The Blackburn Rangers, a group of cyclists, selected from hundreds of applicants, all of which range in experience, yet they represent what it means to push yourself physically and mentally on a bike. In essence, they embody what Blackburn is striving for as a company.

So far, there have been two years of inductees into the Rangers. Last year’s troops tackled either the Pacific Coast or the Great Divide and last week at the Whiskey Off Road, two Rangers from last year’s selection met the four new inductees…

These faces, which you’ll come to know here on the site and through Blackburn’s campaigns all brought various skills and experiences to last weekend’s Whiskey Off Road gathering. Accompanying the Rangers were the dreamy, marmot-faced photographer Brian Vernor and water color artist / shred-meister Chris McNally, both of which are (visually) responsible for the company’s new (awesome) look.

Meanwhile, as part of their media coverage, Blackburn flew me out to Arizona to meet these riders, photograph our journey, shenanigans, and of course, the Whiskey Off Road…

We crammed into a house on the outskirts of town and got to know each other over hot tub conversations, equipment setup and breakfast but we didn’t really bond until we pre-rode the Whiskey Off Road course on a blisteringly hot, altitude desert day.

Because some of the group was more road-oriented, they climbed the fire road up to the top of Granite Mountain. Meanwhile, the rest of us loaded our bikes up with camping gear and took off into the miles of winding singletrack to seek the shred.

Check out some narrated photos in the Gallery!