Pedal-Driven: A Bikeumentary

Jamie Howell's extreme-sports advocacy documentary focuses on organized, responsible mountain biking, as exemplified by the International Mountain Bike Alliance. In the Pacific Northwest region, mountain bike enthusiasts came up against the Sierra Club and Forest Service rangers, who were unhappy with DIY trailblazers carving their own elaborate thrill-ride bike paths and erecting illegal bridgeworks through the wilderness. After decades-long committee hearings and arguments over athletes' rights, "public lands," and "stewardship," the mountain bikers mobilized and presented the case that their all-consuming hobby was "sustainable," aesthetically pleasant, and good for the community. Cameras travel to Leavenworth, WA, a town famed for its Bavarian festivals (now learning to embrace mountain bikers), as well as to the concrete canyons of Seattle, where acrobatic bike tracks running underneath highway overpasses bring out law-abiding crowds of recreational two-wheelers whose presence also deters crime in urban areas. Point-of-view shots of mountain bikes careening along rollercoaster paths will appeal to bike buffs, while the pulsing soundtrack boasts a lineup of alternative pop bands. DVD extras include a featurette on advocacy, and a highlights reel. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (C. Cassady)