Each DVD offers four different coaching tracks, with the choice of American, Italian and Australian coaches, plus a live track from a spinning class using the DVD. So you can ride with a different coach each time, choose the one whose personality and coaching style appeals best, or soak up the energy from a spinning class. All the coaches coach in real time as they ride with you; you can hear them breathing hard and the grinding of their bike on the road. Or you can select the “music only” option and just enjoy the music and scenery.

For “Oceanside Ride” I trained with Gene Nacey, the founder of Global Ride. I was recovering from the flu and must admit I struggled a bit. Either Gene can read my mind or he was tired too, because he talked a lot about “putting the miles in”, “adding to your aerobic bank”, and toughing it out when you’re tired or bored. This DVD is marketed as an endurance/recovery ride and works well in that context. I think it works best either after, or sandwiched between, the other two DVDs in the series. The ride ends with a beautiful sunset and, including the warm-up but excluding the cool-down, lasts for 41 minutes.

The Global Ride Hawaii series is so great you’ll probably want to buy the whole set – Global Ride: Hawaii Series Virtual Cycling Dvds Boxed Set
Rating: 5 / 5