🎬 Movie bicycles: when two wheels conquer the big screen
The Delorean with which Marty McFly and Doc traveled through time, or the Batmobile with which Batman chased the Joker, are just some of the most iconic vehicles that cinema has given us. Also on this list are Tom Cruise's Kawasaki in Top Gun or the Harley Davidson that Arnold Schwarzenegger rode in Terminator 2, indisputable symbols of motorcycle worship on the big screen.
But what about bicycles? Although less noisy, they have also had their moment of cinematic glory. Some movies with bicycles have managed to capture with sensitivity and emotion everything we love about these machines. From stories of overcoming adversity to unforgettable youthful adventures, bicycles have been a symbol of freedom, friendship, and personal growth.
And the best part is that cinema hasn't limited itself to just one style. Whether it's road bikes, as in films focused on competition and speed, or mountain bikes, featured in wilder and more adventurous scenes, both have played a prominent role in stories that have moved us and, in many cases, marked us forever.
Which titles have best captured that passion for cycling? Which movies have touched our hearts just as the protagonist started pedaling? Below, we show you our favorites.
1. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (Steven Spielberg, 1982)
For an entire generation of children who grew up in the 70s and 80s, E.T. marked a before and after in their sentimental education. It's impossible not to remember Elliot's flight, silhouetted against the Moon, with his friends. The bicycle turned into a metaphor for childhood freedom against adult obligations and an ode to the freedom of imagination. Who hasn't, at some point, secretly wished their bicycle could fly too?
2. Bicycle Thieves (Vittorio de Sica, 1948)
It's impossible not to be moved by this classic of Italian neorealist cinema in which a father and son try to get by in the harsh postwar period of Rome. If you've ever had your bicycle stolen, you'll have a pretty good idea of what Antonio feels when they take away what has become his livelihood. Don't worry, we haven't given you any spoiler . The film unfolds its entire runtime around the attempt to recover it. It is said that, for many years, it was the movie that made even the wealthiest and most hardened Hollywood producers cry.
3. The Kid with a Bike (Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne, 2011)
The relationship between a father and his son is also at the heart of this Belgian feature film, which in 2011 won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival. The viewer accompanies this boy on his bike rides as he finds his lifeline in a female figure. Feeling, but not sentimentality or cheesiness, is what this film has; it was not easy to see in most cinemas due to its limited distribution and independent profile, but it sums up the virtues of European cinema and recreates childhood like few others.
4. Premium Rush (David Koepp, 2012)
Can you imagine pedaling full speed through the streets of New York, dodging taxis and fire trucks? That’s what the protagonist of this fast-paced film does, a courier used to risking it all with every delivery, which includes skids, jumps, and all sorts of bike skills. But everything gets complicated when he receives a very special assignment. Impossible to get bored in a movie that could well be the Fast & Furious of cycling. Pure adrenaline, although it should come with a “do not try this at home” warning.
5. Bicycles Are for the Summer (Jaime Chávarri, 1984)
The first Spanish film we include in the list has a title that many people in our country use as a catchphrase when the good weather arrives and they go to get their bike from the storage room. Gabino Diego, in the role of a teenager who has failed the school year, wishes with all his might that his father, despite everything, will buy him a bicycle. A portrait of adolescence and family life in the context of the Spanish Civil War, full of well-rounded characters and excellent atmosphere. Don’t look for racing bikes in this movie, not even any carrera, that’s not what it’s about. Rather, get ready to discover how a family managed during the Spanish postwar period and how a bicycle can symbolize childhood and adolescence.
6. American Flyers. The carrera of Life. (John Badham, 1985)
A very young Kevin Costner stars in this uplifting film in which two brothers prepare to compete in a carrera held in the beautiful Rocky Mountains of Colorado. The bad news is that one of them has a brain disease that has already wreaked havoc in their family. Lively and emotional, this film has all the flavor of the unpretentious cinema made in the 80s and many, many pedal strokes for lovers of the sport of two wheels to enjoy. These are just some of the many films where bicycles are the big stars. BMX Bandits, Quicksilver, The Flying Scotsman, Cyclomania, Wadjda … There are countless times when the cinema has moved us in our seats with a bicycle as the protagonist. What is your favorite movie bicycle?