#bikeschool: Ride the Divide Movie Review
My cycling librarian friend, Krissy is here today to talk about a cycling movie called Ride the Divide. This is the first one she’s reviewing for us and Krissy will be back again in the future to let us know her opinion on other cycling movies as well. Krissy is a Library Director who has a strong passion for cycling, and is pretty much an all-around super nice person. Check out what she has to say about Ride the Divide.
Oh, and also ENTER TO WIN your own copy of Ride the Divide….See bottom of post.
Ride the Divide Movie Review
By Krissy Nelson
Ernest Hemingway once said, “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them.” There is nothing like watching a quote come to life the way this one does in the documentary, Ride the Divide. Ride the Divide sheds light on a race that many people know little or nothing about. Considered to be an “underground race,” the Tour Divide begins in Banff, AB, Canada and spans 2,700 miles crossing the Continental Divide of the Rocky Mountains down to Antelope Wells, NM, USA at the Mexican border. It is a completely self-supported race.
Ride the Divide begins with some introductions to the cast of “everyday people” who have signed up to race the epic route and right away I was sucked into the personal stories of each. Mike Dion, a husband and father of two, seems to be on a quest to find himself, Mary Metcalf-Collier is the first woman to attempt to complete the entire race, and Matthew Lee, a five time veteran to the race, has a baby on the way. The three along with many others are tested with over 200,000 feet of total climbing, the harsh elements of snow and insane terrain, physical injuries, grizzly bears, and the true meaning of being alone.
In all honesty, I first wanted to see this film because I am a cyclist and my interest in the sport always compels me to want to see movies and documentaries about something I am passionate about. That being said, within the first half hour of the film, I didn’t care much about the riding aspect anymore; I was lost in the stories and courage of each of these riders, and I think that is exactly what the makers of Ride the Divide wanted to depict. The scenery is beautiful, and the small towns that the route passes through are full of their own characters too, but it was the experience of each of the individuals that pulled me into the documentary.
Ride the Divide is a film that has something for everyone. It will pull at your heart strings, make you laugh, inspire you, and keep you on the edge of your seat as you get a roadside view of what it takes to be part of the most challenging race anyone could ever put themselves through. This is a film that you will want to watch again and again…..and you’ll want to tell everyone you know to see it too!
I give this cycling movie 4.5 wheels:
*Special thanks need to go out to Mike Dion, Executive Producer of Ride the Divide as well as participant in the Tour Divide. Mike was kind enough to send me the movie to watch and several other Ride the Divide goodies. Thank you for creating this film and for being an inspiration to me. Looking forward to seeing more from you in the future…
Ride the Divide Movie Website: http://www.ridethedividemovie.com
Twitter: @RidetheDivide
For more information on the Tour Divide: http://tourdivide.org
Enter to WIN:
The good folks at Ride the Divide are giving away 3 copies of their DVD to our readers. Please leave a comment telling us why you should be the one who gets a copy. Entries accepted until Thursday at Noon EST.
The Contest is now Closed. Congratulations to JDKIMPLE, STACYBEARD, and REDDDESIGN who each receive a copy of the Ride the Divide DVD. Enjoy.
