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!

Getting Ready To Go

We Want To Tell Your Story

We are getting ready to go!  Hard to believe things are moving so fast!  We plan to ride Canada to Mexico, and to get to Canada, we are thinking, maybe we will ride from Colorado to Canada!

We applies to #beablackburnranger2016.  We plan to ride
from Canada to Mexico. @blackburndesign

We are journalists and love to interview people.  What is your story?  Why do you love adventure?  Why are we meeting you on the trail?

In the process of telling other people's stories, we will learn a lot about ourselves.  That is because all of us share things in common.  When we see these things in others, we find them in ourselves!

We hope Blackburn Design @blackburndeisgn will choose us for their #beablackburnranger2016 program.  If they don't, we are going anyway.

Well, see you out there!

Warm Showers More Than Saving Water With A Friend

Being on the road and "out there" is one of the highlights of my life. As I sit here, I am contemplating getting "out there" again as soon as possible. This time, I hope my trip is as a brand ambassador for Blackburn Design #beablackburnranger2016 and as an advocate for bicycle touring!



When we are on the road there is something we all need but have troubles finding. We can rent a hotel room in an emergency situation (if there is one). But if you are "out there" enough, you know hotel rooms kind of ruin the "out there" feeling. They also become exorbitant if used too often.

Instead, there is a phenomenal program called WARM SHOWERS, in which generous people open their homes for a night to legitimate bike travelers.
Warm Showers says on their website: 

"The Warm Showers Community is a free worldwide hospitality exchange for touring cyclists. People who are willing to host touring cyclists sign up and provide their contact information, and may occasionally have someone stay with them and share great stories and a drink. All members agree to host others either now or in the future, but for some members hosting may be in years or even decades in their future."

Instead of "saving water, shower with a friend", Warm Showers makes a gift to traveling cyclist who need it the most.

Every situation is a little different. Some homeowners will allow you to pitch your tent in their front lawns. Others will invite you into their home to use a spare bedroom and bath. In both cases, you probably get what we really need, a shower to wash the road wear off, and a chance to charge up those critical devices.

Having stealth camped on multiple locations in the bushes but within feet of a major highway, I can speak to the sense of safety Warm Showers hosts provide to their guests. Of course, they can't open their homes to everyone, or they soon become a boarding home and the gift to travelers turns into a job. Rather, it is a special match between the host and the cyclist in which, for a short night, the cyclist gets the things he/she needs the most and the host pays it forward.

In 1993, two friends, Terry Zmrhal and Geoff Cashman thought it would be cool to set up a hosting service for traveling cyclist. Roger Gravel began to update and manage the list. In 2005, Randy Fay added the mapping feature so people could see on the map where their host would be.

A small group of people manages Warm Showers which is a non-profit organization. There are over 80,000 members with locations throughout the world, though primarily U.S. based.

As a bicycle tourist, (and having hosted a Blackburn Ranger), touring is not just about bicycles. It is about the people you meet along the way!

Please "like" and "share"

You can apply to be a Blackburn Ranger here.

You can vote for me as a Blackburn Ranger here.

Bikepacking the Fraser Canyon

Iohan just blows me away with his videos and his adventurous spirit. While not everyone can live adventures like these, we can all live them through watching others. But the idea is to break the mold, to get out there and do it! 

 At first, a small cross country may be your big adventure. Sometimes it is enough, but once have been bitten by the bike-paking bug, nothing short of a major effort will do. Here is to Iohan and all of the adventurous spirits who give us inspiration to get out there and live our dreams!

Remember the ones who put it all on the map for many of us:  The Adventure Cycling Association.

Eugene wants to #beablackburnranger2016

Next Application to #beablackburnranger2016

The #beablackburnranger2016 program is in full swing!  Many people are applying.  By the looks of it, they are all well qualified and really know how to create an interesting video.

In today's times, it appears rare for a company to return something to the community.  Blackburn Design is doing that with their ranger program.  Rangers are brand ambassadors.  They test new equipment, talk to people, ride adventurous routes and encourage others to get "out there".

I applied for the Ranger program because I love adventure.  I am the kind of person who wants to see what is down every wandering road.  Riding a bike for me is not enough.  I want to go farther, do more and be fully prepared for whatever I meet along the way.  When it comes to bicycle gear, that is always a challenge.  Weight is critical.  Durability is critical.  There are no "repair shops" along many of the routes I ride.  Having the right gear for the right job is what a successful tour is all about.

If you have what it takes, you can still apply.  Why not?  It is a great chance to do your part in helping this community of adventure enthusiasts grow.  You can apply here!

#beablackburnranger2016 Now Open For Biz

Blackburn Design is a bicycle parts manufacturing company.  The rack that I use to carry my panniers, for example, is made by Blackburn Design.

#Blackburndesign is known for making quality parts for the hard-core community.  If you want it to last, buy Blackburn.  That is what I told my REI people when I was looking for a rack.

So when Blackburn opened their Blackburn Ranger #beablackburnranger2016 applications, I was one of the first to apply.  As a Ranger, Blackburn asks you to test equipment, talk to people about your enthusiasm for bicycle adventuring, go to ranger school and not too much more.  It is a great opportunity for those who want a crack at the latest stuff.

Blackburn gives you a choice of routes, the Pacific Coast or the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, both running from Canada to Mexico.  Blackburn will also ask if there is another major route plotted by the Adventure Cycling Association, a non-profit organization which advocates for the bicycle people seeking adventure.  You can join the Association here.

#Transamerica Trail by Adventure Cycling Association

I chose the Pacific Coast route as my first choice route.  However, if I don't run it, I would be happy with either the GDMBR or the Transamerica Trail.  My friend, Jimmy Salazar, is planning on riding the route with me.  I do a lot of journalism things and Jimmy is a natural at photos and videos.  Jimmy comes up with some pretty great angles!

Be sure to check out Blackburn Design.  If I am the lucky cat who Blackburn Design sponsors, (they choose about 6 people each year) then I would love for you to follow us on this epic adventure!~  Please stay tuned, we will let you know who Blackburn chooses!

#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!