike, even on downhill

- best way across a busy intersection is to STEER as MUCH AS POSSIBLE from left to right and avoid picking a line...

etc.etc.

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- B

[Bikedud]

Just watched "Enemy of the State" on DVD. Got me thinking -

Why is it that bike riding is so badly done in movies?

- B

For some reason all cliches seem to be done badly by the movie industry. I can only assume it is to overexagerate the situation to the point of absurdity. But I agree, probably becasue we are more observant, it seems that cyclist particularly are the objects of absurdity.

I was watching Charlie's Angels yesterday (don't ask) and it opens with a group of cyclist riding by in the front of the first scene. It's not too bad, but all the cyclist are dressed alike as if they were a team, yet all the jerseys were solid color, plain, with no logos. The cyclist all rode through the scene in a pack but at a very pedestrian pace, or so it seemed.

As an educator I also notice the absurdity of education/school cliches used in the movie industry. I imagine it is the same with any vocation or hobby. Practitioners of the vocation or hobby notice the ridiculus nature of the cliche while the rest of us just don't get it.