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Become a 2017 Blackburn Ranger

It’s that time of year. Blackburn is seeking their 2017 Rangers with four new European routes. If you’ve been waiting for this opportunity to come to Europe, now’s your chance. Head to Blackburn to see more information and check out this video from Ranger Amanda on the Divide from a few years back for inspiration.

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Blackburn Rangers Katie & Laura in Wyoming’s Red Desert

Here’s the latest from the Blackburn Rangers program:

“Wyoming’s Red Desert contains an expansive and lonely area known as the Great Basin. Although the rolling and hills and spartan features make for relatively easy travel, the area has been long been a formidable obstacle due to it’s lack of water and fierce winds. Laura and Katie face the challenges, anxieties and . . . joys, of crossing the Great Basin during their bike trip along the Great Divide Mountain Bike Trail.”

Check out their journals, stories and photos of their entire trip at Blackburn!

Just Say Yes to Bikepacking – Jen Abercrombie

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Just Say Yes to Bikepacking – Jen Abercrombie

Just Say Yes to Bikepacking
Words by Jen Abercrombie, photos by Brian Vernor (unless otherwise noted)

“Why do I keep saying yes?” That’s the thought I had, sitting in the San Jose airport heading to Las Vegas to meet up with the folks at Blackburn to embark on a two-day “InterbikePacking” trip in the desert, organized to coincide with Interbike, the giant annual American bike trade show that attracts, in decreasing numbers it seems, exhibitors, retailers and cycling enthusiasts from all over the world. I hadn’t looked at a map and knew only the vaguest details about the trip, one of the most concerning being that there might be a kayak involved. I wouldn’t say I’m exactly an expert on the bike, but compared to my proficiency in the water I’m Greg LeMond. I also heard there would be sand…a LOT of sand. None of this was making me excited, but when asked if I wanted to go, I just said “yes”.

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Blackburn’s Roll With It Book + Movie

Bikepacking and bicycle touring are great ways to explore new or old environments and experience the unexpected. Over the years Blackburn has been working on various types of gear to make your journey more enjoyable. Their latest ride movie, entitled Roll With It, is a collaboration between some rather unique individuals and now you can buy a photo book, which comes with a free download code. Or you can buy the movie on iOS, Apple TV, Roku, and Chromecast.

Head to Blackburn for more information and check out the book’s flip through above.

If you missed the galleries from Brian Vernor and Chris McNally, be sure to check those out in the sidebar…

Blackburn: Wayside Side Entry Bottle Cage

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Blackburn: Wayside Side Entry Bottle Cage

Got a full suspension MTB but can’t seem to get your bottle into that crammed cage? Or perhaps you’re a shorter rider with a smaller frame, making it hard to access your cages? The Blackburn Wayside side entry bottle cage makes that easier and it can be swapped to both left and right entries. Available in five colors at your local Blackburn dealer today!

Blackburn Barrier Mudguard

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Blackburn Barrier Mudguard

Mudgaurds. They keep your face clean on muddy trails and your bike clean(er) after a long day on said trails. Blackburn’s got a new, foldable mudguard, dubbed the Barrier. Look for this to land at your local Blackburn dealer in June!

Hitting the Road with the Blackburn Rangers

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Hitting the Road with the Blackburn Rangers

Bikepacking. It’s one of my favorite ways to travel and for Blackburn, it’s not only a passion for them, it’s a challenge. How can design be intelligent, intuitive, reliable and most important, resilient to constant wear and tear? You can spend all day designing products in an office, but the real test is out on the open road.

One of the ways Blackburn vets their products is through the Ranger Program. Each year, they send out a call for entries before selecting six or seven Rangers to get kitted out with a bike from Niner and full Blackburn product. Their journey begins, oddly enough, at the San Jose Airport… Well, parking lot B at the San Jose Airport.

Blackburn’s New Expandable Outpost Frame Bag

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Blackburn’s New Expandable Outpost Frame Bag

The detail-minded readers of the site might have picked up on this bag last year in my initial review of the Niner RLT9 steel ‘cross bike. The photoset featured the newly designed expandable Outpost frame bag from Blackburn. Now, there are tons of options for bikepacking frame bags out there, but the Outpost had a few details that caught my attention. For one, there’s a water bladder port, an easy to set up divider insert, straps to secure the bag to your frame and a drop-down expansion flap for when you need every square inch. Now, a production frame bag won’t fit your bike as well as a custom one, but the Outpost has enough straps to at least secure it. See more details at Blackburn!