The Light Cycle is a type of fictional

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...

featured in the '' Tron'' franchise. First introduced in the film '' Tron'', they are used as part of a deadly virtual game conducted by the villainous

Master Control Program The MCP (Master Control Program) is the operating system of the Burroughs small, medium and large systems, including the Unisys Clearpath/MCP systems. MCP was originally written in 1961 in ESPOL (Executive Systems Problem Oriented Language). In ...

. In it, players must ride around an arena without crashing into each other, the outer walls, or the light trails left behind by the vehicles. Subsequent generations of Light Cycles appeared in later works of media. Following its appearance in ''Tron'', the Light Cycle became a fixture of popular culture. The first Light Cycle sequence was also seen as a pioneering moment in

computer graphics Computer graphics deals with generating images with the aid of computers. Today, computer graphics is a core technology in digital photography, film, video games, cell phone and computer displays, and many specialized applications. A great de ...

that inspired later works.

Characteristics

Light Cycles are virtual and futuristic motorcycles that materialize from thin air, starting with the handlebars. They are neon-colored and move at extreme levels of speed. They are only able to turn at right angles, creating blocky trails of color. The arena in which they are used features a white grid on black ground, marking the distance the Light Cycles travel.

Development

Light Cycles were designed by artist

Syd Mead Sydney Jay Mead (July 18, 1933 – December 30, 2019) was an American industrial designer and neo-futurist concept artist, widely known for his designs for science-fiction films such as ''Blade Runner'', '' Aliens'' and ''Tron''. Mead has bee ...

. They were initially rendered digitally. The Light Cycle sequence in ''Tron'' was developed by

MAGi Magi (; singular magus ; from Latin ''magus'', cf. fa, مغ ) were priests in Zoroastrianism and the earlier religions of the western Iranians. The earliest known use of the word ''magi'' is in the trilingual inscription written by Darius th ...

Westchester County, New York Westchester County is located in the U.S. state of New York. It is the seventh most populous county in the State of New York and the most populous north of New York City. According to the 2020 United States Census, the county had a population o ...

. It takes place over a length of about three minutes, which is interspersed with one minute of live-action footage. For '' Tron: Legacy'', the Light Cycle was redesigned by

Daniel Simon Daniel Simon (born 1975) is a German concept designer and automotive futurist. He is best known for his vehicle designs in movies like '' Tron: Legacy'' and '' Oblivion'', and his book ''Cosmic Motors''. Early life Simon grew up in Stralsund, G ...

. Five prop Light Cycles were built in real life, with four of them being destroyed post-production. The final one was purchased by Xiao Yu, a collector based in

Nanjing, China Nanjing (; , Mandarin pronunciation: ), alternately romanized as Nanking, is the capital of Jiangsu province of the People's Republic of China. It is a sub-provincial city, a megacity, and the second largest city in the East China region. T ...

; however, he was told by the authorities that it was not street-legal.

Reception

Light Cycles became well-known in popular culture as one of the first mainstream cinematic appearances of a sports bike, and have been called symbols of

futurism Futurism ( it, Futurismo, link=no) was an artistic and social movement that originated in Italy, and to a lesser extent in other countries, in the early 20th century. It emphasized dynamism, speed, technology, youth, violence, and objects such ...

and

posthumanism Posthumanism or post-humanism (meaning "after humanism" or "beyond humanism") is an idea in continental philosophy and critical theory responding to the presence of anthropocentrism in 21st century thought. It encompasses a wide variety of bran ...

. In an analysis, author Esperanza Miyake interpreted the Light Cycles of the original ''Tron'' as representations of male power - only men get the chance to ride them, while the sole female character, Lora, does not. Their speed showed male dominance and control over technology, representing the means to "escape".

Legacy

The Light Cycle sequence inspired John Lasseter, who was then working at

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

, to enter computer animation; he went on to direct '' Toy Story'', crediting its creation to ''Tron''. The Light Cycle design served as the basis for a roller coaster called Tron Lightcycle Power Run, which opened in Shanghai Disneyland in 2016 and

Magic Kingdom Magic Kingdom Park, previously known as Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom (1971–1994) and The Magic Kingdom (1994–2017), is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando, Florida. Owned and operated by The W ...

in 2023.

References

{{Tron Fictional motorcycles Tron (franchise) Video game objects Fictional elements introduced in 1982