BELGIAN WAFFLE RIDE SAN DIEGO
07.20.21
Flashpoint MVMNT traveled to the Belgian Waffle Ride in San Diego, CA for the weekend of July 16-18. Andrew Jackson, Nehemiah Brown, and Amanda Schaper entered the race, while an injured Kathy Pruitt joined the fun remotely on social media during the event. There were over 4,000 registered participants plus an additional ~1,000 expo attendees, and we were thrilled to be reunited with our gravel family! After so long without any gravel events, we were beyond ready for this.
It was especially exciting to get to know new people at the event and bring them into Flashpoint MVMNT. A movement is meant to be joined, and this was our first big opportunity to connect with others and bring them into the movement that we’re trying to build. Our goals were to learn more about the changes riders want to see in cycling and encourage them to work towards making those changes, all while promoting a welcoming space for newer riders at the event.
We asked everybody who visited the Flashpoint booth to answer one question: What change do you want to see in cycling? Answers were written on stickers and added to a board, creating a visible, communal representation of how we can make the bike community a more fun and welcoming space for everybody. Learning what changes everybody wants to see made us more motivated than ever to get out there and make it happen.
It was fun to socialize at the Flashpoint booth, but nothing beats socializing with new friends on the bike. That’s why we organized an Ice Cream Social Ride! The day before the race, about 30 riders joined us for a casual, no-drop group ride to welcome newer cyclists. A wide variety of cyclists pedaled seven miles to a local ice cream shop, ranging from 2021 Unbound race winner Ian Boswell to bike boom newcomers, including one rider who had never been on a group ride before.
Before we even toed the line for the race, we already felt so fulfilled and grateful for the opportunity to connect with so many amazing people at the Belgian Waffle Ride San Diego. Thank you to everybody who connected with Flashpoint MVMNT throughout the weekend, and special thanks to the Canyon team for their support and hospitality.
