Brent Prenzlow and Andy Brightman are two local riders who have watched the Belgian Waffle Ride evolve from its inception in 2012 in the hills of North San Diego County. Ahead of this years California BWR, we caught up with each of them to hear about how the race has developed over the years, and how their equipment has adapted. Plus a few predictions thrown in, some general cycling wisdom, and gear talk. If you're an aspiring Belgian Waffleur, this is a read you won't want to miss!   Brent Prenzlow I've been racing BWR since the inaugural edition in...

This year marks my fourth ride of the Belgian Waffle Ride. I first rode the event in 2015 when “gravel” was just becoming a dedicated bike category and my Supersix Evo with “wide” 25mm tires and tubes seemed to fit right in. By the end I had a dent in one of my rims and my arms were cramping, but I had finished. And I was hooked. The concept of “racing” across North County roads and trails provided the adventure that SoCal criteriums so severely lacked. Each year (aside from 2017 due to injury) I have returned to suffer my...

The Belgian Waffle Ride is commonly referred to as the Hell of the North (county), among other strong adjectives to describe its brutal nature. It is NOT often, if ever, referred to as a beginner's ride. But scarily enough, for me, that's what it was. I received my first bike (courtesy of Spinergy) at the ripe age of 40. I've ridden bikes before, but I've never owned one, so it wasn't something I did often. But on March 12th 2019, there it was at my desk, my first bike. A beautiful Canyon Grail CF 8.0 (I know, not bad for...