Product Review

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Mountain Bike DVDs

Virtuous

Virtuous DVD CoverThis entirely European production by Ionate Films includes some of the finest scenery and locations in all of Mountain Biking. The first-class cinematography offers totally fresh camera angles and perspectives never before seen in a Mountain Bike film. The HD 16:9 Widescreen format, makes it a pleasure to watch the all-Euopean cast flowing downhill thru the Alps of France, Switzerland and Italy and along the Ligurian Coast which is reminiscent of Tahoe's Flume Trail with a Mediterranean flair. The soundtrack is energized. Check out the downhill night scenes for something totally new. The film has debuted in various formats across the globe, but is currently available on DVD in PAL-only format. The DVD can be purchased online at X-Treme Video (www.x-tremevideo.com). Although most North American DVD-players won't playback a PAL-DVD, you can run it on a PC or a Mac using any DVD-player-software such as VLC for free, (www.videolan.org). Get more info at www.ionatefilms.com. Rumor has it they are working on their next film for release in 2010.

 

KlunkerzKlunkerz DVD

This historical documentary of Mountain Biking traces the roots from a group of hippies in the 70's experimenting in the mountains of Marin County, CA (NorCal) (Mount Tamalpais) to the rise of the big name Mountain Bike companies that exist today. It's an interesting story that anyone passionate about Mountain Biking will enjoy. The story also acknowledges a few other key contributors to the development of the Mountain Bike, including a group of riders from the far reaches of California's coastal mountains as well as the club in Crested Butte, Colorado around the same time. Get more info at www.klunkerz.com.

 

Seasons by The Collective

Seasons DVDA great video!  For those familiar with The Collective’s previous releases, including ROAM, you will be challenged to change your thinking a bit.  While this is not a travel the world-style adventure, the cinematography and action are every bit as appealing in this latest narrative.  The lives of seven top riders are chronicled throughout the year as they train, compete and just ride for fun.  The story explores the individual personalities of each rider through his own style and training venue.  The scenery is great.  My only complaint is that I wish there were more destinations featured outside of Canada other than Cam McCaul’s hometown of Aptos, CA; but Collective is largely a Canadian group and obviously some great riding hails from there.  They kept the whole story to 60 minutes and it rocks.  The soundtrack is not as good as ROAM, but overall, this video is highly recommended.  It definitely puts you in the mood to ride.  You can obtain the DVD from The Collective website.

 

ROAM

RoamAlso from the Collective, this is THE quintissential mountain biking video. This groundbreaking narrative is an odyssey that follows a handful of top riders to trails in all parts of the globe from the North Shore to Moab to Morroco to the Czech Republic. Although the style is similar to the surfing adventure films of the late-60s, everything about ROAM is new and fresh, from the music to the cinematography. Most of the segments seem to exist for the fun and thrill of riding. Many of the unique camera angles include perspectives from the rider, the trail, and the casual observer off in the woods and even up above in the trees, as the cameraman glides across cables above and behind riders thru narrow singletrack corridors. The soundtrack is equally fresh as each track seems to fit the location and mood. This DVD is available from The Collective website, REI and probably your local bikeshop.