Ever wondered why, in every film depicting a post-apocalyptic dystopia in which all the fuel has run out, you never see a single bicycle? Everyone is either fighting for petrol (Mad Max), or they're on foot (The Road). Not a single bike in sight post WWIII....
6 Technologies Conspicuously Absent from Sci-Fi Movies
Post apocalypse bikes...
Re: Post apocalypse bikes...
haha i have pondered this when watching The Road too 
They always point out the usefulness of dogs, but not bicycles.
It all comes down to availability of roads, usability of those roads, and fitness to ride a bike.
After the apocalypse, Joe Public is new to cycling and probably finds it very tiresome reletive to walking around.
Oh and there is always a small family unit in these films, so would need a bike for each person, and the dog.
If they made a post apocalypse film based on a single person without a doggie, then the bicycle would be ideal - but that would make a lousy film. It sort of worked in Castaway, but even in that they had to make him talk to a football.
They always point out the usefulness of dogs, but not bicycles.
It all comes down to availability of roads, usability of those roads, and fitness to ride a bike.
After the apocalypse, Joe Public is new to cycling and probably finds it very tiresome reletive to walking around.
Oh and there is always a small family unit in these films, so would need a bike for each person, and the dog.
If they made a post apocalypse film based on a single person without a doggie, then the bicycle would be ideal - but that would make a lousy film. It sort of worked in Castaway, but even in that they had to make him talk to a football.
Re: Post apocalypse bikes...
Have you watched Nicholas Cage's 'Wickerman'? Its a masterpiece* with some funny bike moments.
* not even joking. its great.
* not even joking. its great.
Re: Post apocalypse bikes...
I've got a feeling that bikes are the main transport in 'On the Beach'. Book by Nevile Schute, 1959 film by Stanley Kramer. Mind you it also features a Car race!
Re: Post apocalypse bikes...
Nutsey wrote:Have you watched Nicholas Cage's 'Wickerman'? Its a masterpiece* with some funny bike moments.
* not even joking. its great.
Not watched it. Robin Hardy's The Wicker Man is an undeniable cult classic. I must watch it again soon.
High on a cocktail of flossy teacakes and marmalade
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Neil Mc Ivor
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Re: Post apocalypse bikes...
Davos119 wrote:Ever wondered why, in every film depicting a post-apocalyptic dystopia in which all the fuel has run out, you never see a single bicycle? Everyone is either fighting for petrol (Mad Max), or they're on foot (The Road). Not a single bike in sight post WWIII....
Does the trike used by the waterseller in Mad Max 3 beyond Thunderdome count. It is human powered transport.
Re: Post apocalypse bikes...
Sorry to dredge up an old post, but was checking if this pic had been posted before, but this was the closest thing I could find.
I think the reason is, it would remove a whole load of storylines about the struggle for transport. It is a pity that all the bikes have vanished, as it would kind of promote cycling, showing it as a cheap, easy, efficient mode of transport, although, the lack of traffic in the post apocalyptic world would also, unfortunately, be unrealistic.
I think the reason is, it would remove a whole load of storylines about the struggle for transport. It is a pity that all the bikes have vanished, as it would kind of promote cycling, showing it as a cheap, easy, efficient mode of transport, although, the lack of traffic in the post apocalyptic world would also, unfortunately, be unrealistic.
Re: Post apocalypse bikes...
It seems like every bike these days is made entirely or partly from carbon fibre. They probably all melted from the nuclear heatwave and were rendered unrideable.
Bill
“Ride as much or as little, or as long or as short as you feel. But ride.” ~ Eddy Merckx
It's a rich man whos children run to him when his pockets are empty.
“Ride as much or as little, or as long or as short as you feel. But ride.” ~ Eddy Merckx
It's a rich man whos children run to him when his pockets are empty.
Re: Post apocalypse bikes...
gaz wrote:Nutsey wrote:Have you watched Nicholas Cage's 'Wickerman'? Its a masterpiece* with some funny bike moments.
* not even joking. its great.
Not watched it. Robin Hardy's The Wicker Man is an undeniable cult classic. I must watch it again soon.
I managed about ten minutes of the Cage abomination before walking out
It is a prime example why they should not allow remakes
Re: Post apocalypse bikes...
Postboxer wrote:I think the reason is, it would remove a whole load of storylines about the struggle for transport.
You just cant conceal enough ordnance in a bicycle to support a good storyline....
Trying to retain enough fitness to grow old disgracefully... That hasn't changed!
Re: Post apocalypse bikes...
Yes, if I were richer I'd be stocking my american armageddon-fantacist bunker with velo-spares of all sorts (in addition to the ever-popular guns, ammo, and silver coins)!
Ha, ha ha, so this version of that fantasy may go: when The End comes, I'll be blasting my way to self-sufficiency, generating all my food in my combination toilet/fishtank/algae-generator/swimming pool, then going for a nice ride in the (decimated) countryside whilst those other fools are trying to find petrol or software patches for their 2016 compu-cars!!
My current favo(u)rite of this genre by the way is the mid-70s BBC "survivors' series, which you can get on u-tube. Despite a baffling consistency of inconsistencies in the plot, it seems to reveal a little more realistically the sorts of motivations that'd guide people in such times (and be sure to read through all the comments on each segment page - as entertaining as the story itself!). It also makes it looks like things are sort of returning to "Frank Patterson" days, which might be worth any price...
There's also a great bike-theft scene!
Ha, ha ha, so this version of that fantasy may go: when The End comes, I'll be blasting my way to self-sufficiency, generating all my food in my combination toilet/fishtank/algae-generator/swimming pool, then going for a nice ride in the (decimated) countryside whilst those other fools are trying to find petrol or software patches for their 2016 compu-cars!!
My current favo(u)rite of this genre by the way is the mid-70s BBC "survivors' series, which you can get on u-tube. Despite a baffling consistency of inconsistencies in the plot, it seems to reveal a little more realistically the sorts of motivations that'd guide people in such times (and be sure to read through all the comments on each segment page - as entertaining as the story itself!). It also makes it looks like things are sort of returning to "Frank Patterson" days, which might be worth any price...
There's also a great bike-theft scene!
Re: Post apocalypse bikes...
Apparently petrol has a fairly short shelf life, of a few years, found this out watching Last Man on Earth, then googled it to check.
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old_windbag
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Re: Post apocalypse bikes...
gaz wrote: Robin Hardy's The Wicker Man is an undeniable cult classic.
It most certainly is and was on at weekend( as it is now every 3 months
), I avoid watching it too often. When I first saw it around late 70's early 80's I felt sick at what they did to him at the end. On first viewing it has that effect I feel. Quite amusing in the making side, a lot was filmed in late autumn, budgets, and they had to put false may blossom on trees etc. "I'm investigating the disappearance of a child, Rowan Morrison".If you want to seriously depress yourselves and confuse your minds I'd recommend watching David Lynch's Eraserhead
. That is very strange and bleak indeed, not post apocalyptic but pretty dire. Let me know what it's about 
.On a plus where the bicycle is employed.... "Breaking Away".
Re: Post apocalypse bikes...
hujev wrote:My current favo(u)rite of this genre by the way is the mid-70s BBC "survivors' series, which you can get on u-tube.
Yes - a favourite of mine. I remember a bicycle featuring in one or two very short scenes in that series - but hardly dominant as a mode of transport. They seemed to rely mainly on horses.
Of course, even bikes need some maintenance and supply of consumables (tyres, oil, brake blocks, etc. etc.). So do horses, but maybe not so much (shoes?).
hujev wrote:There's also a great bike-theft scene!
I don't recall any scene in which a bike gets stolen - but it was a long epic, running to three series. The third series went downhill a bit, and I didn't watch it all.
Suppose that this room is a lift. The support breaks and down we go with ever-increasing velocity.
Let us pass the time by performing physical experiments...
--- Arthur Eddington (creator of the Eddington Number).
Let us pass the time by performing physical experiments...
--- Arthur Eddington (creator of the Eddington Number).
Re: Post apocalypse bikes...
Well few bikes there of course, and you'd think bikes would be the way to go but it was 1975, so... we're just lucky they didn't 'somehow' just happen to have automobiles (as in the much more ridiculous 'the last train')! Lots of good horse action in Survivors, tho. And steam locomotives later on!
The scene I'm thinking of was in Epi 4 Pt.4/6 'Mad Dog' Series 3:
https://youtu.be/Ld8cOkuQWkE?t=312 (at 5:10, in fact!).
A good 'comment' on the page is:
"LOL!! That was either the smoothest bike theft of all time, or the owner was as thick as a mud fence."
Oh, by the way, see:
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/M ... Apocalypse
and all links thereafter for more fun at the expense of tv/film cliches...
The scene I'm thinking of was in Epi 4 Pt.4/6 'Mad Dog' Series 3:
https://youtu.be/Ld8cOkuQWkE?t=312 (at 5:10, in fact!).
A good 'comment' on the page is:
"LOL!! That was either the smoothest bike theft of all time, or the owner was as thick as a mud fence."
Oh, by the way, see:
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/M ... Apocalypse
and all links thereafter for more fun at the expense of tv/film cliches...