We usually don't report on non-sailing things on this page. But there are exceptions for everything. Sometimes, it is good to get off the boat and take a break.
Our editor in chief, Tim Paynter, has decided to take his own break from being beached behind a desk. Paynter has decided to tackle a nearly 1,800-mile ride by bicycle, from Canada to Mexico.
"I got on a bicycle for the first time in 30 years," Paynter said in a recent interview. "I forgot how much fun it is to pedal your way to adventure!"
Paynter is trying out for a program called the Blackburn Ranger program, #beablackburnranger2016, or #beablackburnranger. Blackburn Design is a company that makes bicycle parts and accessories for those who want to get away from it all. In the cycling world, if you need it to last, Blackburn is the one to make it.
Each year, Blackburn Design selects 6 people to serve as their brand ambassador in a sponsored ride from Canada to Mexico. Riders can choose between the perilous Great Divide Mountain Bike Route or the Pacific Coast. Both routes have been mapped by the Adventure cycling Association. In both cases, the routes leave from Canada and run all the way to Mexico.
"I really want to do this trip," Paynter noted. "It is great to see so much interest in the adventuresome spirit. Probably one of my greatest mistakes in life has been in not living my dreams."
Sailors are a lot like bicycle tourists. They are the kinds of people who want to go further, do more, and be prepared for anything. If you need a break from the boat and have what it takes, then you should apply for the ranger program.
