Crescendo Cycling Showband (The Bicycle Band)

I've occasionally told people that every possible kind of cycling is popular in the Netherlands. It really doesn't matter whether you're interested in road racing, utility cycling, recumbent bikes, antique bikes. It's all here. Here is another, completely different, type of cycling:



The video shows the Crescendo Cycling Brass Band from the village of Opende, just a few km from here. They formed in 1973, taking over the activities of a former military bicycle band. There's an Assen connection in that the first performance took place here in Assen at the TT race (Assen has a famous motorcycle racing circuit).

It's really very impressive how they ride in formation while playing their instruments. You'll note that specially adapted bikes are used for many of the musicians so that they can, for instance, drum and steer at the same time. The bikes used have back-pedal / coaster brakes.

The photo on the left shows the Nederlandsch Wielrijders Muziekcorps just prior to the second world war. Click on the photo for some more images.

Many thanks to Mark Wagenbuur for suggesting this video.