General Cycling Discussion - Your Favorite Cycling Movie

Well, winter is just around the corner and for some of us it is here already. So, I was wondering what your favorite cycling movies are and why. Nothing like a good cycling movie in the dead of winter.

The Flying Scotsman - It is pretty well-acted and my wife even liked it. It has that hobbit guy Pippin too.

Breaking Away is ok, but fairly stupid and more about "coming of age" than anything.

What about Better Off Dead with the paper boy skiing his bike down the mountain! Does that count?:roflmao2:

Pee Wee's Big Adventure.

Refund.

Don't forget the Triplets of Belleville.

I have to say that I haven't watched any of the listed movies, more into motorcycling movies like "Fast Charlie..... the Moon Beam Rider, and "World's Fastest Indian".

What about Better Off Dead with the paper boy skiing his bike down the mountain! Does that count?:roflmao2:

I want my two dollars!!! :ride:

Another vote for Pee Wee & Triplets of Belleville.

I can't pick just one of these.

"Enough of this Sunday stroll, let's hurt a little bit!!" -Barry "the Cannibal" Muzzin

http://comedyjuice.com/upload/2008/10/pee-wee-herman-tattoo-294a1.jpg

E.T.

I actually saw this movie listed in a 'top 10 bike movie' list.

breaking away - the scene where the girl drops a single sheet of paper - and he cycles by, leans over and picks it up

don't forget the finnish big screen film "Ambush" about WWII finnish bike troops in hostilities with the russians as a notable mention. great wartime bike scenes and explosions!

Breaking Away is actually why I got into cycling. Saw it. Looked like fun. Went to the Lehigh Valley Velodrome to watch races. Looked like fun. Started riding and racing. Was a LOUSY rider so I became an official. Did fairly well as an official. Worked the Atlanta Olympics as an Adjoint cycling official. Never would have happened without Breaking Away. Even raced against the guy that 'inspired' the movie. He is in the movie by the way.

Bill

I voted for Breaking Away but I also enjoy Pee Wee's Big Adventure.

Beijing Bicycle.

None of the above. I vote for "A Sunday in Hell. (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0193171/)"

BMX Bandits :)

Pee Wee, Quicksilver and Breaking Away...

Cycling Plus had a sidebar item in the Sept issue on the best and worst bike movies.
Best - Breaking Away, Belleville Rendezvous, A Sunday in Hell, The Bicycle Thieves, Les Bicyclettes de Bellsize.
Worst - American Flyers, A Boy a Girl & a Bike, BMX Bandits, Le Velo de Ghislain Lambert, Quicksilver

I voted "Other," because I find myself playing my "A Sunday in Hell" DVD fairly often. I did not see "Breaking Away" until I was in my late 30's or 40's, so did not identify with any of the characters. Had I seen "Breaking Away" when it came out, I might have really liked it, but I rarely went to the movies at that time in my life, and watched little TV.

"The Flying Scotsman" was really good in some ways, but could have been better. The acting was good, and I felt empathy for several of the characters. I read the book afterward, and just want to warn y'all that the movie is mostly a work of fiction. I do recommend seeing it, for the really good parts.

I liked "American Flyers" quite a bit. It has some really lame parts, but on the balance is worth seeing, IMHO. I saw the article in Cycling plus, which rated "American Flyers" as one of the worst, but I disagree; I think certain parts of it redeem the lame parts. Perhaps I am just a sucker for the parts filmed in Colorado, on the roads.

I also want to mention that Jorgen Leth, who directed "A Sunday in Hell," also directed a film about the hour record attempt by Ole Ritter, and another about the Giro d'Italia, that are available on one DVD.

I haven't seen any of those.. But there is an anime about cycling, called overdrive, kinda unrealistic though.. But worth checking out if you like anime.

BMX Bandits :)

Is this an actual movie?! I remember something bout this when I was a kid.

Is this an actual movie?! I remember something bout this when I was a kid.

Very art-house (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1VAeH88cpw&feature=related). Critics said it should have been shot in B&W.

Don't forget the Triplets of Belleville.

Yup.

Quite possibly the best cycling movie ever.

"Jib" has some pretty spectacular urban trials riding.

Wait... there's more!

In The Karate Kid, Daniel-san is a cyclist before becoming a martial artist... and one of the first things Mr. Miyagi does is fix his bike for him.

In Flashdance, Alex is a bike commuter, and there's some good cycling footage throughout the film.

In The Great Escape, the one guy who really gets away with it is James Coburn, who steals a bike from the local train station and pedals off to Paris...

I like Breaking Away, mostly because there's so much good dialogue in there, and I like the scenes where Dave is training, as well as the part with the Cinzano Team as they blithely pedal away from the peloton. In reenacting, we have Zulu for all the wanna-be Hamlets, we cyclists have Dave Stohler's dad ;-)

I liked American Flyers... at leat enough to buy the DVD when Best Buy offered it for 5 bucks ;-)

Never cared for Pee-Wee, so I never watched his big adventure.