The 90 Year Old Cyclist : Benjamin Piovesan
Growing up in France, Benjamin’s parents bought him a bike when he was young so he could come home to the family farm once a week from his work some 25 kilometers away. But then, life took over, and Benjamin didn’t ride for many years until his son, Patrick, got involved in serious cycling. Patrick bought his dad a road bike and Benjamin started cycling again.
Florent Piovesan:
“10 years ago I made a short documentary about my grandfather who was 80 at the time and still cycling everyday. The video was very well received and was even Staff Picked! This was my first proper short documentary and of course it was made with limited gear, experience and budget.”
The 90 Year Old Cyclist | A life portrait of my grandfather from Of Two Lands on Vimeo.
The History Of Cycling
For many people, riding a bicycle was something they did as a kid, but it’s not something they did much of once they got into their teen years. For some, it’s because they got a car and could drive places instead of a bike. For others, it’s because they live in an area where bicycling isn’t an option—those out in rural areas with unpaved roads may not always be able to bike places. But with new inventions such as the electric bike and bicycles that are safer, more and more people are turning to bikes as a way of saving money and going green.
In 1868, the first documented bicycle race was held. Bikers racked 1,200 meters in the Park of Saint-Cloud in Paris.
In the U.S., bicycles were incredibly popular in the early 1900s. The oldest bicycle racing club, the St. Louis Cycling Club, was established in 1887 and continues to host races and other events today. However, by 1920, the practice of cycling quickly died out because of the automobile and the growth of larger suburbs. In Europe, cycling continued to go strong until the 1950s.
Today, though, more and more people are biking to work as a way of saving on gas, getting exercise, and because it’s fun.
Wikipedia: The History of Cycling – Brief history of the sport
History of the Bicycle – Where and how it was created
Cycling Timeline – Quick history of the bicycle and cycling
Fun Facts about the Bike – Including some historic information
Bicycle Museums – List of different museums around the world
» Read moreRM - "Bicycle"
Over a leisurely piano and acoustic guitar, RM talks about his feelings when he went cycling in his hometown during the COVID-19 pandemic. “For me, riding a bike always gives me a thrill, but when I put my feet on the two pedals it always feels a bit sad,” the Rap Monster wrote on BTS’ blog. “Whether it’s because there’s a lot of things that I miss… Even I don’t know the reason.”
He added: “Ever since I was a trainee, I always wanted to move the blurry scenery that I couldn’t quite capture while riding a bicycle into a song.”
Rolling with two feet
I face you, who I can’t see
A few centimeters of shaking
Are greeting me as always
[Verse 1]
I wanna keep the bass down low
My mind is already in weekend mode
I don’t see no open cars, no open bars
It’s not bad, I’m all alone in this road
The minds of people are floating like an island
The night that might never come
Walk and roll across the horizon
To the vanishing point that we chose
[Chorus]
If you are sad, let’s ride a bicycle
Let’s put the wind under the feet
Oh, let’s ride a bicycle
With arms opened freely
[Post-Chorus]
Na, na-na-na, na-na-na
Na-na-na-na-na
Na-na-na, na-na-na, na-na-na
Na-na-na-na-na
