A YouTube competition has gone online seeking short videos that will inspire people to get out on their bikes.

Shimano sponsors YouTube viral comp

Shimano is giving away groupsets and other bike kit to the competition winners, including an all-black Alfine groupset.

The contest intro video features examples of how mainstream advertisers promote the fun side of cycling. There’s a Gap TV commercial featuring Scarlett Johansson, a beer ad from the New Belgium brewing company and a snippet from ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’ from 1969.

In other news...

Danish software company Bikedesk expands to UK, aims to streamline bike store experience

Off the back of unprecedented success in Denmark, Bikedesk has announced it is expanding into …