So much average

Sadly Over-hyped

For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

Ride the Divide (2010), directed by Hunter Weeks, was an enjoyable documentary about the Tour Divide - a self-supported bike race.In Reveal the Path (2012) Mike Dion takes over as director and the result is a nauseating, self-absorbed waste of time, space, white privilege and everything else. The Path, it turned out, led only to an agonizing movie.With Inspired to Ride (2015) Dion tries to repeat Weeks's formula but this time we're following the Trans Am bicycle race. The movie has some colorful characters even if they are a bit talky at times. This film suffers however from a lack of any suspense or drama (Mike Hall wins the race by nearly a full day which I guess is a bit of a SPOILER though it's not as though you didn't see it coming after about 5 minutes into the film). Audio is challenging at times as well. It isn't just the Italians who needed subtitles.I wanted to like this movie more. The scenery is great, for example but the condescension toward the locals really turned me off.Which brings us to Juliana Buhring who is, to put it mildly, obnoxious. I'd rather tandem tour with Hannibal Lecter dressed in "Kentucky fashion" than have to watch her. They must have been really starved for scenes to fill time. Seriously though, Juliana - get some therapy.So Dion shoots a lot of film and then tries to put a movie together in the editing room. It sort of works. Ride the Divide (Weeks) was about a bike race too but its characters felt connected, coherent and part of something larger. Inspired to Ride felt more like watching a handful of individuals working out their personal issues in front of a camera.Maybe not all of that is Dion's fault but one wonders if every long distance race can be made into a film. Week's formula felt forced onto this movie. After Reveal the Path and Inspired to Ride, Dion might want to keep his day job.

Even if you know nothing about cycling, this movie is worth watching. The filming captures some spectacular scenery along a route which was selected for that exact purpose ( as well as being safe for cyclists and having historical value). Innumerable frames from the movie could be made into salable pieces of art.By virtue of the fact that they're on cycles all day the dialogue is somewhat limited, but not as much as you'd think, and it's thoughtfully edited to include a lot of wry humor and even some suspense. Not guffaw material, but I found myself smiling a lot during the entire show, with out loud snickers in a couple of places. Having ridden the same route (you can purchase maps from Adventure Cycling Association) I can't imagine completing this route in 17 days. Hats off to anyone who completes it, and to a well-made documentary.

Mike Dion does an absolutely great job of inspiring you to want to ride your bike. I loved the movie Ride the Divide and was so excited to hear that he was doing another movie about a road bike race on the TransAm. Great movie, I've now watched it three times and it really does make me want to get out and do more riding. If you haven't seen it, you need to. It is well worth your time. The movie (or documentary) not only shows the joys of bike riding and the amazing scenery of crossing the USA, but it takes the time to introduce you to the characters. These guys (and gals)are impressive! I enjoyed the humor in some of the characters they meet on the way as well. It's not just about racing a bike, but it's about the joy of being out."Why settle for a triple when you could have had a home run." This is a home run! Thank you Mike! I'm ready for the next one :)