Queen‘s repertoire of hits has been known to push the envelope, with one of their 1978 tracks, “Bicycle Race,” having caused a stir with its controversial music video and its unique inspiration.

By the late ’70s, Queen was one of the world’s leading rock groups, and “Bicycle Race” was another track that captured interest, in more ways than one. Written by Freddie Mercury, the song was released as part of their Jazz album, and as the double A-side single alongside “Fat Bottomed Girls.” The reason for the song pairing will make sense once knowing what inspired Mercury to write “Bicycle Race.”

The track did moderately well on the charts, landing at No. 24 on Billboard the following year, and did better across European countries when released. Mercury didn’t create “Bicycle Race” out of thin air and instead got inspired while watching the Tour de France.

According to RideCyclonix, Queen were in Montreux, Switzerland, recording the album at the same time as the 1978 Tour de France. Mercury was soon struck with inspiration when one leg of the race zoomed past their window. Striking pen to paper, the rock icon soon developed a playful track full of social commentary, with references to religion, the Vietnam War, Watergate, drugs, and even movie franchises like Jaws and Star Wars.

“As I remember … he actually wasn’t very keen on riding his bicycle (if he even had one!) — he preferred being driven in a Rolls Royce! But he created a character in the song, and this character can say what he wants, and he can ride his bicycle where he likes!” said Brian May, according to HuffPost.

While the song made references to not liking the George Lucas franchise, May said Mercury “liked Star Wars a lot.” The track would soon gain infamy not only for its fun sound, but also for its controversial music video.

The video cemented “Bicycle Race” in pop culture history and as a hit anthem among fans. Directed by Denis de Vallance, Queen and their production team filmed a real bicycle race inside Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium in London. The catch? The cyclists were 65 nude women.

Queen knew they were pushing the boundaries, and they were right. While the original video used special effects to hide levels of nudity, it still led to it being banned or heavily censored in multiple countries. TV stations refused to air the video until the women were clothed and got an age-restriction rating. The rental company that also supplied the bicycles for the music video also learned how they were going to be used, and requested that Queen and the poroduction comapny buy all the seats.

“Bicycle Race” was described by critics as “a jaunty theatrical tribute to bike riding.” Fans even sold out bicycle bells to use while the band played the track during their concerts, with the track having been included in one of their Greatest Hits albums.

Related: 1970 Soft Rock Hit, With Over 200 Covers, Remains a Classic Ballad 56 Years Later

This story was originally published by Parade on Jul 22, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.