Background
He was born in Boston, Massachusetts.
He was born in Boston, Massachusetts.
Lucas Brunelle was raised on Martha"s Vineyard in Massachusetts where he attended Martha"s Vineyard Regional High School. From 1990 he attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst where he continued to race. He graduated in 1996 summa cum laude with a Bachelor in finance.
He began his bicycle career riding BMX bikes at 15 years old. In 1990 he upgraded to category two. In 1990 he was invited to the Olympic Training Center to train under Chris Carmichael where he narrowly avoided being thrown out after a fight with another cyclist.
During his short and notorious racing career as an adult he raced for Mass Bay Road Club, UMASS Amherst, and Cannondale Jiffy Lube.
He placed well and led his teammates to victory sometimes by riding on sidewalks, over grass, and through riders blocking. After participating in pro-am road races for several years, Brunelle was unsatisfied with the pace and intensity of legal bicycle racing.
Lucas has participated in alleycat races. Brunelle has received renown as a videographer for alleycat races.
His videos have been featured in the Bicycle Film Festival, the International Cycling Film Festival and are made available online.
Many bicycle forums regularly link to his newest films. As an advocate for bicycle culture, Brunelle has participated in several Critical Mass events in the Boston area. Some of the stunts he has been involved in include a bicycle drawn carriage for a wedding and parading a live band through the streets of downtown on a 1000 lb bicycle supported stage.
Brunelle is known for his daredevil riding style, which has led to some tension with some other riders and with authorities.
Statements he has made to the press and his disregard for traffic laws have caused backlash from cyclists including some cycling advocacy groups. In November 2014, Brunelle was involved in a traffic accident on Tremont Street near Boston Common.
Disregarding traffic signals he struck a pedestrian causing injury. He was further involved in an altercation with a Taxi driver who attacked Brunelle for hailing him down immediately following the incident with the pedestrian.
Safety
The door zone in Boston is sometimes called the "Lucas Lane" because of Brunelle"s habit of riding in this dangerous area.
Another "Lucas Lane" is the surface of the frozen Charles River, which he sometimes rides using special tires.