With our cyclocross season about to kick off in the bottom half of the world, last year’s grubby thermals are coming out of hibernation, drivetrains are cowering in readiness to be trashed beyond an inch of their life, and a bunch of slightly odd folks are rubbing their cold, knotted hands together in anticipation of the gratuitous feast of self-flagellation to come.

The Transition docos were made way back in the mid-2000s, and while they are showing their age a little and tend to suffer from chronic under-editing, they are still an interesting insight into the world of ‘cross and the riders who dedicate their cycling careers to it. The first film concentrates on the US scene and tends to drag in places, whereas the second instalment holds more interest as it goes to the heart of the cross culture as the Yanks and Canucks take on the world’s best on their turf, and come out with bodies and egos battered, bruised but thankful for it.

There’s even some solid cameos from our own Kashi Leuchs, resplendent in his Bianchi kit and wondering why he wasn’t back in the NZ summer… and I’m sure that Barry Wicks is really Cyril from Breaking Away…