Hey Henry

Yeah...

Three words, Belgium Waffle Ride..

Oh What’s that mean?

Aww come Hank, don’t play naïve.

What?

The Belgium Waffle Ride, is only the premier gravel event in the U S of A! Oh should more rightly put it events!

Tell me more?

Ok, we’re do I start the Belgium Waffle folks create this cool fun event with different distances, for all gravel aficionados, toss in food, beer and music and create this type of Bonnaroo of sorts, or ugh in the cast of your age, Lalapalooza event. 

Sounds like something big! What’s it have to do with the Michiganscene? 

It’s coming to the Michiganscene!

Oh  boy! But not be the old cynical Henry you have come to love and enjoy, but this this does spark my memory, I remember hearing about a select few of fast up and comers traveling to the west coast get a chance to swing it against the real fast go getters, but now doesn’t seem soo special when it’s in your backyard now. I understand the lure and flavor of this event, but doesn’t the lift off come from the groad trip across the country? 

Well yeah, but just think Henry, the local Talent will get a chance to show the world of gravel the Miscene is a place to not be reckoned with ! 

I suppose. Can I ask what the cost is for entry?

$200.

Gulp! 

Where is it at?

Traverse city 

Dates?

Gulping twice, now factor in, the cost of stay, in the Palm Springs of Michiganscene, during the premier time of the season!  Might be tight budget for the average citizen, not to mention it plopped right down in the home stretch of Michigan cycling, what with the mountain bike stuff, the last of the gravel events, and who knows what else someone is gonna plop in there, oh boy fuckin howdy! I nearly forgot the new restructured Cyclocross scene.

Gee Henry...your kinda of downer 

Ha! Not really I’m pretty happy for those that can experience an event of this magnitude, but I can’t help showing just a smidge of my old pessimist self. It’s not some that I can truly see being a lasting event, not sure if the fine Belgium folks even want it to be, but I’m more concerned for what it will do for the local promoters, etc,  but hey if it helps the local TC economy, and gets people a little late season push towards the Holy Week by George, who am I to poo poo this big deal! 

The cost factor alone would keep me spending my dollars in a more suitable areas, but then again who can put a price on the experience, and not mention the traction it will gain you amongst the local crew if you should take down the gravel big dogs, or just have the best day on the bike for the season..

Henry..

Yeah..

Your a real bummer..

 

 

 The dollar bills in your purse or wallet may have likely been in a strippers ass-crack

 

 

 

 Fuck the police 

Your World, not mine..

 

Yo fools, 

This ain’t going to be the summer of love, it ain’t another Heavy Metal weekend..and by the looks of things the scene is trying to keep itself alive..ain’t nothing wrong with that.

But at what cost? And what point do we all take a step back toss a handful of mothballs into the box and seal that bitch up!

I mean I’m not gonna sit here and waste your night with another one of Ts long winded cry me a 

river of how it should be, and how we used to do it back in the day.

But I am gonna say beck can and this place still has my name on the mortgage...

It’s scares me a little, but it don’t surprise me none. Maybe because I’ve lived too long.

But is the scene really hosting a State Championship road race? And are they really calling the Cherry Roubaix? And did hear correctly it’s gonna be a mass start, all categories run together sort that shit out at the end and then call up the Champion? 

Part of me wants to start deleting everything I’ve ever lobbied for, and start a clean slate..

And the the other part wants me to hug the fucker who came up with such a more befitting idea, since the whole scene is running at cat 3/4 level, and this by no means is slam full disrespect to those cat1/2 card holders.

I suspect I’m prolly the minority on this one being since most folks are just happy to call it a road race. But for me it reminds me of soup my old Aunt used to make, the first time she dished that shit out it was chocked full if all the good stuff, but as time passed fewer ingredients got put in, until eventually it was just chicken stock, and some egg noodles...

Yuck, I’m gonna pass on the soup as well as another...

 

1978. Austria. Patrick, Ronnie and Niki. ...

 

 

 

 

The cost of involvement 

 

 Lemmy ...Hawkwind 

 

 

 

 

 

 The Grayling Giant