You came here to go beyond the classics.
The best songs about bicycles have a two-wheeler – if not as a main character – as part of the story. From the late 70s to the second decade of the 2000s, there’s rock, pop, hip-hop, and electronica to match your taste.
Whatever the mood, indie folk in the city, or chill-hop in the mountains, cycling music will get you in the zone.
Welcome to this collection of 19 bicycle songs worth adding to every cycling lover’s playlist.
#1. “Bicycle Song” by Red Hot Chili Peppers
Though cycling and the RHCP may not seem the likeliest pairing, The Red Hot Chili Peppers showed us all their bike-loving credentials decades ago with the “Bicycle Song”. With Flea’s signature basslines and Kiedis’ lyrics, it’s a groovy tune for cruising on two wheels.
- Release year: 2002
- Song genre: Alternative/Indie, Rock
- Biking mood: Carefree cruising after work
#2. “The Bike Song” by Mark Ronson & The Business Intl.
“Running ’round town with the pedal to the metal, and the pedal to whatever” sounds like a plan to us.
Another not-so-imaginative title, Mark Ronson & The Business Intl.’s “The Bike Song” is an ode to the freedom and joyous of cycling. Gonna “ride your bike until you get somewhere?” Put this track in your queue.
- Release year: 2010
- Song genre: Synth-Pop / Alternative Hip Hop
- Biking mood: Versatile instant mood-lifter
#3. “Riding Bikes” by Shellac
Friendship and bikes – that’s what “Riding Bikes” is all about for Steve Albini, Bob Weston, and Tom Trainer of Shellac.
It goes beyond the riding per se, but the adventure and rhythm that comes with it. You’re in front of one of the most energetic songs about bicycle riding out there.
- Release year: 2014
- Song genre: Post-Hardcore, Noise Rock, Math Rock
- Biking mood: Adrenaline-pumping pedaling
#4. “Bicycle Race” by Queen
I want to ride my bike where I like, you want to ride your bike where you like – and so do Queen.
“Bicycle Race” is a classic bicycle riding song that has stood the test of time. And who can resist that catchy chorus, and Freddie Mercury just being Freddie Mercury? Nobody.
And of course, Queen need a second honorable mention for “Fat Bottomed Girls” – though not really a song about cycling, Freddie Mercury’s scream of “Get on your bikes and ride!” to announce the searing guitar solo will echo through eternity.
- Release year: 1978
- Song genre: Pop Rock, Glam Rock
- Biking mood: Urban streets and cityscape views
#5. “Tour de France” by Kraftwerk
Electronica pioneers Kraftwerk paid homage to the world-renowned bicycle race with this iconic 1983 track. The hypnotic synth beats create a sense of forward momentum. What you listen to is a self-referential masterpiece celebrating the art of cycling.
- Release year: 1983
- Song genre: Dance/Electronic, Pop, Techno
- Biking mood: Competitive spirit and sportsmanship
#6. “Broken Bicycles” by Tom Waits
Wistful nostalgia is encapsulated in a ballad showcasing Waits’ poetic storytelling and sensibility. “Summer is gone but our love will remain, like old broken bicycles out in the rain.”
This is one of those poignant songs with bicycle in the lyrics that turn the atmosphere melancholic.
- Release year: 1982
- Song genre: Alternative/Indie, Seasonal, Country
- Biking mood: Embracing impermanence and change
#7. “Biking” by Frank Ocean ft. Jay Z & Tyler, The Creator
“Bikin’, I’m bikin’, I’m bikin’ slow-mo.”
- Release year: 2017
- Song genre: Alternative Hip Hop, R&B, Pop
- Biking mood: Effortless and smooth BMXing
#8. “The Pushbike Song” by The Mixtures
“Round wheels going round, and down up pedals going down up down.”
Harkening back to the ’70s, “The Pushbike Song” embodies the carefree spirit of those years in a playful way. It’s an upbeat song about bicycle riding with an infectious melody that’ll get stuck in your head.
- Release year: 1970
- Song genre: Bubblegum Pop
- Biking mood: Happy-go-lucky cycling in summer
#9. “Bicycle” by Filous
The rhetorical question Filous asks in this track – “Do I look too cool on my bicycle?” – I’m guilty of having thought the same a couple of times. Chill indie pop and electronic hybrid to listen to over and over again. “Bicycle” is a personal favorite among biking songs.
- Release year: 2018
- Song genre: Indie Pop, Electronic
- Biking mood: Commuter mode or city exploration
#10. “Bike” by Pink Floyd
Playing “Bike” is like a ticket to a psychedelic journey through a world of whimsy and imagination. This applies to both the lyrics and trippy instrumentation. Pink Floyd invites you – if you like – to a transdimensional bike ride. With a basket and a bell that rings included.
- Release year: 1967
- Song genre: Psychedelic Rock
- Biking mood: Whimsical and trippy bicycling
#11. “My White Bicycle” by Nazareth
Nazareth’s version of “My White Bicycle” is an example of how music portrays the zeitgeist of an era, and it remains a must-listen among bicycle-riding songs for cyclists and melomaniacs. The swirling guitars and vocals on the track are just an otherworldly escape.
- Release year: 1975
- Song genre: Metal, Psychedelic Rock
- Biking mood: Feeling the wind in your hair like a badass
#12. “Nine Million Bicycles” by Katie Melua
Love song and bicycle song at the same time.
There are eight billion people in the world as I write these words, and I bet Beijing alone has more than nine million bicycles now. Still, it doesn’t change the fact that “Nine Million Bicycles” was infused with that universal human experience we call love.
- Release year: 2005
- Song genre: Jazz, Pop, Folk
- Biking mood: Calm, serenity, butterflies
#13. “Bike Rider” by Mungo’s Hi Fi ft. Pupajim
Scottish group Mungo’s Hi Fi nailed it with this Jamaican sound system crossover. The end product? A reggae/dub-inspired cycling song that’ll have you pedaling to the beat in no time.
“Bike for me, bike for you, bike for everyone.” Make “Bike Rider” part of your soundtrack ASAP.
- Release year: 2014
- Song genre: Reggae, Dub
- Biking mood: Rocky terrain conqueror
#14. “Silver Machine” by Hawkwind
Do you want to take a ride in a Silver Machine?
Because I’m down for that. If your radar picks up certain Motörhead signals, you’re right. The legend, Lemmy Kilmister, was a Hawkwind member – and he’s singing on this one. Another high-octane piece to the list of songs about bike riding.
- Release year: 1972
- Song genre: Space Rock, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal
- Biking mood: Powerful and unstoppable
#15. “Happy Cycling” by Boards of Canada
This is a mysterious bike riding song recorded during an ambient jam session.
Some believe Happy Cycling is a reference to Bicycle Day, the April 19 anniversary of Dr. Albert Hoffman’s first self-induced LSD trip. The Swiss chemist took the drug before cycling home from his lab.
- Release year: 1998
- Song genre: Alternative, Electronic
- Biking mood: Neon city adventure at night
#16. “It’s A Beautiful Day” by The Beach Boys
“Wheels moving all kinds of ways, and people everywhere having fun, fun, fun.”
“It’s A Beautiful Day” is a time machine to the hippy summers of California and a celebration of the simple joys in life. Cycling fans of feel-good tunes and songs about bikes, this one’s for you.
- Release year: 1979
- Song genre: Pop
- Biking mood: Taking a break and being present
#17. “Apology Song” by The Decemberists
We’d all feel pretty guilty if a friend’s bike was stolen on our watch. Which I suppose makes it natural that for a songwriter such as The Decemberists’ Colin Meloy, music is the natural place to turn to beg forgiveness.
Hopefully, this was a good enough apology. Now you know that for bikers the bar is HIGH. What a friendship.
- Release year: 2001
- Song genre: Indie Folk, Indie Rock
- Biking mood: Clear one’s mind and think things through
#18. “Riding on My Bike” by Madness
About as early-’80s-sounding as it’s possible to get. It sounds almost like the long-lost biker brother of the Ghostbusters theme song.
“Riding on My Bike” is a buoyant composition that belongs to the squad of songs for bike riding. Madness’ distinctive blend of ska and pop makes it a one-of-a-kind listening experience.
- Release year: 1982
- Song genre: Pop, Ska
- Biking mood: Getting some fresh air in the park
#19. “Bicycle” by BC Unidos ft. Shungudzo
Who needs a spaceship, car, airplane, or helicopter when a bicycle can get you wherever you want?
The Swedish duo BC Unidos manages to express with Bicycle their love and passion for riding on two wheels. Go straight with this bike ride song if you’re into all things synths.
- Release year: 2017
- Song genre: Indie-Pop Rock, Lo-Fi
- Biking mood: Exploring new routes and paths
