SPRING HAS SPRUNG

We’re back baby! Two rides down, many more to go. Feels crazy to say we’re 25% through ‘25 but here we are. Same van, new look. New Babes rides. A SXSW party to remember. A trip to Dallas. It’s been a good year so far and we’re just getting started.

In stark contrast to last year, we’ve lucked out so far with the weather. Mostly. A quick pivot in February meant sunshine and blue skies to kick off the year with DT Swiss and a whole fleet of new wheels to boot. If you haven’t seen our Ride Leaders rolling around on ‘em, chances are it’s ‘cause they’re goin’ too fast.

A new year means a new approach. From weekly to biweekly and alternating routes, the Babes are back and better than ever. Mt. Bonnell who? Plus the first Saturday Babes ride was a smashing success. Don’t forget to give Jordie a high five next time you see her.

SXSW was a weekend to remember. A member exclusive happy hour to kick it all off and we kept the party going right through Saturday afternoon. We’re teaming up with our friends over at EF Adventures for 2025 and beyond, so they hosted us at their Austin HQ for a little look into the brand and what opportunities lie ahead for the BC community.

Things were shaping up to be big on Saturday morning and that didn’t change. Big groups, high speeds, and a ripping tailwind home. What a time!

But the real fun started as soon as we stepped off the pedals. A bar tab on EF, live music from the one and only DJ Grossyall, and our first cask beer collab with Central Machine Works. A little beer garden renovation couldn’t keep the fun away and if all goes to plan we’ll be sharing pints in the shade at the next one.

And just before we closed the books on a big March, we took a few Ride Leaders up to D-town for some flatter miles and even more wind. Friday evening at Manhattan Project feels like a staple at this point – what better way to carb-load than a couple o’ pints? Saturday morning saw the biggest group we’ve had yet in Dallas, and we can’t wait to keep the energy going through the rest of the year. Worth the drive on 35!

April can’t come soon enough…

NEW BEGINNINGS

We call this blog The Sunny Side, but it feels like it’s been anything but that. For a while we thought every BC ride was destined to be cursed and that we might just need to cancel until next year. But finally, May rolled around and the clouds broke.

We got our first sunny ride of the year, and it sure felt like it was the real first ride we’ve had yet.

Rewind to a few weeks ago, and we found ourselves up in the Land of Oz. Bentonville, Arkansas, a ski town for bikes and the home of one of the most unique gravel events in the country – Rule of Three. A contingent of Breakfast Club folks made the eight hour drive up for a week of gravel, coffee, and general two-wheeled tomfoolery. The Meteor drip was flowing strong and the spirit of gravel made itself known on backcountry roads in Northwest Arkansas.

A seemingly endless drive back home and it was full speed ahead for THE BIG ONE. Central Machine Works, our home, was ready to pack the house, and y’all showed up ready to rock.

This one left us spinning. We finally got the ride we’ve been waiting for all year… humidity and all.

Up there with one of our biggest rides to date and one we’re most proud of. Our ride leaders showed up in full force and were absolutely dialed, it was VAN DEBUT DAY, and it did not rain… whew. If ya missed it, well ya missed it. Don’t skip June because it’s only up from here.

From day one, we’ve always said Breakfast Club is for EVERYONE. We don’t care if it’s your first time riding a bike or if you’ve raced in the Tour de France. Well yesterday that couldn’t have been more true. Thanks for stopping by Lance Armstrong.

2024 finally feels like it’s underway, and we couldn’t be more stoked for future sunny rides. There’s plenty more to come as summer is fast approaching – stay tuned…

WHEN IT RAINS IT POURS

2024 kicked off with a BANG! This time literal bangs from the sky and heavy rain which quickly turned Marly Is Lost into Marly Is Surfing.

In hindsight maybe we should have canceled… or maybe that was one of the most epic rides we’ve had to date and one for the BC storybook that we’ll be talking about for quite some time. What started as just the slightest pitter patter quickly turned into a downright downpour. Safe to say we’ll never trust a forecast again.

We somehow managed so squeeze a ride in though, even if it was much shorter than we’d hoped for. But the afterparty at CMW was the real treat. Packed like sardines in the beer hall so we could get just a little taste of the warmth from that space heater was a sight to behold, and one ya just had to be there for. Thanks to the real ones who came out and risked it with us.

Hopes were high for a nicer weekend and debut for Gravel Gang 2024, but yet again the meteorologists delivered some bad news – high winds and frigid temps. This time they were right, so we bundled up for what was to be yet another epic day on the bike. Oh how we long for just a few drops of sunshine to lift up spirits.

On to the next one…

A packed cafe is a happy cafe and we sure did pack the house. STANDING ROOM ONLY for the first Breakfast Club x The Meteor Cafe ride of the year… and we finally got the crisp, sunny morning we’d been hoping, waiting, wishing for.

A perfect day in the hills followed up by some perfect post-ride patio weather. Burn it so ya earn it and earn it we did. Thank you to everyone who came out and made this one feel like the proper 2024 kick off we needed.

After a wet & wild start to the year, we figured we’d catch a break in March, but lo & behold, the skies opened up once again to give us our second soggy breakfast of 2024. All that to say, we made the most of it and had one heck of a time getting poured on out in Manor. Maybe our shoes would have enough time to dry out before we hit the road for Dallas.

Seems like our only luck this year comes on Meteor Saturdays and Dallas was no exception. We took the streets of D-Town with groups looping ‘round Mountain Creek Lake and ‘round White Rock Lake. Thank y’all for the warm welcome and beautiful weather … looks like we gotta go to DTX to find the sunshine now.

More to come as our fearless ride leader Nick Weber makes the move back home to Dallas. Saturday might be something we could used to.

One last ride to close out March and it did not disappoint one bit. We had ourselves a day in McDade, that’s for sure.

Texas spring is in FULL SWING so we treated ourselves to its finest: wide open country roads, tree canopies, wild flowers, and an ostrich? Anyone hang out with Holly for a bit?

Next Gravel Gang is on Star Wars day / MAY FOURTH. Make sure you block the calendar for that one!

Hot on the heels of a streak of sunny weather and it’s time to kick off a year full of BEER HOPS where we spend an hour riding and at least 3 hours drinking. After all it’s the Breakfast Club way.

Alongside ATX Beer Party we raised OVER $800 for the Yellow Bike Project and we had a GOOD TIME doin’ it. From Central Machine Works to Draught House to Holdout Brewing and back again, cheers to having fun and raising funds all in a few hours on a beautiful Sunday afternoon.

Fast forward to today and the forecast still says rain. At this point it’s just become a running joke and a joke we’re pretty tired of. BUT, there’s a whole year of rides ahead of us so don’t fret all of the turbulent Texas weather we’ve had so far. Soon enough we’ll be slurpin’ down those CMW beers just to cool the engine off. Until the next one…

ONE LAST RIDE

BC September was one for the books! Everything seemed to click…and then we got rained out in October. We can’t be too upset though, it’s been an unforgettable year and we still got to hang at CMW for the Breakfast part of Breakfast Club. ONE RIDE LEFT! Where did the year go?

A lot has gone on since the last edition of The Sunny Side, and we aren’t slowing down in the slightest, so keep reading in case ya missed any of it.

It started on September 23 and some early morning hangs with Specialized Austin giving out some last minute fixins. Coffee from The Meteor and ice cold BPN in the bottles. Our ride leaders being DIALED IN on a tried and true hills route. A tailwind up Barton Creek. All kinds-a bikes and all kinds-a folks. Not to mention a few pours of our new “Sunny B” beer collab with Central Machine Works to celebrate until we ran it dry.

We tapped our second release in the CMW BREAKFAST SERIES at the September ride, and we won’t forget that one anytime soon.

Breakfast Club and Central Machine Works kicked off the Breakfast Series last year with Ride Lager, but this time around we stepped into the brewhouse and cooked up SUNNY B, a low-ABV, slightly tart Berliner Weisse mixed with a lil’ tangerine puree. We made it to quench post-ride thirst, and quench thirst it did.

And last but certainly not least, JESTER FOR BREAKFAST! And we got up by any means necessary. That was one of the most old school BC routes we’ve done in a while… all in the name of celebrating our last pop up of the year and prepping for the Tour das Hügel.

We talk about Hügel a lot because that ride holds a special place in our hearts. It’s how Breakfast Club started… we bailed out a few years ago and chose breakfast over continuing on. If you joined on the ride and bailed out of a few hills then WE’RE PROUD! It’s the BC way after all.

We have a fun few weeks ahead before we’re done for the year. More to come on that but in the meantime, here’s to blue bird mornings and enjoying this proper fall weather we’ve got goin’ on.

Only ONE RIDE LEFT! See y’all November 18…

BREAKFAST CLUB HAS GONE BANANAS

The hottest one of the year is in the books (we hope) and we have a lot to celebrate. What a wild ride this is turning out to be…

It seems surreal to say, but in the peak of what seems like the most brutal summer we’ve ever had, we had our BIGGEST ride yet. For the first time ever, the line for BPN was longer than the line for beer, and our good friends at Bare Performance Nutrition came stocked up with electrolytes to keep us all hydrated.

Speaking of BPN, if you’re in need of nutrition for both on and off the bike, make sure to go check out the Breakfast Club x BPN collection, where you can snag some of our favorites at a discount!

Breakfast Club took the hills with upwards of 800 riders, safely descending and climbing some of the best hills Austin has to offer. The rides get bigger and somehow they keep getting safer. It’s truly a sight we won’t forget any time soon.

Walnut Creek trail was at full capacity as D group, the heart & soul of what we’re all about, was rolling 60 deep up and down on Saturday morning.

The best part of the day though? Having our fearless ride leader Chris Clouse back at the club and back in action for the first time since an unfortunate incident earlier this year. Chris, glad we could give you a warm welcome home both literally and figuratively.

AUGUST WAS BANANAS. Thank y’all from the bottom of our hearts.

THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME

On May 27th, we made a return to the place we call home, Central Machine Works. We’re still trying to wake up from the dream where hundreds of y’all made the big gravel parking lot feel small for the first time ever. It was a ride unlike anything else or anywhere else, and a ride we don’t plan on getting off of anytime soon.

Gone West is a crowd favorite when it comes to classic BC routes, but this one just felt even more special. We’ve never seen the hills of Austin more packed with friends from near and far, surfing wheels and celebrating with International Cycling Club at a hilltop parking lot party. Sour Patch Kids, potato chips, electrolytes and more were just what the doctor ordered after a SPICY trip to the top of Barton Creek.

Breakfast on the horizon, some of y’all raced up Marly for one last explosive effort, while the rest raced back to town for an early spot in the CMW beer line. If you ask us, the latter was the better option.

We’ve been proud many times but this time especially, we’re proud that our D group was the largest it’s ever been. 60 people took on Walnut Creek Trail with no other goal than to ride bikes with others. Breakfast Club has never been about the distance, the speed, or the watts. It has always been about friendship, and will always continue to be.

And lest we forget, DJ GrossYall showed up ready to PARTY, spinning the tunes both pre and post ride. That was the true icing on the cake.

New hats, new bottles, and the first ever STICKER CLUB dropped on site at Central Machine works, and if you missed the hats, you’ll have to stay tuned for the next round because we SOLD OUT.

We said it last month yet we’re here saying it again… this was our BIGGEST (and best?) ride to date. Welcome to Breakfast Club.

BPN BREAK FEST

One for the books… the record books. Hundreds of y’all made the journey up to Round Rock for what was the biggest Breakfast Club ride to date and we’ll be thinking about it for quite some time. If that was any indication of what’s ahead, it’s time to buckle up and enjoy the ride

Some started early from downtown Austin to make it an epic day by riding all the way up to the ride itself, pit stop at Round Rock Donuts included. It was a blue bird day on beautiful rolling country roads to officially kick off BC x BPN. From wildflowers to horses to longhorns and more, it was a quintessential Texas ride, and we wouldn’t have it any other way

BUT post-ride is where the real fun began. As the temps turned up, so did y’all. From electrolyte mix to t-shirts, protein and more, BPN put on one heck of a party for us. Our friends at Specialized Austin joined in on the fun and helped fix up some bikes along the way too. And just in case you were wondering, we consumed over 1,200 cinnamon roll protein pancakes post ride!

And just in case you were wondering, we consumed over 1,200 cinnamon roll protein pancakes post ride!

This is just the start of an amazing partnership with BPN, and we can’t stop thinking about what comes next. THANK YOU ALL for making your way to Round Rock. It was without a doubt #worththedrive on I-35.

Next up, we’re back home on May 27 at Central Machine Works for the REST OF THE YEAR. Until then…

COSMIC SXSW POP UP

It was one of those rides… 

Thank y’all for coming out to pack Cosmic Coffee + Beer Garden during yet another Austin cold snap. Despite the lackluster weather, attendance was at an all time high, which made our *unofficial* SXSW party with Specialized Austin that much sweeter. The coffee was hot, the bluebonnets were purple, the burritos were stuffed and the beer was ice cold. If you ask us, that’s a winning combo right there

Speaking of winning combos, congrats to Jamie Pratt, winner of the Specialized Aethos Frame Giveaway. Ya lucky duck! 

If you didn’t catch ‘em at the ride, we just dropped some new BC Specialized Custom Bottles. Fill ‘er up with water, electrolytes, or your favorite draft beer

Get yours IN THE SHOP NOW

Y’all also peep some of the most recent additions to the Breakfast Club community? Justin Williams and the new Austin Aviators team joined us for the first of many rides together. Prepare for more fun to come with this crew both on and off the bike

There’s something truly special found in the simplicity of sharing a ride, a beer, and a laugh on a cold Saturday morning that keeps us coming back for more. Judging by the turnout, y’all agree wholeheartedly, and we couldn’t be more stoked about it

Get ready for an adventure on April 22, with everything taking place out of Bare Performance Nutrition HQ up in Round Rock! New venue, new routes, but the same ol’ Breakfast Club feel

Until next time 🪐

RIDER PROFILE: KIMMI WARD

Who is Kimmi Ward?

Kimmi Ward is… Happiest when outside on two wheels. California born, Colorado raised Facilitator of Fun at Specialized Austin. I appreciate spontaneity and senseless random acts of goodness. I am one of many interests and none of them include stupidity or selfishness. I spend too much time thinking about where my life is going, and if I look like I’m here, trust me I’m really not.

I over-analyze on a regular basis. Tuning into intense emotions and articulating them as best as I can. I find value in feelings. Especially empathy and compassion. I strongly dislike using "either/or" language and avoid speaking in absolutes. I've found that most things in life are affected by "both/and". If this confuses you, just ask. I would suggest that an ideal life lies somewhere between my own defiant indolence and the rest of the world’s endless frenetic hustle. I’m sure my soul's purpose on this planet is to make magic happen and be a bad influence on a select few.

My own resolute idleness has mostly been a luxury rather than a virtue, but I did make a conscious decision, a long time ago, to choose time over money, since I’ve always understood that the best investment of my limited time on earth was to spend it with people I love. It is possible that one day I’ll go to my grave regretting that I didn’t work a little harder, but I think what I’ll really be saying is “I wish I would have rode my bike just a few more miles that day, or had one more long winded discussion about life with my Dad, or hiked just a few more hours with my dog, shared one last good kiss with my lover.

“Life is too short to not be present to all that is calm and beautiful.”

I eat monsters in my sleep because they are yummy.

I frequently have one-night stands with myself, and then I don't even call. Other than that, I’m pretty normal.

What do you do when you’re not riding a bike?

When I’m not riding my bike…I’m most likely working. The moments when I peel myself away from work, you will find me hiking with the dog, spending time with people I love, playing pickle ball, climbing, camping, taking photos, paddling, sipping whiskey, listening to Willie on vinyl, sitting on a bench watching people walk by, and/or causing trouble somewhere.

Where is your favorite breakfast in Austin?

My favorite breakfast in Austin is a toss-up between Veracruz traditional tacos and Snooze pineapple upside down pancakes alongside a breakfast sammie on pretzel bun, washed down with a mimosa and oat milk latte. Perfection!

Why do you ride with Breakfast Club?

I ride with Breakfast Club because it’s the bike family I’ve always wanted and never knew I needed! I love the police escorts that make us feel extra safe and special. The routes are some of my favorites that Austin has to offer. But mostly it’s the people. I love the diversity of riders and that we have a place to call home in BFC. Oh, and the merch is on point! Did I mention the people and how much I love them! 

SUNNY SIDE UP

Now Serving: The Sunny Side, a collection of all things Breakfast Club. From ride recaps to custom product drops to rider profiles and more, this newsletter is where you can find out about all of the latest happenings in the Breakfast Club community

BREAKFAST IS BACK and there’s no doubt about that. If February 11 was any indication of what’s in store this year then it’s time to buckle up

Our 2023 kickoff gave us a chance to show y’all some of the key partners we’ll be working with moving forward. You’ll be hearing plenty more in the coming weeks and months, but we’re so grateful to be working with stellar brands such as Pas Normal Studios, Bare Performance Nutrition, Specialized Austin, Central Machine Works, and The Meteor Cafe to bring an even bigger and better experience this year and beyond

A crisp and cold Texas winter morning was made warmer by nearly 400 of y’all bundled up to take the streets. Each group headed out of town with its own rolling enclosure to tackle Marly and Lost Creek all while battling the unrelenting wind. Double the squad cars means double the fun, for TWO FULL HOURS. Whether we were flying down 360 or attacking through Lost Creek, we got to do so without stopping for any red lights or stop signs, and that’s pretty cool if you ask us

With the return of Breakfast Club came the announcement of a new kit and apparel sponsor, Pas Normal Studios. If you’re still wondering how to pronounce it, here’s a quick lil’ excerpt from their site:

For the Anglophones, it's French. No, it's not “Paz Normul", it's “Pah Norm-all". And again, for the Anglophones, if the translation didn't come through, it means “not normal".

We sold out of the first BC x PNS collection in MINUTES. We’re so thankful for the support, and if you didn’t manage to snag yourself a sweatshirt or bandana, hit the BC shop for the newly dropped BC PAS TEE

Stay tuned for more info on our partners, events, and everything in between. See y’all on March 18th