Take the Lane

Film details epic cycling journey

I know that it is easy to focus on the cycling successes of the present and recent past and forget the pioneers of cycling, so I have great hopes for Ciclo, a documentary about two Mexican brothers who rode 5,600 kilometres across North America from their village to Toronto in 1956.

The documentary, still in production, tells the story of this epic journey, at a less complicated moment in North American history and cycling culture, using clippings, archive footage and new film as filmmakers and the two cyclists themselves -- Arturo and Gustavo MartinezMcNaught, now in their 70s -- retrace the journey.

The film crew is arriving in Toronto this week to finish the trip, and you can hope to see some Toronto media coverage of Ciclo. Anyone with an interest in cycling history will spend some enjoyable moments cruising the film's website, where you can review clippings from 1956 and see photos of the handsome Latin brothers in their matching wool jerseys, hoisting Miss Toronto on their shoulders and discussing their route with local officials for the newspaper photographers as they wend their way through the United States. (You wonder what the border patrol would make of two Mexican brothers trying to ride across North America these days!)

For those in Waterloo Region, there's even a local connection: Arturo's wife Janet Crowther is a KW native and St. Mary's Hospital nursing school grad. Janet and Arturo are expected in the region at the nursing school's 50th anniversary reunion, Oct. 2-4.

A fascinating story, and one I hope we will be able to see on screen in this community.

Bicycling as culture

Lucky are the people at the Calgary Underground Film Festival later this month (April 19) who will be able to view Veer, a documentary that looks at the lives of five bicycle-centric people over the course of one year, charting their struggles and successes. Veer is about an emerging culture, and is a reminder that bicycling can be about more than commuting to work or Sunday club rides. You can see a trailer for Veer at their website.

Nothing like a good bicycle movie

There are a few bicycle movies that are worth seeing over and over.

My vote goes to The Bicycle Thief, which is airing Saturday on TVO at about 10:30 p.m., after the first feature and the usual round of post-feature interviews. Surely, you can't go wrong with a cool drink, some salty snacks and this flick.