During a trip to library, noticed this DVD hanging out in the rack next to all the Tour de France DVDs, so grabbed it for a look see. Appeared to be pretty dated, but hey - Ned Overend - so worth a spin. Gave it a whirl tonight with 11 year old son Ian as the copilot.
Yeah a bit dated, circa 1996, so hardtails and Bar Ends-O-Plenty. That's okay though, since XC riding techniques haven't changed that much, even with full-suspension now the norm. And with the rise in popularity of 29er hardtails, all of the techniques and tips shown still apply. Plus, did I mention Ned Overend? The man is a legend and even today at 55 years old, still can place in the pro class.
The video covers climbing, descending, cornering, switchbacks, bunny hopping, jumping and other useful skills and drills. It's really a supplement to Ned's book from that era: Mountain Bike Like a Champion, which I recommend. The DVD and book are XC riding and racing focused, but those skills are the building blocks for any off-road action. If you're a beginning mountain biker, you'll pick up plenty from both resources. If you already have many dirt miles under your belt, still hard not to pick up something from watching. There's always something to learn when it comes to riding mountain bikes.
For me, the coolest part of the whole show was the guest instructors Ned brings in to display some tricks. If you're the old school NORBA XC racing fan, you'll dig watching John Tomac, Greg Herbold, Daryl Price and Julie Furtado in action. All icons from the heyday of XC racing during the '90s.
The Bonus Chapters: Trailside Repairs and Suspension Set-Up were added to the original DVD a few years later, since Ned is now post-famous-moustache and the bikes magically appear with disk brakes and full suspension. That's okay though, since Ned does a decent job of describing some suspension basics.
Overall, dated or not, still a fun watch for me due to the famous names involved. Son Ian mentioned he learned a few things, so we give it two thumbs up.