Great Program, Applications Open #beablackburnranger2016

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.

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.

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!