2015 SPY Belgian Waffle Ride Official Magazine

THE

BELGIAN WAFFLE RIDE

THE MOST UNIQUE CYCLING EVENT IN THE U.S. BWR - 1

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YOU HAVE COMMITTED TO RIDING IN THE MOST UNIQUE CYCLING EVENT IN THE COUNTRY Hosted by The Lost Abbey and benefiting the Challenged Athletes Foundation®, the fourth annual SPY Belgian Waffle Ride promises to be all the things we say it will be each year: longer, more challenging, dirtier and climbier than ever before.

Created in the spirit of the great Spring Monuments, the SPY BWR will take riders on an all-new course that incorporates two diabolically distinctive loops of 70 miles each. Using The Lost Abbey Brewery as the start, midway point and finish, the 2015 BWR will still be a ronde through North County San Diego, clattering through agrarian hamlets and hills reminiscent of the Ardennes in a never ending string of climbs as riders rattle along roughly paved roads and trails carved through inland San Diego’s beautiful rural backcountry. This year’s SPY BWR will have new pavé and dirt sections, with some punctuated by steep, Muur-like barriers.

Yes, much more so than previous years, the 2015 edition of the SPY BWR will feature terrain that is selective in the true sense of the word: single track trails, gravel climbs, rock gardens, water crossings, dismounts, mile long sand boxes (play nice, people) and lots more climbing. This year, from the beginning, the course will throw an unending buffet of tough terrain down the gullet of the peloton. It is sadistically designed to swiftly and deftly separate the Freddy Freeloaders from the Hardman and does so by forcing the groups into long lines that are eventually broken into smaller and smaller groups, until riders are left to fend for themselves. There will be no lead-out men, no team tactics, no conspiring and no place to hide, and this is why the usual guys on the group rides aren’t here. The course is created to allow riders the opportunity of true fulfillment, which only can be achieved with mettle and perseverance. And thus, in the SPY BWR, all will find a multifaceted, ugly, technical, tactical, grinding, pounding, relentless, spirit-sapping, muscle-cramping beatdown in the finest tradition of classic Belgian road races.

At some point very early on, riders will be alone, and herein awaits their real opportunity.

This one-day event will require superhuman efforts from many just to finish before the cut off times along the course. Most will need to resign themselves to marking their palmares as “finisher,” or cutting the course and hoping no one is watching (as many have done in the past, so we have a failsafe to identify these people). Others will consider it a victory of the highest degree to reach the finish before the cut-off time at 8:30pm without being reduced to whimpering, tears, or the ignominy of being cracked and spit out the back by the undulations, attacks, dirt, and climbs simply so they may proudly finish and taste Judgment Day out of the myriad kegs from The Lost Abbey before they have been drained by earlier thirsty finishers.

The course will feature something for everyone—mountain bikers, ‘cross racers, road racers, ElliptiGO racers—except wheel suckers, for whom the only sentence will be a thorough beating, and a purple card. Sprints, KOMs, kUDOs (most-spirited rider in remembrance of Udo Heinz) and rolling hills will allow the Hardman and Hardwoman to flog the Freddy Freeloaders seen hiding in group rides everywhere. You know who you are, and so do we. For you, this ride is redemption, or even an introduction to the strange art of the long, hard ride.

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FACTOTUM Michael Marckx EDITOR IN CHIEF Maddy Isbell SENIOR EDITORS Jenna Klein Andrew Thomas GRAPHIC DESIGN Mauricio Obando Tony Larson Joe Yule Arlene Vera

ON THE COVER 2014 BWR Overall Winner Neil Shirley and El Diablo

Photo by Haldane Morris BWR - 6

CONTRIBUTORS MMX Seth Davidson Ryan Trebon Neil Shirley Logan Fiedler David McNeal Alan Flores Nicole Duke Bill Holford Jason Fackler David Jaeger Jim Pappe Andy McClure Joe Yule PHOTOGRAPHERS Tony Larson Chris Cleary Jake Orness Kristy Morrow Lucas Keenan Sean O’Brien Haldane Morris

CONTENT 08 SPRING CLASSICS

FOR A 10 RIDE CAUSE

14 BWR CATEGORIES

18 FINISHER CONFESSIONS

20 COMPETING ATHLETES

24 COURSE MAP

26 AWARD CATEGORIES

28 COURSE FACTS

BWR 32 2014 RECAP

42 SPY HISTORY

44 GLOSSARY

BWR 46 2015 SPONSORS

EVENT SCHEDULE SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 2015 Noon to 5pm - Pre-race Expo at The Lost Abbey (number pick-up)

SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2015 6:00am 8:00am 8:10a m 8:20am 8:30am 8:45am 12:00pm 3:00pm 6:30pm

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Expo opens, food engorging commences Roll out wave 1 Roll out wave 2 Roll out wave 3 Roll out wave 4 Roll out Wafer Ride Kegs are flowing for the Wafer finishers First BWR finishers arrive Awards ceremony

AWARD CATEGORIES FOR MEN AND WOMEN GC - Yellow Jersey KOM - Polka Dot (Waffle) Jersery kUDOs - Orange (Udo Heinz Award) KOS - Green Jersey Hardman & Hardwoman - Belgian Blue Jersey Freeloader - Purple Wanker Jersey BWR - 7

SPRING CLASSICS

EDDY MERCKX

The arrival of spring across Europe heralds the start of the annual series of lengthy one-day spring, cobbled and Ardennes Classics—races that pit riders against muddy farm roads paved with rough-hewn cobblestones and unpredictable weather. Very few choose to enter the Spring Classics because of their brutality, leaving riders feeling as though they had just ridden a three-week grand tour.

Bringing the Hell of the North (county) to our own backyard, the SPY Belgian Waffle Ride is our homage—and unusual take—on the most exalted races in cycling history, the Spring Classics.

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1952

PARIS-ROUBAIX

1976

MILAN - SAN REMO

1977

GENT-WEVELGEM

2012

E3 HARELBEKE

Deemed the Hell of the North, Paris-Roubaix is one of the most brutal one-day races known to man. On a good day, it is an accomplishment to finish the race. On a bad day, riding this beast can be one of the most insidious things you can possibly tackle. 1952 saw a showdown between savvy Italian climber Fausto Coppi and the Belgian Classic crusher Rik Van Steenbergen, with all of Belgium looking on as Steenbergen vied for redemption following a bad result at the Tour of Flanders. The pace was lightning quick from the start, but when Coppi incited the first break, only five riders endured—and Steenbergen wasn’t one of them. Coppi kept the pace just below a death march as they drilled ahead, until against all odds, Steenbergen emerged from his solo pursuit over the cobblestones, catching Fausto as they eyed the last climb. Though Coppi attacked repeatedly, Van Steenbergen never lost sight of his wheel, eventually entering a roaring velodrome and sprinting past Coppi in the final turn to victory.

“La Primavera” is one of cycling’s Five Monuments, and also happens to be the longest oneday race covering 298km. This race is an unusual test of endurance, especially so early in the season, and while skeptics state it is more of a sprinters delight, only the best prepared will find victory. In 1976, “prepared” did not define the state of an aging Eddy Merckx, but you can’t keep a good Cannibal down. Overcoming a recent bout of bronchitis, Merckx attacked mercilessly three times to rid his rivals, who fought back until eventually being dropped at the Poggio. As the two Belgians—Merckx and Jean-Luc Vandenbroucke—emerged for the final ascent, the remainder of the peloton fell behind, leaving Merckx and Vandenbroucke neck and neck as they hammered toward San Remo. It was here that Eddy grit his teeth and erupted past Vandenbroucke’s wheel for his final attack, blowing everyone’s minds on his way to a record-holding seven-time victory.

Pissing rain and swirling winds typically signal the start of Gent-Wevelgem, a relatively “easy” Spring Classic when contrasted with the hellish Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders. This Cobbled Classic houses notorious climbs, and though the route avails itself to strong sprinters, riders must test their mettle against foul weather and slick, evil cobbles to even stand a chance. Won almost entirely by Belgians for nearly five decades, a young Bernard Hinault climbed to the top in 1977, taking on an all-new course that pitted riders against an unprecedented amount of categorized climbs. Naysayers discounted the young Frenchman with many of cycling’s stars absent—Merckx, Maertens, and DeVlaeminck, to name a few—but lest we not forget Hinault went on to win LiègeBastogne-Liège only five days later. Merckx, Maertens and DeVlaeminck were there.

A prestigious Cobbled Classic, E3 Harelbeke signifies the kickoff of Flemish cycling week, staging riders against cobbles and climbs as they clamber through a 210-kilometer tour through East Flanders. Preceding the Tour of Flanders and packing several of the same climbs into its route, it’s no surprise riders hone their tactics at E3 Prijs before chasing a win at the Ronde shortly after. No one else proved this better than Tom Boonen in 2012. Leading a mass sprint as the peloton rounded the final corner, the Belgian inched away to claim his fifth Harelbeke win. In true hardman fashion, Boonen also got cozy with the top step at Paris Roubaix, Tour of Flanders and Gent-Wevelgem that year.

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RIDE FOR A CAUSE CHALLENGED ATHLETES FOUNDATION

RIDE FOR A CAUSE

SPY Belgian Waffle Ride competitors are donating funds to support the event beneficiary—the Challenged Athletes Foundation® (CAF), a world leader in helping people with physical challenges lead active, healthy lifestyles.

ABOUT CHALLENGED ATHLETES FOUNDATION

The Challenged Athletes Foundation® (CAF) is a world leader in helping people with physical challenges lead active, healthy lifestyles. CAF believes that participation in physical activity at any level increases selfesteem, encourages independence and enhances quality of life. Since 1994, more than $64 million has been raised and over 11,000 funding requests from people with physical challenges in all 50 states and dozens of countries have been satisfied. Additionally, CAF’s outreach efforts reach another 60,000 individuals each year. Whether it’s a $2,500 grant for a handcycle, helping underwrite a carbon fiber running foot not covered by insurance, or arranging enthusiastic encouragement from a mentor who has triumphed over a similar challenge, CAF’s mission is clear: give opportunities and support to those with the desire to live active, athletic lifestyles .

CAF MISSION & VALUES

Challenged Athletes Foundation provides opportunities and support to people with physical challenges so they can pursue active lifestyles through physical fitness and competitive athletics. The Challenged Athletes Foundation believes that involvement in sports at any level increases self-esteem, encourages independence and enhances quality of life.

VISION

CAF works to be a recognized leader in a movement through which physically challenged athletes are accepted and respected at the same level as able-bodied athletes. CAF strives to have a great and significant impact on each physically challenged athlete served, and reach out to the physically challenged community by providing inspiration, awareness and mentoring.

Challenged Athletes Inc. | Challenged Athletes Foundation PO Box 910769 | San Diego, CA 92191 | Phone: 858.866.0959 | Fax: 858.866.0958 Non-Profit #33-0739596 | www.challengedathletes.org

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COMPETING CAF ATHLETES WILLIE STEWART

Nicknamed “One Arm” Willie, Stewart is an inspiration to challenged and able-bodied athletes alike. While working construction, Willie endured a horrific accident that ripped off his arm just below the shoulder, leaving him an above-the-elbow amputee. As a phenomenal threesport athlete in high school and undefeated state champion in wrestling, this type of injury was devastating. Right after the accident, he thought he would never play sports again. A few years later, Willie tapped into his former sports experiences in an attempt to rediscover athletics and regain confidence. He became the captain of the Washington Rugby Football Club and from there got involved in the world of endurance sports. After a fateful encounter with Jim MacLaren, the first ever CAF grantee, Willie discovered more opportunities to get involved in sports through CAF. Stewart’s list of incredible accomplishments speak for themselves. Willie was named Ironman “Outstanding Age Group Athlete for 2004”, he is one of the top 10 disabled skiers in his class in the world and he won a silver medal at the 2002 Paralympic Games. He is also a former ITU World Traithlon, Duathlon and XTERRA World Champion in his division. Willie is a 15-time Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon finisher and current course record holder, two time finisher of the grueling HURT 100 mile run in Honolulu, Hawaii, and has kayaked the Grand Canyon with one arm. Willie has been a part of the CAF family since the beginning nearly 20 years ago and has been supported with equipment, training and competition grants – he is currently training for this 6th Leadville 100 MTB and is fired up for his third BWR!

JUAN CARLOS

Formerly fighting on the U.S. Army frontline, CAF’s Operation Rebound athlete Juan Carlos Hernandez will make his way to the BWR start line as a first time competitor in 2015. A helicopter gunner who lost his right leg in 2008 after being struck by a rocket-propelled grenade in Afghanistan, Hernandez discovered cycling as a vehicle to overcome his disability only six months later— riding alongside hundreds of others on a 400-mile journey from San Antonio to Fort Worth.

Hooked on cycling ever since, Hernandez has found continued support through the CAF’s Operation Rebound program, recently finishing the infamous Leadville 100—a ride replete with 12,000 ft. of climbing over 104 miles—in addition to La Ruta De Los Conquistadores in Costa Rica. Juan Carlos was just presented with a new adaptive bike at CAF’s A Celebration of Will Gala and is ready for the grueling challenge of the BWR!

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SPY BELGIAN WAFFLE RIDE CATEGORIES For the 2015 edition, we have male and female categories for the appropriate riders to contend for. The winners in each category receive a 2015 BWR custom jersey and custom SPY BWR sunglasses. They include: Overall Winner (Yellow), KOM—King of the Mountain (Polka Dot), kUDOs (Orange), Sprinter (Green), Hardman (Blue) and the now infamous Freddy Freeloader (Purple).

WINNER

WINNER

WINNER

WINNER

PARTICIPANT

WINNER

PARTICIPANT

With safety as an important tenet of the event, we’ve crafted a fun and dynamic way to achieve glory in each of these categories, with each one being slightly different. In order to participate in the event and contend for any of these Awards (and the finisher’s jersey), every rider needs to join Strava. It’s free.

If you haven’t already downloaded the application and/or aren’t a member, you can do so here: strava.com Once you’ve signed up, you will need to add yourself to the SPY BWR club, which you can find here: http://app.strava.com/clubs/spy-bwr Through Strava, we will be able to track every rider’s overall time, times and placings on various segments, and adherence to riding the full course. The application will be able to provide dynamic information for all riders as to their overall placing (we will also have official timing and placings onsite), as well as showcase how they did for each of the various categories in their age bracket, weight bracket, and gender.

At the end of the ride, for those that finish, we will have computers available for uploading each rider’s info and this is how we will compile the results for the award categories. Those using their smart phones can upload immediately upon finishing. This system does put the onus on each rider to have properly working computers and/or smart phones for the event—we suggest using both if possible, for backup. SPY will track overall finishing times and places, but will rely on Strava data to determine category winners and adherence to the official course.

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PURPLE CARD EDDY DON’T WANT NO FREDDYS

THE DREADED PURPLE CARD IS BACK …

Let’s face it, most dream of riding on the front for more than two hours during the Saturday group ride, hearing those wheel suckers behind gasping for oxygen, all the while continually turning the screws on everyone in line. So why then do so many continue to sit on wheels the entire time, hoping to never experience any wind hitting their face, instead opting to breathe in the expired carbon monoxide of the hardmen up front working for nothing more than the masochistic satisfaction nature has intended for them.

If they were to be riding in Belgium things would be juxtaposed. No one dare sit at the back; the front is the only rite of passage, where pain tolerance is as tough as Dirty Harry’s cheek bones. So when the Belgians describe their fixation with Belgian cycling god Eddy Merckx, you start to understand how tough this man really is. And this was the vision/ mission/purpose of the birth of the PURPLE CARD..

For those of you who don’t know, the PURPLE CARD was invented to foster honor within the BWR peloton and its splintered groups, by forcing those who would normally cower from the wind to come to the front and help. In creating this dynamic disruption to typical bike racing, overall placing will be much more reflective of an accurate achievement; much like running a marathon. This alone, more so than the difficulty of the course, is what differentiates the SPY Belgian Waffle Ride from any other ride or race, ever.

For those that do know, 70% of the group never gets within 50 yards of the front; 80% never take a pull; 90% of the work gets done by 5 or 6 riders… or less. To us, this is just wrong. Especially if there are sprints or KOMs involved, where there are the guys in the 80% who all of sudden show up out of nowhere to sprint or attack the hill. Yes, “that guy” with an expensive bike and flashy kit who never gets their nose in the wind and does any work for the group. We call these riders the FREDDY FREELOADERS, poseurs, malingerers and slackers.

We want this one day of the year to be completely rid of these Poseurs— THE WHEEL SUCK’N WANKERS -so we’ve created the Purple Card and THE PURPLE FREDDY FREELOADER JERSEY to try to create balance in a world gone awry with malingerers and slackers. The SPY BWR was created to foster equal effort amongst peers, where the work load is to be shared by all, and not the few. Altering the usual statistics and wreaking havoc on the group ride dynamic is the aim. After all, SPY is all about HAPPILY DISRESPECTING THE USUAL WAY OF LOOKING (at Life). Isn’t it a wonderful thing? A peloton with a conscience, where your finishing place is based on merit and the work to get there isn’t done by the strong to deliver the weak. WE LOVE BELGIUM.

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PAGE 16-17 - GIANT

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© 2015 GIANT BICYCLE INC. PHOTO: @CAMERONBAIRD

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3-TIME BWR FINISHER CONFESSIONS SETH DAVIDSON

The first BWR had 118 starters. It was invitation-only, and we got a little speech before we started about how the ride would roll neutral for a ways until it didn’t. We were told to ride hard, ride safely, and to do our share at the front or suffer the ignominy of winning the Freddy Freeloader purple jersey.

A few miles into that inaugural BWR (somewhere after Phil won the first sprint but before the crazy naked lady chased us off Country Club Road with a broom) I found myself in pretty much the same place I’ve found myself in every subsequent one: alone, dusty, and way too tired way too early. I barely made it across the line, and it was tame by today’s standards as it only covered 118 miles, 30 of which were dirt, and only included about 9k of elevation.

You know that old expression, “It done drove me to drink”? After being on the wagon for three years I fell off with a mighty thud at the end of the 2012 BWR. So, as Noel would say, there’s that.

At the outset of this, the fourth edition, only a handful of riders have completed each BWR from start to finish. They are all weird people.

The reasons that so few have completed all three rides are manifold. Some cut the course, many quit, a few broke their bicycles in half, lots skipped a year, tons checked it off their list and moved on, and an infamous few have resorted to well planned, elaborate excuses that pop up months, weeks, days, or even hours before the event.

“Honey, I’m really sick, sicker than I’ve ever been in my whole life,” is a common complaint the morning of. And each year the event has gotten harder. The 2015 edition will feature 138 miles total, 40-ish of dirt, much of which is fiendishly hard, and 13k of elevation. All that’s missing is a bit of base jumping, a few rattlesnake pits, and having to wrestle an alligator. The simple fact is that if it took me 8.5 hours last year, and I lumbered across the line utterly spent, there’s a good chance that this year I flat out won’t finish. And it’s not just me.

But with the increased difficulty has come expanded festivity. A full day’s worth of food, drinking, and expo-ing on Saturday and full-bore food and “survivor’s beer” are on offer the day of the event. Sure, the sun will have been down for three hours, everyone will mostly be gone, and the only people who will enjoy the scraps are the grave diggers and the coroner, but it’s the thought that counts.

And the thought is this: it’s good to have things in your life that push you to the edge and that give you a knot of fear in your belly from time to time. It’s good to commit yourself to a goal and then give it your all, because Yoda was wrong – there is only try.

BWR will eventually leave you alone anyway, so in that sense it’s good preparation for death. Alone on a dirt trail, alone on a steep climb, alone with a broken wheel or a shattered rear derailleur. Instead of induction into the winner’s circle, the overwhelming statistical probability of it all is that you’ll be darn lucky to finish. There’s a comforting equality to the BWR in that it abuses everyone with equal ferocity, as we all cross the line gaunt, stunned, ugly, empty, surprised, spent.

On the other hand, we keep coming back for an amazing day of something-more-than-just-bicycling, and what follows here are the observations of those riders who through luck, skill, fitness, luck, preparation, equipment choice, luck, and a whole lot of luck, have made it through each and every edition.

By the end of the day on April 26, 2015, this already brief list will be shorter still.

RYAN TREBON

For the past three years one of my best and favorite sponsors has continued to try and break me every year at the BWR, year after year they continue to up the ante or miles, elevation gain, pain, suffering however you want to look at it. For me, the BWR is a chance to spend the day with great folks on awesomely challenging roads just pummeling each other mile after mile for 7-8hrs. In other words, a perfect day! I think what makes BWR an anomaly in a world full of bike rides is SPY honestly, the ride really showcases the unique character of the brand. I look pensively forward to it every year. I enjoy the grueling challenge the deep down pain in the bones while riding up double peak towards the end, the pre-ride feast and the party afterwards.

Come for the challenge, stay for the beer.

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NEIL SHIRLEY

If it’s true that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then BWR should be very flattered. The most unique event in the world is responsible for creating a whole new category of events, each one very different from the other, and all so very fun.

Lining up for the first BWR four years ago no one really quite knew what we were getting ourselves into, or where the event would be today. By the time we finished, six, seven, or maybe even ten hours later we all knew what a special event it was indeed. It was everything that other races were not; and that’s a good thing.

Winning or simply finishing is a feat, and it’s likely to be the most challenging day you’ve ever had on a bike. Thanks to the course’s ever increasing difficulty, every year I can claim the same thing--that was the hardest day, ever. To cross the finish line first at BWR you need to have spent way too many hours in the saddle, obsessed over everything you’ve eaten, agonized over your equipment choices, and most importantly have a whole lot of luck on your side.

DAVID JAEGER

I won the first BWR. I really did. And I don’t think I’ve ever seen the front of the subsequent BWR pelotons since.

Crazy man and SPY President/CEO had emailed me and asked if he could take a page from my long standing 117-mile French Toast Ride (FTR) and put his own twist on it. Sure, I had replied. And then he invited me. He said he was going to include some hard dirt sections and a local baby hill they call Double Peak. Maybe make it a little longer than the FTR. Add some more elevation.

We started off the inaugural BWR full of happiness and good energy. The grass was green, the sky was blue and the sun was shining. Everywhere we looked there were butterflies and unicorns. I didn’t want to be caught riding behind a couple hundred people I didn’t really know, so I worked to stay toward the front. There was no dicking around. And when we hit the first check-in point somewhere around mile 35, where cool dudes and hot chicks had to manually mark your bib number with a colored Sharpie, mayhem ensued. Those that dismounted and remounted quickly at the locked gate a few hundred yards before the check-in made a quick feed stop, got marked and were off. Everybody else was a packed and tangled sea of bikes, legs, handlebars and yelling. “Holy shit”, I thought.

I better get out of here and catch those guys who already left. Except one of them was Ryan “Badass” Trebon. And he was drilling it.

It took me two plus miles of total TT effort to catch back on. Fortunately it involved dodging in and out of traffic, usually against on-coming cars across the double yellow line on the twisty rolling road. The drivers were not happy. I was simply scared witless. Wondering what was possessing me to care so much as to risk orphaning my three kids. It was just another unsanctioned Freddy ride where there was nothing of note to gain. True, there was the promise of free beer at the end, but why ride like an idiot for that? As a mildly successful professional I initially thought perhaps I had matured to the point of being willing to simply throw down my own cash and buy my own beer rather than be DOA for free stuff. Apparently I wasn’t. Or riding alone for another 95 miles didn’t sound very encouraging. So I rode like an idiot until I caught back on.

Lake Hodges is the stupidest thing in the world to ride around on a road bike. I’ll never do this again. Gianormus rocks with teeth are everywhere.

One of our group flats out. Sucks to be you...

Eventually we run into this little bump called Double Peak. I’m plenty beat, my back hurts. It is hot as heck. Three of us crest the top together.

My two BFF’s, one Steve K. and Brett P., flip a U-turn and shoot down the hill. My poor dirt riding experience is second only to my poor downhill ability. For at least the third time in the day I see my life flash before my eyes as I catch on. We three ride together in the dry hot air. I only know the hurt locker is open and I have fallen in to it.

As we rolled into the finish area we chatted about taking swings at each other and sprinting. But we knew there were a couple guys in front of us, so why bother… We rode across the line together. MMX, crazy man extraordinaire, granted myself and my two finishing partners yellow jerseys for the first ever BWR. A three-way tie. How cool was that? You think that is weak? Do YOU have a yellow BWR jersey? I do. I pedaled and suffered every single inch of it. And that jersey is so special it comes out only on special occasions. Like when the Queen of England is in town.

Or Eddie Merckx wants to see it. Or some unbelieving sap doesn’t believe me after hearing me tell them this same story over and over again.

2015 is gonna be my year!

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2015 BWR ATHLETES NEIL SHIRLEY

Neil Shirley has become accustomed to the everything awful about the Waffle, conquering its spirit sapping dirt and vertical to win the event two times. A gritty all-arounder who’s achieved outstanding individual results during his eightyear professional road-racing career, Neil turned pro as a road cyclist in 2004 and joined the Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling Team in 2006. His accomplishments include a 1st-place finish at the Edgar Soto Memorial Stage Race, stage win at Cascade Classic, 2nd overall and KOM winner at Tour of Utah, multiple wins at the University Road Race and the Ventura County Stage Race, and a 3rd-place finish at the 2007 USPRO Championships behind 3x Tour of California Champion Levi Leipheimer and 3x USPRO Champion George Hincapie. Occupying the hot seat as the editor for Road Bike Action Magazine, Neil keeps his finger on the pulse of the racing scene while taking time to crush the occasional crit and Gran Fondo.

DAVE ZABRISKIE

If there ever was an athlete who fits into the oddly shaped box that SPY is all about, it’s Dave Zabriskie—or Captain America as he’s known. Dave is one of the world’s most popular cyclists not only for his quirky personality and affinity for comic books, but also his race results which any racer would envy. He has worn the yellow jersey at the Tour de France, is the only American to have won stages at all three Grand Tours and is a 5-time US Time Trial Champion. Finding the spotlight once again in 2014 as part of a 4-man team undertaking Ride Across America, Zabriskie assisted his team— dubbed The Legends of the Road—as they shattered the course record in a time of 5 days, 11 hours and 41 minutes. Pulling a double shift for the final 200 miles on a journey that spanned 3,020 total, BWR is practically a taper week for Captain America.

RYAN TREBON

Two-time National Cyclo-Cross Champion Ryan Trebon is a beast, and we’re not just talking about his height. Nicknamed “Tree Farm” for his lanky 6’5” frame, Trebon lives in Bend, Oregon and specializes in mountain and cyclo-cross racing. Winning the USA National Cross-County Mountain Bike Championships and the USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Championships in 2006, Trebon made history as the first American man to take titles in both disciplines during the same year. Known for his humorous, laid back personality before and after a race, make no confusion; when it’s on, it’s on. Winning pro men’s division and eliminator race at the Ute Valley Pro XCT, Trebon is set to cause a ruckus for many years to come. Using his CX skills to crush his way through the gravel and grit, Tree Farm shared 2012 King of the Waffle honors with Neil Shirley and Lars Finanger, and stood on the podium in third during the 2014 edition.

PHIL TINSTMAN

Phil is a SPY employee who wins almost every single masters race on the calendar. Last year, Phil won the Boulevard Road Race in the 35+ category, only to smash everyone the next day when he took the win at the Red Trolley Criterium. So you know this cat can ride a road bike. How does this factor in for his potential domination at BWR? Lest we forget his former years as a Downhill pro, a small detail that may enable him to bomb down Highland or Bandy Canyon on his 25c road tires, leaving the peloton behind in a wake of dirt. Perhaps the most annoying part is his gentlemanly manner, great smile and infectiously positive attitude toward life, which gives you no excuse to dislike the guy—even as he rides you off his wheel.

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CAMERON WURF

A young Australian with the thirst of a dingo, Cameron Wurf has climbed the ranks as a Cannondale pro with a penchant for time trialing. A former Olympian in men’s lightweight double sculls—that’s technical speak for a beast in a boat—Wurf’s rowing background will come in handy as he harnesses his big engine to take on the brutal beatdowns of the Belgian Waffle Ride for his first time. Winning the Chrono Champenois and the Oceania Games individual time trial title in 2007 during his first year as a pro, expect to see Wurf in the front as the pelton blows through.

CHARON SMITH

Charon operates on a whole ‘nother level, the level where wattage reads as a four-digit number. Concealing countless gold medals from SoCal Masters division wins under his Surf City Cyclery jersey, one may question how this Crit crusher will fare against desolation and dirt, but we have faith. Smashing the 2015 San Dimas Stage Race—yes, a road race—Smith proved his power quads are capable of more than savvy sprinting, and he’ll surely engage them once more as he passes you through rolling backroad descents.

RICK BIENIAS

Have you ever been dropped by someone on an ElliptiGO? Luckily for you, the 2015 Belgian Waffle Ride can afford you that experience courtesty of Rick Bienias. Often spotted across San Diego County towing the downtrodden in his wake, Rick snatched the Palomar KOM in 2012 with a time of 57:35 on a bike, only to stride up this famous son of a pitch on his ElliptiGO with a time of 1:10 in 2014. Posting quad-busting, pain inducing PR’s on his ‘GO’, Rick is rich in knowledge when it comes to reading the road, a skill honed from year’s as an elite amateur cyclist and genuine badass. When the field is caught clutching their 11-32 and praying for relief, Bienias will evoke his inner hardman and leave you wishing you were sitting in his draft all the way up Double Peak.

MARK MILLER

Mark Miller is a professional off-road racer who has traditionally competed on four wheels instead of two. Best known for racing rally cars across African, Argentine and Chilean deserts, Mark has achieved multiple podium finishes in the Dakar Rally as part of the Volkswagen factory team. Mark has published an autobiography titled “DashThe Dakar Rally, Life and Happiness,” in which he tells the story of transitioning from his career as a stockbroker to the life of off-road racing. In recent years, Mark has taken cycling up as a hobby and frequently references his experience behind the wheel as an inspiration for racing bicycles. His entry into this year’s BWR reinforces his passion for racing and pushing his limits as an endurance athlete.

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2015 BWR ATHLETES SUNNY GARCIA

World Champions aren’t fickle in their endeavors. They are driven by a thirst for success mere mortals may never encounter—a thirst 6-time Triple Crown winner and ASP World Champion surfer Sunny Garcia is famous for. Upping his training regime after challenging long-time friend and MMA fighter BJ Penn to compete in the 2013 Kona Lava Man, Sunny discovered a newfound love for triathlon on his way to besting Penn’s overall time by five minutes.

Recently completing the Oceanside 70.3, Sunny’s tact and unconstrainted determination has helped him dominate the North Shore for decades—a trait he’ll surely apply to the Hell of the North (County).

JENNIFER WHALEN

Whether she’s flying under the moniker Jennifer Whalen or Jackie Wolfe, this California Girl likes it up front. A staple on the SoCal race scene, Whalen has gathered gold more than a few times—most notably at the 2015 Rosena Ranch Circuit Race, 2014 Orange County Cycling Classic (overall Omnium and stage) and at the 2013 Madera Stage Race in all stages and GC (cat 3). When she’s not donning lyrca, Jen writes and produces for Warner Bros. in addition to letting her twisted humor run rampant as the producer and co-creator of the California Girls series. A 2014 BWR podium finisher, expect Whalen to blast through the women’s field on her way to the bottom—of ale that is.

AMANDA NAUMAN

Amanda Nauman is tougher than the BWR dirt sections.

Making herself at home on the top of the SoCalCross Women’s podium, Amanda “Panda” Nauman churns through dirt on the regular as one of the top women’s CX’ers in the nation. Riding for SDG Bellether p/b Krema Peanut Butter, Nauman is known to commonly overcome great bouts of suffering under conditions that leave grown men in the fetal position. With heavy Strava equity to her name—25 pages of QOM’s to be exact—Panda has amassed cups and crowns aplenty during past Belgian Waffle Ride excursions—and you can expect the same in 2015.

RHONDA QUICK

Rhonda Quick has an affinity for the waffle. Dubbed the female winner in 2012, Quick had to settle for third in 2013, but returned with a vengeance in 2014 to reclaim the top spot on the podium. A former pro who still rides like one, Quick’s professional cycling career was littered with notable results, including a 1st place finish at the Valley of the Sun Stage race and a 5th place finish at Tour of Gila in 2001. Though it’s been over a decade since Quick raced for the likes of Jane Cosmetics, Jamba Juice and Trek/Clif, she’s fluent on everything from tarmac to gravel, making her a staple in the front of the BWR peleton. Watch for Rhonda when the hammer drops, because she’ll be the one dropping it.

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THANK THANK YOU YOU FOR FOR MAKING MAKING HIS HIS DREAM DREAM AA REALITY. REALITY.

E I L L I W M ONE-ANGRAT ‘TTHHEE OOAASSIISS’’ RREEFFUUEELLIING AT ‘

BY

BY RIDING RIDING IN IN THE THE BWR, BWR, WILLIE WILLIE IS IS SHOWING SHOWING OTHER OTHER PEOPLE PEOPLE WITH WITH PHYSICAL PHYSICAL CHALLENGES CHALLENGES WHAT WHAT IS IS POSSIBLE POSSIBLE AND AND YOU’RE YOU’RE SUPPORTING SUPPORTING THEM THEM WITH WITH ADAPTIVE ADAPTIVE EQUIPMENT, EQUIPMENT, TRAINING, TRAINING, COMPETITION COMPETITION EXPENSES EXPENSES AND AND AA COMMUNITY COMMUNITY OF OF MENTORING MENTORING AND AND SUPPORT. SUPPORT. THAT THAT SAID, SAID, YOU YOU BETTER BETTER HOPE HOPE WILLIE WILLIE GETS GETS LOST LOST IN IN THE THE OASIS OASIS AGAIN AGAIN THIS THIS YEAR...

YEAR...

IT’S IT’S PROBABLY PROBABLY YOUR YOUR ONLY ONLY CHANCE CHANCE AT AT BEATING BEATING HIM HIM TO TO THE THE FINISH FINISH LINE. LINE.

PROUD BENEFITING CHARITY OF BWR PROUD BENEFITING CHARITY OF BWR

CHALLENGEDATHLETES.ORG CHALLENGEDATHLETES.ORG BWR - 23

THE HELL OF THE

WHETHER WAFFLING OR WAFERI

COURSE MAP 06 HIDDEN MEADOWS

07

CARLSBAD

08

SAN ELIJO

WAFER LAP

SAN MARCOS

17 ESCONDIDO

16 ENCINITAS

15 10

05

14

11 RANCHO BERNARDO

09

RANCHO SANTA FE

POWAY

02 01

12

03

13 BWR - 24

04

NORTH (COUNTY )

ING, THERE’S NO EASY WAY OUT.

RIDE SAFE. RIDE TOUGH. RIDE HAPPY.

FIRST 18 MILES ARE DESIGNATED “NEUTRAL WAFFLE DIGESTION SECTION.” LOST ABBEY TO SWITCHENBERG.

THE FIRST OFF-ROAD SECTION OF THE 2015 BWR. IT’S A 1-MILE/1.5-KM TRAIL THAT PARALLELS THE THIRD OF THE THREE WITCHES, TAKING RIDERS OFF OF THE ROAD ONTO A SLIPPERY TRAIL. IT’S NARROW AND TRICKY.

sWITCHenberg

01

THE LONGEST OFF-ROAD SEGMENT AT SIX AND A HALF KILOMETERS. SAINT LUSARDI WILL ENSURE THAT THE RACE YOU THOUGHT YOU WERE GONNA HAVE IS REPLACED BY THE RACE YOU SHOULD HAVE PREPARED FOR. SAND, GRAVEL, DIRT, WATER CROSSING, CLIMB. MANY WILL FALL AT THE FEET OF SAINT LUSARDI.

Saint Lusardi

02 Het Spoor Van Zwarte

03

Sandy Bandy

04 05

Ysabel Creek Poema Passenberg

06

A DOWNRIGHT DIABOLICAL ADDITION TO THE BWR, THE SANDY BANDY FEATURE ESCHEWS THE HEAVENLY SMOOTH AND OPEN ROAD ALONG BANDY CANYON, OPTING FOR A DEVILISH DIRT TRAIL THAT IS MOSTLY QUICKSAND.

THE CONNECTOR FROM BANDY CANYON, PREVIOUSLY IN OTHER BWRS GOING THE OTHER DIRECTION. THIS 1-KM SAND ROAD HAS HOLES THE SIZE OF RHODE ISLAND AND A POTENTIAL WATER CROSSING. PRAY FOR RAIN! THIS IS THE CROWN JEWEL OF THE FIRST LAP, WITH A 1-MILE GRAVEL SECTION PUNCTUATING A 5.5-MILE/8.5-KM CLIMB. COUGAR PASS WILL LEAVE TEETH MARKS.

Hollandia Hoegaarden

07

THE HIDDEN GEM. A 3-KM GRAVEL ROAD WITH A DISMOUNT THAT CULMINATES IN A CLIMB AT OLD BLACK MOUNTAIN ROAD UP TO 4S RANCH.

A TRICKY LITTLE SECTION OFF OF ROSE RANCH THAT TAKES RIDERS THROUGH A TIGHT GRAVEL TRAVEL TO HOLLANDIA PARK.

WAFER FINISH START OF SECOND LAP FOR WAFFLE

ABBEYBERG FOREST PITS RIDERS AGAINST A PAVÉ SECTION OF THE WORST KIND. ITS COBBLES ARE UNLIKE ANY IN THE US, BUT THE WORST PART IS RIDERS WILL BE CONFRONTED BY A LEGION OF ONE THOUSAND SPECTATORS ALL HECKLING THEM TO FORGET IT ALL, TO STOP, TO GIVE UP THE GHOST, TO SUCCUMB TO THE PLEASURES AND TAP INTO THE HAPPINESS OF THE LOST ABBEY BEER GARDEN, WHICH RUNS THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THIS SECTION. IT’S BACK AGAIN THIS YEAR BUT WAY LATE IN THE RACE, WHERE ITS TWISTS AND TURNS ARE SURE TO FORCE EXHAUSTED RIDERS OFF THEIR BIKES.

Lemontwistenberg

THIS IS THE DREADED SECTION WHERE IT ALL REALLY BEGINS (AGAIN). HODGESGATE IS THE TRICKIEST, DIRTIEST, ROCKIEST, AND MOST BEASTLY SECTION YET. THERE’S THE WATER CROSSING, THE EVER-GROWING ROCK GARDEN, THE RUTS, BOULDERS, CACTUS, INCREDIBLE LAKE VIEWS AND A LOVELY DIP IN THE LAKE.

09 10

Modest Mule

11

Het Spoor Van Zwarte Omgekeerde

THE OTHER SIDE OF SAINT LUSARDI. CHECK YOUR BRAKES AND MAKE SURE NOT TO TURN IN THE WATER CROSSING, OR YOU WILL GO DOWN. CONNECTING TWO VERY DIFFICULT GRAVEL ROADS IS THE OASIS. AFTER ASCENDING CANYON DE ORO, RIDERS MAY WELL WISH TO STOP AT THE OASIS AND DRINK IN THE DELIGHTS IT HAS ON OFFER.

08

Meer Hodgesgate

A NEARLY 4-KILOMETER TRAIL THAT’S SOFT IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES AND AT THIS POINT IN THE RACE COULD BE VERY LONELY.

THE REVERSE DIRECTION OF THE VAN ZWARTE, DOWN BLACK MOUNTAIN ROAD AND OVER TO THE GRAVEL TRAIL WITH A DISMOUNT.

Abbeyberg Forest

12

Saint Lusardi Omgekeerde

13

Canyon de Oro and Seaquestenberg Bos

14

THE ULTIMATE CLIMB OF THE EVENT. CONNECTING ALL THE WAY UP TO DOUBLE PEAK, THIS ONE HAS IT ALL: DISMOUNTS, DIRT, GRAVEL, SAND, A WALL, A RETREAT AND MILES AND MILES OF SUFFERING.

Questhavensbergen

15

THE MUUR IS THE FINAL AND STEEPEST CLIMB OF THEM ALL, ATTAINING A GRADE OF 23% SOMEWHERE NEAR MILE 137 (THAT’S NOT A TYPO). IT’S CRUEL AND UNUSUAL, AND JUST WHEN YOU THINK YOU ARE DONE...

THE FINAL TRICK IS A TRAIL. INSTEAD OF BOMBING THE DUBBELBERG, RIDERS ARE CONFRONTED WITH A TWISTY TRAIL THAT IS ANYTHING BUT EASY. IT’S PERHAPS MORE CRUEL AND UNUSUAL THAN CLIMBING THE DUBBELBERG.

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Muur van Dubbelberg

16

Dubbelberg Twistenweg

17

2015 BWR AWARD CATEGORIES THE OVERALL AWARD AWARD PRESENTED BY GQ-6

Is obvious and will go to the person who completes the course in the shortest amount of time.

THE KING OF THE MOUNTAIN AWARD (KOM) PRESENTED BY STAGEONE

Will go to the rider who has the best-combined time for each of the three KOM segments, as determined by Strava.

THE QUEEN OF THE MOUNTAIN AWARD (QOM) PRESENTED BY FIZIK

Will go to the female rider who has the best-combined time for each of the three QOM segments, as determined by Strava.

THE kUDOs AWARD

PRESENTED BY THE LOST ABBEY

Will go to the rider who exudes the most heart during the event—a happy vitality—and is dedicated to fallen San Diego cyclist Udo Heinz.

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THE SPRINT AWARD (KOS) PRESENTED BY GIANT

Will go to the rider who has the fastest combined times for the three sprint segments, as determined by Strava.

THE HARDMAN AWARD PRESENTED BY SRAM

Will go to the rider who exhibits the most amount of spirit during the event and will be judged by a panel of peers.

THE FREDDY FREELOADER AWARD PRESENTED BY ZERO SQUASHED

Is a dubious distinction that will also be judged by a panel of peers, including every rider in the event. This dreaded award will go to the rider, or riders, who exhibit the least amount of the spirit the Hardman will proffer. You really do not want this distinction.

IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT OF A TIE FOR THE KOM AND SPRINT CATEGORIES, WE WILL USE OVERALL FINISH PLACING TO DETERMINE THE WINNER. In other words, don’t just sit in and wait for the Strava segments… take a pull, Freddy.

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2015 BWR COURSE FACTS GALLONS OF SYRUP CONSUMED: MILEAGE:

50 142.5 MILES 229 KILOMETERS

POWER EXERTED:

WAFFLES CONSUMED:

2,600

2.8

NUMBER OF ANTICIPATED FINISHERS:

MILLION WATTS

FEET OF CLIMBING:

600 12,000+

AVERAGE CALORIES BURNED:

DOUBLE-DOUBLES速

FOUR CHEESEBURGERS

TWO

SEVEN

CHOCOLATE SHAKES

NUMBER OF HALLUCINATIONS: THREE

20

ORDERS OF ANIMAL FRIES

OR ROUGHLY 9,140 CALORIES

BEERS CONSUMED:

112

OUCH!

4,720

104 ANTICIPATED FLAT TIRES:

600 FINISHER BEERS

+

30 KEGS

ANTICIPATED FAKED INJURIES: BWR - 28

SUFFER IN STYLE. 2015 BWR CYCLInG APPAREL SPOnSOR

KUDOS TO ALL BWR PARTICIPAnTS

RIDE SAFE. RIDE SmART. RIDE STROnG.

nOW GO KICK SOmE BUTT!

PROUD SPONSOR OF THE 2015 BWR BEST OVERALL CLIMBER (KOM) AWARD

VISIT US AT THE BTFU EXPO. BWR APPAREL FOR PURCHASE! FOR MORE INFORMATION ON OUR CUSTOM CYCLING APPAREL. P L E A S E V I S I T O U R N E W W E B S I T E AT S TAG E O N E S P O RT S .CO M

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3-TIME BWR FINISHER CONFESSIONS NICOLE DUKE

Every year my off season kicks off with a ride that kicks my ass even in my best shape. I look forward to it and dread it all at the same time. My off season break from CX of drinking wine, eating donuts, and yogasizing does not cut it for this ride, not even close. To top it off our mad man and fearless BWR leader makes it harder every year, as if it wasn’t hard enough. Yeah, all the California cool kids get to train year round and I hear stories of people pre-riding the secretive and undetermined loop over and over, either to get it right, or master the last minute attack position. For some it seems this is their glory ride of the season, extracting every bit of bragging rights they can for a season’s worth of banter.

For me I see this ride as being broken up into two categories, you are either going for the gold, or you are just doing all you can to survive. Since I am usually coming off my off-season I choose survival but make sure to train enough to not be left for dead. This is a tough man’s/woman’s ride, the people that contest for the win here are the real deal. The course is one of the best I’ve ever ridden with lots of varied terrain. I seem to excel and really enjoy all the gravel sections, others live for the many climbs, and others beyond that well, the aid stations. Granted these are no ordinary aid stations....the food is abundant but for most the girls in bikinis are a welcome distraction from the pain. Freddy Freeloader Purple Cards fly and no one is free from ridicule if they decide to bail on sections or continue to sit in. So if you plan on going, be on your best cyclist behavior. The boys are ruthless and the testosterone flies. The first year I remember my group barely stopping at aid stations, everyone choking on food trying not to lose their place in the pack. Being left alone on this course is the kiss of death.

The BWR continues to push my limits and tends to be my longest ride of the year. Leave it to SPY to kick my ass in no ordinary fashion. Thank God there is a party, beer, food, and exhibitors to finish with otherwise I might just ride myself right into the ocean. This ride is no ordinary feat and the organization, pride, and varied terrain that surrounds this race makes it truly one of the most unique in the country. You think you’re a badass? You need a challenge? Want some bragging rights? Then this one’s for you, just don’t get caught freeloading!

BILL HOLFORD

I feel privileged to even be mentioned in this BWR cycling alumni, as one of 29 individuals who have started and completed all three of the Belgian Waffle Rides.

I knew BWR creator & SPY CEO Michael Marckx years ago having worked together in the surfing industry and watched mmx occasionally as he raced cyclo-cross and road races. When the BWR event was created that first year, I jumped at the chance to enter, but didn’t really know what I was getting into. My apprehension grew as the event approached, given the local rain storms we were having at the time (“Dirt, Water Crossings, Sand…”) and reading Seth Davidson’s countless blogs describing his ‘BWR Recon Hell Rides’ in full detail. From that point forward, I lobbied mmx two weeks before the event to “please quietly remove me from the participant list” and accept my entry as a donation to the worthwhile group they were partnering with. As luck would have it, mmx would have no part of my withdrawal request and I begrudgingly started the inaugural BWR ride with a pack of riders, most of which, looked like and had the fitness of professional cyclists who I had watched previously on TV. I knew I was in serious trouble when we left SPY Headquarters and headed north on PCH to Oceanside at a neutral pace of just 20mph; when we hit the Oceanside Marina and the River Trail, we rode inland for several miles as a group while several of the leaders (UCI, Pro, National, State, Road, Crit, CX, Mountain) are up ahead taking a ‘nature break,’ some peeing while riding at speed (ala Tour de France)….I am thinking to myself, “this shit just got real!” Next thing I know we hit a muddy, dirt climb, all hell breaks out and guys are mashing gears and sprinting up the hills 3-4 abreast. Throughout the course of the ride (race!), bike and rider ‘mechanicals’ are everywhere. Flat tires, cramping and crashes are the order of the day back in the pack. After navigating a stream crossing, dirt, rock, sand trails and climbing Double Peak, a group of us finish the ride together back at SPY HQ, celebrating like we had just won something very special.

Selected highlights that first inaugural BWR included riding with and finishing alongside Joe Yule; buying Nicole Duke a beer at the finish line beer garden, as she was one of a handful of women that started and finished the ride in style and staying around for the awards ceremony in the parking lot. Finishing the BWR that first year, I was proudly able to return to my regular cycling group of “Freddie’s” to proclaim this incredible event and promote future participation.

Special thanks to mmx for having the vision, courage and motivation to skillfully pull off one of the best events the cycling community has ever seen, while running one of the most innovative eyewear companies in the world.

If you haven’t done this ride before, it’s something you should try just once….or three times!

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EVERY SPORT. EVERY BODY.

NEEDS HYDRATION.

It doesn’t matter what your sport is or at what level you participate, if you sweat, you need to hydrate. And, GQ-6™ is formulated to hydrate you faster than water. It’s clean: no fillers, stabilizers or preservatives. Just the perfect blend of electrolytes, BCAAs and carbohydrates needed to optimize osmolality and give you energy without worrying about gut distress.

Give it a try and see what many elite and professional athletes in lots of different sports already know, GQ-6 helps you perform better, last longer and recover more quickly. Pick some up at your local GNC® today!

Gluten Free. No Artificial Sweeteners or Flavors. No Colors Added. No Banned Substances.

FLŌŌĬD is the base hydration product in the GQ-6 system of products. Because it hydrates much faster than water, it radically enhances your performance.* FLŌŌĬD can be supplemented by adding RĒ-FŪL ENERGY™ as a pre-workout or for those high intensity days, RĒ-FŪL ENDURANCE™ for additional electrolytes and CarnoSyn® for those extended workouts and RĒKÜVR NITE TIME™ for complete nighttime recovery and sleep support.

GQ-6 is proud to support the craziness of BWR.

E X C L U S I V E LY A T

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To learn more about us and the science behind GQ-6, log onto GQ-6.com

A UNIQUE VIEWPOINT TOWARD THE FRONT 2014 SPY BELGIAN WAFFLE RIDE RECAP

THROUGH THE DAFTS OF MMX

The third annual SPY Belgian Waffle Ride brought with it the challenge to create a course that would be hard enough for everyone to truly race while featuring more hard stuff and dirt sections that would smash things up into tiny pieces.

The 2014 SPY Belgian Waffle Ride featured six segments in the San Dieguito River Park: Lemontwistenberg, Meer Hodgesgate, Modest Mule, Sandy Bandy, Mighty Mule, and Hodgesmeergate. These combined sections made the course exceptionally challenging and were hallmarks of its insanity. Without the gracious help and guidance of the San Dieguito River Park’s Senior Park Ranger, David Hekel, last year’s event would have been much different and much less successful than it was. THANK YOU, Dave!

As you can imagine, the first two Belgian Waffle Rides gave us great perspective on what an event like this could be and helped to create a unique, challenging, HTFU-type event that emotes SPY’s mantra of A Happy Disrespect For the Usual.

On April 27, the delicious Belgian waffle feast presented by Sam Ames and his Gear Grinder Grill compatriots broke our Sunday morning fast.

Riders and staff stuffed their guts with all manner of sugar, flour, butter, milk, eggs, and coffee, daring indigestion to rebel during the initial 22-mile processional that marked the beginning of the epic journey. After feasting, we began the seven, nine, or even thirteenhour ride that would become the batter of legend.

During the five or six miles leading into the first section, the pace and group grew increasingly tense. The 175 riders in the front group owned the full width of the road leading up to Del Dios Highway, and once there, the jockeying began in earnest for those wanting to hit the single track of the Lemon Twist on the front. It’s funny how much common sense gets lost in these moments. Riders failed to listen to the cautioning shouts of those around them and the caution signs in front of them. Some riders went flying past the U-turn; others skidded and managed to stay upright. Still, others took chances in the waning yards leading to the single track and crashed or caused crashes. For all intents and purposes, this is where the race portion of the ride started.

Ryan Dahl hit the dirt first, with Phil Tinstman and Neil Shirley right behind. Phil crashed in one of the initial tight turns, causing a few of us to also fall or stop, but he was back up and only lost a few places, quickly making contact with those on the front while the rest of us clambered on our bikes and chased to lesser fates. Neil Shirley’s early attack on the climb created enough mayhem behind that he effectively ended the aspirations of all but a handful. The rest of us were left to form various groups, or ride on our own as the lead group coalesced and worked together to catch and then stay

MMX

with Neil through Lake Hodges, the Mule Trail, and Highland Valley.

Interestingly, one rider took a wrong turn and missed all the mayhem of the diabolical dirt section at Lake Hodges, where so many mishaps occurred, and managed to then join right up with the leaders at the Mule trail. I know what you are thinking…

Behind, dreams of strong finishes were becoming nightmares of the DNF variety as the jagged teeth of the Meer Hodgesgate punished anyone who dared take the wrong line through unforgiving rockstrewn path. The course was living up to its promise—it would have to be completed through the strength and tenacity of the individual, not in the draft of stronger riders.

Once on Highland Valley, everyone—except for a chosen few—had come to the realization that it was now about survival... Personally and not so professionally, I entertained thoughts of quitting here; searching for any excuse to relieve me of the pain I had created for myself. Having no energy to ride swiftly up the Arendberg and knowing I had ninety more miles to go, I wanted my mommy.

For the lead group, Neil went to the front and drilled it up that first very steep wall in his big ring, with only Phil able to keep with him, leaving Lars Finanger in No Man’s Land and five others to chase as if their lives were at stake. The two gained a healthy gap on the group through the second pitch, where Phil finally realized it was time for the small ring and ended up with a mechanical as he shifted.

Fortunately for Phil, his mechanic miraculously appeared and a swift wheel change allowed him to chase back to the group of seven over the next few miles.

BWR - 32

For the strung-out second group, we were in rags and tags, sometimes riding in twos and threes, sometimes alone, and finally leading into the dirt section on Zwartenberg (Black Canyon), we had a 10-12 person group. The eight leaders—Phil Tinstman and his teammate Chris DeMarchi, Neil Shirley, Ryan Trebon, Lars Finanger, Don Powell, a mystery purple rider who had jumped in unofficially, and Mac Brown hit this section many minutes before us, riding a strong tempo up the entire climb. When they hit the descent where everyone had been warned to go slow, Ryan Trebon knew it was time to attack. He strung the group out, with Phil in second and Neil in third.

For the second group, my teammates Anthony Vasilas, Josh Goldman and I were joined by Michael Easter, Gerry Cody, Larry Shannon, Dillon Clapp, and four others who had less of an appetite for the work at hand.

Ahead, Ryan Trebon was reeled back by Neil and Phil up the Sutherland Damberg and the mystery purple rider joined them but refused to work. They stayed away until the highest point of the ride, and then descended together on Julian Highway and the 78, only to be brought back by Chris DeMarchi behind his team truck, which dragged Powell, Lars, cheaterman and Brown with him.

For most of us, the fun truly began on Sandy Bandy. If riders hadn’t felt the headwind coming down the 78, they certainly felt it along this stretch. Going into the dirt section, there was no one there to direct riders onto the Sandy Bandy section, and in fact, the entrance had been botched. The trail entrance was supposed to be another 200 yards down… Much of the scenery along Sandy Bandy would etch unforgettable images into the minds of the hundreds of riders who later passed through. The giant, deep sand pits made quick work of all but the most skilled, sucking in their wheels and twisting them over onto their sides. At this point in the ride the exhaustion, the difficulty of the terrain, and the sheer mental numbness at having to exhibit the very best handling skills at the very nadir of concentration ability proved crushing.

WAFFLES

THE START

BWR - 33

RYAN DAHL

Along this section, Phil drilled the sand and dirt with Neil and then Ryan, creating a gap on the others. Mystery purple rider still hung on, but the others were strung out. They rode like this through Modest Mule and along Hodgesmeergate until Trebon used his world class dirt skills to test both Phil and Neil, but he was unable to dislodge them by anything more than ten seconds. The group rode through the next feed zone together before heading on toward Del Dios, with mystery McPurple sitting on behind.

In the chase group, Logan and I got a good gap on the rest of the chasers and were able to string things out all the way through the entirety of Sandy Bandy to the left hand turn at the bottom, where I swiftly crashed, and every one of those ten riders rode off ahead. My chain came off, and because of my trusty chain guard, it was naturally a pain to get the chain back on the small ring. Alas, I did, and began chasing.

I didn’t catch the chase group until the Modest Mule, which comes after the Bandy Canyon climb and the Highland Valley descent. For the next many miles everyone was in their own world, all the way through the water crossing and rock garden of Hodgesmeergate to the next feed zone at Loaded.

Ahead, Phil, Ryan and Neil worked to keep the pace high down Del Dios and into Rancho Santa Fe, with mystery man sitting at the back the entire way. In what can be called a superhuman effort or a dubious one, Chris DeMarchi managed to once again miraculously (or not) catch this lead group from far back and then go to the front to keep the pace high enough that the other chasers weren’t able to catch back on.

ANTHONY VASILAS

BWR - 34

This lead group, now consisting of Trebon, Shirley, Tinstman, DeMarchi and mystery McPurple man, made the turn into Olivenhain on Lone Jack and headed toward the kicker up Fortuna Ranch Road.

Along this stretch Phil finally had a word or two for mystery man and perhaps a flash of a purple card. They all made the right turn into the Fortuna Wall and mystery man attacked everyone! How about that?

The move dropped DeMarchi and Trebon, both of whom weren’t too impressed with the purple antics. Phil and Neil responded and the three rode into the gloriousness and redemption of Canyon de Oro. All three hit the dirt fast, but Phil, knowing the section, carried his speed better and was able to get to the top of the climb to be the first to witness the wonders of “The Oasis,” as it shall forever be referred to.

Phil, wrestling with the same thoughts all of us had, nearly stopped, but instead hit the downhill, leaving Neil and mystery man to chase.

At the bottom of the Canyon de Oro, mystery man met his demise and crashed hard enough to break his clavicle. Limping back up the hill to the Sirens of the Oasis, he was tended to in the most nurturing yet undeserving of ways.

GREG LONERGAN

I got to The Oasis first in our group, and even I was WOWED by what I saw despite knowing what awaited us. But how could I ever have been prepared for a lavender-scented spritz as I went by, feeling alive and invigorated for one brief moment. I hit the Elfinberg climb first in our group just in time to hear a spectator say, “Someone in this group will make the top ten,” which was accurate enough. At this moment the wheels came off my bus, and I went from leading our group to being shelled by it in a matter of fifteen brief and excruciating seconds. All the anger and fretting I had experienced in the neutral section, not to mention the continuous effort for the previous six hours, had come back to bite me, and it bit hard. This is where I began to think about survival. There was no one I could chase and there was no one behind me. At the 116-mile mark I was truly alone.

OH, FREDDY.

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LAKE HODGES

LEADERS AT BLACK CANYON

In survival mode, things go a little differently. The liquid in your water bottle disappears in a gulp. There is no easier gear, and the road is going to get steeper. Unlike Neil and Phil, who rode through Questhaven with its dirt, dismounts, steep wall and undulating bumps, testing each other until finally on the last pitch up to San Elijo, Neil put in one surge that Phil could only respond to for ten seconds.

That’s where the race was decided, 122-miles into the fray.

For me, Questhavensberg was particularly quiet and I was left alone with my steady breathing and the looming dread of the Dubbelberg.

After the dirt section, Michael and Erik came by on their scooters to see if I needed anything. I was too tired to answer since neither had a spare set of legs on offer, and away they went.

BLACK CANYON

I am sure Phil’s ride up San Elijo was similarly quiet, having to settle into his own pace to make it to the top of the Dubbelberg, but also with the thought that Trebon might reel him in. A few paperboys up the steepest part of the Muur, which reaches 23% at one point, was enough to get Phil to the top, flip it and begin descending. Phil kept the gas on to the finish and was followed a couple of minutes later by Ryan Trebon. Chris DeMarchi finished two and half minutes back from Ryan, with Don Powell another twelve minutes back from DeMarchi.

Lars Finanger, Mac Brown, Mike Easter and Dustin Smith rounded out the top nine.

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SANDY BANDY

WILLIE AT THE OASIS

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I managed to make it up the Dubbleberg, but not without the help of El Diablo (Andrew Valentine) who gave me two gentle, yet firm pushes up that steep part. Once at the top, like every one before and after me, I knew that finishing this damn thing was going to happen.

While descending felt marvelous, I could see my teammates Josh and Anthony coming up at bottom, as well as a couple of other riders, and knew I had a nice lead.

NEIL SHIRLEY

Making the left hand turn down Camino Vida Robles for the final circuit back to the finish line was lonely. I didn’t see anyone. All the way around to Palomar Airport Road was empty. I somehow got a fifth or sixth wind here and flew up that hill and around to the finish. For so many reasons—the months of hard work leading up to this day, the fret of worrying about the safety and well-being of others, the desire to not flail—I was very relieved to have this year’s BWR behind me.

I came around the corner and into the finish with what felt like lots of clapping and whistling and reached out to SPY FIVE my daughter at the finish. It was glorious. After kissing her and hugging my son, I really wanted a beer but I still had some work to do. It was another two hours before I got a sip of the Lost Abbey golden elixir, and wow, did it taste fantastic!

“I MANAGED TO MAKE IT UP THE DUBBLEBERG, BUT NOT WITHOUT THE HELP OF EL DIABLO...”

The immensity of last year’s event owes its success to a legion of inspired people. This includes the local riders from around San Diego who have embraced the idea and created their own BWR clubs. Of course, there are the riders who have come from all over and have gone back to tell their friends about the uniqueness of the BWR. There are the writers like Seth Davidson, Neil Shirley, Dillon Clapp, and so many others who share their interesting BWR stories with their readership. There are the sponsors who have stepped in to support the event in manifold ways. There is Victor Sheldon, who lent his insights and get ‘er done talents to the event in untold ways. A big thank you to David Anderson and Aaron Sager for their help with filming and race support. And most importantly, there is the entire SPY staff that came together, bringing their own unique ways of making the BWR a happy and unforgettable experience, the likes of which there is no other. A HUGE thank you is in order for our amazing sponsors and volunteers who helped to make the BWR “the most unique cycling event in the country.”

Our biggest praise goes to ViaSat for hosting the event and for the Challenged Athletes Foundation for being our partner.

DOUBLE PEAK

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ROMI & MMX

2014 SPY BELGIAN WAFFLE RIDE AWARD WINNERS INCLUDE: MEN’S DIVISION OVERALL AWARD presented by MRI - NEIL SHIRLEY KING OF THE MOUNTAIN AWARD presented by StageOne - NEIL SHIRLEY KING OF THE SPRINT AWARD presented by Razer - MICHAEL MARCKX HARDMAN AWARD presented by Skins - BRENT PRENZLOW AND GERRY CODY kUDOs AWARD* presented by Giant - GREG LONERGAN WOMEN’S DIVISION OVERALL AWARD presented by MRI - RHONDA QUICK QUEEN OF THE MOUNTAIN AWARD presented by The Lost Abbey - RHONDA QUICK QUEEN OF THE SPRINT AWARD presented by Skins - RHONDA QUICK

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3-TIME BWR FINISHER CONFESSIONS JASON FACKLER

Year three, I was even more confident than the previous two years. Being a Cyclo-Cross racer I loved all the new dirt sections. The roll out was super-fast and I was able to make it to the first dirt section no problem. I loved the new route and was able to ride comfortably with a group of about four guys. We rode together for most of the day. I’ll never forget we got to Rancho Santa Fe and I had about 7000 feet of climbing and 100 or so miles on my Garmin. I was trying to figure out how the heck we were getting to Double Peak. Those last 30 odd miles were some of the hardest riding I’ve ever done. Coming into the Oasis was great, but I knew there was a while to go. I finished up the ride again and collected my souvenir beer and shirt.

Another year in the books.

BWR is my Ironman Triathlon. What I mean by that is, for a lot of folks, just finishing a triathlon is good enough. It doesn’t matter what place they come in. This is BWR for me. I don’t care what place I come in. I ride and train a lot throughout the year for CX. In CX I typically race as hard as I can for one hour and that is about it. Seven, eight, nine hours is way too long to actually “race” for me. I just want to finish BWR, have a blast, meet new people, ride new roads and trails and get my beer to add to the collection. I have all three and only one of them is open. I’m proud of that.

JIM PAPPE

A couple of things stick out in my mind about my first BWR. I recall looking down at my Garmin, seeing 40 miles and thinking, holy sh*t, I don’t think I can do this for another 80 miles. I had no idea where I was, where I was going and if I had enough mettle to finish. With nothing to else to do I began to use the riders ahead of me as my bread crumbs back to civilization. I found my way to an aid station, refueled and was off chasing again. I made it to the next station and traded war stories with a few riders there, and we proceeded down a road that eventually wound down into an alley through some rural horse property and disappeared. As we headed down, we met up with a handful of riders who had apparently turned around just seconds before. One waffler, with a dazed look in his eyes, broom straw hanging out of his helmet and a trickle of blood on his elbow shouted, “There’s an old woman down there and she’s armed with a broom and she’s calling the sheriff for trespassing. Turn around. We know a route that will get us back on track.” A sizeable group retreated back to the aid station and around a few corners to regain the route. (I’ve never been able to confirm if Broom Lady was a paid by Michael to do what she did, but it makes you wonder as she has reappeared in the later waffles.)

The middle of the Waffle was a blur of dirt, water, and suffering. Climbing a steep dirt road I made it through a canopy of oaks that spit me out onto what I thought was the last climb. I made the right turn and slowly started grinding. I could see people descending on the opposite side and imagined the smiles on their faces. I, too, was looking forward to happily coasting to the finish. I made it to the top, flipped the turn, and started hammering the descent. I got into my tuck and was so happy to finally get some speed and relief. Then he appeared. There’s a guy waving me to make a right turn just as I had reached terminal velocity. “WTF??!!” Okay, this guy must know what he’s doing as I can see riders coming out of the intersection. OK, I get back into suffer mode, head down, spinning my 39x25 and peering at the road just in front of my wheel.

And then it appears. It’s a grade that’s long enough that it disappears around a corner. “F*ck!!!” As I get out of the saddle and start to paper boy across the road, I start thinking about the @$$hat that put this climb here. Michael seemed to be a nice guy. He invited me to ride this BWR. Why would he put this in a place where I am the most shattered? Where I am tempted to get off my bike and walk? I thanked the people on the sidewalk as they encouraged me to keep going but I am cursing MMX with every tack I make. And then it came into view: an oasis. There are tents of drink and food with laughing and happy people. It’s a party. And I was invited. I hand a bottle to a beautiful person who wants to help me fill it. I see the piles of food and grab a banana that’s peeled and down in seconds. I find coolers full of drinks of every kind and reach through the icy water to grab a can of Coke and wipe it across my forehead. As I clipped in, I had this energized feeling that I had just accomplished something. I hadn’t finished the ride, but I had gotten through the hardest part alive, and I was going to finish.

The last miles back to SPY are again a blur. I was already happy that I had gotten through the worst and conquered what I was later to discover was Double Peak. I finished up the ride very tired but happy. Happy that I finished my first BWR, and that I’d want to do more.

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3-TIME BWR FINISHER CONFESSIONS ANDY MCCLURE

Like 2012, the San Luis Rey RR was the day before the BWR. Unlike 2012, I didn’t crash, so I had no potential excuse for not doing the BWR this year. Just like the last two years, I got up and tested out my legs on the ride over to the start. They were burning pretty bad as I crossed El Camino and rode into ViaSat parking lot.

Before too long we started to line up for the start. I jumped in next to Joe Yule and Harold Martinez, then they blew the whistle and off we went. People started getting jittery right when we were released to hammer at will along Del Dios, and I had a feeling something bad was about to happen, and it did. Right before the first dirt section off Del Dios, Trent Ford and someone else collided and went down hard. I heard lots of moaning and grinding and by the time I got onto the single track I was maybe 30 wheels from the front and all bottlenecked on the narrow path.

After the dirt section to the top of Del Dios, I got a fresh bottle at the first aid station at Lake Hodges, and found myself in a group with Sugar Daddy, Josh Goldman and a few others through Lake Hodges all the way to Highland Valley Road. I think I was dreading Highland Valley more than any part of the ride, so at the bottom of the hill I just put it in my 28 and took the climb slow as Sugar Daddy and Josh took off.

I caught up with Erick Sobey, who also raced yesterday, except he did 100 + miles in the pro 1-2. I couldn’t believe he could even attempt the BWR after that. A huge group caught us and we ended up riding through Black Canyon to Southerland Dam with them. In that group were my teammates Randall Tinney, Alan Flores and Jim Pappe.

We got over the Lake Sutherland climb and onto the descent back into Ramona when Randall thought we were lost. Are you sure you know where you’re going, Andy? I told him all we had to do was ride down the hill back into Ramona, it would be fast and easy. As we got toward the bottom of the 78 I was dreading the sand pit at the bottom of Bandy Canyon. I ended up taking a stupid line in the sand and almost had to unclip, but made it through.

Randall, Alan and Jim caught me again at the top of Bandy and we were riding great together for a long time, until just before the end of the Hodges rock garden when my front tire went flat. At this point I just wanted to finish the ride. I was getting hungry and thirsty. All we had to do was get through Fortuna, down to Questhaven, up Double Peak, and through the roundabout route back to ViaSat, and we would be done.

As we crested the hill onto the dirt transition, there were these scantily clad girls kind of dancing around. I thought it was an odd place for a beach party. I got a really good picture of me with a couple of girls. I showed it to my wife after the ride. She thought it was funny but I couldn’t bring myself to post it on Facebook. A 50-year old guy in spandex posing with a bunch of bikini-clad girls my daughter’s age. That’s a little daring for my style.

Jim and I were laughing about the girls for a long time, and we chatted about our races and family stuff as we climbed up Questhaven, around the San Elijo Firehouse, to double peak. It was really good entertainment and kept us distracted all the way back.

Another BWR in the books. We got back, we didn’t get any more flats. I saw MMX, thanked him, got a massage, had some food and hung out with friends. After a while, my buddy Jim Armstrong asked me if I wanted a ride home. It seemed exactly like two years ago as we loaded up our bikes, our BWR finishers t-shirts, BWR Bad Ass ale and talked the day.

LOGAN FIEDLER

It is an honor to have completed the BWR the last 3 years. Last year I went against my doctors’ advice and competed with a fractured elbow. What comes to mind is that every year the BWR has consumed more of my life. The first year I didn’t know what to expect but I was addicted. It checked every box of what I would consider a great event: stupid hard, dirty, scenic, beer, friends, hills, competitive, good aid stations… Each year my BWR specific training increases only to decide the day after the BWR that it wasn’t enough and next year I will do more. Each year my preparation in my equipment increases, wider tires, tubeless tires, more bartape cushioning. The BWR is not just an event on the calendar; it is THE event on the calendar.

I look forward to BWR 2015 and as soon as it’s done, I will be looking forward to the 2016 route.

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DAVID MCNEAL

The Belgian Waffle Ride or the BWR is a unique event with phenomenal support from SPY and volunteers that include a painful day of over 120 miles of riding, 10,000ft plus of climbing and 30 miles of off-road… just when you reach around the 100-mile mark and you think to yourself only 30 more miles…”I’ll knock this out in a little bit over an hour”…this is when your ego is tested and the pain begins only to realize the last 2,500 ft. of climbing and 6-8 miles of off-road will be the longest in your life as you suffer through the hardest terrain left checking your EGO with the girls in the bikini’s serving up Margarita’s (which I attest will be the best you ever have)…as you are dragging yourself in after climbing Double Peak (18% climb) you’re thinking that you can put this BWR in the bank…the last 8 miles consists of rollers that will put a nail in the coffin…as you cross the finish line 2-2.5 hours later of that 100 mile mark you grin ear to ear realizing you just completed one of the most unique grueling rides in North America and it’s time to drink a celebratory Lost Abbey BWR Ale for the finish and celebrate with your brother and sister finishers telling stories of your adventures of the BWR and how you can’t wait till next year for a repeat! For the next 364 days (or 365 days in 2016), you will dream about the next BWR and how Michael Marckx can top the previous year and oh how he does!

ALAN FLORES

The first BWR was “ignorance is bliss”. I am not a big mile guy. In fact, the longest I had ever ridden was 110 miles in 1992. I had suspected that MMX had some hideous course laid out but I had no idea what was to come.

While serious hard men like Neil Shirley, Ryan Trebon, Lars Finanger and Phil Tinstman were up the road on their own joy ride I somehow made the lead chase group. At mile 85 or 90 I was at the front and I missed a turn. I descended for about 2 miles before I realized I was by myself. I was almost in tears, having made a select group, now riding on my own. I reversed my course and as I got back on track and I see MMX, Eric Johnson, Victor Sheldon, Ryan Dahl and Brian Zink. MMX abused us through the dirt section on Country Club Road (clearly not a road). He later told me he was going to give me a purple card until I rode away from them on a steep pitch after Country Club hell. I was followed by 200 pound Brian Zink who countered my every move and rode away from me like I was tied to a telephone pole. In near blackout mode, I clawed my way on to freight train Zink.

Over the next 5 miles we merged with the group that I had previously been in, as they too, had missed a turn after my flail. Now, our group is 30 strong and I hear Mr. Bordine continuing to mention that we still have to do Double Peak. WTF is Double Peak?! Sadly, I now know that it is an ascending spiral death march somewhere at mile 115. The BWR is spit, snot, pee, heat, hills, sand, dirt, water, dust, rocks, and climbing 11,000 feet over 130 miles plus. I try not to think of what’s to come in the upcoming BWR. Thankfully, I am clearly getting older and my memory is a bit foggy and somehow I keep signing up for the MMX day of atonement.

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HISTORY SPY® WAS BORN IN ’94

amidst the hotbed of U.S. bike and multi-sports culture—San Diego, California—with its blend of laid-back surf vibe, accessibility, open space, coastal breezes, epic year-round riding conditions, and loads of pristine roads and winding trails. Our founders lived, rode and raced bikes there, both the pedal variety and motorized types. Yeah, they surfed and partied, too. It’s what you did (and do) when you live in SoCal. It’s what makes us Happy, still.

To shield their eyeballs from wind, sun and dirt, they began making eyewear for themselves and their friends. 20 years of R&D and countless broken pencils and bones later, SPY’s Performance series now stands as the utmost expression of who we are, what we do and why we do it. We make rad shit for athletes who demand the best-looking, most technical, functional, comfortable, durable, highquality eyewear that hard-earned money can buy. We put the “F-U” in “FUN,” while enhancing experience through clear vision. Yes, we’re bringing the dope back to cycling... the good dope.

Working closely with our elite team—freaks of nature, including Jonathan Page, Chris Horner, Ryan Trebon, Nicole Duke and Troy Brosnan—we develop and test our stuff to meet their superhuman demands. Along with some of our racing buddies, these speed freaks had their hands in helping combine our patented Scoop® venting, unbreakable frame materials and shatter-proof, opticallycorrect ARC® lenses with the customized lens tints, coatings, fits and comfort pieces in our new Performance line.

SPY does more for Socal cycling than any other eyewear brand, working to ensure our sport is supported across all disciplines, genders and demographics. It makes us Happy.

Whether you are hammering with enough watts to light a small village or simply cross-training on flat days, we’re stoked to bring SPY Performance to you, wherever in the world you may find yourself. It’s bad ass shit. Which, recall, is what we’re all about. Well, that and having a Happy Disrespect for the Usual.

Get out there. Ride Fast. Do everything your mother told you not to do. Don’t get caught.

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GLOSSARY OF CYCLING TERMS ATTACK To quickly accelerate while riding in a pack, or in smaller numbers, with a view to create a gap between yourself and other riders.

BREAKAWAY A breakaway is when a small group of riders or an individual has successfully opened a gap ahead of the peloton. While many can go away, not many can stay away.

THE CANNIBAL AKA Belgian cyclist Eddy Merckx, the Cannibal is the greatest rider in the history of cycling and the most decorated in terms of winning races and tours. He’s also a despiser of Freddy’s.

CYCLO-CROSS A discipline of cycling you used to laugh at, and now it’s laughing at you and your 23C road tires inflated to 120psi, as you swivel and swerve up another dirt climb on the BWR. Tsk-tsk.

DOPE Street terminology used to describe SPY’s eyewear products, rabid support of cycling, and company point of view as a whole. Can also be used to describe that idiot driving on their cell phone that almost took you out during your training ride

DRAFTING To ride closely behind another rider to make maximum use of their slipstream, reducing wind resistance and effort required to ride at the same speed. For excessive drafting see ‘wheel sucker’ and ‘Freddy Freeloader’

DROP To be dropped is to be left behind a breakaway or the peloton for whatever reason (usually because the rider cannot sustain the tempo required to keep up with the group).

GOAT Greatest of All Time, see The Cannibal.

HIT THE WALL To completely run out of energy on a long ride, also known as “bonking.”

PELOTON From French, literally meaning little ball or platoon. Also related to the English word pellet, is the large main group in a road bicycle race. Riders in a group save energy by drafting other riders. The reduction in drag is dramatic; in the middle of a well-developed group it can be as much as 40%.

PURPLE PELOTON POLICE A covert, undercover A-Team with the sole purpose of bringing justice to the peloton; unique to the BWR. Their mission is to call out riders during the event who do not pull their weight and take turns at the front of the group. The PPP pity the fools who don’t take pulls.

ROAD RASH Severe skin abrasions caused from sliding on the asphalt in a crash, and the main reason for shaving off body hair. What, you thought it was for aerodynamics?

SAG WAGON For the purpose of the BWR, the SAG wagon is a support motor vehicle, or free taxi, following the race to pick up riders unable to complete the event.

SPRINTER Rider with the ability to generate very high power over short periods (a few seconds to a minute) allowing for great finishing speeds, but usually unable to sustain sufficiently high power over long periods, and is usually too big to have a high enough power-to-weight ratio to be a good climber.

TRUST ME BRO The last thing you heard before you got dropped by your teammate, after you asked him to promise you his wheel during the last 50 miles.

WHEEL SUCKER A rider who sits on the rear wheel of others in a group or on another rider, enjoying the draft but not working, and soon-to-be recipient of the purple card.

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BWR SPONSORS AND VENDORS

SPY

CHALLENGED ATHLETES FOUNDATION

THE LOST ABBEY

PUTTING HAPPY SMILES ON THE FACES OF PEOPLE EVERYWHERE.

PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES AND SUPPORT TO PEOPLE WITH PHYSICAL DISABILITIES SO THEY CAN PURSUE ACTIVE LIFESTYLES.

CREATING BOUNDARY PUSHING, FLAVOR-DRIVEN CRAFT BEERS, INCLUDING THE SPY BWR BAD ASS ALE.

GIANT

GQ-6

STAGEONE

COMMITTED TO INSPIRING ADVENTURE IN ALL CYCLISTS, FROM CASUAL TO COMPETITIVE, GIANT AIMS TO PROMOTE THE CYCLING LIFESTYLE ALL AROUND THE WORLD.

A NATURAL SPORTS NUTRITION BRAND DEVELOPED

BY DOCTORS, PROFESSIONALS AND ELITE ATHLETES TO SUPPORT THE ATHLETE IN YOU.

THE ART OF PERFORMANCE APPAREL, SPECIALIZING IN HIGH-QUALITY, RACE PROVEN PERFORMANCE SPORTS DESIGNS.

TRUE DENTISTRY

SRAM

RIDE CYCLERY

HARMONY BARS

NAKOA

KAWASAKI

NESTLE

SKINS

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BE THE MATCH

WD-40

BMC SWITZERLAND

BARE REPUBLIC NATURALS

CANNONDALE

FELT BICYCLES

YAMAHA

FIZIK

HERMES SPORT

MAVIC

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QUICK N’ DIRTY

RAPHA

MARRIOTT

GO MACRO

LULULEMON

COOLA SUNCARE

HARO MTB

MASI

CALIFORNIA COAST CLASSIC RIDE THE ARTHRITIS FOUNDATION’S

presented by

PETER GRIMM

ANCHOR AUDIO

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ARTHRITIS FOUNDATION

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