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...