On Yer Bike

Discuss releases by the BFI and the films on them.

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MichaelB
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On Yer Bike

#1 Post by MichaelB » Fri Apr 24, 2015 9:27 am

This wonderful 2-DVD collection, containing 29 short dramas, animations, adverts and newsreel items from the BFI National Archive, is a fascinating portrait of the British cycling experience.

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antnield
Joined: Tue Jun 28, 2005 1:59 pm
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Re: On Yer Bike

#2 Post by antnield » Tue May 19, 2015 1:12 pm

Amazon has the specs and contents:
From nineteenth-century women elegantly displaying their proficiency to the cut-throat 1928 Olympic Trials at the Herne Hill Velodrome and careless 1980s BMX kids meeting untimely ends, the films on this set offer up a century of cycling in Britain whilst celebrating classic brands such as Raleigh, Hercules, Moulton, Humber, Rudge and Witcomb.

UK | 1899-1983 | black & white, and colour | English language | 248 minutes | DVD9 x 2 | Ratio 1.33:1

Disc One
Lady Cyclists (1899) | Race for the Muratti Cup at Manchester Wheelers' Annual Meet [Extract] (1901) | Rudge Whitworth Britain's Best Bicycle (1902) | Manchester and Salford Harriers [Extract] (1901) | Flying the Foam and Some Fancy Diving (1906) | Fat Man on a Bicycle (1914) | National Bicycle Week Begins (1923) | Olympic Trials (1928) | Cycling the Channel (1929) | Woman Wheelers (1929) | From Acorn to Oak (1938) | Cinema Adverts Humber, Raleigh, Rudge (1938) | Tom's Ride (1944) | How a Bicycle is Made (1945) | Stringing Along (1947) | The Ballad of the Battered Bicycle (1947) | Pedal Cyclists (1947) | Good Cycles Deserve Good Riders (1950) | Skid Kids (1953)

Disc Two
Cyclists Special (1955) | Hercules: Lion Cubs (1956) | Cyclists Abroad (1957) | Cycling Proficiency Scheme Father and Son (1959) | Riding on Air (1959) | The Racing Cyclist (1966) | The Moulton Bicycle (1972) | Free Wheeling (1979) | It's a Bike (1983) | Cyclist Turning Right (1983)

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MichaelB
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Re: On Yer Bike

#3 Post by MichaelB » Tue Jun 02, 2015 1:01 pm

Full specs announced:
On Yer Bike
A History of Cycling on Film
Two-disc set

This new collection of 29 films takes an enlightening look at the British cycling experience from 1899 to 1983. Expertly curated from the holdings of BFI National Archive and released in an extensive 2-DVD set on 22 June 2015, On Yer Bike brings together short dramas, animations, advertisements, newsreel items, and public information films to provide a nostalgic and entertaining trip down memory lane for cycling enthusiasts, and British documentary aficionados, of all ages.

From nineteenth-century ladies elegantly displaying their proficiency to the cut-throat 1928 Olympic Trials at the Herne Hill Velodrome and careless 1980s BMX kids meeting untimely ends, the films on this set offer up a century of cycling in Britain whilst celebrating classic brands such as Raleigh, Hercules, Moulton, Humber, Rudge and Witcomb.

Among the highlights of the collection are: Rudge Whitworth – Britain’s Best Bicycle (1902), which is one of the oldest adverts held in the BFI National Archive; Cycling the Channel (1929), why swim when you can cycle on water?; Tom’s Ride (1944), a beautiful precursor to the CFF (Children’s Film Foundation) films, but distinctly lacking a Hollywood ending!; Riding on Air (1959), the popularity of cycling in 1950s Britain as seen by the COI (Central Office of Information); The Racing Cyclist (1966), a portrait of the Lightweight Racing Cyclist with a focus on the Witcomb Racing Cycle family business and Cyclist Turning Right (1983), BMX kids – beware of oncoming traffic!

Disc One
Lady Cyclists (1899, 1 min)
Race for the Muratti Cup at Manchester Wheelers' Annual Meet (extract) (1901, 10 mins)
Manchester and Salford Harriers (Extract) (1901, 3 min)
Rudge Whitworth – Britain’s Best Bicycle (1902, 1 min)
Flying the Foam and Some Fancy Diving (1906, 2 mins)
Fat Man on a Bicycle (1914, 1 min)
National Bicycle Week (1923, 1 min)
Olympic Trials (1928, 1 min)
Cycling the Channel (1929, 1 min)
Woman Wheelers (1929, 1 min)
From Acorn to Oak (1938, 5 mins)
Cinema Adverts Humber, Raleigh, Rudge (1938, 1 min)
Tom's Ride (1944, 11 mins)
How a Bicycle is Made (1945, 17 mins)
Stringing Along (1947, 4 mins)
The Ballad of the Battered Bicycle (1947, 9 mins)
Pedal Cyclists (1947, 2 mins)
Good Cycles Deserve Good Riders (1950, 3 mins)
Skid Kids (1953, 47 mins)

Disc Two
Cyclists Special (1955, 15 mins)
Hercules: Lion Cubs (1956, 1 min)
Cyclists Abroad (1957, 15 mins)
Cycling Proficiency Scheme Father and Son (1959, 1 min)
Riding on Air (1959, 15 mins)
The Racing Cyclist (1966, 13 mins)
The Moulton Bicycle (1972, 20 mins)
Free Wheeling (1979, 13 mins)
It's a Bike (1983, 21 mins)
Cyclist Turning Right (1983, 1 min)

The set also includes a 28-page illustrated booklet with an introductory essay and notes on each film by curators from the BFI National Archive.

Product details
RRP: £22.99 / Cat. no. BFIV2024 / Cert E
UK / 1899–1983 / black and white, and colour / English language / 236 mins / DVD9 x 2 / Ratio 1.33:1

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RossyG
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Re: On Yer Bike

#4 Post by RossyG » Tue Jun 02, 2015 1:46 pm

Looks like Skid Kids could be the 49 minute reissue version rather than the original 55m original.

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MichaelB
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Re: On Yer Bike

#5 Post by MichaelB » Tue Jun 02, 2015 3:57 pm

I wonder if the original neg was cut in order to produce the 49 minute version?

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Gregory
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 4:07 pm

Re: On Yer Bike

#6 Post by Gregory » Tue Jun 02, 2015 6:21 pm

I'm in, partly just to support the continued production of sets of this kind, which are especially nice for those outside the UK who don't have access to BFI Player.

The two '80s films are representative of the good cop/bad cop approach to instructional filmmaking that I remember from that era. That is, in some films, help young people take in the information by presenting it in the form of a wacky milquetoast rap (which also enhances the street cred of learning, safety, etc.); and in others, just scare the kiddies by showing them people flouting the rules of good conduct and suffering a horrible injury or death as a result.

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antnield
Joined: Tue Jun 28, 2005 1:59 pm
Location: Cheltenham, England

Re: On Yer Bike

#7 Post by antnield » Tue Jul 21, 2015 4:31 pm


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