Next Tour

Hey hey, we are getting ready for the next tour!  Bags are being packed, we have been working on conditioning, routes being planned and soon we will be off!

Yellowstone National Park Old Faithful by BIKE

Bicycle Journalists Interview Mike Green, Fat Bike Rider

The Bicycle Journalists met Mike Green while they were riding through the desert-scape of the Great Divide Basin. Mike is riding a fat bike, a Muru, from Prudhoe Bay to Ushuaia, Argentina. Mike has some interesting points of view about how to choose a team, how to set a pace, and what makes a great touring bike.



Stay tuned for more interviews. It takes about 20 hours per interview, and we are working through the large data files to get you the best information from other people who have been riding their bikes over long distances.  Touring by bike, riding the Tour Divide route or Great Divide route, you will enjoy what these cyclists say!

#beablackburnranger2017 Tim Paynter, Jimmy Salazar

This is our application video to become a Blackburn Ranger as a brand ambassador for Blackburn and their partners. If you like the video, please share on facebook, instagram and other social media! You can also like and share on youtube!

Hey, thanks for your support!

Fun Fun On The GDMBR

We had to make a quick trip home, but we are back, riding the GDMBR, the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route!  So far, it has been mostly up and more up, at least that is the way it seems!

At the base of Rabbit Ears Pass.  We biked home and then
took a taxi back to our leaving off place

We started the second stage of our grand adventure at Strawberry Park Hot Springs.  From there, we took the Hot Springs Cut Over to the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route.

Cycling to Radium Hot Springs

The route climbs from Clark, Colorado, over some spectacular terrain.

You need to know where you are going in this area.  We found rout-finding very difficult.  Usually, we followed bicycle tire tracks, but on this rocky surface, it was often a huge challenge.

Oak Creek, Colorado

Oak Creek is an old mining and ranching town in Northwestern Colorado.  In the 1960's, the town was invaded by those little understood people called "hippies".  It has never been the same since.

Jimmy stands next to one of the mining fixtures.  The equipment has only gotten larger
since this piece was added as an exhibit on Oak Creek's main street.

New ideas from the hippy generation mixed with conservative values creates something unique for a small town:  Open minds.  Things are changing in Route County, once one of the most conservative places on Earth.  Today, a new vision for Colorado has been created and Oak Creek, together with nearby Steamboat Springs, are helping lead that vision.  Rural living has some true blessings.

Like many mountain towns, Oak Creek is growing.  Just a few years ago, there were only about 500 people living in the town.  Today, over 850 live there.  That is nearly a doubling of the population.

 New people are coming in with new ideas.  Some of those new ideas are in the form of great restaurants, like Kate's Cafe and Lupitas Cantina.  

Kate makes everything fresh.  The breads are to die for, and don't miss the chocolate covered cookies.  Who would have thunk you could find better food in Oak Creek than you can find in a posh setting like Cherry Creek in Denver?

Lupita's Cantina is another gem.  Sunset Magazine rated it as one of the 99 best roadside eateries in the nation.  I had the Mahimahi fish tacos and I about dropped dead.  What a surprise from what looks like an expensive taco stand?

Kate's Cafe, Oak Creek, Colorado

Tim Paynter and Kate at Kate's Cafe

In the old days, the Peabody Mine Company plied the nearby hillsides with a huge trenching machine to mine coal.  Many of the miners were of Italian descent.  They were today's Mexican immigrant, essentially cheap labor, hard working, underpaid.  Some things never change as our country continues to exploit immigrants.

The bicycle journalists had a great meal at Lupita's in Oak Creek

Technically, Oak Creek is not on the GDMBR. But it is not far off the route, and the side trip from Stagecoach Reservoir which is on the route, is well worth the effort!  The nice thing about spending a billion calories a day is you can eat anything!!

Riding the Divide

We finally started our great adventure.  We plan to ride the Great Divide and then travel Westward to Seattle, Washington.  This is one of the hardest things I have ever done.

Jimmy takes a lot of the photos you will see on our blog.  He is also a great mechanic
and helps me organize the ride.

Our plan is to ride the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (and sometimes the Tour Divide) from Breckenridge, Colorado to just outside of Yellowstone National Park in Montana.  From there we will either take the Northern Tier mapped by the Adventure Cycling Association and South, or the Transam route to Oregon, and then North to Seattle.

We plan to interview riders we meet along the way.  By telling their story, we are telling our own story. We are the bicycle journalists.  You can find us under the hashtag #bicyclejournalists (instagram and facebook), #bikeadventurertimg and jimosalazari (instagram).

My riding partner, Jimmy Salazari will go with me.  This is an adventure of a lifetime!