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2026

WBL #1 and #2 2025-2026

The HUB Home Opener and The Ken Rosskopf memorial ride to Rayle.

170 miles total. 20.2 mph average.

Ken Rosskopf was an idol of mine. Simply one of the nicest guys around. A husband and father who did so much advocating for cyclists, becoming the preeminent lawyer representing cyclists all over, pioneering a bike share program before any other, and being a WBL regular. Ken took me to some of my first WBLs before I could drive. He carted us all around to races for years. Ken passed doing what he loved: riding his bike. So, let’s remember and honor Ken by doing just that: riding our bikes.

Now it’s time. Go on ahead and put the heavy on us. We can handle the weight. Though we might wiggle, wander, or wave- we will not fall. We will not quit. We will push through the fog, the mist, the pine tar laced air, the manure scented clouds, the cold, or even the nice sunny days. We are the WBL. A community of like-minded pedal pushers. Not paper pushers mind you, well maybe some on the board might push some paper around (the money type you know). Either way, these pedal pushers (known around the world as Zealots) are the type that look out for each other. We’re home to the best structured training ride on the planet. This year alone over $5,000 in cash is up for grabs. With that, let’s remember our ride guidelines.

Ride Guidelines and Etiquette

The WBL has its own special flavor and we specialize in long winter rides at a solid, steady tempo. But we are more than just a ride, we are a community, a social network, a family, and we look out for our brothers and sisters of the road. Safety and a great training ride are two of our more important objectives. All riders must (1) obey the rules of the road, and (2) riding double-file at all times...at all times...at all times. More on this below.

The WBL rides are inclusive rides and are not designed to intentionally drop riders, but neither do we coddle the sniveling masses. Rides are ridden at a steady tempo and our goal is to ride smooth and steady, avoiding rapid accelerations and decelerations, the entirety of the ride. We try and hold a steady, solid, tempo for 4 hours, usually averaging 20 or more miles per hour, and if you cannot hold that type of tempo and pace, these rides are not for you.

OUR MANTRA: CRUISE THE FLATS, KICK BACK ON THE CLIMBS, PUSH THE DOWNHILLS.

You should have experience riding in a pack before attempting a WBL ride. These are not the rides to learn how to ride in a pack. Interactive Maps for all rides are available on the website - load it into your Garmin. It is up to each rider to get through the ride and get home on his/her on! The WBL will assist all we can.

We try and provide a Sag Car (follow car), but we cannot guarantee one. Riders must be prepared to fend for themselves; take what you need to survive without assistance. The Sag waits on those who flat or have a mechanical but you should not rely on the Sag Vehicle to get you home because it may be attending someone else, etc.

*Riders should have the route on his/her Garmin (or be with a friend who has it), have money, spare tubes, a cell phone, food and proper clothing. The Sag is not for dropped riders, there isn't enough room, simply follow your map and ride in at your own pace and have a great ride anyway. Some riders will be riding a "short loop" oftentimes.

You ride these rides at your own risk. You assume all risk of injury. These roads are open to traffic. Be smart and patient entering and leaving Athens. Obey stop signs and lights, we'll regroup. Never take your hands off the bars. Show respect for the communities we ride through and the motorists we encounter.

If you follow these guidelines and the ones below you will have a great ride:

1. *Ride two abreast at all times. Obey all rules of the road. (Red lights and stop signs). If the pack splits on the way out of town, don’t worry, we’ll regroup. Keep your eyes and ears open.

2. Essentials/what to bring: the map, money, food, drink, spare tubes, adequate clothing, a cell phone, common sense and a helmet. Load the map into your Garmin, print the que sheet, or know the route by memory. We have 1 pre-announced pee break (@ 1 hour in) and 1 store stop (@2 hours in).

3. Sign in online – you must sign in to earn points.

4. No whining. You may silently curse your wretched fate.

5. You ride at your own risk. Participating in these rides, the sprint-attack zone, and sprinting is optional and you assume all risk of injuries. You agree to ride safely at all times and obey all rules of the road. You have to be able to get back to the start of the ride on your own. All Attack Zones and Sprint Zones are listed on the WBL site and announced before each ride. YELLOW LINE MUST BE OBSERVED // AUTOMATIC DISQUALIFICATION.

6. We will try and have a follow vehicle (Sag wagon), but can never guarantee one. If you flat, switch wheels out quickly and rejoin the pack, either by chasing or hopping in the car. If you can't hold on, don’t worry, follow your Garmin home and have a great ride. The Pack will keep moving forward at all times except store stops and pee breaks.

7. We have a handicapped points system that allows Cat. 3s, 4s, Vets and Females to compete on an equal footing with Pros.

8. If you flat, the SAG car will provide a spare wheel if available. Change you wheel quickly and either motor back to the pack, or hop in the SAG car and it will drive you back. If you flat before the store stop, fix your flat at the stop so we can make the spare wheel available for someone else on the return trip. If you flat after the store stop, return wheel to the SAG car at the finish of the ride.

9. Please show respect to motorists and the communities we cycle through. Stay two-across and obey the rules of the road.

10. In case of rain or other inclement weather, we may shorten or cancel a ride, but we will always try to do a shortened ride for points and prizes. CHECK THIS SITE, SOCIAL MEDIA and WBL FACEBOOK for weather updates as each ride draws near.

11. Learn to love to pull. If you pull, never coast, especially downhill. To pull is to pedal. Always and forevermore.

13. Never forget to have fun, every ride is an adventure.

THE BOARD OF THE WBL!

2025

WBL # 10. 2024. Parks Law Bowman Bounty Hunter Classic. 100 miles, 21.4 mph.

Pulling into the HUB’s parking lot, I heard it. The hard snap of that bull whip. It cracked through the air. The clouds all around turned black. Now granted it was a blue bird day. So, it looked more like chocolate chips against a soft blueberry meringue. A kind of inviting temptation with a sinister undertone. But an undertone that you ldike. The kind of undertone that buys an old motorcycle to fix up in the garage, add tape to his rims to “balance” them, and frankly is just dang particular. That wrangler that snapped that bull whip is a not an unknown ZEALOT. He is Brockstar. Brock Mason. A creature.

History: Clay Pettifogger Parks is one of the original cast members of the WBL. One of the good ones. They continue to fill the general fund. The rule of the general fund is simple: there must always be cash, candy, and the devil’s liquid. It’s a curse sorts to win because the board loves to see the winners end up fat and drunk. But note that this year’s budget has a surplus, so next week’s Lula World Cup will have a record-breaking prize purse.

So back to that 10^th WBL of this year: the journey to the Bowman Bounty Hunter’s home. But Mecole cannot compete with these ZEALOTS. See there are too many factors during the ongoing era of time. We cannot get a formula or algorhythm to quantify this whole endeavor. It’s too much. That’s why we love it. A love that you get anxious about. It gives a connection to the ground, to the roads, to the towns in the empire, it’s community. The WBL is our own kibbutz. It’s a place where if everyone does their part, it works. Simple rules. If you’re strong enough to sprint at the end, you have to pull during the ride. Sign in. Our record keeping is beyond any forensic accountant’s wildest dreams.

So, at the end of the Bowman Bounty Hunter, we have two new entries into that history book. Brock “Brockstar” Mason took his first ever WBL win (though he forgot about pulling during the ride rule if you sprint- granted the Brockstar has a history of overzealous pulls). And Matthew the Crustaecean Crabbe took over the HUB’s overall lead as a 15-year-old.

Sprints-

Jackie Crowell Women's Sprint

· 3 pts. Jenny Thornton-Brooks

· 2 pts. Tatiana

· 1 pts. Izzie Harden

Non Pro: Bowman City Limit

· 3 pts. Michael Sanders

· 2 pts Matthew Crabbe

· 1 pt Louie Schramm

PRO: Tommy Mulkey’s Gene Dixon Hill

· 3 pts. Brock Mason

· 2 pts Michael Sanders

· 1 pt Matthew Crabbe

FINIS

Pro Finish Sponsored by Parks Law:

· 10 pts Brock Mason

· 8 pts. Gutcheck Gruber

· 6 pt Matthew Crabbe

· 4 pts Noah Nwinski

· 2 pts Andy Scarano

Ladies Jackie Crowell Finish:

· 10 pts. Jenny Thornton-Brooks

· 8 pts Izzie Harden

· 6 pt. Tatiana

Non Pro Finish sponsored by The Gear Attic:

· 10 pts Matthew Crabbe

· 8 pts. Noah Niwinski

· 6 pts PJ Terry

· 4 pts Michael Sanders

· 2 pts Brandon Grainy

OVERALL:

Place	Last	First	OVERALL
1	Crabbe	Matthew	92.5
2	Sanders	Michael	89
3	Niwinski	Noah	68
4	Thornton-Brooks	Jennifer	67
5	Terry	PJ	65
6	Magner	Ty	61
7	Gruber	Jered	57
8	Harden	Izzie	51
9	Morrison	Tommy	47
10	Schramm	Louie	47
11	Scarano	Andy	44.5
12	Cornett	Brendan	44
13	Grainy	Brandon	44
14	Desevaux	Cyril	42
15	Smith	Kaison	40

The Bill Boonen Alto World Cup

25^th Anniversary Edition.

[110 miles. 5.5 hours].

See Ole’Bill is one of those guys that simply doesn’t quit. He’s there no matter what. With a joke. With that grin. Or with that CASH. Once you tally up all those years of cash that he’s thrown into the coffers, we frankly could have bought a damn nice RV, which come to think of it—Carney has one—hmmmm. Maybe a little skimming off the top every now and then wouldn’t really hurt anyone. And damnit if Bill Boonen doesn’t also have a shiny Airstream that he’s galivanting all over the place. Showboat.

Now the World Cup season of the OTHER SEASON (aka WBL) is really when things get going. And by going, we mean a long way. Further. Farther. Our father? Or is it a feather? Once again, we lost our way. Maybe we need to follow those birds south since it’s been so damn cold here. Snow twice, not possible you might say. But you’d be wrong. It is time to move along and get back to ALTO.

The history of these world cups goes back to those days before gps. Before cellphones. Before even Bill Riecke was throwing cash at the Alto World Cup. Learning the roads of the Athenian Empire with a paper map, whit, stubbornness, and a bit’o’whiskey in the bottles to keep them from freezing. The time when those foolish enough to follow really just had to follow- for no one knew where the hale there were or how the hale to get home. Asking for directions didn’t always help. Sometimes 441 or 129 had to work.

See Alto is special. The winner’s circle is heavy with talent. A talent that cannot be held back. See history has a way of repeating itself and so the Sultan of South Milledge: Tytus Magner might not be young anymore, but he obviously still has it. The clean sweep of Alto 2025. And with it, closes in too close for Sandy Beard Sanders’ liking. Though rumor has it that the Crustacean loves sand and Georgia Ave. See again, with history, it’s real. And Erica Carney surely proved again that with time comes more again, usually as she continually proves to etch her name in the Alto Ladies’ winner’s circle. On to next week’s Parks Law Noreaster Storm World Cup. Buckle up, the overall is up for grabs.

Pro Alto City Limit Line: (sponsored byBill Boonen Riecke)

1st: 5 pts Tytus Magner
2nd: 4 pts James Seaweed Noori
3rd: 3 pts Candy Andy Scarano
4th: 2 pts Gutcheck Gruber
5th: 1 pt Matthew the Crustacean Crabbe

Women's Jackie Crowell Alto City Limit Line: (sponsored byBill Boonen Riecke)

1st: 5 pts Jenny Thornton-Brooks
2nd: 4 pts Morgan Stern
3rd: 3 pts Reagan Pattishall
4th: 2 pts Katie Prowell

5th: 1 pt Grace Wilson

Non-Pro Alto City Limit Line: (sponsored byBill Boonen Riecke)

1st: 5 pts Matthew Crabbe

2nd: 4 pts Kaison Smith

3rd: 3 pts PJ Terry

4th: 2 pts Michael Sanders

5th: 1 pt Ben Kolbie

Pro Finish (sponsored by Bill Boonen)

1st: 15 pts. Tytus Magner

2nd: 12 pts Julien Ruhe

3rd: 9 pt. Daniel Breuer

4th: 6 pts. Noah Niwinski

5th: 3 pts Michael Sanders

Ladies Finish (sponsored byBill Riecke)

1st: 15 pts. Erica Carney

2nd: 12 pts Izzie Harden

3rd: 9 pt. Katie Prowell

4th: 6 pts. Jenny Thornton-Brooks

5th: 3 pts Grace Wilson

Non Pro Finish: (sponsored byBill Riecke))

1st: 12 pts. Noah Niwinski

2nd: 10 pts Michael Sanders

3rd: 8 pt. The Crustacean

4th: 6 pts. PJ Terry

5th: 4 pt. Kaison Smith

OVERALL:

Place	Last	First	OVERALL
1	Sanders	Michael	75
2	Crabbe	Matthew	68.5
3	Magner	Ty	61
4	Terry	PJ	54
5	Niwinski	Noah	51
6	Thornton-Brooks	Jennifer	49
7	Gruber	Jered	44
8	Morrison	Tommy	42
9	Schramm	Louie	41
10	Smith	Kaison	40
11	Cornett	Brendan	39
12	Scarano	Andy	37.5
13	Desevaux	Cyril	37
14	Grainy	Brandon	37
15	Harden	Izzie	37

WBL #7 The Classic City Bakeries Pink Church Loop

The famed Pink Church. The Classic City and the Papacy have historically been at odds. Feuds over time come and go. Greeks vs Romans. Wars for centuries. For Millennia. Sticks and stones you know still hurt. Now in the modern post Vatican II era: Classic City Bakeries is one of those long standing WBL sponsors. Often those coffers shut prematurely. But the ovens at CCB are always hot with fresh tarmac. The bread is usually not hot.

Winter is winter. It rains. It’s cold. But sometimes sunny. Sometimes warm. That is the Classic City. With that, it is sometimes just a story of fit in what you can fit. Square peg in the round hole. Much has been written about the lumps of Archer Grove. To the phallic twists of Cane Creek. To the headstones past former ZEALOTS honored on cemetery hill. To the yachts on the J-Riviera. Past the frozen alligator pond. It’s in these environments that some of the elder greying vets took to the fore along with the baby-faced youngsters who we don’t believe can drive a certain Crustacean Crabbe and PJ missing the B Terry. Those grey-haired trio all held their AARP cards close to their chest. A certain Sultan of South Milledge Tytus Magner, BamBam Cornett, and the Only Gutcheck Gruber. We’re not sure how those fellows did what they did. Nor are we sure how not to mess with Jenny Thornton-Brooks as she dug her legs into the saddle in such a fierce manner than only Alexa the rabbit Hoppenfeld and Sarah the Godly Godwin had the will to participate. All others eliminated. On the non-pro side, the Crustacean ran away from missing the B with Minister Noah Niwinski saying his last rights as the group finally made it back inside the loop. More tomorrow.

Pro Finish Sponsored by Classic City Bakeries:

10 pts Tytus Magner

8 pts. BamBam Cornett

6 pt Matthew the crustacean Crabbe

4 pts PJ Terry

2 pts Gutcheck Gruber

Ladies Jackie Crowell Finish:

10 pts. Jenny Thornton-Brooks

8 pts Alexa Hoppenfeld

6 pt. Sarah Godwin

Non-Pro Finish sponsored by Crowe Law Firm:

10 pts Matthew Crabbe

8 pts. PJ Terry

6 pts Noah Niwinski

WBL # 8 Georgia Cycle Sport Homer the different way

Homer. Not the author. The metropolis. The sprawl of Homer is really getting bad. Bucolic sceneries abound. There are no stoplights. No streetlights. It’s just the rolling pastures, fences, cows, chickens, ducks, horses, soybeans, corn, straight red clay, tree farms, and forest roads. It is where you want to be. Trust us. Trust Homer. He was inspiration from this terrain. Homer is in this particular spot that is not quite mountains, not quite the piedmont, and certainly not the pine forests to the south. Homer is a place of its own. It is cold. Frankly speaking, I’m not sure any visitor to Homer except for on August 16^th, the International Day of Heat stroke. Heat stroke day started in the famous Golden Pantry Beer Cooler where the cases of ice-cold lagers helped to soothe a certain gaggle of unfortunate and probably ignorant definitely dumb of course stubborn souls during the heat wave of ’11. The time when the asphalt was melting. The 8^th WBL was not that day. It was quite the opposite. It has taken approximately thirty-two hours for most of all those ZEALOT’S digits to regain warm. Long story short- it was cold. The cold that sneaks up on you. The wind that blasts from east to west to north to south. The ride might have only been 91 miles in a straight line, but with almost five hours of wind, the true distance was 94 miles. Which by my math, means all those hardened ZEALOTS traveled THREE MILES horizontally. A record not ever seen before. As a result: ALL ARE AWARDED A FOUL WEATHER POINT—however notation was less than average. Just changing the bell curve below:

Mercy killers: Gutcheck Gruber, “The Sultan of South Milledge” Tytus Magner

True Grit: The E. Carney Piedmont Posse

Pack Drivers: James “Seaweed” Noori, KS (Kaison Smith), Preston forgot his Eye, PJ “no B” Terry, Bambam Cornett, Ben “Killer” Kolbie, Lil’Louie Schramm, Cyril the Flying Frenchman, Gutcheck, Tytus, The Piedmont Posse, and the Minister himself Noah Niwinski. Probably others too, but we forgot a pen today.

Attack Points: Tommy “Plato” Morrison, Seaweed Noori, Matthew “the crustacean” Crabbe, Gutcheck Gruber.

Intermediate Sprint RESULTS:

Jackie Crowell Women's Sprint. Almost Center City Limit Sprint.

3 pts. Emma Frost

2 pts. Reagen Pattishall

1 pts. Izzie Harden

Non-Pro: Homer City Limit (sponsored by Choco Pronto and Flicker).

3 pts. Noah Niwinski

2 pts Kaison Smith

1 pt Matthew Crabbe

PRO: Seagraves Hill Jamboree

3 pts. Gutcheck Gruber