It turns out that the humble bicycle is the perfect muse that has inspired many songwriters, composers and bike enthusiasts in all musical styles. Here’s a pick of our favorite cycling-themed songs:

Listen to the playlist:

Learn the stories:

In the 1960s and 1970s, the topic of cycling was covered by rock legends like Queen with their bike-ode Bicycle Race and Pink Floyd with their song Bike, dedicated to the then-girlfriend of the band’s founder, Syd Barrett.

In the 1980s, Tom Waits wrote the soundtrack of Francis Ford Coppola’s musical One from the Heart, which includes the jazz/blues track Broken Bicycles.

Scottish hard rock band Nazareth adds to the cycling playlist with its cover version of My White Bicycle. The song was originally released by the band Tomorrow, marking their debut in the 1960s.

German pioneers Kraftwerk expressed their interpretation of the joy of cycling in their 1983 single Tour de France, dedicated to the iconic French race.

The Pushbike Song is the bubblegum pop Australian entry in this two-wheeled playlist. The original by The Mixtures has been performed by many, but we particularly like the cover by British band Mungo Jerry.

Juan Lusi Guerra is a Dominican singer telling the story of his trip on a bike to Niagara Falls in his song El Niágara en Bicicleta.

Is your bike a muse? | Photo by Brennan Ehrhardt/Unsplash

If you like the soft jazz-pop grooves of Katie Melua, you may know her song Nine Million Bicycles. What you may not know is that the song was written after Katie’s trip to Beijing. The title was inspired by the words of her Chinese guide, who mentioned that more than nine million bicycles are used in Beijing.

Switching to dance-reggae, Culcha Candela – with members from Uganda, Poland, Colombia, Germany, and South Korea – illustrates how global the love of cycling is with their song La Bicicleta. 

The Flobots’ members have composed a special song to brag about their ability to ride without hands in Handlebars.

If the last handful of band names don’t ring a bell, don’t worry, it’s not just you. We embarked on a dedicated musical journey to find the best bicycle songs for you. To keep the balance, we present you Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Bicycle Song.

Of course, we couldn’t skip the grunge legends of Ugly Kid Joe and their Bicycle Wheels.

Ralph’s World’s confession called Banana Seat Bike reminds you of the times when this was “as close to a motorcycle as any kid is gonna get”.

And finally, two fresh and fun melodies to very much get you on your bike.

Mark Ronson & The Business Intl join the party with the classic: The Bike Song. Attention! Beware of becoming addicted to the video, melody and lyrics of this upbeat song.

We finish on a fun, pop note: Bicycle by BC Unidos. The Swedish duo’s debut will get you on your feet – or more likely on your bicycle – with its upbeat grooves.

The post Travel playlists: 15 bicycle songs to hum while riding appeared first on 203Challenges.

#1 While you were sleeping

There is always that one friend who falls asleep while traveling. Just wait for that moment, then create a fun (and absurd, but still believable) story with the friends who are still awake. When Captain Sleepyhead wakes up, start telling your ridiculous story and take turns adding details. Don’t tell the disoriented dozer the truth until you get to your destination.

#2 Fortunately/ Unfortunately

Among your friends there will always be those who see the glass half full and others who see it half empty. This game is the ultimate fight between optimists and pessimists. The rules are simple: one person starts by saying “Fortunately” and stating something fortunate, the next person continues the story by saying “Unfortunately” and adding something unfortunate. If you fail to come up with anything you get a strike. When you reach three strikes, you are out of the game. The last one standing wins, and it’s up to you to choose their prize.

#3 Sorry I was late

This is a lot like the good old ‘Guess the movie’ game. One person says “Sorry I was late”, and their excuse is actually the description of a movie. All the other passengers have to guess which movie it is: “Sorry I was late, I had to find and kill a crazy clown who was terrorizing my city.”

We all have that one friend who always falls asleep in the car. Who is yours? – Tamara Menzi/ Unsplash

#4 Fictional families

Take a good look at a car driving alongside yours. Then, along with your friends, create a back story about all the people who were in the car, how they bought the car, where are they going and why. Sometimes your imagination can create a story good enough to make a movie about.

#5 Blanks in a story

Before embarking on your journey, write or find a story, then replace some of the words with a blank line and print it. Ask other people to give you a random word to fill in the blanks, and tell them whether it needs to be a noun, a verb, a name or an adverb. Like in the previous game, this is a great way to get some unique stories that you’ll want to share later.

>>> Read more fun travel ideas for trips with friends

#6 Guess the accent

For this one you’ll have to team up with a travel partner. A person from the other team challenges you to imitate an accent and gives you a sentence to say in that accent. Your teammate has to guess what accent you’re speaking with.

#7 Name that tune

This is another guessing game that never fails to add some fun to the drive. This time you have to guess the name of the song a friend is humming. You can choose a certain genre or a specific artist. Take some ideas from the playlist below.

Big Sur, California, one of the most scenic roads in the world, and a perfect place for roadtripping – adrian/Unsplash

#8 20 questions

This is a game for the impatient people among us. One person thinks of a certain thing – it can be literally anything – then the others can ask up to 20 ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions to guess what that person is thinking of. If you want to make the game harder, you can reduce the number of questions.

Read more: 21 inspiring and funny quotes on road trips with friends

#9 Rhyming game

With this game, you can discover your hidden talent as a poet or rapper. The rules couldn’t be simpler: one person starts with a phrase, and the next player has to say something that rhymes with it. If you want to make the game harder for your friends, don’t say words that end with ‘-ation’. Try ‘husband’ or ‘orange’ instead.

#10 Karaoke

Remember That ’70s Show and how the characters were jamming to the music in the car and having the time of their lives? That theme song – which hits the perfect note between inspiring and nostalgic – is the first in our playlist, followed by another 19 songs. The playlist ranges from rock to R’n’B, and includes past hits and present-day sensations that most people know and can sing along to.

>>> Discover more travel playlists!

Pin the post and let the fun on the road begin:

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