A Cycling Film Festival Origin Story
A First-of-Its-Kind Cycling Film Festival in the Adirondacks
Cycling Community Storytelling
At Unify Cycling, we believe bikes are more than recreation. They are tools for connection, health, creativity, and community.
They’re about people.
They’re about place.
They’re about stories.
That belief is the foundation of A Cycling Film Festival--a brand new event celebrating cycling culture through short films.
Stories Move Communities
The Adirondacks are known for mountain biking, road riding, gravel adventures, and world-class outdoor recreation. Yet until now, our region has never had an event dedicated to the art and storytelling side of cycling.
We are screening 5 incredible films capturing cycling from every angle: gritty, beautiful, artistic, competitive, playful, and deeply human. They remind us that whether you ride pavement, gravel, or singletrack, we’re all part of the same culture.
The curated film list represents every corner of the emotions, landscapes, and people that make cycling more than a sport. They symbolize why we ride.
Cycling, Mental Health, and Physical Wellbeing
The science is clear: cycling changes lives.
Riding a bike improves:
Physical fitness
Mental health
Confidence and purpose
Sense of belonging
Overall quality of life
Growing the sport of cycling means helping more people experience those benefits–and not just about more riders or more races. It’s about all riders finding an entry point to lifelong health, connection, and growth.
A film festival might not look like a traditional bike event, but culture is a powerful entry point. For someone who has never lined up at a start line, a film can be the spark that says, “I want to be part of that.”
Supporting Public Lands and Outdoor Spaces
We’re fortunate to call the Adirondacks home — a landscape defined by mountains, forests, small towns, and an incredible network of public lands. These spaces shape who we are as riders and as a region. These places are essential to cycling, outdoor access, and to the health of our communities.
Protecting and celebrating outdoor places is central to everything we do. Healthy outdoor spaces create healthy communities.
This festival isn’t just about films. It’s about highlighting the connection between cycling and the environments that make it possible. Trails, roads, and open spaces don’t exist on their own — they exist because people care for them.
When we gather to watch cycling stories, we’re also gathering to support the idea that public lands, responsible access, and stewardship matter.
Why Cycling Stories Matter
Cycling is built on stories.
Every cyclist from CAT 1 to freerider to weekend warrior has one.
Film has the power to bring those experiences to life in a way nothing else can. A great cycling film can inspire someone to ride for the first time, to explore a new trail, or to see their local community in a new light.
We’re creating a space where those stories can be shared, celebrated, and passed on.
More Than a Film Festival
This festival sits at the intersection of everything we care about. It’s a celebration of cycling as culture, not just competition. A chance for riders, non-riders, filmmakers, advocates, and neighbors to come together around a shared love for movement and place.
Most of all, it’s an invitation.
An invitation to dream bigger about what cycling can mean in the area.
An invitation to support public lands and local communities.
Whether you’re a lifelong cyclist or simply someone who loves the outdoors, this event is for you.
Because at the end of the day, this festival is about a simple arc:
Us. Together. By Bike.