Few days ago, Lucas Brunelle presented through his website his latest video: ROAD SAGE. It’s another amazing video full of races, meetings and many other situations where the onboard cameras of Lucas don’t lose any detail. If to this you add a well chosen soundtrack and a voice off that puts goosebumps to anyone, here is the result of this amazing staging.
We didn’t want to miss the opportunity to ask some questions about this new video.
1. ROAD SAGE. What’s the meaning of the title for you?
It’s the wisdom of living on your own accord through the bicycle. The bicycle is the ultimate expression of this.
2. More action, crushes, police, skills… in this video there are even more action than the oldest one, any episode or situation that you want to tell us, especially with police?
The officer who said “it’s called staying alive, you should try it!” told me this after he saw Brad from Wolfpack Hustle and I in a crash!
The officer kept telling me this while the rest of my friends and racers were sliding across the street and sidewalk and into the checkpoint
It was probably the funniest police dispute I’ve ever had.
3. People and places that you want to mention…specially from this video. I heard that Terremoto Crew surprised you. What about new people from UK, Hong Kong, NYC, and all other cities that you visit?
I remember the riders in Shenzhen, Hong Kong, and Kowloon. The riders describe Kowloon like NYC which was true; drifting down the boulevards in Kowloon did feel a lot like NYC. The riders there had the same attitude too which was amazing
Terremoto Crew from Mexico City is like no other group I’ve ridden with, they’re the most fun and expressive. They yell, hoot, and holler through intersections and immediately establish a rapport with traffic around them. Also no road, highway, or other passage is ever off limits for them to ride, they just look at it and are like “ok here we go!”
4. The Voice off the screen, is just an amazing choice, is it like a LUCAS show performance?
Yes the voice is a total expression of what I do. This film represents my skillset. It’s a life balanced through cycling and the best energy ever.
5. All around the world these communities of Alleycats, messengers are growing up stronger and stronger… What can you tell us about? Do you feel the same? And what have you seen around the world… Differences between places like USA/EUROPE/ASIA/AFRICA/LATINO AMERICA?
Traveling around the world and meeting like-minded riders – many of who are inspired by my videos – is amazing. I can go to most any city in the world and experience this, who gets to go where we do and ride the way we do?
USA and Europe are similar in riding style; they both have riders who are very fast with mad skills in traffic.
Asia has more variety because in China alleycats are huge versus Japan where authorities are cracking down on this activity.
Africa is a fun scene but the fixed gear culture and alleycats have not caught on there as much yet but the riders are making it happen.
Latin America ha, ha, ha – this place is like the wild, wild West. In the rest of the world riders are acknowledged, visible, and regulated. Here it’s a fucking free for all, on your own. There are lots of dangers such as bottomless holes in roads and gutters with grating that run the same direction as the bike tire where you have to jump etc. but the reward for this riding is not only total freedom but also encouragement to ride faster, be louder, and grab onto an fucking vehicle you can. Latin American riders vividly portray this in Road Sage.
6. Is there any news about the kind of cameras you use to film? Any new method? What do you mean when you say “filming at new level”?
I’m still using the large cameras but now I’m also using GoPro cameras to get some unusual angles. Filming at a new level means that I’ve gotten even more stable with my movements, closer to traffic and am onto new material such as the Darien Gap and Chernobyl just in this year.
7. FRIENDS, RIDERS, ACTORS. Some of the most skilled riders in the world appear in your videos, and most of them are friend of yours: Chas, Austin, Alfred… Can you tell us the difference between the way they ride and maybe the better skill of every one of them?
Chas rides in a very animated style, he’s part Mexican and I believe that’s what makes him such a character. He interacts all of the time with the people, animals, and everything else around him. This keeps everyone aware, they appreciate his presence, and this is safer.
Austin has improved in speed over the years, he can hold an high intensity interval and does these twists and turns and reshapes his body to get through spaces in traffic that a couple of times I haven’t even been able to get through.
Alfred is the most advanced strategically, I’ve seen him change the game in an alleycat by being smart and playing chess not checkers. He’s probably the rider that most matches the title of my film Road Sage.
8. What can you explain us about the alleycat of NYC that you show in your video?
NYC is a city that’s made for alleycats and we had the best riders racing for the granddaddy of alleycats which is Monstertrack. But in the midst of it it’s the most fun ever riding.
ROAD SAGE by Lucas Brunelle
