Taproot Films is working on an interesting documentary called Type1Rider about diabetic Tony Cervati and his quest to compete in this year’s Great Divide Race. Tony has been training for 3 years now and wanted to do something big to raise awareness for Type 1 diabetes beyond his existing blog of the same name (type1rider.org). So he decided to sign up for one of the toughest and longest unsupported mountain bike races on the planet.

Like many grassroots documentary projects, Type1Rider is trying to raise funds to finish up the project and they’ve posted a donation page over at KickStarter where you can make a pledge. The cost of filming the 2,800 mile race from Canada to Mexico across the Rockies is obviously huge so they can use any help you can offer. Fortunately Tony has already garnered the support of some big name sponsors like Trek and Crankbrothers.

Good luck to the producers for getting the film financed but most of all to Tony in his race. We can’t wait to watch this unfold on the screen!

Pedal Driven is a mountain bike documentary in production that centers on the conflict between illegal freeride trailbuilders and US Forest Service rangers in Washington state – and the creators need your help to finish the film. IMBA and others like Specialized, Shimano, and Yakima have already thrown their support behind the film and all proceeds from the release will go straight to trail building and mountain bike advocacy funds.

In order to raise the funds necessary to complete the film, the producers have set a goal of raising $15,000 toward the final production costs and that’s where we (mountain bikers) come in. With 8 days to go until the deadline, almost $14,000 has been pledged by individual donors. The cool thing about this portion of the film’s funding is that it affirms the grassroots nature of the sport and shows the strength and diversity of mountain bikers around the US.

There are a few interesting things about the fundraising you should know:

• There’s no minimum amount you can give. If you only have a buck to give that’s cool – every bit counts.
• Rewards are offered at various funding amounts. Give $25 or more and you get a copy of the DVD when it’s released PLUS a pair of Pedal Driven cycling socks. A DVD and a good pair of socks will normally cost you at least that much so it’s a win-win!
• At the higher funding levels the rewards get very interesting. Wanna pledge $5000? You’ll get a whole bag of goodies including a closing credit in the movie AND a mountain bike trail in Washington state named after you. Anyone want to pool together to get the trail named singletracks.com?

I’ve already pledged my 25 bucks and I’m stoked to see how this film works as an advocacy tool, especially when presented to land managers and non-mountain bikers. Check out the trailer and if you like what you see, toss a few bucks to make this film a reality! Click here for the full trailer.

There’s a new documentary film out about mountain biking women and judging by the previews it looks to be as adrenaline packed as any MTB film we’ve seen. Of course, this movie isn’t just about women who ride bikes – it’s about women who ride downhill, DJ, and freeride specifically. A Seattle Times film reviewer gives the movie two and a half stars out of four which ain’t bad.

The film is showing in Seattle this week and you can buy the DVD through the Bones Over Metal website for $24.95 right now. Anyone seen this one yet and care to share a review? Trailer embedded below.