Dear Rouleurs,

We are less than ten days out and we want to update you, finally.

The 4^th ANNUAL BWR AZ RACE BIJBEL is HERE. Everything you need to know is contained in it, but here are some important details from it, below.

NEW VENUE (for real this time).

We’ve officially moved the start and finish to:

FOUR PEAKS STAGING AREA
Nearest address: 16300 McDowell Mountain Park Dr., Fountain Hills, AZ 85268

It’s just inside the park, past the ranger’s gate, to the right (east) one quarter mile.

This venue is a big upgrade for everyone. It gives us more room for riders, more space for vendors, way better flow, and plenty of parking… without the tight squeeze we were starting to run into at the previous location.

And here’s the kicker: it’s actually closer to Fountain Hills and Scottsdale than the old Ranch Road / 144th area. So, the logistics got easier, not harder.

For the 2026 Belgian Waffle Ride (BWR) Arizona on February 27–28, the event venue has indeed moved to the Four Peaks Staging Area within McDowell Mountain Regional Park

RACE DAY WEATHER FOR BWR AZ ☀️

At McDowell Mountain Regional Park on Saturday, Feb 28, expect classic desert conditions.

Low of 59°F at the start. High of 87°F by afternoon.

Cool early. Toasty late. Dry air. Big sun. Minimal rain chance.

Translation: arm warmers at roll-out, sunscreen by mile 10, Neversecond hydration all day. 🌵🚴♂️

EVENT SCHEDULE

• Waffles: Served starting at 6:00 AM on race morning.

• Race Start: The Waffle distance and other main categories begin at 8:00 AM on Saturday, February 28, 2026. 

  
  

PARKING & ENTRANCE FEES

• Park Entry Fee: There is a $10.00 per vehicle daily entrance fee for McDowell Mountain Regional Park – Pay for both days on Friday.

• Payment: exact change is great but Apple Pay and credit card tap is good to expedite entry at the park gate, which opens at 6:00 AM.

• Parking Location: Parking is available at the Four Peaks Staging Area on a first-come, first-served basis. 

• Pay for 2 days at a time - receive a hang tag to make entry faster and easier

• Bikes passes are $5, if you ride in

• Annual Passes accepted

• Cash, Card, Tap, or Apple Pay accepted

If you plan to ride into the park on race morning, make sure you stop at the guarded gate to get a pass.

CAMPING INFORMATION

The Four Peaks Staging Area serves as the primary location for event-specific camping. 

• Camping Fee: $25.00 per night for semi-developed/dry camping.

• Inclusions: This fee includes the park entry fee for the first vehicle. Additional vehicles not in tow may be charged the standard daily entry fee.

• Facilities: The staging area camping is dry camping (no water or electrical hookups at the site). Portable toilets are provided, and permanent restroom/shower facilities are located within the park.

• Reservations: While standard park sites require the Maricopa County Reservation System, event-specific overflow camping at the Four Peaks Staging Area will be managed on-site on a first-come, first-served basis during race weekend. 

• Camping allowed Thursday and Friday Night (pre-event)

• No camping on Saturday or Sunday Night (post event) 

• Gate code for after hours

• Restrooms/Showers available

• No bikes in the shower!

VENUE ACCESS

Location: The Four Peaks Staging Area is located approximately one quarter mile inside the park gate.

Gate Hours: The main park gate is open from 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM daily for entry. Exit is available 24 hours a day. 

We’re really hoping a bunch of you take advantage of this and turn BWR AZ into a full weekend desert hang.

McDowell Mountain Feed Zone

We’ll also be using this location as a Feed Zone that every rider will visit, which makes support, flow, and safety way better. It also means more energy around the venue throughout the day, which is exactly what we want.

Bring your ID so you can drink alcohol.

PARK RULES:

 

No Drones by participants or their friends! 

 

Parking Rules:

No parking on the main road

No camping on the main road

No pop-up tents on main road

 

Here is the new route collection: https://ridewithgps.com/collections/8552296

Important note: the new routes feature all the same iconic sectors, just with a few of them encountered in a different direction or at a different point in the race. There is one section of the Pemberton Trail after the Four Peaks Feed Zone where riders will briefly have two-way traffic. Stay to the left both directions and follow the blue flags.

So, if you’re worried this changes the character of BWR AZ… don’t be. It’s still the Hell of the North Desert. It’s just a better version of it.

Tentative distances are still tracking about the same:

• Waffle: ~100 miles 

• Wafer: ~65 miles

• Wanna: ~42 miles

The Wafer and Wanna are still especially rippable: flowy, sinuous, and pure fun. The Waffle is still the Waffle: equal parts speed, suffering, and desert delirium.

YOUTH PROGRAM (STILL 75% OFF)

We believe the future of the Unroad should be loud, dusty, and full of young riders. That’s why youth entries are 75% off. No gatekeeping, no intimidation, just an open invite to explore dirt, push limits, and fall in love with riding beyond the pavement.

BIG THANKS TO MCDOWELL MOUNTAIN CYCLES

Huge thanks to McDowell Mountain Cycles and Jamie Brown for supporting the event and helping us keep this thing grounded in the local riding community. They’ll also be connected to the main Feed Zone, which most riders will pass by twice.

SPONSORS (NEW + RETURNING).

We’re fired up to welcome some new sponsors to the BWR family:

• Van Rysel Bikes

• Capriroso Training App

• Kenetik Ketones

• H2O Audio

• Distance to Empty

• Bolt Skin & Shave

• UNDRBUDR

• Formula 100

 

And we’re equally stoked to have our returning partners back in the mix: Neversecond, ALMSTHRE, Lost Abbey, Athletic Brewing Co., Mumu, Birdworx, and BikeInsure.

SENDING YOUR BIKE?

You can use SendMyGear to get your bike to the event. Follow this link:

https://sendmygear.com/events/belgian-waffle-ride-arizona/

The three-default ship to locations are Gears to You, McDowell Mountain Cycles, and Shadetree. 

VOLUNTEERS WANTED (AND REWARDED)

You can also sign up to volunteer, which comes with a ton of free stuff, good vibes, and bragging rights. It’s a great way for family and friends to be part of the weekend while you’re out there racing bikes and questioning your life choices.

Volunteer link is here. Or email us at volunteers@monumentsofcycling.com

Volunteers receive:

• Volunteer T-Shirt

• Swag bag

• Beer ticket (21 and over)

• Full day (6+ hours): 100% off a 2026/2027 BWR event

• Half day (4–6 hours): 50% off a 2026/2027 BWR event

 

OUR START TIMES:

8:00 AM: Waffle Open (Men, Gender Diverse, Non-Comp Women) 

8:10 AM: All Waffle/Wafer Women (Elite & Competitive Women)

8:20 AM: Wafer Open and Wanna (everybody together now)

-     Each wave will have its own police escort

Special note: For the women’s elite and competitive fields men are not allowed to draft off the women, nor can the women draft off men. Full rules in the Race Bijbel.

Come join a star-studded list of riders…

Lachlan Morton

Haley Smith

Andrew L-Esperance

Haley Batten

Russell Finsterwald

Cécile Lejeune

Lance Haidet

Torbjørn Andre Røed

Haley Batten

Ryker Brand

Terese Martens

Holly Breck

Andrew Dillman

Siena Hermon

Daxton Mock

Starla Teddergreen

Stefano Barberi

Luke Mosteller

Melissa Aitken

Julian Gagne

Keaton Verswijver

Leslie Ethridge

See you in the desert. 🌵🧇

You haven’t registered? 👉 REGISTER NOW

KENETIK KETONES

By the time you toe the line, it’s already familiar.

Same signal.
Same timing.
Same calm clarity.

No surprises. No spike-and-crash.

Just staying sharp when the course gets weird—and the miles add up.

Get it at BWR

TheKenetik Performance Shot will be availableat each event.

Train with it.
Race with it.
Make it part of how you stay mentally durable.

Stay sharp late.
Don’t mentally fade.

Start My 6-Week Readiness Protocol — 25% Off

Lock in calm clarity for training and race day.

Use codeBWR atdrinkkenetik.com before the event to get25% offor visit:https://drinkkenetik.com/discount/BWR

Hey BWR Arizona Athletes,

We see you.

The grit. The preparation. The long hours no one talks about. Showing up to the start line ready to suffer a little — that’s not normal, and that’s exactly why we respect it. To celebrate you and the effort you’re putting in at BWR Arizona, we want to give you25% off on theH2O Audio website.

This is simply a thank you. You put in the work — we want to reward it. Use code: #BWRAZ25

Valid through: 30 MARCH 2026

Keep pushing. We’re proud to support you.

– Team H2O Audio

GET YOUR FORMULA 100 AT A 26% DISCOUNT

Here’s an exclusive 26% discount:https://formula100.com/discount/BWR26. Use BWR26 at checkout.