2023 UNBOUND Gravel 200 | Something about MUD
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 ต.ค. 2024
- This year did not go quite as well as last year. More mud, flat tire action, heat, thunderstorms, and...hot dogs, led to a less than ideal day on the bike. Still had an overall good week in Emporia, Kansas and looking forward to getting back to it next year!
Check out my ride on Strava: / strava
#garmin #unbound #gravel
You had me rolling 😂 "Big Gnarly Rock"
First of all, thank you for driving so far to out to our little city in the middle of nowhere! I sincerely hope you come back next year. I know all those roads like the back of my hand. Despite having a 4x4 some i still avoid. Haha! You people are brave souls. We as a community are so happy to have you here and always welcome 😉🙂
Definitely planning to come back. The atmosphere of the event and the community support make it more than just a bike race, in my book. It's just fun to be there for the weekend and be involved with everything.
From KS. Did 100 Unbound this year. Did Finland Gravel 177km one week later. Had trouble in first section (not due to course probs) got diverted to “short-cut” at second support station. Finished >93 miles of the 110, but felt deflated crossing finish. I signed up, trained, traveled to do it all - would have if they would let me. Full Feels to everyone who couldn’t finish for any reason! Gravel On!
That mud was a rough way to start the race! Maybe I’ll see you there in the future!
can't agree more specially for the mud section, this was ridiculous...I came from France for this event and during the mud section I was so stressed by the perspective that my race was already over after a few miles because my bike was "destroyed" by the mud. I was able to "repair" and made it to the finish line (3 hours at mile 21 !).
Glad to hear you finished!
I get it. I’m an Unbound 100 finisher. Tried the 200 miler and had asthma attack at mile 131 and Fell off my bike into a ditch. Fortunately, my meds and help from a couple of bystanders helped stabilize me while the rescue crew came for me. I don’t like A DNF but I’ve come to realize that remoteness of support is too risky. I’ve done an Ironman, many marathons, and finished on a Race Across America team but all of these at least have good access to emergency responders. I wish you success on your next attempt.
Hanging out shivering with a bunch of dudes under a tent, eating a hot dog… 🤣
If the route was like that 1-2 days earlier then deffo a re-route needed. Acts of God can’t be catered for on the day of course, but the chap above states people travel from all over the world to race, only to have race ended so early. And waste thousands of pounds travelling and using holidays from work up etc etc. Cheers all.
The elements are enough, you don’t have to blame the Hotdogs!
Hah! So true!
Agree they should have rerouted. The mud pit also caused a water shortage at the oasis for the 100, due to folks washing their bikes.
Ahh...I heard there was a shortage, but didn't realize that was the reason. That's crazy
200 miles IS enough of a challenge..the extreme mud needs to be weeded out..some mud..yes..extreme not necessary. Do Better
I liked the video a lot. I'm still not understanding why you packed it in at mile 125 though. Looked like you were absolutely rolling. Was it because you were behind schedule with your finishing time? Was it the rain? It just seems like you abruptly made the call after reaching the stop and were able to get some food in you. Either way, you're a badass for even going out there. Hopefully this year will be a different result. I'll be out there as well. 🤘
Looking back, I probably shouldn't have called it...but the list of excuses is:
Walking in the mud for 2 hours so checkpoint 1 took 7 hours instead of 5. This means I'm behind on nutrition and fluids from the start.
Flat tire that won't seal - losing more time and adding frustration.
Temperatures get so high that I had to stop under a tree for a minute to cool down.
Less than an hour later, rain moves in, temp drops so low that I'm shivering.
So each of those on their own is not a huge deal, but a combo of them all while being 10 hours in and just slightly over halfway, all added up to a lot of frustration and at that point I was just not ready to deal with another 5+ hours of it.
They should have done a reroute. No one would complain that there wasn't enough equipment destroying mud! "That sucked! Why would they reroute? I love destroying my bike! I like getting to water stops where the water is all gone." No one would have said any of these things.
feel for ya, great effort, should have re routed for sure.
Mud was ridiculous. Trashed my bike over the decision to make it tough. Worst day on a bike ive ever had. Will never come back.
Sorry to hear that...I'm hoping for a dryer year next year!
How did your bike clearance/slick tires deal with the mud? id like your feedback,
doesnt seem like you had to stop for mud clearing while walking your bike like other riders...
slicks good? how much clearance did you have btwn tires and frame/fork?
The clearance was decent. The tires were 40c and the bike is designed for up to 45s. Honestly, the clearance doesn't help much with that mud, it just cakes up way too much. I was mostly walking in a packed down grass path and rolling my bike through tall grass to help brush off mud, and also not pick up any additional mud in the process. I would fully carry the bike anytime mud was the only way through
@@AlanCross uhhgh. Not fun, thanks for the inside info! those slick tires helped not hold the mud for sure. look at the folks around you, they were stopping to clear their knobbies just rolling their bikes in the grass like you (maybe they didnt lift)...
Alan: your awesome, the rain and sudden temperature drop did a lot in, hope to see you there in the future, we have unfinished business.
I'm planning to come back. I dont like to leave things with a DNF
@@AlanCross I hope to see you there, the 200 needs to be beat by me as well !
How many Gopros did you carry during the race?
Just one. I had it mounted on my bars with a quick release that I could take on and off.
Come back and break 12 hours!
That's the plan! Hoping for better weather next year and planning for a better tire choice! 😁
If you've got no problem jumping train tracks to get an advantage then you can deal with mud. Why not make up your own reroute.
Good plan. You should come join me. I promise I'll wait for you at the train tracks so you can show me the easy way through the mud!
Great effort considering the circumstances. Being from the region and having ridden this race before, I knew about the mud (and how bad the mud can be here) and carried my bike for most of the 3 miles. I only did the 100 miler, but the sacrifice for those 3 miles was worth it because my bike was in great condition afterwards. That being said, that 3 miles really taxed me and I was way behind schedule, and got low on water. When I got to the water stop there was barely any water left. The people directly behind me weren't able to get water so out of respect I only filled one bottle. Luckily there were other intermediate spots (thanks Garmin) before the first aid station that provided a little bit of water, but it was a little scary and I can only imagine arriving at the water "oasis" with no water in the heat of the day exhausted and having to think about trudging for another 20 miles. It's a tough race and you have to be prepared for the worst case scenario. I'll be back next year, but I think I'll just stick to 100 miles.
That's rough. Hopefully they account for bike washing if there is a section like that in future events!
I imagine after this year, there will be more riders carrying their bikes over the mud sections before sucking it up into the drivetrain and wheels. Good tactics Frank, like a CX racer. Way to persevere
and finish!
If the mud pit would have been at the last 11 miles, “sagging” 300 riders would have been a little easier and safer and some would have walked to the finish. As it was, too much lost for the investment. Just my $.02
Totally agree. Last year, the big mud section was between the checkpoints, like mile 130 or something. While it still sucked, it didnt throw off your entire race, just the last third of it 😅