Kraftwerk Cycling Treats

I've been meaning to post this for a while, but here's a little collection of Kraftwerk/Cycling treats.

After eulogising about motorways (Autobahn) and train travel (Trans Europe Express), Dusseldorf electronic music pioneers Kraftwerk turned their attentions in 1983 to arguably their first love - cycling - with the single Tour de France.

Here's a clip from the fantastic alternative video for the single, featuring the band on bikes. If you like watching humourless Germans cycling in black lycra, then this is for you:



Apparently they have been keen on cycling for years - an interest that has bordered on obsession and contributed to delayed album releases and musicians leaving the band. Remaining founder member Ralf Hütter, has pointed out the parallels between their interests in cycling and music: “Speed, balance, a certain freedom of spirit, keeping in shape, technological and technical perfection, aerodynamics.”

There was a terrific interview with Hütter in the Guardian by John Harris a few weeks ago, pegged to the band's appearance at the Manchester International, fittingly in the city's velodrome.

In the further reaches of the web, I also found fantastic Kraftwerk Tour de France cycle jerseys for sale, plus this terrible BBC Radio London interview, which appears to be conducted by a fan of Alan Partridge.

I've even put some Kraftwerk tracks on the music player (bottom right), alongside other cycling favourites...