Watch: Relax with some bike build ASMR videos

'Dream Build' is the perfect way to de-stress

Photo by: Youtube/Gee Milner

Canadian Cycling Magazine August 23, 2020

Autonomous sensory meridian response, or ASMR, is normally described as a tingly sensation that runs down the back of your head to your spine, or an extremely relaxing low-grade euphoria sensation. The feeling is normally ‘triggered’ by watching and listening to videos that mostly involve personal attention and specific, high quality sound. Not everyone will get a ‘tingly’ sensation, but many will simply find the videos relaxing, or even just fun to watch.

ASMR videos are extremely popular—millions of people use them to relax and decompress. Some of the first ASMR videos, popularized in the 2010s, involved women quietly speaking or whispering into a microphone. The genre quickly grew to include videos with satisfying sounds, people eating, tapping objects or someone executing a specific task. If you’ve never watched any ASMR videos it’s worth the Youtube deep-dive. They’re as weird as they sound, but somehow simultaneously extremely captivating.

Bike ASMR

“Is there a way this relates to cycling,” You ask? Of course there is, and it’s great. You’d be surprised how calm the sound of tires on the ground or a mechanic ratcheting a bolt will make you feel.

Gee Milner is a UK filmmaker who’s relaxing series ‘Dream Build’ films mechanics building up various bikes. The videos are paired with ambient music and the sound is crisp and satisfying. Milner profiles road and mtb builds—the videos are both zen and educational. Here are a few of his ASMR inducing Dream Build videos.