Traveling on the open road gives you an intoxicating feeling of freedom, no matter if you are a jogger, hiker or bicycle enthusiast. For high school graduate Dave Stoller (Dennis Christopher), the lead character in 1979's Breaking Away, his bicycle also gives him the freedom to be someone totally different than himself.

Living near Indiana University in Bloomington, Dave becomes obsessed with competitive bicycling racing and Team Cinzano, the Italian bicycling team. Not content to be himself, Dave reinvents himself as an Italian exchange student to impress a pretty co-ed, even adopting a fake foreign accent. Eventually, though, Dave learns who the true heroes are in his life, especially after a painful encounter with Team Cinzano. He starts to embrace his status as a "Cutter," the cruel nickname given to townspeople by the wealthy college students. The term refers to the men and women who spend their lives cutting and shaping the limestone blocks harvested from the quarries in Bloomington.

A simple, yet moving story about family and friends, "Breaking Away" features some impressive footage of "The Little 500," an annual bicycle race held at Indiana University in Bloomington. Jackie Earle Haley, who plays the masked vigilante Rorschach in the "Watchmen" movie, does a great job here as the scrappy Moocher. What Moocher lacks in size, he more than makes up in attitude.

Dave does a lot of serious training in "Breaking Away," including riding in the rain and racing down the highway next to a long-distance trucker. Director Peter Yates also shows the physical dangers of bicycle racing, especially when competing against unscrupulous opponents.

Though Dave favored a simple t-shirt and shorts while riding his bike, he could have improved his performance by wearing an Ultra LS Cycle Jersey. This product from Zoot Sports helps keep a competitive bicyclist warm and dry even under the harshest road conditions.

One of the best sports-themed movies of the 20th-century, Breaking Away is a story about finding your way in the world and embracing the freedom of the open road and the outdoors.