Looks like a ton of fun! Fat biking has become far more than a passing fad. Sure, they are not designed for a jillion mile journey. Still, the wide balloon tires will get you to places and over terrain that stops other types of bikes!
For some reason, fat bikes seem to command healthy prices, even on the used market. You can get into fat biking through the Wallmart at an inexpensive price if you are patient. However, for quality gear, with an equipment group to match the durability, be prepared to spend a pretty penny. . .
In Colorado, we are very lucky the creators of our primary highways could also envision how the space could be used in many ways to celebrate the spectacular vistas and wilderness. When they laid the road for I-70 through the Colorado mountains, they had to figure out what to do with the left-over U.S. Highway 6, the original 2 lane highway threading West.
They could have let the old highway crumble into history, as they have with many narrow gauge railroad beds that used to wind through the Rockies. Instead, as visionaries, they created an incredible span for the non-motorized community.
Shots from both sides of Vail Pass. A portion of the West side is a mere few yards from opposing traffic from busy I-70. A failed wheel or accident could propel a rider right into traffic. Views are to die for, bears are plenty, so are fish, so pick your pleasure carefully.
The route is open from mid to late May through most of October. However, spring runoff often creates flooding conditions, especially just before Copper Mountain coming from Frisco. Ten Mile Creek, which runs next to the East side path, is a Class 5 rapids during runoff. You will see intrepid kayakers attempt the stretch. Caution is warranted. In 2014, a kayaker lost his life on the Frying Pan River feeding the drainage into Basalt, Colorado, up the highway. The same could happen if one is unable to exit Ten Mile Creek before Officers Gulch, as the river jams into giant metal tubes buried under the car bridge. Vail Pass soars in at more than 10,500 feet. Pilots must carry oxygen when flying over 10,000 feet. Bikers won't find any drop down oxygen masks on this stretch. For this reason, people coming from sea level often take a shuttle to the summit of Vail Pass and let Gravity serve as their emergency oxygen as they coast down. The ride down either side of the pass at speed is an exhilarating 30 minutes, less for the carbon fiber crowd. Those who pedal their way to the summit spend several hours getting there, and often feel a little cheated when the ride down ends so soon! But not to worry, there is plenty more path left to ride on both sides of Vail Pass. Shortly after the summit on the East side of Vail Pass is a sharp set of switchbacks. Riders have been moving so fast they couldn't navigate the 90-degree curves flying off into space, with serious injury. Also, for East-side descending riders, there is a 90-degree curve as you exit the tunnel 1000 yards from the summit. Water almost always collects at the curve causing a hazard. From Frisco, there is a 15 mile ride around Dillon Reservoir and over steep Swan Mountain. Instead of going around the reservoir, riders can climb the fiercely steep Loveland Pass (11,990 feet). From Keystone, Colorado, to Denver, it is about 75 miles, most of it on path. The ride up and down Loveland Pass summit is mostly on narrow, 2 lane highway, though. Motorists are often impatient. The drop-offs are precipitous. A missed step could be fatal for a bicyclist as it has been for motorists. From the West side at Vail, you can ride another 60 miles to Glenwood Springs. Except for a small section, all of it is protected pathway. That makes the non-motorized route system nearly 160 miles long from Denver to Glenwood Springs. The only road West from Glenwood Springs, is I-70. Unfortunately, the vision to build protected, non-motorized, routes did not extend to the Colorado-Utah state line, an easy 150 miles further West. It is never too late to have a vision.
It is pretty rare for a company to give back as prominently as Blackburn Design is giving back. The bicycle accessories company is in the fourth year of appointing 6 people to serve as their brand ambassadors. In exchange for testing equipment, Blackburn Design sends the applicants to Ranger school. The term "Ranger" is what Blackburn Design calls it's ambassadors. It is a pretty good deal if you have the time. The company asks it's rangers to choose between riding the Pacific Coast Route (not to be confused with the Pacific Crest Route), or the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (GDMTBR). Both routes are mapped by the Adventure Cycling Association.
Blackburn says they know who their customers are and they give the ranger sponsor-ships to people who are able to represent the brand well. In the first year of the program they asked everyone they could think of if the person was planning any long distance rides. Today, it is a little different, the program has a lot of fans who watch for the application process to open each year.
It is interesting to note, getting the most clicks on your application video posted on You Tube is not a guarantee you will become a ranger. The person, actually family, with the most clicks last year did not get the nod from Blackburn. So what does make a good Blackburn Ranger? The only way to know is to apply. If you are sitting on the fence, now would be a great time to get your video done. The written part of the application is very straightforward. It is a good deal for everyone. Blackburn Design gets publicity and earns a good name in the community. The Ranger gets an experience of a lifetime! You can apply for the ranger program here.
