"My first impression was how warmly we were welcomed."
by Greg DeMuth / Pactimo Ambassador
Howdy, I’m Greg. The fine folks at Pactimo asked me to write about my Brand Ambassador experience. I just finished my second year in the program.
As a rider, I’m picky [my friends say tweaky] about my kit. If we dress sharp, we feel good…If we feel good, we go well. The proper cycling shoe color is white, because it’s Euro, and because the European continent is the Mothership of all cycling. Life is way too short to bother with bargain kit. Did that sound tweaky?
I should also say that I manage to ride around 6000 miles each year on Wisconsin and Minnesota pavement, in the Rockies, and increasingly on Lake Superior Gravel.
I came across Pactimo when riding the Colorado Rocky Mountain Bike Tour about 6 years ago. Their tour kit was really special, so I ordered a custom Ascent Jersey. I really liked the fit and quality, and had a look at the Pactimo website. I eventually ordered two pair of the Raptor bibs, and was hooked. I still believe they are some of the best long distance cycling bibs manufactured anywhere.
When I applied for the Brand Ambassador program I wasn’t overly optimistic I’d be chosen. The only explanation is that there must be a late middle aged male Lutheran from northern MN demographic: for chosen I was. My first impression was how warmly we were welcomed. Josh Cook, who leads the BA program at Pactimo, has been cordial and fun to work with. One of the great perks has been being a part of a cycling community and sharing pictures on our Facebook page. It’s an instantly fun and supportive community. There was a stretch of months where a few of us were seriously injured on the bike, one hit by a car. We got to follow their stories in pictures and words. Add to that the accumulated experience of several cycling disciplines and bike knowledge, and it’s a pretty powerful social space.
In my opinion, Pactimo is always evolving and improving their products. Each year’s iteration of the aforementioned Raptor bibs has gotten better. I can’t wait to get my hands on a pair of the Summit Stratos Bibs, since the Raptor 2.0’s were so exceptional. It’s worth saying that those bibs were the first ever not to be trashed by the end of my season. I will score bonus points with my dear, supportive wife when she spots me wearing them for a second season.
When I was training in CO last June, Josh Cook invited me over to the office to meet the Pactimo team. And that’s my final reflection. Josh and I had already chatted by phone a few times, and continued our conversation over espresso. Afterward, we went back to the office and I got introduced to the whole team: It turned out that they all rode their bikes to work that morning. I got a super friendly welcome, and a first-hand peek at the creative and socially responsible Pactimo culture. It was a great experience to put names and faces together. And since I had come directly from a two pass ride earlier in the day, and had some serious stink going on, I was ALL the more impressed they came out from behind their desks to chat!
The Pactimo Brand Ambassador program is one of the best out there. If you encounter any customer care issues, you can count on the team to respond promptly…usually within a few hours. Good luck!
