Took part in my second Belgian Waffle Ride on Sunday. I did the “Wafer” course, which was 73.5 miles, the full Waffle route being an additional 60 miles of road (133 miles total) that I wanted no part of. 10 hours on a bike doesn’t sound the least bit fun to me.
It’s billed as the most unique cycling event in the country, and I’d say it lives up to its moniker. It’s designed to mimic the famous single-day Belgian stage races, but since we have a severe lack of cobblestones in San Diego County, they account for it by sending us offroad on fire roads, country roads, hiking trails, sandy paths, gravel trails, singletrack, stream crossings, rock gardens, you name it!
I did the ride last year and knew I had NO business being out there. I went out too fast, cramped up before mile 20 (of 66), didn’t feed properly, and had to walk my bike over significant sections of the course. Have you ever had a cramp that goes from the arch of your foot all the way to your armpit? I did, two of them at the same time – try pedaling through that! At the end of the ride I swore I’d never do it again. Around the holidays, I’d apparently forgotten all about the pain and signed up for this year’s race.
A few things I did differently this time around that ended up making this a super fun day…
I trained like a mofo. This isn’t a ride where you can just hop off the couch. I got a Wahoo Kickr and have been waking up at 5:00am for months of structured training using the TrainerRoad software. I am the fittest I’ve ever been, even despite some ill-timed work travel. I am about 10 lbs lighter than last year.
I got a MTN bike. I contemplated using it for the BWR, and the full suspension would be great in the dirt, but with all the road to cover, it just isn’t the right tool for the job. However, what the MTN did for me was to improve my offroad technique; centering my weight over the bottom bracket, row and anti-row arm movements, picking better lines, flowing through sections, and inspiring overall confidence in sketchy situations.
I rode the same bike, my trusty ole aluminum Trek Crossrip Elite. People ride everything from road bikes to mountain bikes to fixies to elipticals, but I’d guess that the carbon gravel bike was the most popular choice (if you have >$5000 to spend). Once you’re out on the course this is where you hope you made the right call on your bike setup choice. With 30 miles of pavement (60 for Wafflers) and 40 miles of dirt there is a fine line of concessions to be made. There were a few guys on MTN, and they probably loved the dirt sections, but I passed a ton of MTN guys on the road – just too heavy with improper gearing.
I changed the setup on the Trek. Last year I rode 700x28 street slicks, which were plenty fast on tarmac, but were absolutely terrible in the singletrack, sand, and gravel. I had trouble keeping traction with the slicks, but the cross tires I chose for this year (Continental XC 700x35) were supple and confidence inspiring. I was slower than my road bike on the streets, but not by much. I also went with a new cassette in the back that has a 32 tooth ring, bigger than the 28 I was equipped with in 2017. It definitely helped, but in the last 15 miles, I was wishing I’d stepped up to a 34.
I was hoping to average 15mph on-road and 10mph off-road which would put me in the finish chute at around 6 hours - about a 30 minute improvement over my 2017 time. I maintained about 220 watts for the day, paced myself well, ate pretty good, used the aid stations, flowed through the dirt sections, hid from headwinds in groups of riders, coasted descents, and really tried to use every ounce of momentum I generated with no wasted efforts. Had a few solid pulls where I got some props from other riders, but tried not to be the workhorse.
I wrecked on a dirt section, my only crash of the day – I had the choice of falling into a ravine or taking a concrete wall to the chest. I opted for the latter and busted up my left hand pretty good, but it was better than the alternative! I also flatted in a rock garden and did a NASCAR-esque replacement to get back in the game. My buddy and I were in a fair amount of pain by the end – about 40 minutes of climbing 6-22% inclines before finally descending to the finish at Lost Abbey Brewery.
My official time was 5 hours 49 minutes 27 seconds - about 45 minutes faster than last year. I didn't really worry about anyone else's performance, but I finished 207/435. So stoked! Finisher beers tasted great after my self-imposed 6-week alcohol ban. My wife said I looked much better at the end of this one, and I could feel it too. Mild cramping that night, took a couple rest days and I’m already back on my training program for my next race.
TL/DR: Cool story bro, I was in a punishing bike ride on Sunday and actually had fun.
Belgian Waffles for every rider, it was about 50 degrees before the start...
Probably about 30 miles of this washboard.
Highway patrol escorts along most stretches we shared with cars.
Eatin dust while climbing.
Pick your line.
These pussies could have kept their feet dry if they rode through the creek like I did.
Or they could have taken a bath like this poor sap...
If coffee is for closers, beers are for finishers.
Proof I am not built like your average cyclist...
that was awesome.. but the 2 mile climb to the endpoint was an ass whipper.. at least i had liquid carbs..
