the film was released before costner became a hollywood superstar. it had a limited release on 16 august 1985 and grossed $1.4 million in the us. , "american flyers" had a 65% rating on rotten tomatoes based on 20 reviews, with an average score of 5.62/10. the site consensus reads: ""american flyers" shifts between family drama and cycling action gears with enough strength to make this inspirational sports picture more than pedestrian".