Riding In The Rain #beablackburnranger2016

Any day on a bicycle is a fantastic day! Jimmy and I were making a run for the hot-springs town of Glenwood Springs. In front of us lie one of the toughest path-bike routes in the nation, 10,500 foot high Vail Pass.

On a good day, the climb up from Frisco is a challenge. The grades are steep and the route turns into a series of sharp switchbacks requiring low-low gear and a determination from the bottom of your soul.

We like to think nothing stops us. The rain and cold weather was stopping everyone else. But we pushed on, up the steep and relentless routes through Copper Mountain. In the crisp air of 10,000 feet, we started looking for a place to camp.

We had just crossed the 4th bridge after Copper Mountain. Only 2 more tough bridges left to go. You could hear the traffic from the East and West-bound interstates. Once in awhile we passed super-built bridge running high over our heads.

Finally we found it, a tiny step on the steep hillside where we could pitch a tent. The rain had slowed. Each of us went about the chores of pitching a tent, perched above the trail in one of the few level spots over the entire route. Now snug in our sacks, the rain started again. Our old North Face tent began to leak like a sieve. It was going to be a long night. At least, we could rest in the bosom of the mountainside.  The babbling brook of Ten-Mile Creek talked to us throughout the night.

I love adventure.  Sometimes adventure is found in doing something others do at a time when no-one else will try.  We were alone at nearly 10,000 feet.  We were soaked, but we were safe.  Any day on a bike is a day of adventure!

#beablackburnranger2016 Tim Paynter

I decided to apply to become a Blackburn Ranger, an ambassador for Blackburn Designs.  The company makes bicycling accessories primarily for those who love adventure!

Since my first taste of bicycle touring earlier this year, I definitely have the bug!  I hope to do the Pacific Coast route this next summer.  In my travels, I hope to meet a lot of you and have a chance to tell some of your stories, and mine, in the process.

I am a video journalist and love reporting on what the adventure community is doing.  From rafting to singing, it does not really matter!  Everyone has a story and I am looking for interesting stories to tell!

If you want to take either the Pacific Coast Route or the Great Divide Bicycle Route, you can find maps at the non-profit organization, the Adventure cycling Association.

Here is my video application to #beablackburnranger2016.  If you like, it, please go to YouTube and re post!  Put it on facebook or where ever your adventurous heart takes you!

You can also write to me, timote2u@gmail.com!

Thanks, Uncle Tim.

The most fun you can have on two wheels!

Riding the Trails

Camping On The Colorado River

We had been riding hard all day.  Our paths had followed I-70 now for nearly two days.  We were on the Glenwood Canyon Bike Trail with only a few miles left to get to the hot springs in Glenwood Springs, Colorado.

In many places, the trail is just wide enough for a rider or two.  More than that, there is the highway, sometimes suspended above you.  There is also the Colorado river.  Beyond that, there is almost no real estate to pitch a tent.

We were exhausted.  It was getting dark.  What could we do?  We didn't need the problems the State Patrol can cause bike tourist who make the mistake of camping in rest areas.  There are four rest areas in Glenwood Canyon.

So we finally found one of the few spots on the Colorado River and pitched the tent.  This is God's country and he had finally made room for us to sleep.

99 Miles In The Rockies

Bicycle Adventurer followed an intrepid rider, Jimmy Rivera, as he makes his way over 99 treacherous miles in the Colorado Rockies!

B.A. Why did you decide to ride from Keystone to Denver, Colorado.

Jimmy Rivera  Well, you know, I am a member of a spiritual group in Denver and I don't have a car.  I started thinking about how I could ride my bike to Denver.

B.A.  Did that route present challenges?

Jimmy Rivera  Sure did present problems.  I have ridden on many of the Summit county paths, I did a trip to Glenwood, but there is no bike path that takes you through the mountains to Denver.  You have to find a road for many sections of the route.  I love doing things not many others have done.

B.A.  What about the mountains?

Jimmy Rivera  Geez, the mountains were a huge challenge.  First, I had to get over Loveland Pass.  Another guy said it took him 6 hours.  That is a long time for an amateur rider to pedal uphill.

B.A.  How did it go?

Jimmy Rivera  I did it in 4 hours, but it was the toughest riding of my career.  First, the shoulder is very narrow and drivers are not always willing to share the road.  Then, it is also very steep.  Here you are riding in thin air, little oxygen, on a steep grade, with cars passing you by.  If you run off the road there is no place to go except...straight down.

B.A.  Were you frightened?

Jimmy Rivera  At one point a truck came very close.  But most of the time, it was o.k.  I know it is a little dangerous.  That is why not many people take the route I did.  But I was determined to go.  If I can do this, than anyone can.

B.A.  How did it feel to make the summit?

Jimmy Rivera  Your body is tormented, but your heart is pure!  It is an incredible feeling!  It was one of the biggest obstacles along my 99 mile route.  Wow!  To have this completed on the first day, that was a feat!

B.A.  When you looked at the teaser on you tube, at the last shot of you when you riding into the distance, how did you feel?

Jimmy Rivera  Well, I looked like an ant.  At first, I didn't think they really got me on tape.  I had left the videographer a long ways above.  But sure enough, if you look closely, there I am, riding off into the horizon on one of the last straightaways on Loveland Pass.



Follow Jimmy Rivera in future reports!

Cross Country In Mountain Country

We made our own campsite

It was getting late, near dark, the sun had fallen from the sky.  We needed a place to camp, and quick.  

We stopped at the large RV park now gutting the landscape between Gypsum and Dotsero.  They call the park River Dance.  

Despite arriving late, near 7:00, on bicycle, the rate was $28.00.  Ouch!  Just to pitch a tent for a few hours sleep!  Well, they have to make a buck, I suppose.  But that price is far over what many bike tourist are willing to pay for a "short night" of camping.  

The manager gave us instructions on how to navigate through the  Goliath million dollar RV's.  

"Turn right 3 RV's down from the office, find row such and such, go left and look for a spot to pitch your tent!  The manager said he would collect the fee in the morning.  

We moved on.

Camping by the Colorado River

It was getting cold.  The cover of darkness was beginning to cloak us.  Only our small headlights brightened the countryside before us.  The Colorado River looked beautiful, as far as we could see, but there were hordes of mosquito's enjoying the river, and us, too!

 Finally, we found a small 20X20 space next to a path-bench on the Eagle Valley Regional Trail that seemed made for a tent!  On the one side was the Colorado River, and on the other...the bike path.  We pitched the tent, using the rain fly to protect us from an intermittent, though brutal, shower.  

Bike Wanderer Iohan told us, if it does not work out the way you planned it, then it happened exactly as it was supposed to happen. Iohan was right.

We woke to a spectacular scene, with the Colorado River flowing gently by, and a few old timers walking the path not far from our tent!  

Rohan Dennis Takes Stage 4, Pro Challenge

Rohan Dennis with the BMC team took the stage 4 win during the Pro Challenge, completing one of the most difficult and the longest section of the challenge.  The route required intrepid riders to navigate the sheer steeps of Independence Pass with an exciting finish in front of thousands in the old minding town of Breckenridge, Colorado.

We ran into  Iohan Gueorguiev, while filming the Pro Challenge riders.  Iohan is on a different kind of bike ride, a personal tour from Northern Canada to Mexico.  Iohan hopes to eventually travel all the way to Argentina in his around the world trek.

Iohan is one of the few people selected as a Blackburn Designs "ranger".  Rangers test Blackburn Designs products as well as products the company supports or sponsors.  Riders tackle the Great Divide Route or the Pacific Coast Trail.

The last time Rohan rode the Pro Challenge he came in 77th.  According to Cycling News, Dennis has substantially improved his game and his high altitude stamina.

The Colorado Pro-Challenge was started with the blessings of Richard E. Schaden, founder of the restaurant, Quiznos.  On February 4th, 2011, Schaden funded the program with a $10,000,000 grant.

Bethany Hughes To Hike Americas For Women and Children

Frisco, Colorado - The daughter of missionaries is preparing to hike from the tip of Argentina to the tip of Alaska.  Along the way, she hopes to empower women to be all they were born to be, and to help children dream, and live those dreams.

Bethany Hughes says she has found her calling.  She was meant to take 4 to 6 years out of her life to walk more miles than most people drive in a year.  Bethany says, if she can do this, the women she meets along her route can do or be anything they want to be.  Children, who perhaps have not been allowed to dream big, will be encouraged to do exactly that.

"What bedtime story would you choose to read to a child tonight?" Hughes asked a fairly surprised reporter from Un Dia Sin Fronteras from 1150 A.M. Radio, in Denver, Colorado, in an exclusive interview. 

"Frankly, her charismatic and open question caught me off guard," said reporter Tim Paynter.  "I am usually ready for about anything, but when Bethany came out with that question, she stumped me.  It was out of the blue."

As it turns out, Hughes grew up in Ecuador, Chile and the Dominican Republic.  She speaks about the two sides of the coin most Americans hold in their hands, though few realize it.  As persons of privilege, they can do or dream about anything and those dreams can come true.  A U.S. citizen can get a passport to go about anywhere in the world.  Yet, as a blond haired, educated youth growing up in Latin America, Hughes found many of the children around her were not so privileged.  Hughes wants to return to bring the message, all children must have a chance to dream like she has been able to dream.

If Hughes can hike roughly 20,000 miles, some of it through challenging terrain, at times with great risk to personal safety, then Hughes hopes she can help shine a light to families and children everywhere.  All people face obstacles, but the end to every journey starts with the first step.  Dreams can come true, the end of the Hughes journey comes by putting one foot in front of another.  In the case of Hughes, if she never steps on the same ground twice, that will be 105,600,000 steps.

Bedtime stories are one of the first places children learn the values of society.  In some places, where many cannot read, it is the folk stories told to children Hughes is excited to hear. Back home, Hughes challenges people of privilege to choose their bedtime stories carefully, so our children can learn about values. 

For example, instead of enriching a material life, Hughes is choosing to give up a career and income for many years.  Sure, Hughes may not have a new car and a fancy home.  But she places a higher value in meeting new people, learning about diverse cultures, and experiencing an adventure many Americans can only dream of having.  

Hughes also speaks about her tremendous debt of gratitude to the women in the Dominican Republicwho patronized a fruit wagon Hughes hauled as a youth through the barrios.  Hughes was trying to make enough money so she could fly home and see her grandmother one last time before her grandmother passed.  Her missionary parents did not have the funds to make that happen.  It was the Dominican women who supported Hughes, one piece of fruit at a time, though the women could have ignored her and bought from local stores.  Thanks to the support of people of extremely humble means, Hughes was able to raise enough money for the trip home.  The Dominican women were demonstrating the strong values of supporting an extended family, which is common in the Latino culture.

Follow Bethany as she makes her way across the Americas, returns the gift of hope and inspiration given to her as a child, and to the best of her ability, rights wrongs she has seen.

Alex Mabey Plays Frisco Colorado

An Artist Not To Be Missed!

While hitting the Frisco Bikeway, we stopped in the mountain town of Frisco, Colorado.  Wow!  We were in for a heck of a treat!

Alex Mabey was playing Frisco main street.  Alex was stopping traffic and pedestrians with her strong melodies which could be heard for several blocks in Frisco.  While the song recorded is a cover song, Alex writes her own music.  Stay tuned for one of Alex's original songs which we will post once we have it edited.

We asked Alex if we could film her and said yes!  You can book Alex at alexmabey@ymail.com

Clipless Shoes and a Broken Rib

Should you wear clip less (clip-in) shoes?

Everyone has to make these decisions for themselves.  Clip-in shoes, which attach to the pedal to make both down and up-stroke more efficient, are also very dangerous.  If you "forget" to un-clip, (or can't) then the truth of all bicycle riders comes home in spades:  When forward motion of the rider stops, either he gets his/her foot down, or he/she falls over.

The truth is, everyone falls once in awhile when wearing clip less shoes.  In most cases, the fall leads to an embarrassing situation.  People who don't ride bikes have a hard time understanding why someone comes to a stop in traffic and then falls over.

In my case, during my second fall, it lead to a broken rib near my sternum.  I fell with my full weight, heavy as this is, on the end of my handle bar.  The pain of the break was incredible.  

The pain of the heal process has been eternal and intense, including the huge pain a week after the incident when the rib popped out of position again during a body stretch.  

My buddy was kidding me about how much I was carrying on over a little scratch on my chest.  When I was still in horrible pain a week later, I went to the doc, who told me I broke my rib.  Had I gone to the emergency room that night, which I should have done over the risks of potential damage to the heart or lung, the experience would have set me back a huge sum of money.

I can't say wearing clip-in (clip less) shoes is a good or bad decision for you.  For me, they were a disaster.

Planning Your Bicycle Tour

The Long Distance Tour

How To Pack Your Panniers

How To Pack Without Panniers

While there are some practical tips to adventure cycling, this is not rocket science.  You don't have to have a lot of money, or a fancy education, or special licenses or certificates.  You don't even have to be in great shape, as conditioning will come with the territory.  What you do have to have is a strong desire to see the world one pedal at a time.

Learn more about bicycle touring from the Adventure Bicycling Association!  

Bicycling Touring Pro Answers Your Questions

Do Men Have To Wear Tight Bicycle Pants To Tour?

This youth, Darren Alff,  has years of experience on touring bikes.  He answers many questions which will help the bike tourer get a start in this passionate sport!

Warm Showers, A Place To Camp, Sleep, Cook, Meet Others 

In The Lifestyle-No, It Is Not KOA

Are you planning on a long term tour but don't know where to clean up along the way?  Try Warm Showers, a non-profit organization which helps bicycle tourers world wide find a place to sleep, to shower and to relax from the road.  You might be a person in need of these volunteer services, or you might be a person biking through and in desperate need for a place to let your hair down for a few hours.  Warm Showers matches traveling cyclist and a few others a place to crash while on the road.  Each host has his own set of rules and may limit the kinds of things the host can do for the rider.

Some hosts offer sleeping space in their homes.  Others offer a yard where you can pitch your tent in confidence.  Sometimes the host will provide a meal, or let his guests have access to a kitchen so they can prepare their meals on their own.  Those who become hosts have often been themselves riders so they know what bicycle tourers want when they retreat from the trail or wilderness.

CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION ON THE GREAT DIVIDE MOUNTAIN BIKE ROUTE

Riding Vail Pass, the riders

Jimmy Packs the Panniers

Our goal is to ride from Frisco in the Colorado Rockies, to the resort town of Glenwood Springs.








The forecast was for partly cloudy skies.  Seeing as there was no rain predicted we felt pretty safe in heading out for the great divide, a trek up the old ten-mile railroad grade, now a bicycle path, to the ski resort of Copper Mountain.  With luck, we would pass through Frisco and then Copper Mountain.  Next we would summit Vail Pass (10,662 feet) and find a place to camp on the West side.

Ten thousand feet into the sky is plenty high for heavy endurance riding.  The Federal Aviation Authority requires oxygen for pilots who fly above 10,000 feet.

Shortly before Copper Mountain rain began to fall in huge sheets.  The ground turned into a million little rivers.  We found shelter at a small covered bench at the lakes below Copper.  After a half hour of non-stop, drenching showers, we made a run for the coffee shop at the base of Copper.  That was to become our headquarters for the next several hours.  

With only light rain falling, we left the comfort of the coffee shop and headed up Vail Pass.  Night was soon to fall.  We needed to find a place to camp, fast!  The regulations were clear, our site had to be 100 feet from trail, road and stream.  In the pinched median of the opposing lanes of I-70, making up the East side of Vail Pass, options were limited.  Finally, I spotted a fairly level spot above the path.  Jimmy hauled the last bike up the steep grade as I put the finishing touches on the tent.

Then the cats and dogs style rain began again and we settled into a wet night in the alpine environment of the Colorado Rockies.  My 20+ year old North Face Tent could not keep the water out, despite a fresh sealing of the seams.  We are doing this tour on tiny budget made up of centavos and a prayer, so things like expensive tents are out.

Jimmy Rivera packing the tent on Vail Pass

The next day, we crested the summit of Vail Pass in beautiful sunshine.  Should we press on to

Glenwood Springs, or should we head back to the valley?  Since I had to be at work on Monday, we reluctantly played it conservatively, and headed for the barn.  Glenwood Springs would have to wait for another day.

All trips have the risk of a downside.  While laboring up Ten-Mile, a skateboarder zoomed down the path, veered into my lane, shoved me nearly causing a fall.  If you recognize this thug, let me know so we can report him to authorities.  




Unfortunately, the skateboarders often take over the Frisco-Copper Mountain bike path, with little respect for others who use the path.  We won't let that ruin an otherwise great ride!

See The World By Bicycle!

Iohan Gueorguiev Leads the Way

Iohan Gueorguiev takes us on a wonderful tour of his first year cross country on a bike.  This guy will warm your heart as he interacts with humans, horses and nature's creatures!  It does not take long to fall in love with the notion of bicycle touring after watching Ihoan's videos.

This is adventure, adventure, adventure!

In 2015, Iohan was elected 1 of 6 Blackburn Rangers who will represent Blackburn Designs products on the trail.  The rangers run either the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, (GDMTBR) from Canada to deep into New Mexico, or the Pacific Coast.  Iohan chose the GDMTBR.

This is Iohan's second stab at the route.  On his first effort, in the dead "heat" of winter, Iohan deviated from course shortly after Boreas Pass in Colorado to take in some of the finest national parks the U.S. has to offer.

Tour de France 2015 a Wrap

The Winner Comes In Last

Chris Froome won his second Tour de France, finishing the last day of competition well in the back of the pack.  Instead, Andre Greipel won the day on the Champs Elysees Sunday, July 27th, 2015.

Fromme has been fighting unsupported allegations of doping.  He has had urine thrown at him by a spectator, as well as being spat upon by another.  The insults did nothing to stop the determined Fromme from fighting with everything he had up the steep ascent to the famous ski resort, the Alpe d'Huez.

Today, Nairo Quintana and his movie star teammate, Alejandro Valverde of Spain, sealed the second and third place trophy at the 2015 Tour de France.

Biking Vail Pass

Smiling Faces, Spectacular Scenery, Thrilling Run

Vail Pass is on the boundary of Eagle and Summit counties.  The resort towns of Vail (West side) and Copper Mountain (East side) are potential destinations, depending on your direction of travel.  A popular tourist activity is to catch a lift to the top of the pass and then barrel down to one of the towns.  For those from the flat lands, it is a lot easier to go down one of the slopes than to pedal up.  We did both!

Cycle The Summit

We rode the Mountain Wave, a private limo ride from the town of Breckenridge where we were staying for a few nights.  For a meager $25 bucks we got a lift to the top of Vail Pass.  The folks at Mountain Wave will pick you up in Frisco if you don't want to ride all the way back to Breckenridge.  Other tour companies are based in Frisco, Silverthorne and Vail so you can take the route from East or West, depending on where your base is.