12 Best Cycling Movies You Need To Watch

When you think of buttery popcorn, what comes to mind? How about when you listen for the fizz of an ice-cold soda? Or perhaps imagine the taste of hot pizza? You probably don't think of cycling outside on a sunny day. Perhaps you are thinking about the perfect way to enjoy an award-winning cycling movie at home.

Below, we have compiled a list of the 12 best biking movies. Enjoy your favorite pastime regardless of rain or cold. Make a night of it by grabbing some tasty food and drinks. Watch one of the following dramatic cycling movies or extreme mountain biking documentaries while you relax. You might even get some inspiration for your next ride! (Want to know more about How To Choose A Bike Helmet.?)

1. The Flying Scotsman

If we were to tell you that a cycling world record from the '90s was held by a bloke from Scotland who had built his bike from scrap metal and washing machine components, you’d probably not believe us. But Graeme Obree just did that, and The Flying Scotsman is a drama based on his life.

Although the film has average reviews from outside the cycling community, its portrayal of one of modern cycling’s most unlikely stories is very inspiring. Plus, you can expect it to influence all sorts of aerodynamic positions next time you hit the road.

2. Rising from the Ashes

Although Africa's population and size are large, the inclusion of African athletes in the world of professional cycling is still a relatively recent phenomenon, with Guadalupe's Yohann Gene finishing the Tour de France as recently as 2011.

Though Gene's inclusion was just the beginning for African cyclists, the Rwandan national team attempted to participate in the 2012 London Olympics the following year. Jock Boyer, the first American to ride the Tour de France, guided the group from a group of teenage refugees devastated by the 1994 Rwandan genocide to an elite team.

3. Icarus

Not many cycling films can claim to have an Oscar, but the Netflix documentary Icarus is able to do just that. Although the film is well known because of its unveiling of Russian state-sponsored doping at the 2014 winter Olympics, it does actually start off by focusing on road cycling.

The filmmaker and keen cyclist, Bryan Fogel, begins the film attempting to win one of the toughest amateur races in road cycling – the Alpine edition of Haute Route. To do so, he enlists the help of the Russian scientist Dr Grigory Rodchenkov to help him dope without being detected by the authorities. What follows is a lot of Skype calls between Fogel and a topless Rodchenkov (he clearly didn’t get the memo about covering up) as the documentary starts to slot the pieces of a bigger, and totally unexpected, puzzle together.

4. All For One

Documentary film All For One tells the story of GreenEdge, Australia’s first professional cycling team to compete in the Tour de France.

GreenEdge has only existed since 2011 and this film follows the team during its first five years, showcasing the euphoric highs and dramatic lows it faced along the way. As explained in the movie’s trailer, GreenEdge nearly became the first team to be kicked out of the Tour de France for something other than doping!

All For One provides almost unprecedented access into professional cycling, featuring extensive behind-the-scenes footage and over 50 interviews. So, does GreenEdge succeed against all odds? You’ll have to find out for yourself.

5. Breaking Away

Breaking Away is a comedy-drama about four misfit teenagers in Bloomington, Indiana, one of the country's largest college towns. This is a heart-warming tale of young men struggling to find their way in a world where they don't fit in among the rich and snobby college kids.

The story revolves around a young cyclist, Dave Stohler, and his passion for Italian cycling after he wins a Masi bike. The film culminates in the friends becoming the only "townie" team taking part in the University's Little 500.

One of the top cycling movies of all time, this critically acclaimed, multi-award-winning film explores many themes on top of the cycling backdrop, such as the transition from aimless childhood to adult responsibility, class difference, parental expectations, and life in small town America.


6. Bicycle Thief

One of the greatest cycling films of all time, Bicycle Thieves is a powerful and emotional work of art. Set in post-war Rome, it tells the simple tale of Antonio, an unemployed man who at last secures a job hanging posters. The only requirement for the role is that he must have his own bicycle. When Antonio’s bicycle is stolen, he trudges the streets with his young son in desperate search of it.

This incredible Oscar-winning film has had an impact on worldwide cinema right up to the present day and has a place in countless ‘best movies’ lists. It features some wonderful shots of 1940s Rome and has an incredibly moving story.


7. Wadjda

Wadjda is a ten-year-old Saudi Arabian girl living in Riyadh. She wants a bicycle so she can race against her neighbour, Abdullah. It is forbidden by her mother, who harshly tells her that she will not be able to have children if she rides a bike. Wadjda then sets her heart on raising the money to buy a bicycle on her own.

Wadjda is groundbreaking because it was the first film to be shot entirely in Saudi Arabia, a country without cinemas. It was also the first Saudi feature film directed by a woman.
But it deserves a place on our list of the best cycling movies in the world because it’s also full of incredible realism, drama and it has a beautifully moving ending. We also love the insights into life in Saudi Arabia, the fact you get to see what Riyadh is like and the fascinating commentary on women's position and status within Saudi culture. The film has won numerous awards and, despite having subtitles, we think it’s a must-watch.


8. Thereabouts


A few years back Lachlan and Angus (Gus) Moreton set a massive challenge for themselves to ride from their childhood home in Port Macquarie to Uluru (Ayers Rock), and at the time Lachlan was riding for Garmin-Sharp and Gus had only been riding for a month following a long hiatus.

The journey saw them ride nearly 2,500km in 12 days to one of the most remote parts of Australia and is as much about the people they met along the way as it is about the bike.


9. Belleville Rendez-Vous (The Triplets of Belleville)

In this quirky French animated comedy, Madame Souza’s grandson, a Tour de France racer, is kidnapped and held hostage by the French mafia. With the help of three elderly singers, she embarks on a mission to save him. This film was nominated for an Academy Award in 2003 and is a must-see for animation fans who love cycling.


10. American Flyers


In this Kevin Costner classic, sports physician Marcus Sommers (Costner) persuades his younger brother David Grant to train with him for a three-day bicycle race across the Rocky Mountains, known as “The Hell of the West” – a real bike race in Colorado now under the moniker the Superior Morgul Classic.

Marcus doesn’t tell David that he has a brain aneurysm, which could render him paralysed or dead at any given moment, and convinces David to join him on a cross-country trip to Colorado for the race. Marcus’s secret inevitably catches up with him leaving David with a moral dilemma.


11. A Sunday In Hell


A Sunday In Hell tells the story of the 1976 Paris-Roubaix bicycle race from the perspectives of participants, organizers, and spectators. Danish documentary film shows the darker side of cycling - for example, the narrow, dusty, and hazardous cobbled roads that earned Paris-Roubaix the nickname The Hell of the North. Such a moniker explains why this race has inspired so much excitement and divided opinion over the years. As with The Flying Scotsman, you can watch the full version of this film on YouTube. It’s only an hour and a half long which is ideal if you’ve got a busy schedule.


12. Tour de Pharmacy

With plenty of celebrity cameos and jokes to go around, Tour de Pharmacy is a comical look at the world of extreme bicycle racing. Poking fun at the world of illegal doping has never been so easy in this 2017 mockumentary starring Andy Samberg, Orlando Bloom, and John Cena. After an offensive mishap at a bike race, Italian cyclist JuJu Peppi lands himself and other cyclists in hot water with authorities. From there on out it’s a laugh a minute in this made-for-tv short movie as a host of talented actors and actresses pretend to be serious bike riders and run into all sorts of issues with dope, each other, and the reporters trying to make sense of it all.

You are sure to find something worth watching on our list of the 12 best cycling movies, regardless of whether you want to watch a documentary, an animated film, or a comedy about the crazier side of professional cycling. Grab your popcorn and take a seat! HOVSCO electric bike is one you don't want to miss out!