This December while nursing my back and feeling sorry for myself, my buddy Robbie hit me up with a challenge. Instead of doing our annual Grinduro trip, what if we celebrated our love of dirt with another event. The Belgian Waffle ride! A mixed surface ride that combines challenging paved climbs with technical dirt roads and single track in the hills of San Diego, CA.
I’ve heard a lot about this event but it always boiled down to two things. One is how well it is run, quickly followed by how brutally hard it is. Robbie had plans to go for the “shorter” 74 mile Wafer ride. His plan was to use the trip as a way to network for his wheel company, Hifi, and get in a solid ride. The full “BWR” is around 130 miles with 10k ft of climbing. Given that at the time I could only ride for 20 minutes at a time, 74 miles seemed like a great goal to shoot for. I even bought event insurance in case I couldn’t het to the start in May.
Fast forward five months and I was on a plane to San Diego with a small amount of fitness and one 3.5 hr ride in the legs. Not what I would call ideal preparation for a 5hr ride but what I lacked in preparation I made up for in stoke. I was buzzing to be back in a place I could participate in this event and see one of my best buds.
The BWR is an event that doesn’t disappoint. I mean how could bike ride that revolves around waffles not deliver? Robbie and I met up in San Diego on Saturday with the main event happening Sunday. That afternoon we sampled the local roads with a friend of mine named Todd who lives in SD and works for the same company as me. Todd gave us great beta on the final sections of the BWR and amped us up for the ride with how stoked he was on what SD has to offer cyclist. That evening was packet pickup and a solid pasta dinner because we’re basic like that.
The morning of the BWR was perfect. Early rise, great breakfast in the hotel lobby surrounded by pros and amateurs alike in lycra slamming as many carbs as possible. Our hotel was close enough that we rode to the event start in time to see the pro men and women roll out for the full BWR. Our ride started a few minutes later.
From the gun, old race instincts kicked in and Robbie and I moved from about 600th to the top 20 in about as many minutes. From there, the neutral start was over and it got serious. I couldn’t help myself and jumped into the mix with the lead group as we hit the first dirt sector. I came out unscathed which is more than I can say for many in the group. A lot of overzealous guys and gals suffered flats due to coming in too hot in the gravel. We worked to get a selection of around 10 chasing two riders off the front after the first dirt sector. I made it my goal to pull as hard as I could each rotation and put the group into the lead. After an hour and a half of riding we were there and I knew Robbie was in the chase group behind. I also knew I didn’t have the fitness to do this for 4hrs and decided to sit up and let Robbie catch me.
A few minutes later Robbie rolled up and we hit the first of many well stocked aid station with the friendliest volunteers I have ever met. From there we rode the remaining 50 miles of the course together meeting some awesome people along the way.
People I met along the way and rode with included a Software Developer from San Francisco, the head of Visit SLC, and a couple who own a bike shop in Vancouver. All who were out there going at their pace, having a great time. Whether we spoke for moments or minutes we found something to connect on and this bike ride was the catalyst. A smile or a grimace, it didn’t matter. Everyone was genuinely stoked to be there.
I finished a few minutes ahead of Robbie which gave me time to figure out the food and beer situation, which was abundant. Thanks BWR! After all, it was Cinco De Mayo.
That afternoon after we showered and stretched Robbie and I headed back to the event to cheer on the podium and the brave souls still coming in after 10-12 hrs on the bike. Those are the true hero’s. I also got a chance to meet more industry folks from IRC, Ottolock, and Floyd’s of Leadville. All super nice people with a true passion for helping people have amazing experiences outside.
My flight departed San Diego on Monday evening, which gave Robbie and I a chance to go for an hour spin in the morning and have lunch with Robbie’s friend Carlo. Carlo was in town shooting video for the event and will be producing a piece about one of the pro teams. He is also the man behind the latest episodes of Jeremy Powers “Behind the Barriers.” Having worked in film myself, it was awesome to hear his journey and how he was able to find a career sharing his passion for cycling through film.
As Robbie and I said our goodbyes at the airport and I boarded my flight I left San Diego with sore legs and a full heart. I am forever grateful to Robbie for our friendship. We spent hours talking about the future of our families, the cycling industry, and how we want to play a bigger role in helping people celebrate their lives in the outdoors.
It needs to be said that this community of unsanctioned, mass start events is so welcoming and willing to celebrate personal achievement without judgement. This is truly the future. What else is there to say...
Not a bad way to spend a weekend.
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