Friday Shredits: Return to Earth, Beyond the Tour Divide, CXer to Dirty Reiver

It’s almost the weekend. Get pumped to get out and ride your bike. Warm weather and long days mean summertime riding motivation comes easier this time of year for most of us. But it still doesn’t hurt to let some stunning footage get you amped to get on your bike. Return to Earth blends life on and off the bike. The Tour Divide pushes the strongest riders to their limits. And while most ride the Dirty Reiver for fun, but what would a pro crosser do?

Return to Earth premieres tonight in Vancouver

The world premiers kicks off tonight in Vancouver, BC before starting a march across North America, Europe & more for the rest of the month before it gets a global online release next month. The feature-length mountain bike film is more than just picturesque riding shots (although there are a fair share of those as well). But it’s more a story of living in the moment while on the bike – getting back down to Earth.

Supported by Shimano & Trek, Return to Earth features the riding of Shimano athletes, including: Brett Rheeder, Thomas Vanderham, Matt Hunter, Reed Boggs, Carson Storch, Thomas Genon, Jackson Goldstone & Jakob Jewett. ReturnToEarth.movie

HUNT goes Beyond onto The Tour Divide

Hunt Bike Wheels just launched a new Beyond wheel division a week or so ago, aiming to better target those type of riders & rides that head out “beyond the realms of everyday cycling”. For most riders that might be the odd weekend bikepacking trip, maybe a bike touring vacation, or even just an endurance race like the Dirty Kanza. Well, Hunt Beyond’s brand manager Josh Ibbett takes going beyond a bit past the threshold most of us would deem reasonable.

Josh just set out today to start The Tour Divide – a 2700 mile unsupported off-road bike race starting in Banff, Canada following the Rockies south across the USA to the Mexican border. It’s his first attempt at the race – he did already win the TransContinental Race a few years back, so he knows what he’s getting into from an ultra-endurance standpoint. Oh, and as I type he’s currently in the lead of the southbound racers, only 27 miles in and 99% to go. Anyway, Josh will be filming his progress down the Divide via GoPro for a longer film to be released later in the year. So this is just a tease of what is to come.

Look back to Dirty Reiver with Bombtrack & a CX Pro

Back in the realm of what us normals can get away with, the Dirty Reiver is a one-day, albeit a long day, fun gravel/off-road race. So what is it like to do a ride like that? Bombtrack bikes decided to find out the “difference between 60 minutes of flat out, full gas technical wheel-to-wheel racing in ruts and mud, and riding for at least 7hrs at maximum race-pace on finely groomed gravel?” so they sent their Dutch Elite Pro Cyclocross racer Gosse van der Meer to biggest gravel event in Europe, and of course took some cameras along for the ride.

Most who ride the Reiver are there for a long, fun day and a personal challenge. But Gosse was tasked with trying to push a bit harder…