good all-around mntn biking dvd, except a bit short
935767
This is a good collection of different mountain biking clips from 2000.  For the time, a lot of it was probably pretty ground-breaking (excuse the pun).

Styles include: single track (fast and steep!), free riding/downhill, dirt jumping, stunts, big air (lots of 15-20' and up), and some fairly insane "jig" (e.g. urban) riding (This guy Ryan Leech is amazing).

North American locations include SoCal, Tahoe, North Shore, and Durango.  Then there is some really wild and untamed riding in South America and Turkey, probably my favorite segments due to the hairiness of the trails and how the guys ride completely balls-out.  The trick riding/jumping in a Turkish village almost has to be seen to be believed.

My only beef is that this DVD is too short!  I think it only has about 40 minutes of footage.  Could have used at least 20-30 minutes more, but what is there is of high quality.  For the price ($9), it is probably worth it, but it definitely leaves you wanting more when the credits roll.
1320239
This DVD has it's positives and negatives.  For the record, I did both workouts on this DVD for a month straight with one day of rest per week, eating about 1400 calories a day and only supplementing with a small weights program.  Here are my observations:
1. Not a very good warm up on either work out, though the lower body work out has a more involved one.  I did not feel adequately warmed up for the upper body workout which is, by the way, quite intense.
2. Great encouragement from Jackie, could use a little more detail on form.  A lot of the exercises I knew how to do already--but I did find myself collapsing my upper back during the deadlifts and even allowing my knees to come over my toes in squats.  Also, could have used a little more instruction on the sumo squats.
3. Helpers have fantastic form and endurance, Jackie not so much!  Her form occasionally will suffer and she "conveniently" goes to check on form during the back and triceps section, not that I can blame her!
4. Don't be afraid to go for heavier weights.  This is a great program for building muscle and endurance.  The first day I did it, my chest was in absolute agony, but by the end I was blasting through with eight pound weights.
5. Great work out for arms, back, chest, shoulders and abs.  I saw some SERIOUS definition in all of these areas.  HOWEVER this is NOT a lower body work out.  That name is very misleading.  I can whip out 70 squats at any point in time--the lower body is NOT challenging except for maybe the sheer pace of it.  I lost a lot of definition in my legs over this month and a lot of my weight pooled in my hips and upper thighs (which it's won't to do anyways, being pear-shaped that I am).  The lack of cardio is also a huge weakness in this DVD.  I had chiseled biceps, but still fat sitting on top of the muscle.  Pairing this with a cardio work out would be ideal, but challenging considering that in total the DVD is about 50 minutes long and taxing.  I would also not call this a weight loss DVD--I did not lose weight doing this DVD, but I did tighten up considerably in my upper body and abs.
6. Speaking of taxing, it is--but not horribly so.  The abs section made me feel like I was going to get a cramp, but I was also encouraged to push through by Jackie.  This is not a Jillian Michaels DVD though--if you are in good shape, you will not be dumping sweat everywhere and panting.  You will get a good work out though.
Overall, I was pleased with this DVD, but I don't think it's stand alone.  It needs to be paired with a good cardio work out and it will be golden.  Jackie is fantastic though and I will definitely be checking out more of her DVDs.
2227405
Having come from indoor spin classes, I guess I expected lots of scenery and spin music, so I was surprised when it's mostly one road after another ~ about 4 and 1/2 hours of road.  Oh, well, I will use these DVD in between using just music as I spin at home.
1479799
The view is breathtaking but the workout is very short. For exemple : the Warm up and the workout (walk and running) together are 15 min !!!!
come on ......
The mountain-biking is a little bit better .
I will disregards the group running , or watch it in my 70's....
1808642
This is the video my kids grew with. It's good to see them in DVD format.
One thing I feel missing about this video is its length.
It's too short!
968860
Yes, this video is listed as anaerobic, but being on Vancouver Island I didn't think it would be this challenging.  I was wrong.  I have a number of Paul's other videos and this one may be the overall hardest, at least for me, at least to the top of the hump.  The second disk of "Road to Victory" has a period of more intense climbs, but this climb is longer and doesn't give much recovery time until its over.

The ride starts out almost immediately with a hill, and then continues on for maybe 10 minutes with a fairly steep climb in resistance that you are looking forward to end.  Then, as Paul states in the video, it gets harder.  I think what really makes this video psychologically more difficult, at least for me, is that it never appears that you are on challenging terrain.  Its basically all one big hill so you never really see a change.  Plus it is mostly all wooded, which limits your view ahead.  This video seems to me to hit the 9 and 10 resistance settings on the dash more than any of the other of Paul's videos that I have, and seems to favor the higher half of the resistance settings through a good part as well.  After you reach the top of the climb it is more of a downhill effort instead, as "over the hump" would suggest.

I liked the new dash with the power readings.  It seemed more clear for some reason.  Also, a clicking sound has been added when a gear/resistance change occurs.  Initially I found this annoying, but quickly got used to it and found it helpful, especially in a hard climb where I might be focusing on pedaling rather than the screen.  You still need to look at the screen to see which way the gears are changing.

I didn't find the guest commentary as interesting on this video as some of the others, mainly because it related more to triathalons rather than biking specifically.  Also, for some reason the guests' voice seemed to be at times overpowering his microphone and the rest of the audio, which can be distracting.  But as always there are three audio tracks so this issue is easily solved.

Overall, another great training video, and proof that Paul is continually refining his already great product.
1516070
I have been a road cyclist for nearly 25 years and was a Spinning instructor for 5 years, so I could easily make up my own indoor bike workouts. (I use a Spinning bike at home for bad weather or time crunch days.) However, Coach Troy just makes me work out a lot harder than I would without the DVDs. I really like his style of coaching, his motivation techniques and of course the tough workouts. This DVD features a cast of accomplished women riders-- triathletes, a mountain biker and champion road racers. They are working hard and sweating, and you will be too!

This is probably not the best DVD for beginners, but anyone with some cycling experience or who has taken a few Spinning classes will enjoy and benefit from this workout.

The workout lasts 45 minutes and includes:
5 minute warm-up
A set of 3x30 second intervals with 30 seconds rest
2 sets of 2 minute cadence intervals-- 10 seconds accelerated cadence with 10 seconds of rest
4 sets of 5 minute hills, varying the difficulty with increased resistance, sitting and standing (Note: The last minute of each hill repeat includes a fast 1-minute downhill that is especially challenging)
3 sets of 2 minute cadence intervals (same as the first cadence set but with increased tension)
5 minute cool-down

As others have noted, the set and the music are rather cheesy and dated, but the workout is so challenging, that you won't notice after the first few minutes.
1303745
Greg Best is a great rider in his own right, and he is also a great teacher. In the video he is patient, clear, concise, and very effective in getting techniques across. I have all three tapes of this series and I think they're great.
The video says "Basic Jumping", but it mainly (and very appropriately) covers flatwork. Greg correctly states that jumping is essentially riding, just over a fence. And poor flatwork will only magnify problems over jumps.
The tape is not really a "B"eginner tape (walk, trot, canter), but is a great supplement to riding classes. Additionally the entire set of tapes is something you can and should refer to every once in a while for a "refresher". I have been riding for over 10 years and I got a number of good "basic techniques" from this video.
I rated only 4 stars simply for the video quality and the Vogel boots ad. The video is good--but is essentially someone with a video-cam on a tripod. And the ad is just in poor taste--imho.
Highly recommended though!
3762926
I purchased this bike and have used it 3 times.  It is very nice but I do wish that the handle bars could be raised a little more.  I am only 5ft. 2in. and have them adjusted as high as they will go and they are still pretty low for me.  Also the right pedal makes a noise when I am in a standing position but probably can be adjusted some more.  Otherwise, it gives me a great workout!  The DVD's that come with it are fabulous!
3686182
I liked the video.  The instruction was really good and fairly easy to follow.  I found watching the practitioners inspiring.  It definitely gave me a good workout.  It was challenging; a little too challenging.  It was a long session.  For me it was too long but I'm a beginner.  I can see someone who has been doing yoga some time enjoying the hour and fifteen minutes of yoga.

My only real criticism is that the DVD is not broken up into scenes.  While I was going through the class, my DVD player froze for whatever reason.  The only way I could get back to where I left off was to start from the beginning and fast forward.

Overall, I'd definitely recommend this video to someone who is at an intermediate or advanced level and wants a challenging, well-guided session.  When I'm at that level, I'll most likely use it then.
2868853
This is a great ride for those who are new to cycling, or for someone needing a recovery ride.  Our host Paul Gallas takes us on a tour of scenic Islands of British Columbia, starting in Nanaimo, on to Crofton Ferry Terminal, across the ferry to Salt Springs Island.

I do not belong to a riding club and usually ride alone, so Pauls comments are very helpful to me.  Its like riding with a personal coach.

In this video he covered some questions that I always wondered but have never had the opportunity to ask.  For example, he discusses various equipment like heart rate monitors, power meters, and clipless pedals.  He also talks about why cycling outfits are so stupid looking but necessary, and how to stretch on a bike.  There is also a helpful discussion of how the body burns fat at lower heart rates, and burns sugar with more intensity.

The first 75 minutes are a recovery ride, but the intensity picks up the last 10 minutes on Salt Springs Island.  During the first part he demonstrates drills to help our technique for real world cycling.  He also covers some of the basics of riding.  If you want just the background music or the sounds from the ride, there are alternate audio tracks to choose from.

Once we get across the ferry we see the full dashboard which tells us things like perceived resistance, % of max heart rate, cadence, etc.  It seems like Part 2 (not included in this video) will pick up from where this ride leaves off, and has a lot of anaerobic workouts.

I like Pauls videos, and recommend getting some from each category (endurance, intervals, anaerobic, heart health, etc).  This is a great one for a low intensity recovery ride, and has helpful tips.
1512578
This is a solid 30 minute ride with flat road, jumps, climbs, and standing climbs, repeated three times.  As with any spin class, you can go as hard or as easy as you want.  However, the instructor is annoying and the music is horrible.  I watch this on mute and listen to my own music.  So far it's the best 30 min spin DVD I've found.
881983
This was my first (cycling videos online) dvd. In fact it might have been my first cycling/training specific dvd period. I love Paul's videos because they are obviously made by someone who loves cycling. I am not a techy guy by nature but I have come to appreciate everything that is on the dashboard of these dvds. In fact it is fun to see how they have evolved over the years. This dvd in paticular, if you follow the gear chart and the rpm gauge when you get to the end you really feel like you have just climbed a mountain. I enjoy the 3 soundtracks that are offered sometimes I enjoy the conversations, they help break up the monotony and other times I just put my head down and zone out to the music. I own at least 8 of Paul's videos and use them all equally. There are other bike dvds out there and some are good. I have never been disappointed with any of the (cycling videos online) these are simply the real deal. If your not sweating then you are not doing it right.
2104046
I like the dvd because there isn't endless chatter. If you have a dvd long enough you tend to get sick of hearing the same thing over and over. My problems are that you can't program segments into a continuous workout and it would have been awesome had there been an option to view exercises in a workout segment either via CD-ROM or printed list. The segments are pretty awesome though, nothing fancy here, and that is why I love kettlebells. When it comes to strength I need it straight forward. She had a great concept here, but just needed a little more to make it perfect.
1676128
Great dvd. Wish it was longer,but at least we fans have something on video from this tour. A++.
2283354
I bought this after hearing a review of it on a cycling podcast and I am definitely not disappointed.

The idea is that you use it in conjunction with a indoor bike of some kind - either a stationary cycle or your regular road bike on a Cycle-Ops or similar. Then you ride along in sync with the DVD - which is essentially a high tempo celebrity spin class (think Mark Cavendish, Peter Kennaugh).

(Myself, I ripped the DVD to an MP4 so I could load the video on to my iPad - then I place the iPad on the handlebars and cycle along - maybe the vendor could consider selling this as a download on iTunes, save us having to rip it ourselves!)

The class itself is excellent. This is one of series of DVDs optimized for different aspects of cycling (there are others focused on things like climbing, sprinting, time trials etc) and it is a real workout - you will be sweating hard by the end. And this is so much better than regular spin classes which are just general purpose cardio workouts designed for the average attendee. This DVD is designed specifically for cyclists, and it shows. Added bonus - none of those stupid "jumps" you get in gym spin classes that provide little cardio benefit and are bad for your knees!

Cons? Well, the banter in the class is entertaining to begin with but inevitably gets boring after repeated plays. But no problem - all the instructions are displayed on the screen so I just turn the audio down, listen to music instead, and I miss nothing.

In summary, highly recommended for any serious cyclists, or even casual cyclists who just want something more productive than a spin class.
3305394
Bottom line; for the price, this is a great DVD and will entertain, and for any Tool fans, definitely a recommendation to get.

The DVD itself is fairly simple, with an animated background menu and three track choices.

1) The album audio track set to the music video which is typical Tool wierdness but just perfect.

2) The same music video with dual channel comical commentary which at first is very odd, but it is actually fairly funny and I soon learned to like the comical nonsense on top of the more serious looking video, they do not go together at all!, but maybe that's the point, and it seems to work.

3) A long remix of the song. Nothing extremely great here, but a worthy remix nontheless.

The main drawbacks in my opinion is that the audio is simply stereo. With 5 years in the making and DVD format, it would have been nice to have a surround sound audio track for the song, even if it would mostly be stereo. And how about widescreen? We are in 2005 and this is a DVD, even if the music video won't fit, even some static graphics or simple repetetive animation would be a nice additon to the video.