Bikes in the movies 1

The year before last, I was rowing with the Los Gatos Rowing Club and tried searching Netflix for a rowing movie. Not too successful...So while Netflix doesn't have many bike movies, rowers have it worse. On to the show:

Breaking Away (1979)

1. Motorpacing behind a semi on the interstate, doin', like, 80 mph or something. Sweet.

2. I know I saw a "Cutters" T-shirt at a 'cross race at least once this fall.

3. Apparently Dennis Quaid, despite not being the bike-riding hero, is all hotness in this movie. The genuinely short 1970s jean shorts (a la Daisy Duke, only on, uh, Dennis) may have something to do with it.

4. The infamous frame-pump-through-the-front-spokes trick by the Evil Italian Professional Cyclist. Wait a minute: why would the EIPC be racing with a frame pump? Did he ask for it back?

5. It's the closest I've ever been to Indiana, 'cept for maybe Hoosiers.

6. Racing on a flat oval dirt track--and the oh-so-painfully-staged sprint finish ("He's behind at the turn, he's come up beside him...and stopped pedalling...still beside him...a hundred yards to go and he looks like he isn't even trying...'cuz he isn't...50 yards to go...40...30...20...now they're both not pedalling...it's a fight to not finish...and our hero finally gets him at the line. What a shocker!").

7. And the real reason this came to mind: an astute Velonews reader pointed out that "Punch-the-Clock/Getting-Married-at-19" Moocher just got nominated for an Academy Award. They grow up so fast...













It's a good movie, really.