What is cycling ultimately about?
Camaraderie, adventure, getting fit, a sense of belonging to a community, are probably some of the answers you would give, and three out of those four are definitely applicable to the Ripcor Cycling Club who have just launched a film of their adventures: Ripcor the Movie: Riding with Mamils. If you've seen the trailer you can probably guess which one of these four doesn't apply.
Most of all Ripcor seems to be about friendship, and from the club's film premiere last Saturday in Leicester Square, this is difficult to dispute. Everyone in attendance seemed to know everyone else, and as the guests flooded into the theatre for what was to be the most unorthodox, least pompous film premiere ever, the light-hearted nature of the evening's proceedings was evident.
First off, the Ripcor Club itself. Perhaps not unique in its rather ad-hoc set up, the club prides itself on its inviting nature. The evening's MC, Rieter, hinted at the Ripcor ethos - "If Carlsberg did cycling clubs..." - while the club's three pillars of cake, beer and abuse (or banter) are a mantra that will resonate with mamils the world over. The trailer for Ripcor the Movie has had more than 8,000 views online, re-tweets from the likes of Tom Boonen and Mark Cavendish, and inquiries on how to set up similar clubs in the US and Australia.
This appeal became all the more clear when the film began after a hilarious yet surprisingly poignant pre-film spiel, which had everyone in the room roaring with laughter at one point or another. The movie begins with a testimony to the club's founding and its fundraising mission for the PACE Centre, a school in Aylesbury for children affected by cerebral palsy. It is a cause near and dear to several of the club's members whose own children are affected by the disability. Since the club's founding its 20-odd riders have cycled over 27,000 miles and raised over £500,000 for the PACE Centre.
This essentially serious and worthy mission statement, as the club's driving force, would bookend a film that at points feels like a mockumentary filled with club in-jokes, and at others washed over the audience of family and friends as a rather inspirational tale of brotherhood.
Analysing the film's beats and thematic structure is a bit of a non-starter. This is not what the Ripcor tale is about. I would also say that someone coming into this film without a knowledge of cycling, cycling culture, or at least knowing someone who could be described as a "mamil", would likely have the entire character of the movie and the club go straight over their heads. It is, however, unlikely that a person who would fit into this category would ever hear of this film.
Ripcor the Movie is a film about the love of cycling culture for those that love cycling culture. If you fit into that category then the 55 minutes of Ripcor's shenanigans will definitely remind you why you wake up early every Saturday or Sunday morning, bid farewell to your husband, wife, girlfriend, boyfriend or dog and hit the road.
Technically, too, the film shines with some beautiful visuals; especially once the club makes it to Alpe d'Huez. The spectacular shots of alpine vistas popped out of the big screen, making one long for those summer trips that we spend the winters suffering for.
What the Ripcor documentary really encapsulates, more than the roadside banter and evening beer, is the sheer unadulterated fun and escapism that cycling provides. It is just plain fun, and the Ripcor guys are definitely having a lot of it.
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