In honor of cycling phreak Danny MacAskill's newest viral display of two-wheeled insanity, Cycle hunted down the Internet's most jaw-dropping clips.
These aren't just videos of exotic locations and nice riding. These are serious exhibitions of bike skills that only a select few fearless nut jobs would even think of attempting -- in exotic locations.
So turn up the air conditioning, grab your sugar and caffeine-laced energy beverage of choice, strap in, and click play.
MacAskill, generally regarded as the top street trials cyclist on the planet, already has two of the best videos out there. His latest clip includes among other stunts him riding across a slack steel cable and hopping along exposed roof beams. Rusty ones.
2. Kranked Revolve, Whistler
Four grunge punks doing aerial ballet amongst the pines and wood plank ramps of Whistler Bike Park in British Columbia, quite possibly the greatest mountain bike area in the world. Sounds ridiculous, and looks even more so.
3. Favela Downhill Racing in Chile
Because downhill riders needed a tougher challenge, they went out and discovered the chimney sized paths of South American favelas, urban slums built on mountain sides. We're not sure which is more difficult: not clipping those stair handrails, avoiding the occasional wild dog, or making the run in a pin stripe suit.
4. Follow Me Freeride in New Zealand
These guys are playing the ultimate cycling version of Follow the Leader, bounding down tracks in the New Zealand countryside. Their effortless sailing over gulleys and chasms makes one think they have Gandalf using his wizardry to keep them rubber side down.
5. Chris Akrigg, A Hill in Spain
This vid is equal parts MacAskill, Chilean Favela downhilling and Follow Me. Akrigg seems to hit every kind of terrain as he makes is way from a mountain summit at sunrise to the Spanish coast at sunset.
A Hill in Spain from chris akrigg on Vimeo.
6, 2010 Red Bull RampageThis is what you get when you pit the world's best freeride specialists against the wild slopes of Utah's Zion Mountains. Is the landscape's red hue coming from the naturally occurring dirt pigment or "the agony of defeat"?
7. Pond Jumping
Cycle pays the summer heat ultimate respect with this group of pedaling kamikazes splashing down in some local swimming hole.
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