2021 Belgian Waffle Ride San Diego Guide

Described by the race as “the only Euro-style Spring Classic on American soil,” the BWR features a mix of paved roads and dirt sectors, on a selection of 3 different length courses, generally between 30 and 130 or so miles in length. Each course has varying percentages of gravel, making some courses a road-style race with gravel sectors, where another course can be mostly a gravel race with some road sectors.

The San Diego edition for 2021 will be a festive celebration of 10 years of gravel, with a packed weekend beginning Friday, July 16 and concluding on the evening of Sunday, July 18. The actual event takes place on Sunday the 18th but you will want to be sure to be there by Friday or Saturday, as there will be plenty of music, food, beers, and expos to peruse leading into the big day. With an early start on Sunday to beat the heat, you will want to at least try and be at the race village by Saturday to visit registration prior to the event start.

There are three ride options on tap, namely the Waffle, the Wafer, and the new-for-2021 ‘Wanna’ ride. Each offers varying levels of difficulty and challenge so any rider is sure to find the perfect course for them.

The “Waffle” ride will be 131.7 miles with more than 50 miles spent off road, and 11,000+ feet of climbing. The “Wafer” ride is 71 miles with 6000+ feet of climbing and 32 miles of gravel. The shortest option is the “Wanna” route with 37.5 miles, 3500 feet of climbing, and 9 miles worth of gravel.

Riders going for the win at the Waffle Ride will be squeezing 30 or 32c tires into road frames, making the Endurace a very enticing option to those looking to compete on both the pavement and dirt. Wafer riders may opt for Grails, due to the higher percentage of gravel relative to pavement on the course, or even reaching for some Inflites. Wanna riders should opt for a light gravel bike or all-road bike (either Grail, Endurace, or Inflite) to make the most of this exceptional sportive!

Canyon will have a big presence all weekend at the race, between our BWR pop-up at the Expo, and a myriad of riders who will all be lining up to claim victory at the 2021 event. Peter Stetina, winner of the race in 2019, will be following up his 3rd place Unbound result by going for the win at BWR; Eddie Anderson, 2nd place finisher of BWR 2019, will look to improve upon that result this year.

The San Diego edition for 2021 will be a festive celebration of 10 years of gravel, with a packed weekend beginning Friday, July 16 and concluding on the evening of Sunday, July 18. The actual event takes place on Sunday the 18th but you will want to be sure to be there by Friday or Saturday, as there will be plenty of music, food, beers, and expos to peruse leading into the big day. With an early start on Sunday to beat the heat, you will want to at least try and be at the race village by Saturday to visit registration prior to the event start.

BWR San Diego is always a tricky race to prep for as it’s not a through and through gravel race, yet there is just enough off road that will necessitate some modifications to be made. You will not need a super burly gravel bike for BWR San Diego, nor will you even really need tires wider than 40 mm (most of the riders going for speed will be on tires between 28 mm and 32 mm wide). We really recommend using either the Endurace, Inflite, or Grail at this edition of the race, as you will want to be capable in the dirt, but not sacrificing too much on the long stretches of pavement, especially on the longer course profiles.

As for other gear be sure to bring a flat repair kit, plugs (if your tires can accommodate them), PLENTY of water (Waffle riders get 9 feed zones, Wafer riders get 6 feed zones, Wanna riders get 2 feed zones), sun block, and either gravel specific kit for carrying plenty of snacks or a frame bag or bar bag to take what you need with you.