MASH and MACAFRAMA

there’s getting to be quite a handful of fixedGear urban cycling films out there, such as the bootleg sessions (3 DVDs with a 4th on the way), fast friday (which is actually more of a documentary), and a bunch of others. but in my opinion, the two crowning achievements amidst this flood are MASH and MACAFRAMA.

MASH was of course the first, and in so many ways, remains the best. this is just my opinion because i prefer the style of riding exhibited in MASH and because i’m a nostalgist. but with those two things considered, there’s something about MASH that’s more timeless than all the rest. it’s dirtier, for one thing, which instantly makes it feel more real, like you’re really out there riding. and the riding showcased in MASH is WAY more hardcore. it’s got it’s fair share of wheelies and light tricking, but MASH is a RIDING video. guys out there bombing hills and blasting through traffic. and the tricking that does happen in MASH is just the fun stuff you do when you’re on a bike all day, it’s not "freestyle" or "acrobatic." additionally, the great majority of the riders showcased in MASH are messengers. some are from back in the 90s, though none are from the 80s, i think. and a couple are even further entwined in cycling culture off-camera. garrett chow, for instance, is like the product manager at specialized or something, and road races. james newman cyclocrosses and road races. so that’s a little more valid to me, i think, that the riders in MASH are experienced. does SF play a part in my nostalgic pedestal placement of this film? i suppose it does, yeah, but here and NYC are where track bike culture sprung from, so what can you do? the final thing that puts MASH over the top to me though, is strange to say, but it’s that it’s filmed from a moped. with a moped, the camerapeople can get through the traffic along with the riders they’re following. this not only lends major excitement, but it seriously broadens the areas where they’re even able to ride. check this out, in every other video out there, they’re filming from a car. and what is the number one thing that hardened city cyclists can do that cars can’t? FLOW. we can alter our course more quickly, we can blow stop signs, we can switch between being a "pedestrian" and a "vehicle" — and so when being followed by a car which is filming, the riders in other videos have to pre-plan SO much that you can feel it when you’re watching. the spontaneity level isn’t nearly as high, the routes don’t feel as fluid, the camera is often stationary — it’s just kind of plodding. not so in MASH.

but there’s another, the other strong video, MACAFRAMA, which shares a lot of the same characteristics of MASH, but brings everything forward in the timeline. the number one most standout piece of positive in MACA is the fact that it’s filmed in HD. this, in conjunction with some pretty well-plotted out angles and lines and slo-mo accentuation gives it an AMAZING watchability. it’s just beautiful. and there’s a rider in MACA that i just fucking LOVE to watch, named phill cheng. dude BALLS SF, and it’s awesome to watch. utter concentration. (most times — he actually almost gets creamed TWICE.) of course, MACAFRAMA happens in a different time, so there’s a lot more freestyle in it, but one thing that keeps me loving it is that it’s not a tricking video, such as the aforementioned bootleg sessions, or stuff from chris fonseca and others. it’s got a ton of just good ole fashioned city bombing, and there’s at least two overlapping cyclists, too, so i think MACA is honoring it’s inspiration or something. feels that way, anyhow.

with the sudden, booming popularity of fixed gear bikes, there’s all this demand for videos showcasing nice and clean lines, pretty bikes, new fashions, and every once in a while, some real progressiveness. but the above two are, so far, the standouts in a very thick pond of mediocrity.

and keep in mind, this is just me. trixter guys like prolly and others will like different stuff for different reasons. but if you want to see some good riding, you can’t go wrong with MASH or MACAFRAMA.

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