I’ll be honest, when I took a job at Cycling Weekly, I didn’t expect to be writing articles about Timothée Chalamet. And yet, such is the universal appeal of the bicycle, that here we are.
This week, the actor made headlines when he turned up to the premiere of his new film, Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown, on a Lime bike. He pedalled it through security, onto the red carpet, and hoofed out the kickstand in front of the photographers, parking up and carrying on with his evening.
The scene was surprising to many. But perhaps it shouldn’t have been.
Dockless e-bike schemes have boomed in popularity over the last few years. Lime bikes are responsible for millions of rides each year, with a fleet of over 30,000 in the English capital today – one of which has been graced by Chalamet’s derrière.
Any Londoner will tell you that cycling is the quickest way to get around the city, particularly during peak traffic times on the South Bank. Chalamet’s choice was the logical one, even if it did land him in hot water.
“There was a traffic jam, and I actually wasn’t allowed to park there, and I got a £65 fine,” he told French TV show Quotidien. “And actually it’s horrible because it was an advert for them.”
The plot thickened when journalists pointed out that Lime’s fine structure goes from £2 to £20, with mishaps often forgiven for first-time offenders.
I wonder what Dylan made of the whole debacle. The musician, played by Chalamet in his new film, was famously freewheelin’, so I imagine he was outraged at any price the actor had to pay.
The exact amount, of course, is still in doubt. “The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind,” Dylan might say. In reality, it’s probably somewhere between £2 and £65.
Elsewhere on social media this week, Peter Sagan gets kitted up for Strictly Come Dancing, Alison Jackson impersonates Noel Gallagher, and Wout van Aert cycles on water.
1. Ladies and gentlemen, the not-so-freewheelin' Timothée Chalamet
timothèe chalamet just arrived on a lime bike 😭 pic.twitter.com/oJJZ5ktFFAJanuary 14, 2025
2. The times they are a-changin' for Peter Sagan, who has swapped the WorldTour for the dance floor
3. Don't think twice it's alright, Jay Vine, the fielder's got this one
🤯 When you’re mid-interview at the @BBL but @ARoss49 has other ideas! #BBL14 We’re happy to report that @JayVine3 is safe and well for the @tourdownunder, thanks to the fielding of Lachlan Shaw! 🤩Great game guys! @StrikersBBL @SixersBBL #WeAreUAE pic.twitter.com/LddiMSOSqOJanuary 15, 2025
4. Ok, Dylan puns over now. Here's Wout van Aert performing the biblical miracle of cycling on water
5. Lachlan Morton soiled himself three times on his 30-day ride around Australia, just in case you were wondering
6. Since retiring from racing, Christine Majerus has got new goals of Titanic proportions
7. Sometimes you need to have a little sit down before a big flight of stairs
8. It turns out the Tour Down Under is just one big koala-spotting trip
9. Which one are you?
10. James Shaw is way too smiley to be Liam Gallagher
11. Baywatch? More like Borawatch, am I right?
12. And finally, it's always nice to see riders enjoying print journalism. Matteo Jorgenson and Jonas Vingegaard must have already flicked through their copy of Cycling Weekly, though
