Belgian Waffle Ride Survival Camp Recap
The Cervélo Belgian Waffle Ride Survival Camp presented by Source Endurance ran from January 27-29, 2017 for a multi-day course preview, talks, and a lot of fun. We asked the mentors from the camp about some of their favorite moments and take-aways. Read on, get inspired, and join us next year!
Twenty riders showed up to camp, many of them totally unsure of what to expect and scared to death of what Sandy Bandy, Lemon Twistenberg and Black Canyon might bring. After three days the difference in confidence and ability from each and every rider was honestly hard to believe. Second year camper Casey Cohenmeyer was an entirely different rider than the one that showed up for camp last year, and I would expect her to drop a good 1.5 hours from her BWR finishing time this year. Stuart Barrington has more miles in his legs than most of us combined, but over the course of three days he got more comfortable drafting in the group and learned how to save all the energy he possibly can for a blitz up Double Peak. And then there’s Arash, as fit as a fiddle and just needed to know what to do with it. By the end he was charging the dirt like a seasoned BWR pro. -Neil Shirley
Photo: http://www.dmunsonphoto.com/
BWR is notorious for not only it’s long length and arduous climbs, but for throwing dirt terrain at you that would make most road riders toss their cookies (or their bicycle) over the edge of the trail. Having advanced insider knowledge of the challenging course, I was uncertain of what to expect from the group joining us for Survival Camp. Never in my cycling career have I seen so many people wholeheartedly embrace dirt riding and overcome the worries, hesitation, and fear that often accompany taking skinny tires off-road. Best of all? Witnessing riders put aside their ego, let down their guard and support one another while we tackled every mile. Each rider came away from the weekend with more knowledge, experience and confidence to help them achieve their goals at BWR this May. I will long remember the whoops and hollers from people as they cleared sections of trail they never thought possible. And I smile knowing there are 20+ new lovers-of-dirt who will have MORE fun at BWR this year because of what they took away from Survival Camp. – Janel Holcomb
Photo: http://www.dmunsonphoto.com/
The Belgian Waffle Ride was created to be much more than an event. It was created to be a brand all its own, from its conception. Brands start by anointing a common topic they embrace and then practice a belief system in relation to that topic… a way of eating, talking, riding, community, sharing and philanthropy. The BWR is the same. There is the vision of the BWR: To be the single greatest one day classic bike race in the US. And, there is the mission of the event, which is how we approach our vision: a happy disrespect of the usual way of racing a bike. This in turn gives us our moniker, THE MOST UNIQUE CYCLING EVENT IN THE COUNTRY.
It’s our desire to offer a race experience unlike any other, and with that we have incorporated our own versions of pave, dirt, water crossings and rocks which punctuate our pedaling perversity with an intermittency that adds a dynamic the likes of which cannot be found in the US. We go about proffering our brand to people not as this one day cycling event, but rather as a common topic with a belief system that is practiced every day. It’s more like a religion, our brand of dirtiness, in which every thing we do is in celebration of this commitment we make to that oneSunday in the spring. We commune around this idea of transcending… going beyond what is reasonable for us to expect of ourselves, our bikes and our luck. To commit to the BWR is to commit to the idea of reaching, growing, aspiring, and moving past limitations that have been placed in our minds. The BWR is transcendence and transcendent itself.
What matters most for the best brands in the world is authenticity AND people. Our brand is true to itself and its vision, and it is definitely a brand that is NOT for everyone. It’s what makes it special for us, that it really is exclusive. What makes it extra special isn’t the course that gets authentically harder every year or the waffles, or the Belgian ales, it’s the communing of its disciples that gives it meaning; the people who join together to transcend that which is the usual in order to achieve greatness by reaching for the unusual. Only by the power of people, the event has captured the imaginations of even more people, who in turn offer their imprints of unusualness—the costumes and the unofficial aid stations, the crazy signs and the custom team kits. It’s people rallying behind our topic (one day classic) with our belief system (you can achieve a lot on a bike) that makes the BWR special.
So, it should not come as a surprise that the archetypes of the BWR brand are not the Kings or Queens of the Mountains or the GC winners, nor are they the directors or sponsors. Nope, It’s the people who commit to truly doing something outside their comfort zones. And the best of those folks unapologetically raise their hands and say, “Help, can you show me how to do this, because I’m kind of freaked out right now, but in a good way.” Those folks are you, the BWR Survivalists.
So, thank you, for raising your hands and saying, “I like this thing you have, this religion or brand or unique cycling event or whatever it is, and want it in my life. I want to practice this wafflized belief system and become a newer, better version of me, with a side of Belgian ale.” I say, Santé, to that.
– mmx
Photo: http://www.dmunsonphoto.com/
It seems every year of BWR the event experiences growth in participants, mileage and overall gratifying experience had by all and the Survival Camp portion of the event was no different. Some familiar faces and many new ones were greeted on day one and the riding commenced. Loaded with tricky dirt sections and steep climbs the enthusiasm in which all had was overwhelming and coaches took note of levels and abilities on the bike.
Day two and 3 both tested the overall fitness and the lessons learned was that of how to tackle the perils of the course while fatigued and I feel everyone made great progress. The best part was finishing the last ride with a stop at the Lost Abbey to get a taste of what was to come after completing the Cervelo Belgian Waffle Ride in it’s entirety come May 21.
Overall, the campers learned everything they need to succeed in the event and even though were physically tired the energy was beyond compare, I am looking forward to congratulating each and every one of them with a Bottle of bad Ass Ale at the finish line. I would have to say from my perspective that I had more fun than any camp I have ever been at and the participants are now all of my friends as well.
-Phil Tinstman
Check out some of our other articles on Gravel Riding and Racing.
Overall, the campers learned everything they need to succeed in the event and even though were physically tired the energy was beyond compare, I am looking forward to congratulating each and every one of them with a Bottle of bad Ass Ale at the finish line. I would have to say from my perspective that I had more fun than any camp I have ever been at and the participants are now all of my friends as well.
-Phil Tinstman
Photo: http://www.dmunsonphoto.com/
Check out some of our other articles on Gravel Riding and Racing.