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Monuments of Cycling, the organizers of the Belgian Waffle Ride are taking their brand of mixed surface mayhem to Kansas. The event will be hosted by Sunflower Outdoor & Bike Shop in Lawrence Kansas and will raise money for the Steve Tilford Foundation.
Event partner Sunflower Bike Shop is owned by gravel legend and 4-time Unbound (formerly DK200) winner Dan Hughes. The charity partner, Steve Tilford Foundation is also based in Lawrence Kansas.
“As someone that’s been around the gravel scene for a number of years, it’s easy to recognize passionate people that love creating unique world-class experiences for racers and riders alike,” shares Dan Hughes, Sunflower Outdoor & Bike Shop owner and four-time winner of the DK (Unbound). “The crew at Belgian Waffle Ride absolutely exude that vibe, and that’s why we’re excited to partner with them for BWR Lawrence. A good ‘alt-surface’ event should be equal parts suffering, vanquishing challenges, and doing it all for a worthy cause... and BWR Kansas has all those elements in abundance.
Despite being held just 83 miles from Emporia, BWR in Kansas is not just Unbound Gravel by another name. This Waffle will have its own unique character and complexion which is decidedly un-Unbound. Let’s look at the numbers. Unbound is 200-miles, 99% off-road, with about 8000 ft of climbing. This BWR, dubbed “The Hell of the Mid-West" will feature a 111-mile course with approximately 80 miles off-road (72%) and 8000 ft of climbing. So BWR:KS is a little over half as long and includes 28% paved roads, but has almost twice the climbing per mile. In a very un-unbound move, we also expect Monuments of Cycling to mark the course and provide stocked aid stations for the riders.
From the organizers:
The start, finish and expo will take place along a scenic riverfront park. The route features rolling passes, rough and rocky outcroppings, lake and river views, forests and rivers and water crossings. Riders will get a bit of everything thrown at them: hard-packed, flat, loose, rocky, uphill and downhill gravel.
Did we mention BWR Kansas happens on Halloween? Yes. Halloween. There will also be a Halloween-inspired cyclocross event Saturday during the BWR Expo. What do you think? Will you bring the family to Kansas for a weekend of trick-or-treating, Halloween festivities, and bike riding?
Also announced today, new dates for the other three BWRs. The updated dates are as follows:
San Diego, California: July 18
Asheville, North Carolina: August 21
Cedar City, Utah: September 25
Lawrence, Kansas: October 31
Editor's note: A previous version of this article said "Will you bring the wife and kids to Kansas…” This was offensive and harmful to some in our cycling community because the phrasing rendered women as spectators instead of capable competitors. We have the greatest regard and respect for all riders and participants in the cycling community. We are sorry for our careless and non-inclusive phrasing.
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