On the upside, Life Cycles does make me want to grab a bike and hit the trail, but the film lacks several significant elements that help me to connect with what's onscreen. The biggest shortcoming of this film, for instance, is the fact that the viewer never knows the riders; they are never individually introduced, they never talk, they never show emotion. Director Ryan Gibb chose not to follow the riders in any way, an interesting approach since stories lie within people, in their experiences. There is also no sense of location, and the whereabouts of the trails are never revealed. Unfortunately, there is not much information divulged at all, which makes the film seem like nothing more than superficial mountain bike eye candy.