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Setting Off
Remember your first bike? Those first faltering moments after the stabilisers came off? A lifetime of cycling starts here.
The cycling bug bites early. Getting that first bike - be it racer, tourer, mountain bike, Chopper or BMX - is as much a rite of passage as the first day at school or swimming without armbands. Cycling means a chance to travel, to explore, and spend time away from mum and dad. These films evoke all the joy of a childhood on two wheels: the exploits and escapades, the stunts and tricks. But youthful exuberance has its risks, and film can be a powerful tool in making cycling safer. Armed with a cycling proficiency certificate, a well-tuned bike and the lessons of a legion of public information films, the youngsters of yesteryear could ride with confidence - always remembering to keep an eye out for that dastardly villain, the bike thief...
Riding on AirRiding on Air
Documentary195916 mins Location: London
A beautiful and evocative survey of cycling's golden years.
It's a Bike!It's a Bike!
Sponsored film198321 mins Location: Yaxley
A ripe slice of 80s cheese: a lively, rapping cautionary tale for the young cyclist.
BMXBMX
Magazine and Review show19835 mins Location: Adderley Park Sta
Riders from the Birmingham Wheels Project show off the tricks and techniques of the new BMX craze.
Riding AbreastRiding Abreast
194023 minsSilent
Three carefree schoolgirl cyclists learn the dangers of 'riding abreast' in this quaint cautionary tale shot in idyllic countryside.
Cyclist Turning RightCyclist Turning Right
Instructional film/TV programme19831 mins
Two young BMX-ers nearly come a cropper in this short and shocking cycling safety film.
Boy and BicycleBoy and Bicycle
Drama196528 mins Location: Hartlepool
Ridley Scott's first film features his younger brother, the late Tony Scott, as a schoolboy playing truant for the day to meander around Hartlepool on his bicycle, lost in his own thoughts.
The Ballad of the Battered BicycleThe Ballad of the Battered Bicycle
Children's19479 mins
Henry demonstrates his two-wheel tomfoolery, but there's no happy ending for this bike.
Good Cycles Deserve Good RidersGood Cycles Deserve Good Riders
Public Information Filler19503 mins
The car-free, Kodachrome streets of 1950s London offer an idyllic environment for acting out the 'wrongs' of cycling safety.
Mike Gets the MessageMike Gets the Message
Amateur film19666 mins Location: Aberdeen
Mischievous Mike's dangerous bike antics on the granite streets of Old Aberdeen prompt a chain reaction involving police and a cycling proficiency test for teenage schoolboys.
Raleigh School of CyclingRaleigh School of Cycling
Industry sponsored film195514 mins Location: Nottingham
Nottingham youngsters Pat and Adrian learn to ride the Raleigh way.
Be a Good CyclistBe a Good Cyclist
Public Information Filler19503 mins
Invaluable advice for the careful cyclist in a quintessentially British safety film.
Stringing AlongStringing Along
Amateur film19474 minsSilent Location: Barnet
Careless cyclists beware! This award-winning amateur film lays out the perils and pitfalls of the road for young riders.
Cycling Proficiency Scheme: Father and SonCycling Proficiency Scheme: Father and Son
Advert19591 mins
"Dad... I want a bike!” Fun animated campaign aimed at 50s parents and their over-eager offspring.
A Boy Goes CyclingA Boy Goes Cycling
Amateur film196315 mins Location: Catford
Pedal power saves a dad's day in this colourful cycling safety film set in a sunny 60s South East London.
Pedal CyclistsPedal Cyclists
Public Information Filler19472 mins
A witty, eccentric guide to safety on two wheels under the watchful eye of a pedalling angel.
Road Signs and SignalsRoad Signs and Signals
Instructional film/TV programme1947 minsSilent Location: Leek
Cycling safety, 40s style, in a charming and unexpectedly exhilarating film shot in and around Leek, Staffordshire.
Cycling ProficiencyCycling Proficiency
Training film/TV programme19498 mins
Kids learn to ride like the pros thanks to Britain's first cycling proficiency tests.
Tony Buys a BikeTony Buys a Bike
Promotional194217 minsSilent Location: Harringay
A lucky schoolboy gets a brand new bike for Christmas in this charming wartime promotional film.
No Short CutNo Short Cut
Children's196417 mins
This paean to the virtues of the Cycling Proficiency test is unusually told from the point-of-view of the bicycles themselves.