If riding around the U.S. in a quasi-self supported manner with likeminded folks is your cup o’ tea, then you better hustle to get your application in to join the 2016 Blackburn Rangers program. You’ll get product support from some other great brands in the Bell/Giro family and act as a brand ambassador as your ride the Continental Divide or Pacific Coast. You’ll also be wined and dined (and act as a guide for others) at their annual Ranger Camp in Monterey, CA, just before the Sea Otter Classic.
Interested? Check the video and full PR below, then get cracking. Deadline for submission is this Valentines Day, February 14, 2016…
PRESS RELEASE: Continuing in the spirit of adventure, Blackburn announces its fourth installation in its “Out There” Ranger program, opening up applications to all cyclists.
Blackburn will be recruiting 6 new brand ambassadors for 2016. Nicknamed “Rangers,” these ambassadors will be the ultimate testers of Blackburn products, while supporting and promoting the core culture that Blackburn thoroughly believes and embodies. The program will continue to feature two of the most iconic cycling routes, the people who ride them, and the uncommon adventures they have along the way. The Pacific Coast Highway and the Great Divide Route will continue to serve as the pages that the Blackburn ambassadors will write their adventures upon.
“We know that there is a great story around every corner once you are on your bike, and we want to be a part of that again,” said Robin Sansom, Blackburn brand manager. “Enabling adventure through design and innovation was the reason that Jim Blackburn started the company 40 years ago.”
How to Become a Ranger:
In order to become a Ranger, be prepared to inform Blackburn by presenting your best experience on a bike, or why you want to ride from Canada to Mexico. Three steps:
Step 1 – Inform: Tell us about yourself. Aside from the usual application information, be prepared to describe your best experience on a bike, or why you want to ride from Canada to Mexico. What else have you got? Are you going to surf every spot along the coast, ride with a long lost friend, advocate for a cause, or navigate by the stars only? We will give you plenty of space to tell your story.
Step 2 – Show and Tell: Upload a short video to YouTube using the hashtag #beablackburnranger2016 that embodies who you are and showcases what will make you stand out as a Ranger. Make sure the video is specific to Blackburn and have your video URL ready when applying.
Step 3 – Share your Adventure: After submitting your application, get your friends, family, and community members to endorse you via social media. We will give you a photo to post, and leave it up to you to get your people to cheer you on by liking, reposting and tagging with #beablackburnranger2016 and @blackburndesign.
Deadline for submission is February 14, 2016. For more information on the Blackburn Rangers and the “Out There” program, visit: https://www.blackburndesign.com/be-a-blackburn-ranger/.
Routes:
*The Pacific Coast Route covers 1,852 miles from Vancouver, British Columbia to Imperial Beach, California. Consisting of beautiful roads lining the Pacific Ocean, Rangers will use touring bicycles and Blackburn racks and panniers to carry necessities along the way.
*The Great Divide Mountain Bike Route is an off road route that was originally mapped by the Adventure Cycling Association, from Banff, Alberta to Antelope Wells, New Mexico, a distance of 2,740 miles. Great Divide Rangers will ride mountain bikes, whether rigid or suspended, and use bike packing bags strapped to their frames, handlebars and saddles. Lights, pumps and computers from Blackburn will keep them rolling and safe.
Partners for the 2016 Ranger program: Bell, Niner, Giro, BROOKS, SCRAM, WTB and Big Agnes. This means that the selected rangers will be fully equipped with beautiful Niner bikes, helmets, clothing and camping gear. A travel stipend will be provided to help achieve the goal of completing the route.
About Blackburn Design: Since its inception at the hands of Jim Blackburn in 1975, Blackburn has been dedicated to designing stronger, lighter, and more innovative and reliable cycling products and accessories that are essential to the riding experience. The Scotts Valley-based company produces pumps, lights, racks, bags, computers, cages, trainers, tools, saddles, fenders and mirrors. For more information, please visit http://www.blackburndesign.com.
