Short Cycling Films About Long Bike Rides

If you’re feeling like it’s time to snuggle under a blanket and think about adventures to come, we have some short cycling films for you that will help get you reaching for the maps and checking out your camping gear. Better still, they’re all available for free!

El Silencio: Cycling the Peru Divide

It’s mostly a double track route, but Cass Gilbert manages to find a good deal of hikeabike at the end, followed by some singletrack. The draw here however is perhaps not so much the trails as the views, and the sheer remoteness of the route. With a significant amount of riding at elevation, the group faces snow storms and freezing temperatures, as well as vest and shorts weather. It’s a gently paced films with plenty of scenic shots that will get your feet itching to get out and explore.

Music For Free on the Great Divide

Some people take lightweight kit, cut down their toothbrushes, and do without comforts in order to make sure they’re not carrying more than necessary. Poet and musician Ben Weaver carries a guitar and a banjo. Interviews along the way explore the relationship between people and the land, and the concept of ‘wildness’, which is also reflected in the songs Ben sings along the way.

Itinerology

A trilogy of short cycling films explaining the history behind the trails of the Trans Provence, and illustrating why it’s been no simple task for Ash to find routes all these years. Check out issue 127 of Singletrack for a whole feature from the last ever Trans Provence.

The Frozen Road

We interviewed Ben Page about this film a while back, and if you’ve not watched this it’s well worth it. He set out to experience being alone, and having to rely on himself to make all his own decisions. So, when you’re watching this, bear that in mind – he didn’t have a drone, yet the scale of some of the shots in the film are amazing. There’s a lot of effort gone in to making this beautiful film.

Wild Horses

Made to show the first edition of the Silk Road Mountain Race… watching it we wonder if anyone entering in year two had seen this? Or maybe they had, and border guards, and looking a bit wild eyed and starey, and happily eating food that looks a bit scary are all part of the appeal. ‘The hard times are worth it in the end…You can only have so many nice days‘ says one rider. Hmm…

If that doesn’t get you looking forward to the next big ride, maybe you need a Singletrack subscription to whet your appetite at regular intervals through the year? Or maybe you need a warming tipple to get your enthusiasm simmering?

Hannah Dobson

Managing Editor

I came to Singletrack having decided there must be more to life than meetings. I like all bikes, but especially unusual ones. More than bikes, I like what bikes do. I think that they link people and places; that cycling creates a connection between us and our environment; bikes create communities; deliver freedom; bring joy; and improve fitness. They're environmentally friendly and create friendly environments. I try to write about all these things in the hope that others might discover the joy of bikes too.

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