Movies that made bikers
Like your favorite punk-pop album from high school, you’re probably going to play these over and over
Sub-3 minute edits and riding clips on social media reign supreme, but there was a time when biking videos were all DVD and VHS. Before Instagram gave us highlight reel after highlight reel, watching the latest in mountain biking and freeride movies meant a trip to the local bike shop to buy a physical copy of a full length film. It was the best thing we had to shake off the winter blues. And there are lots of classic videos like New World Disorder, Kranked, North Shore Xtreme, past Red Bull Rampage events, but those aren’t what I want to talk about.
Specifically, I want to talk about The Collective. The Collective is, in their own words, “a group of filmmakers, photographers, and mountain bikers brought together to explore the possibilities of riding bikes, shooting film, and taking pictures”.
The Collective is Jamie Houssian, Darren McCullough, Colin Jones, Darcy Wittenburg, Jonathan Schramm, Sterling Lorence, Jonny Beer, and Spun Studios. Those who have been riding for a while may recognize the name Sterling Lorence, an award-winning photographer based in Vancouver, B.C. His work on these films is truly top-notch. The Collective, Roam, and Seasons are award-winning films for good reason.
Growing up in NH in the 90’s meant my only exposure to mountain bikes was single track and XC. The first full suspension bike I was able to buy myself with money from mowing lawns was a 1998 GT LTS-2. I bought it somewhere around ‘07, and it was a great bike for the local networks. New England singletrack was all I knew, that is until my dad came home one day with The Collective.
These films are directly responsible for introducing me to a side of biking that teenage Cam couldn’t even fathom, and one that would begin my path down what would turn into a lifelong obsession.
The film follows professional riders including Darren Berrecloth, Geoff Gulevich, Matt Hunter, Tyler Klassen, Ryan Leech, Jordie Lunn, Tyler Morland, Steve Romaniuk, Andrew Shandro, Wade Simmons, Thomas Vanderham, and Dave Watson. Beautiful landscapes and an awesome sound track provide the backdrop for ~40 minutes of style and tricks. Rewatching this movie in 2024 brings up some bittersweet sentiments over Jordie Lunn’s segment, who we lost in October 2019.
From the opening scenes of surreal desert landscapes, to urban trials riding, road gaps in British Columbia, and Rampage carnage, it's impossible to not feel amped up by the end of this movie.
Get out and go explore, however you want to ride.
Aforementioned 1998 GT LTS-2 on a trip to a guided weekend in the woods of southern Maine in 2010. There wasn’t a dropper post or a 1x drivetrain in sight.
