Like Ethan, I went to see the movie Veer at the Madison Theater last night. I went to the late show, and was impressed at the size of the crowd coming out of the early show – particularly on a rainy Thursday night. I recognized most of the folks, but there were also some new faces, which was cool.

Also impressive was the organized presence of the Albany Bicycle Coalition (ABC) at the event. I was greeted by a volunteer named Rohan when I arrived. He had stickers, copies of magazines from one of the sponsors, Urban Velo, and sign-up sheets to collect data about the attendees for future recruitment by the ABC.

I thought the movie itself was fun and often inspiring. I’m not sure it’s a great recruiting tool for people looking to attract “just plain bike riders,” given that it focuses on the cycling counterculture of Portland, Oregon, much more than on everyday commuting cyclists. That’s not really a negative, though, because I don’t think the film’s focus is on recruiting. To me, it was a snapshot of the cycling scene in one place at one time. As such a snapshot, I think the filmmakers did a fine job capturing the freewheeling, adventurous and confident spirit of Portland cyclists.

The film also spends some time on the process of lobbying for passage of a new bike law increasing the penalties for reckless drivers who injure or kill vulnerable road users. This footage is split up throughout the film. It’s great to see an organized, professional approach to bike lobbying, even though there’s not much substance to the lobbying segments. For example, there’s no detail on the crafting of the legislation or on exactly how the lobbying occurs. Once again, though, I think that’s probably beyond the scope of the film.

One part of Veer that I wondered about was the amount of time spent on ZooBombing, in which cyclists ride mini-bikes downhill as fast as they can, starting at the top of a hill near the Portland Zoo. Some of the ZooBombing footage is interspersed with an interview with a local police officer. He’s made to look fairly ridiculous as he describes the ZooBombers’ violations of traffic laws in their downhill races. I don’t know, though. From what I could see in the movie (and that’s the sum total of my knowledge about ZooBombing), it looked like the cyclists were flagrantly and dangerously violating the law – riding with few if any lights at night through stop signs in residential neighborhoods. In most debates between law enforcement and cyclists, my experience has been that law enforcement tends to be ill-informed or unconcerned about cyclists’ rights. In this case, though, it’s hard to fault a cop who thinks ZooBombing is dangerous. And it’s odd that the cycling advocates in the film never acknowledge that. (I’d love to hear your opinions in the comments section.)

On the whole, I enjoyed Veer. I found parts of it inspiring, such as the various bike advocacy and training programs for kids and adults. It was also fun to watch people just enjoying a cycling lifestyle. And above all, kudos to Bob from Liberty On Bikes! for bringing it to us, and for everything he’s doing to make Albany a better place for cyclists.

Many thanks to Bob for getting us an exclusive showing of Veer.

Veer is a documentary about the Portland, Oregon, bike scene. It is large and multifaceted. They follow a couple of groups around, from the DIY bike repair shops, to the lobbyists, to the synchronized mini-bike dancers, to the bike chariot racers. There’s a lot, so it’s worth seeing, whether you ride your bike or not.

I think people in Oregon are perhaps too interested in riding mini-bikes (kids bikes) and tall bikes. But at least they’re having fun. And that’s what I think is important. The majority of this documentary is about people having fun on bikes and changing what riding a bike means. They talk about how it’s not just about fitness or transportation anymore.

If Veer is meant to be inspirational and make you think about the bike community in your city, I think it sets the bar unreasonably high. Portland has been building their bicycle community for decades. I didn’t see anyone in that documentary whining about being passed too closely by a car, or crying about a lack of bike lanes. In fact, one guy got a ticket for breaking traffic laws and actually shook the officer’s hand. Cyclists in Portland are responsible riders. In Albany, we’re still struggling to get people (drivers and cyclists alike) to recognize that bikes belong in the streets.

Last night I rode my new bike to UAG to catch two bicycle movies.

Jungle Coaster was really impressive. The movie starts with footage of them goofing around in Panama. You get to see them jump up stairs two at a time, and then ride all the way down. These guys obviously know what they’re doing. So you can appreciate it when you see the “trail” they rode on to get to the Pacific and they have to walk. Climb. Carry their unis. Ouch. There’s footage of them crossing bridges I would be reluctant to cross on my own two legs, and leaping up onto fallen logs, and it’s really exciting to watch them go. But, no machetes? Ha ha. Everybody really enjoyed it, and half the crowd left when it was over.

The other movie was Red Light Go, which is about alleycat racing in NYC. They introduce you to some bike messengers who are your main characters, and they explain why they’re bike messengers. Then they get into the races. Which scare the crap out of me. It’s super cool to watch these guys careen through traffic, pedestrians, each other, but I’m glad I don’t have to do it. There are no rules, no concern for anybody’s safety. It’s about being a daredevil and winning. And they’re very good at it.

As I was riding home I was thinking about going to the Troy Bike Rescue and building my own alleycat bike. I wanted to treat each ride to work and ride home like a race. Go go go. I was all hepped up on heavy metal and attitude. By the time I got home I had come to my senses. I’ve never even raced in an alleycat.

Last night I biked to the Sanctuary for Independent Media to catch “Two Wheels Good,” a bicycle movie celebration.

I showed up for the group ride. I watched the people coming and going on their boats.

Nobody showed up, so I took off on my own. It took me about 40 minutes to get there, and I felt like I was “booking.” The Corning Trail was like running a gauntlet of bugs. I couldn’t keep my head up because they’d get in my mouth, nose, and eyes. I could hear them pinging off my helmet, and feel them getting stuck in the hair on my arms. Ew.

The valet parking left a little to be desired. But then, maybe I was just too early. Still, it’s nice to see people’s bikes.

Troy Bicycle Rescue was raffling off this sweet cruiser bike.

Eventually the movies started. They were wonderful. There really was something for everyone. Monty Python. Footage of unicyclists in an ice race in Schenectady. A bit about not doping in bike racing. Women biking across the country, or cutting down mountain trails. DIY bike repair. Everything.

My favorite was “Ski Boys” by Benny Zenga. It made me want to be a kid again. You can watch that one here.

Then the ride home. I got stopped on 6th by some young guys who loved the MonkeyLectric lights on my bike. Perhaps it’s racist of me to say this, but white people do not appreciate the glory of LEDs that make a pattern when they spin around. I rode home alone. Going through Menands was wonderful. The traffic was light, the street lights were on. I just took the whole lane and sped along. I rode with no hands for blocks and blocks, my windbreaker flapping like a flag.

More pics here.

In 2000, KUFM in Montana made a 1-hour documentary for PBS about the 25th Infantry Bicycle Corps, a group of black soldiers who cycled from Missoula, Montana to St. Louis, Missouri. They made the trip in 1897 to test out the theories of their white commander, James A. Moss, who believed that the bicycle could have important military applications.

The Bicycle Corps: America’s Black Army On Wheels details the 1900-mile journey across mountains, over the Great Divide, through mud and hail and snow and rain and desert. It’s a testament to the physical endurance of the men involved, and an amazing accomplishment considering the technology of the day.

The men rode Spaulding bicycles that the company donated for the trip. They each carried about 50 pounds of gear, including a tent tied to the handlebars and bicycle tools kept in a specially made leather case that fitted into the diamond frame of the bicycle. They averaged better than 50 miles a day, completely the trip in 41 days, 35 of which were travel days.

The Bicycle Corps contains a wealth of photographs from the trip thanks to Moss’s decision to bring along a Kodak camera. He also brought along a report, the son of the publisher of Missoula’s paper. Initially, reports from the road were carried not only in Montana but across the country. Toward the end of their journey, though, the 25th’s feat was eclipsed by the discovery of gold in the Yukon.

As it turned out, bicycles never found their way into regular military use. With the outbreak of war in Cuba, the 25th was sent off to fight, and Moss himself was transferred to other regiments, eventually becoming a prolific author of military training manuals.

I found The Bicycle Corps to be a fascinating look at a lost part of American history. Recommended.

(Note: You can buy a copy of this film at the PBS Store.)

Review: Hell On Wheels
by Pepe Danquart

I’ve been checking out cycling books and films from the Albany Public Library. Tonight I watched the 2004 documentary Hell On Wheels, filmmaker Pepe Danquart’s look at the grueling, exhausting and enthralling spectacle of the Tour de France. The film has no narration. Instead, it relies on extended interviews — conducted throughout the 2003 Tour — with the riders of the T-Mobile team, including Eric Zabel, Rolf Aldag, Andreas Kloden and Alexandre Vinokourov.

The riders — particularly Zabel — are surprisingly candid about their hopes and fears. Zabel is a veteran of the Tour and rides with an observant eye, not always able to master his demons. Most of the interviews are conducted while the riders are being massaged by Eule, a sage/masseur who’s seen it all and reveres the Tour at the same time as he understands its reality.

Hell On Wheels also features footage from Tours of the early years, along with commentary by several journalists on the Tour’s connection with France and French culture.

I’d never even seen a cycling race until last year, when I watched the Tour for the first time. It proved to be quite a year, as more and more riders left each day due to doping, including Vinokourov, who’s featured in Hell on Wheels. While I can’t say I’m a passionate fan of the sport yet, I do enjoy watching it, and I appreciated the look behind the scenes provided by Hell on Wheels.

If you’d like to pick up your own copy, buying it via this link will help support RocBike: