# The Movie Breaking Away



## links0311 (Aug 20, 2004)

I have a couple questions about the movie Breaking Away. What kind of bikes where they riding and were they single speeds or fixed gears? I thought I heard them say "Gentleman mount your Roadmasters" Are those bikes still around? When looking for a road bike to convert to a fixed the main thing I should look for is horizontal drops right? Thanks.

-Links


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## ARP (Mar 7, 2002)

*Huffy or AMF Roadmaster*



links0311 said:


> I have a couple questions about the movie Breaking Away. What kind of bikes where they riding and were they single speeds or fixed gears? I thought I heard them say "Gentleman mount your Roadmasters" Are those bikes still around? When looking for a road bike to convert to a fixed the main thing I should look for is horizontal drops right? Thanks.
> 
> -Links


Something like that. Fixed needs horizontal, SS can be either but with a vertical you need the singleator. Your best bet is to find a bike with track dropouts, they face rearward. Chucks bikes.com has a few new frames like that.


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## wim (Feb 28, 2005)

> _What kind of bikes where they riding and were they single speeds or fixed gears?_


Single-speed (currently must be 48 x 16) coaster brake bikes with platform pedals. No shoe-pedal attachment allowed.


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## FatTireFred (Jan 31, 2005)

wim said:


> Single-speed (currently must be 48 x 16) coaster brake bikes with platform pedals. No shoe-pedal attachment allowed.



DQ for the Cutters then? Was Moocher's & Cyril's tape job of Dave's feet to the pedals illegal? Did the ATOs protest? They did talk about a no-modifications rule (IIRC Mike says "you can't change anything"), but Dave did a lot of work on the bike before the race. Pretty sure they were AMF Roadmasters. The race continues today (albeit with Schwinns), you can read all about it here, including the rules- http://iusf.bloomington.com/little5frm2.html


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

which was a better movie for fixed/single speed fans?


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## FatTireFred (Jan 31, 2005)

Dave Hickey said:


> which was a better movie for fixed/single speed fans?



Seriously? I never saw Quicksilver, but come on, it stars Kevin Bacon for cryin' out loud. Breaking Away has road racing and the final (ss) race as a backdrop to the story of these going-nowhere kids' lives... and was nominated for Academy Awards. It's on tv frequently and you can find the dvd online for about $7 shipped.


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

Trust me there is no comparison. Breaking Away wins hands down. 

Quicksilver does have some cool fixed cycling shots. You can get it used online for around $7 too. It's worth watching


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## bikesdirect (Sep 9, 2006)

*best movie ever made*



Dave Hickey said:


> Trust me there is no comparison. Breaking Away wins hands down.
> 
> Quicksilver does have some cool fixed cycling shots. You can get it used online for around $7 too. It's worth watching


Breaking Away is the best movie ever made. It can not be compared to Quicksilver other than they are both movies with bikes in them. {just my opinion, of course}


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

*[email protected], what is the world coming to?*

I'm finding myself agreeing with you here.


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## slowrider (Mar 12, 2004)

*?*

There was a movie about Major Taylor that had a bunch of racing scenes on fixed gear bikes. I can't remember the name, but I thought it was a good movie.


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

While we're on the subject of fixies in the media, check out the paperback by Tami Hoag, To Kill a Messenger..It's a mystery about a bike messenger that get's caught up in a murder.


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

slowrider said:


> There was a movie about Major Taylor that had a bunch of racing scenes on fixed gear bikes. I can't remember the name, but I thought it was a good movie.


according to the Major Taylor website

http://www.majortaylorassociation.org/influence.htm

"A 1992 made-for-television movie, "Tracks of Glory," chronicled Taylor's racing seasons in Australia. His daughter, Sydney Taylor Brown was born there and named for the capital of New South Wales."

If you've never read anything on Major Taylor, check out one of the bio's written about him. He was an amazing man and athlete.


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## bikesdirect (Sep 9, 2006)

*This is a powerful movie on many many levels*



MB1 said:


> I'm finding myself agreeing with you here.



Thank you - this movie provided me with a focus in my career like no other work of art has. I was completely consumed by how can kids like Dave get on competitive equipment.

The le Champion SL exists due to this movie. My long term quest to get a Cat 1 competitive bike down to 500 {1979} dollars continues. I am only off by a few current day dollars and I am working on solving that.


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## 867-5309 (Oct 7, 2005)

*The truth*

I had a psychotic/moreonic/biotch girlfriend who went to school there and said that the cutters actually would win that race every year. The reason was that they could pull whomever they wanted for their team, and the houses could only pull their bros.


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## Allez Rouge (Jan 1, 1970)

links0311 said:


> I thought I heard them say "Gentleman mount your Roadmasters"


Working from memory here, but as I recall the line is, "Gentlemen, mount your AMF Roadmaster bicycles."

AMF was/is the bowling equipment manufacturer that for a time branched out into other sports like golf, motorcycles (ask a long-time Harley owner about AMF and watch him grimace ... or even hurl), and bicycles.


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## slowrider (Mar 12, 2004)

Thanks. I loved that movie. After watching it, I googled, then read everything I could find on Major Taylor.


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## Woolbury (Oct 12, 2005)

What about the scene behind the truck. The driver flashes him 3 fingers(presumably 30mph), then 4, then 5, then 6! They then pan to his furiously pedaling feet, only to show that he's still on his small ring! I can only imagine the speed if he would upshift...


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## MikeBiker (Mar 9, 2003)

Woolbury said:


> What about the scene behind the truck. The driver flashes him 3 fingers(presumably 30mph), then 4, then 5, then 6! They then pan to his furiously pedaling feet, only to show that he's still on his small ring! I can only imagine the speed if he would upshift...


Yeah, but he was on the 5 tooth cog.


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## ARP (Mar 7, 2002)

*I met the guy that did some of the filming*



Dave Hickey said:


> which was a better movie for fixed/single speed fans?


and riding as a body double for Bacon in that movie. He also did some work on the American Flyer movie. Saw him at Cycle North Carolina, drives an RV that doubles as his business these days selling cycle clothing. He was on the cover of Bicycling magazine a few years ago.


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## links0311 (Aug 20, 2004)

The bike he's riding when he's chasing the semi or riding after the hot girl, what model bike was that?

-Links


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## JohnnyChance (Dec 13, 2006)

links0311 said:


> The bike he's riding when he's chasing the semi or riding after the hot girl, what model bike was that?
> 
> -Links



Masi i think.


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## FatTireFred (Jan 31, 2005)

JohnnyChance said:


> Masi i think.



yup Masi... that bike was crashed and repaired, and remains hidden in a basement in Denver today


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## Spinfinity (Feb 3, 2004)

*Learned about parenting from Breaking Away*

The father has been kind of a role model for me. His sense of humor, willingness be a foil for his son's rebellion, pushing his son to do better and being there to talk seriously with him about life are all things I try to do with my sons. I'm not much of a movie goer so there may be others, but his character defines for me the difference between unconditional love and unconditional acceptance. 

The movie works because it shows a kid that we like, his friends and parents dealing with issues of growing up, young love, and privilege in a society that we easily recognize and relate to. As much as I enjoy cycling I think the movie would work just as well if the game were tennis or polo any other sport where rich kids have a presumed advantage.


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## Fredke (Dec 10, 2004)

slowrider said:


> There was a movie about Major Taylor that had a bunch of racing scenes on fixed gear bikes. I can't remember the name, but I thought it was a good movie.


There's also a good documnetary on six-day races, "Six-Day Bicycle Race: America's Jazz-Age Sport" Nothing about Major Taylor in that movie, but lots of good footage of six-day races.


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## Fredke (Dec 10, 2004)

bikesdirect said:


> Breaking Away is the best movie ever made.


I truly like Breaking Away, but Triplets of Belleville is better in so many ways.


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## anthony.delorenzo (May 8, 2007)

Admittedly, Quicksilver wasn't a great movie but the cycling stuff was pretty good. A lot of attention to detail when it came to the riding, someone was obviously coaching Kevin B. on things like mounts/dismounts and so on. They seemed to switch between fixed and not, depending on the scene. 

Akin to the small ring/truck scene from Breaking Away: In the beginning scene where he's racing the bike in the taxicab, they do a closeup of the rear cassette and the guy shifts UP into like his biggest cog before sprinting away. 

Also, don't forget American Flyers. I just watched that last night on the movie channel. Now I remember why I grew up wanting a Specialized Allez road bike. 

Regards, 
Anthony


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