Product Description
BICYCLE DREAMS is one of the most celebrated cycling films of all time. Winner of 17 Film Festivals (Best Documentary at Grand Rapids Film Festival, Las Vegas Film Festival, Yosemite Film Festival, Red Rock Film Festival, Moscow Film Festival, Lake Arrowhead Film Festival, Breckenridge Film Festival, Los Angeles Sports Film Festival, and many more.) BICYCLE DREAMS is the powerful true story of the Race Across America, a 3000-mile bicycle race that challenges riders to cross the country in just ten days. Reviews have been magnificent: “An astonishing documentary. Bicycle Dreams is a ride of many stark contrasts; when it ended I felt both shattered and triumphant. I realized I was experiencing its genius.” (Pez Cycling). “I imagine every cyclist who has seen this movie has ridden a little bit further or harder ever since.” (Bike Rumor) “Bicycle Dreams captures the human condition like few other films. This movie is not for those who want to shy away from the tragic side of human experience. Bicycle Dreams moves us to break through the barrier of the fear of death. I have seldom found a film that captures this ‘life drama’ as powerfully as does Bicycle Dreams.” (Cycling Review) ” This is a movie about conquering the status quo. It was a kick in the gut. By the end of the movie, I felt drained. Trampled. Ridden over. Spit out. This is not a movie about bikes. It’s about ambition, and the fear most people have of it.”(Drunk Cyclist)
Select Reviews
“If you’ve ever dreamt of challenging yourself and/or pushing yourself to a place far beyond what you previously thought possible, Bicycle Dreams is a film you must see. It’s beautiful, thought provoking, exciting, emotional, and scary. And like the riders who take part in this race, the experience of watching the film will leave you with a new perspective on life that will most certain remain with you for a very long time to come.”
– Bicycle Touring Pro
“This is a truly gripping film, with more drama in 8 days than an entire Tour De France. Bicycle Dreams is riveting, possibly because it’s less about bikes and more about people. It’s a dramatic saga with bikes simply and literally being the vehicles for hope, pain, disillusionment, despair, happiness, and as the title suggests, dreams. It’s an impressive and deeply inspirational film.”
– road.cc
“Bicycle Dreams is a heartfelt and intriguing look into the incredible physical, mental and spiritual demands that the most grueling sporting event in the world delivers by the truck load. From start to finish this film gets it grip on you and does not let go.”
– www.bicycle.net
“You know a DVD is good when you immediately hit “play” as soon as the end credits are rolling. That’s exactly what I did with Bicycle Dreams. The footage and editing are brilliant, providing a unique view into the minds and souls of those crazy enough to try and ride 3,000 miles across the US in 12 days. I think it’s interesting to any athlete, but for endurance athletes this movie is a “must see”. I’ve watched it three times now, and it just keeps getting better.”
– runtrails.blogspot.com
“They ride while sobbing. They hallucinate. Beyond the usual definition of exhaustion, they attempt to sleep, and fail. Then they get back on their bikes—often with assistance because their bodies are so trashed—and keep riding. It doesn’t make sense. But it makes for a great film.”
– alaskabikeblog.blogspot.com
“Stephen Auerbach was kind enough to send me a copy of his movie “Bicycle Dreams.” What I did not realize is just what a wonderful gift it would be. His film is a captivating story of the human experience. It was literally an emotional roller-coaster ride for me. I would easily put this movie on the same level as “The Flying Scotsman” or “American Flyers.” Do yourself a favor and see this Movie.”
– hughsbicycle.blogspot.com
“Capturing emotional and physical breakdowns, personal triumphs and ultimate tragedy, Auerbach portrays these athletes wonderfully. Do they have to be a little crazy to compete in the RAAM? Probably. But they also have to be admired. “Bicycle Dreams” is a great film that captures the heart of this odyssey.”
– www.bicyclepaper.com
“Good cycling movies are hard to come by. Bicycle Dreams is as good as it gets, and it’s about a lot more than cycling, which is what sets it apart.”
– jimlangley.blogspot.com
“I’ve been a cyclist for years and have never found a cycling related film that I found engrossing. I watch the Tour de France but completely understand why the majority of people think it’s boring. “Bicycle Dreams”, on the other hand, is something I think every athlete, and everyone looking for athletic inspiration, should watch. By the end of the movie you feel close to the riders, inspired to push yourself, and if nothing else, sheer awe at the physical strength and mental determination of these riders.”
– www.wickedphilanthropy.org
“The movie, which some might suggest would be more appropriately named “Bicycle Nightmares,” is an amazing study in energy management. The competitors tap every energy source: physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual. It is both brutally inspirational and startlingly instructive. On one hand, it makes the challenges that we mere mortals face seem almost trivial by comparison. On the other hand, as we watch the competitors barter their sanity, money, health and even lives for an insignificant prize, it forces us to ask ourselves the same question the producers repeatedly ask the racers: Why?”
– blog.growth5.com
“How much drama can you extract from a lone cyclist pedaling an empty road beneath a huge sky? Plenty. This 105-minute DVD about the 2005 RAAM offers a fascinating glimpse into the world of ultra-marathon cycling. It’s painful — yet weirdly inspiring — to watch the riders gradually break down as the miles mount. They hallucinate. They weep. They bicker with their crew. They collapse. But they keep going. It’s about challenging your limits, one says. It’s a spiritual journey, explains another. It’s ordinary people accomplishing extraordinary things, adds a third.As one commentator says, “There’s no way these people are normal.” And this is no ordinary cycling movie.”
– www.roadbikerider.com
“Stephen Auerbach has captured the very heart of the race, resisting the desire to make just another documentary: there’s not a chance this could be split into episodes and shown on the Discovery Channel over the course of a few weeks – it’s far too engrossing for that. Generally, reviewing movies involves having pen and paper sitting nearby to make notes; I was too involved to write anything. I can’t say that I understand why anyone would actually want to put themselves through such purgatory on a bicycle, but on the other hand, maybe I do. It’s a very strange world out there, and Lance Armstrong may be right: sometimes it really isn’t about the bike.”
– www.thewashingmachinepost.net
“I can’t say enough about this excellent documentary about the Race Across America (RAAM), Bicycle Dreams. The documentary chronicles several racers experiencing both the ups and downs of racing this majestic race, while simultaneously making profound personal discoveries along the way. Again, I can’t help but praise this film as it elegantly documents cycling and its intersection with human drama Do watch it.”
– ilcyclingissimo.blogspot.com
“This film will put a new perspective on your own riding and the reasons you ride. I highly recommend you get a copy of this DVD and place it within easy reach of your indoor trainer. It belongs in your video library to be pulled out whenever you need a healthy dose of inspiration. Thank you Mr. Auerbach for your passion and commitment to telling the stories that inspire us all.”
– www.veloist.com
“Bicycle Dreams, a documentary about the RAAM (Race Across America), is a heck of a film. There are things in this movie that reward you for watching it, then watching it again later. This is a brilliant story of pain, strength, tears, and glory. As a viewer of the movie from the comfort of a couch, I found myself thinking many times, “is this real?” Amazing! I imagine every cyclist who has seen this movie has ridden a little bit further or harder ever since. Bicycle Dreams is an incredibly inspirational movie.”
– www.bikerumor.com
WINNER OF THE FOLLOWING FILM FESTIVALS
Winner of the following Film Festivals:
Best Documentary Grand Rapids Film Festival
Best Documentary Las Vegas Film Festival
Best Documentary Lake Arrowhead Film Festival
Best Documentary Red Rock Film Festival
Best Documentary Breckenridge Film Festival
Best Documentary Los Angeles Sports Film Festival
Best Documentary Solstice Film Festival (Minnesota)
Best Sports Documentary Tiburon Film Festival
Best Foreign Film Moscow Film Festival
Best Director Yosemite Film Festival
Royal Reel Award – Canada International Film Festival
Best Editing Solstice Film Festival (Minnesota)
Best Soundtrack Solstice Film Festival (Minnesota)
Audience Award Findlay Film Festival Ohio
Audience Award Breckenridge Film Festival (Colorado)
“Bicycle Movies: The Short Film Collection” is a carefully curated short film collection that fthat features the best 22 short films about cycling in the world. The range is broad and it covers all aspects from Road, to Mtb, to Bmx to Cyclocross to Fixie and beyond. This film covers all bases in a very entertaining way and we like to think of it as the perfect film to gift to, or share with, the younger cyclists in your family. Consider it our bid to bring the generations together in their love for the greatest invention of them all – the bicycle! Amongst the award winning films are the classics “The Man Who Lived On His Bike,” “A Bicycle Trip”, and “Performance.” It’s 100 minutes of wonderful cycling cinema handpicked by “Bicycle Dreams,” director Stephen Auerbach. After viewing over 1000 films, Auerbach selected these 22 films for their pure entertainment value and significance to cyclists. “Bicycle Movies” is designed for maximum fun.
“This movie cracked me up from the beginning to the end. It’s hilarious. It was different than what I expected, but a nice surprise for the avid cyclist whose looking for a little fun. The filmmakers are very talented and their short movies will keep you rolling on the floor. There are a few serious films in the collection, including the incredibly moving “Florida Ghost Bike,” which documents one town’s reaction to a cyclist’s tragic death at the hands of a drunk driver. Overall, the tone of the films is light and fun and this DVD is well worth the money and would be great for a party.”
Cycling News
List of Films/Bicycle Movies: The Short Film Collection
The Man Who Lived On His Bike
Love.Life.Bike
Bike Thieves
Ironclad Racing Team
Florida Ghost Bike
Winter’s Edge
Dreams Of A BMX Rider
Focal Point
Right Hook
Confessions Of A Pedalphile
There’s A Flower In My Pedal
Scrapertown
Fixie Boy
How I Learned To Stop Worrying
A Bicycle Trip
Performance
I Rode My Bicycle Through My Fears
Local: Riders On The Storm
Bikes Vs. Boyfriends
Bikes in Columbia
Villainous Heist
No Handed Bike Moves
Stephany deCrooy – :
If you are looking to be inspired, the men and women of Stephen Auerbach’s Bicycle Dreams will take you there. It also provides some insight to what drives extreme athletes to go the distance. It’s well edited and the story develops with the beautiful landscape of America as its backdrop. You’ll be glad you watched it.