Belgian Waffle Ride Arizona: race testing a Pivot Vault + touring Pivot's Arizona R&D facility

The inaugural Belgian Waffle Ride Arizona was a rowdy affair, and I took the opportunity to test a Pivot Vault with its IsoFlex frame on the course just up the road from Pivot's Tempe facility.
Before racing the Vault in the 78-mile Wafer (where I ended up third), I was given a tour of Tempe's R&D facility by Chris Cocalis, the man who has been designing and engineering bikes and parts for decades for a few brands.
Pivot Vault on Competitive Cyclist: alnk.to/9bqYGk9
0:00 intro
1:23 men's pro race
2:58 BWR AZ overview
6:01 Pivot Vault
13:31 Maxxis Ramblers
14:42 Pivot facility and R&D tour
Photo courtesy Kris Hull and Belgian Waffle Ride. (That's the face you make when you take the turn off to do the Wafer instead of the full Waffle.) Thanks, Kris!
--
The Ride is supported in 2023 by
Castelli clothing: www.castelli-cycling.com
Giro helmets: www.giro.com
Feedback Sports stands & tools: www.feedbacksports.com

[@supernaturalcarlover]

4:05 mark pretty priceless. I hope they're OK!

[@tannermccormick4995]

okay I'm sorry but the dude that fell into that bush had me cracking up 😂😂 @4:03

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

Same!

[@lewis4175]

Really dig this form of bike and race recaps coming together

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

Thanks. I figure they give more context to the various bikes and are more fun to watch than Man Riding Alone Down a Road. Plus, this s^*t’s fun. 😁

[@mechanicalmanical]

Yeah. Especially the dude eating it in the background in the wash as advertised.

[@Liplip40]

Yeah this is the ticket

[@jesuscruz836]

Ben, I hope you stick around for a while. I am really enjoying your channel.

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

I hope so too! Please give me a Super Thanks if you feel it is worth it. Thank you.

[@henrybeck9446]

4:00 the guy falling in the background 😂😂😂

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

Mic drop.

[@lcc7352]

Love how involved Chris still is in the build-side of the business; it’s refreshing in this day and age. Great interviews, Ben!

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

Thank you.

[@ZenEndurance]

Thanks for been making a video of the race. Almost nothing made so far.

[@rickmccall7513]

Hopefully we see you at the BWR in British Columbia in May.

[@danielstory9268]

Loving the parade of tired riders in the background struggling through the sandy end of their race. 🤪

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

I set up there knowing I would get some good stuff… just wouldn’t know what until I looked at it later.

[@jeremysweeten2792]

I ❤ BWR!!! Another amazing course and venue. What an incredible organization and weekend!! So good to see you and I love your channel. KEEP IT UP!!!

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

Great to see you out there, Jeremy. How did you day go?

[@robbchastain3036]

Thanks, Ben, for bringing these events alive for us and congrats on your podium finish, not that you're being a kook about it, just great to see you do well as you have fun on your Magical Mystery Tour of Off-Road Fitness Tests for Bicyclists. Or call 'em gravel or dirt and unroad works, I like it, something like the Unreal Unroad 125. And thanks for the shop tour, too, makes it easier to understand the cost of the finished product. 😀

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

Cheers, Robb, to a continuation of the Magical Mystery Tour of Top-End Two-Wheeled Toys.

[@robbchastain3036]

@@TheRidewithBenDelaney O most definitely, Ben, Lance was wrong, it IS about the bike, lol, or at least mostly, each and every one of them. And last Sunday afternoon as I was in the parking lot of a theater for the movie Jesus Revolution, I was stopped in my tracks by a bike hanging off the back of a Jeep. It was a Kona in full gravel seriousness, with 50s front and rear, plated Dura-Ace cranks, disc brakes, flared bars with bar-end shifters, egg-beater pedals, a small metal rack in back. I really enjoyed admiring it for a few moments, knowing it was dialed by its rider for fun in the sun and wherever adventure calls and we can't have either without a high-performance toy. 😀

[@marksevy]

Nice reporting Ben. And congrats on that podium! 👊

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

Cheers, Sevvy. I’m enjoying riding this new wave of bike riding and racing. Hope to see you soon.

[@galenkehler]

That ride footage makes it look more like a mountain bike race lol😂

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

Felt like it at bits, and Sofia, Keegan and Blevins showed the rest what was what, so… yeah.

[@garyeanes4747]

Isoflex sure seems like their version of the IsoSpeed on my '22 Trek Checkpoint SL6 which has been a fantastic gravel/road bike for me. Takes the "edge" off without being intrusive or changing position on the bike while working.

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

Yep, agreed.

[@MarrafaCycling]

Amazing sharing!! Thanks! Sending you greetings from Brussels, Belgium. Ps: today here is snowing

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

Cheers, Luis. I love Belgium.

[@MarrafaCycling]

@@TheRidewithBenDelaney Come and experience the competition in Houffalize 26.08.2023 you will love it. I tried it out last year with a cx bike :)) here a video from last year kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y5rbeqCOd9aaf9k Greetings

[@blazacrew]

Seems like a proper fun course for experienced cx rider

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

It was some legit Brandon Dwight type stuff.

[@jeremysweeten2792]

The LAST dirt downhill section was the SCARIEST of all! Riding straight down through a 2’ deep rut that is only 12” wide and WINDY!! SCARY😮

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

Right? That was the bit where I was like - dropper, please!!

[@themississippikidful]

Great Video ! Lol i thought the 8.6 % kicked in immediately after the first sip 😅

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

Close!

[@douglasbracken7562]

Own a Vault and love it! Fantastic show!

[@gotaytaygo1]

The rider at 4:07 🤣🤣🤣 #relatable

[@locosphinx]

That course was a load of fun. I did the Pablove ride Saturday morning. Should have done the FasCat with you and Frank instead. Looked a lot more chill and I miss my proper bike racer pals!

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

I'm a Pablove fan. I planned to attend and brought a jersey made with the artwork of a late young family friend to wear. F Cancer. But anyway, the Pablove was too long so I couldn't do both. We'll coordinate them better next time.

[@mtbgo7860]

Wahoo Speedplay power pedals are amazing. Two months in and love em.

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

Glad you like them. I wouldn't want to ride them in dirt, though.

[@mtbgo7860]

@@TheRidewithBenDelaney I use them on my XC bike and my road bike. No issues yet. It’s nice to transfer back n forth.

[@stefanodirector]

The guy smacking the sand pit in the background was a nice touch. 😉

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

Right? I set up my camera there knowing I'd get *something* good, but had no idea what until I was back home editing. (For the record, I've been that guy 100 times.)

[@stefanodirector]

@@TheRidewithBenDelaney same here.

[@andyphilpotts4636]

Had to love the dude in red wiping out on demand, did not look like a happy camper as he struggled back to his feet, sand is for camels, not bike tires

[@thomaskuhn6541]

I like these bike overviews. Did you ever feel like you were running out of gears with the Dura Ace setup - 11-34 on the back?

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

Thanks, and no, not with a 30 chainring. With 1x, I sometimes do run out of gear. This is a handy resource: www.bikecalc.com/gear_inches

[@tariqkamil7853]

After all the recent testing you have done, I guess mid year sometime, maybe a general review of bikes tested and which you would buy with your own hard earn cash. Cos sometimes I watch your videos and all the bikes are super desirable. And thank u for all your posts

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

Hey Tariq. Yeah, for sure. Will do. I was also thinking of a few ‘Best for $3k-$4k, $5k-$8k’ type things too. Thanks for the feedback.

[@tariqkamil7853]

@@TheRidewithBenDelaney hey, WoW. And thanks again. Recovering from my 2nd back injury in 9 months. All I can do is watch with envy and look forlorn at my aspero hanging on the wall

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

Ah, man. Back injuries are the worst. I’ve herniated a disc and had compression fractures on a few vertebrae. No bueño. Good luck in your recovery.

[@guitarsmasher41]

Ben, What do you think of your KOO sunglasses? I’m looking at getting a pair. Do they impair your peripherals? Do they vent well? Always love your content! Thanks!

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

They're pretty good. Lenses don't distort or fog. The hinges get loose pretty quickly, so that make them feel a bit cheap. You can see a bit of the frame in the corners of your vision, but the full frame protects the lens when you drop them. So yeah, pretty good. Please subscribe to the channel; it helps me out in a tiny way. Thanks.

[@RAG0407]

I ride the e vault. It’s a lot of fun. And I can pull out battery and engine to ride it normally.

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

It's super cool that the motor itself comes out and not just the battery.

[@Hintonbro.]

Losing a 196 km gravel race in deep sand just 100m before the finish sounds brutal

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

Those guys put on a show. Only bummer of gravel racing is the very nature of what makes the courses so fun to ride makes them kinda impossible to capture on video. Fleeting.

[@JulianKent]

The other guy carried those wider tires at lower pressure for the whole race, being prepared for anything is what gravel is all about.

[@JibbaJabber]

@4:14 🪮🌵 Hey Ben, someone's gonna need your cactus comb

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

🫣

[@DD-xx8wh]

what a race course a bit of everything, welcome to AZ! anyone riding gravel bikes with front susp or isoflex like compliance concepts?

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

The front bit is trickier to sort out. Full-on suspension forks are heavy. Some folks like the RedShift stem. I like Specialized's Future Shock - but you gotta have a Diverge or a Roubaix for that.

[@supercat567]

I knew it was you I saw there! Wish I was able to say hi (I was in a hawaiian shirt if you remember)

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

Yeah I remember! From Utah, right? You joined our FasCat shakeout ride. How did your day go?

[@supercat567]

@@TheRidewithBenDelaney I think you got another guy, Im the poor soul walking in that sand at 11:50 lol

[@Omnis2]

Are you not allowed to ride full suspension at these events? I love all the people in the background, lol.

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

You can ride whatever you want! At some gravel events aero bars are banned, but as for the bike itself, anything goes.

[@SergioCristancho]

Stages for Shimano... note taken!

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

Use the code THERIDE for 20% at stagescycling.com if you like. I don't have a deal on SRAM... yet... :-)

[@jmscheel]

Your fans ask amazing questions.😂

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

Next time you’re coming around in front of the camera.

[@markreams3192]

Those are mountain bike trails! Way beyond my skills on a drop bar bike! I now know what ride I won’t do. Thanks!😂. Don’t care about any gauge. Press fit is a deal killer!

[@tadaka.8]

11:46 curious if you've ever tried rotor power meters and how you like them

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

I have not. SRM, PowerTap, Stages, Quarq, Look/Polar, 4iiii, power2max, Ergomo, Garmin, Speedplay… and probably some others I am forgetting. But not Rotor.

[@mikewikstrom3416]

Seems like mostly drop bar bikes at the BWR’s. Does anyone go hardtail? I get that there’s plenty of road, but it would be nice on the singletrack.

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

Very few. At most gravel races there is a mix of terrain, but at BWRs the contrast between pavement and the dirt terrain is pretty drastic, which really underscores the fact that you have to pick one setup knowing that it will be the wrong one for part of the course. Arizona had more pavement than dirt.

[@lincolnlu9869]

Can you get that elastomer shim separately and put it on another bike?

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

No. The top bit is a bit teardropped as is the frame to keep it in place.

[@SergioCristancho]

What we can Say about the Specialized diverge STR ... now that Laurens Ten Dam has put some non STR bikes behind in the 2023 Transcordilleras gravel/rally 8 stages race? Does the STR has now the claim is not a gimmick... then like a Pivot Vault with isoflex ... and all the related tech of compliance/ suspension for marketing purposes MUST be included as part of gravel bikes... is some how stiffness/ natural frame saddle / bike definitively not allow ?

[@LTBlightthebeam]

How different is the butt compliance from the last gen checkpoint you liked a lot?

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

“Butt compliance” - ha! It is pretty similar to the Checkpoint and the Revolt with the long post, which I also like. Different ways to get there.

[@whatwouldjacobdo]

What fancy whip are you gonna be pedalin’ at Mid South?

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

Got the new SRAM Force to test.

[@SmolSnake]

really enjoying seeing the occasional depressed cyclist walking or crashing through the sand 😂

[@rudyelizondo1935]

Be honest man, which bike was your favorite to ride?? Specialized crux, diverge, Roubaix, giant, BMC, pick 1 or 3? Thanks

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

A video on exactly that is coming. And no need to say “be honest” - that is what I am doing here. I realize paid “reviews” abound on KZbin and elsewhere, but I am just calling it like I see it. This one for example came about by me calling Pivot and asking if I could come visit and borrow a bike for the weekend. Thanks!

[@mikedee6316]

I know you were talking, because I saw your mouth moving. But I was too busy watching the carnage behind you.

[@fenderperry]

😂

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

I can’t top Man in Bush. My work here is done. 🫡

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

The best part was that I was largely oblivious. I knew I would get some good stuff there; I just didn’t know what until I was editing. (And for the record, Man in Bush, we have all been there. Well maybe not in that particular bush… but you know what I mean. 😁)

[@crazypaulinquebec]

Too much data is anti-gravel ;-) I certainly don't need power data, hell it would be depressing to see!!

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

😁

[@sjbachar15]

Kills me to see those scratches on the go no-go gauges when he’s talking about .003”. Lol sorry.

[@ZenEndurance]

FIRST!!!

[@ezpzbb]

Lol no derailleur clutch on a grave bike??!! No thanks