iRIDE has been going for a while at macrobert, and we have some good movies heading towards Stirling in the next months. The first one will be at macrobert’s filmhouse this Wednesday 19 October at 7.30pm. If you are a keen mountain biker like me, or even a freerider (I am not there yet), you might know the ongoing argument about who owns the forest. Pedal Driven is a bikumentary that digs deeper into the issue, following freeriders in Washington always on the lookout for rangers threatening their trails. The film will give a good insight into both sides and their arguments and take you behind this confrontation, trying to offer a solution how opposing fractions can find common ground in the defence of the beauty of hills and forests. Knowing from experience how difficult that or any consensus can be when it comes to mountain biking, I am interested in the answers the film might have, as the trailer ends with a pretty bold statement: more than a movie, a movement. I am keen to find out myself, and the take the mountain bike out for a ride!

[vimeo http://vimeo.com/15471635]

Looking forward to November macrobert has another interesting documentary on the big screen with Robert Penn’s Ride of my Life: The Story of the Bicycle. Based on his book, which has been described as ‘an eloquent celebration of two-wheeled craftsmanship not just for the cycle nut’ (The Telegraph) Robert has made this gem of a documentary which follows him around the world as he assembles the perfect bike. You can read more about it here, and I will give it more detailed attention on this blog once I am finished with the book, though all reviews sound very promising so far. So either if you have missed the film on television and/or want to enjoy it on the big screen again, please come around to macrobert on Wednesday 23 November at 7.30pm.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qo2EodFXJPg]

And looking forward to December, there will be something for roadies and muddy mountain bikers together to enjoy. Race across the Sky is a great insight into the Leadville Trail 100, a race that started 25 years ago as a running race to drive tourism in Leadville, and has now grown to a lottery cap of 1000+ competitors, many of them the world’s most elite cyclists. As with all epic races (I have ridden two of them myself with Karapoti Classic and the Rainbow Rage in NZ) it is a race not only against the clock, but also against yourself and the elements, and all those factors you cannot think of. Most of all it will surely be an experience to watch the clock set for 12 gruelling hours slugging through 100 miles, over 14,000 vertical feet of climbing, some two miles above sea level, through extreme climate changes ranging from heat to hail, from rain to snow. If you ever wanted to see the mighty Lance fixing a puncture, this is your chance! Coming to macrobert in the mid of December! To find out more check www.macrobert.org/iride or subscribe to the iRIDE newsletter here.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUol4meP9H4]