The building blocks of gravel greatness<\/h2>
Unbound has become one of the biggest events in the cycling calendar, but it hasn’t always been that way… – Craig Huffman \/ Craig Huffman Photography<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Unbound wasn\u2019t created in isolation. Cummins and Dyke drew inspiration from other endurance events taking place on backroads throughout the Midwest.\u00a0<\/p>
Within the state of Kansas, there was the Flint Hills Death Ride, which ran from 1993 until 2010. This was more of an endurance ride than a race, and the courses were shorter, generally around 80 miles in length. However, it was often held in the sweltering August heat.\u00a0<\/p>
While the Death Ride may have provided the backdrop, Trans Iowa, founded by Jeff Kerkove and Mark Stevenson the year before Unbound, created a framework to follow with checkpoints, cue sheets for course navigation, and cut-off times to keep riders on pace.\u00a0<\/p>
\u201cJoel Dyke decided to come and ride in Trans Iowa to \u2018see what it was all about\u2019,\u201d recalls Stevenson. \u201cI know that Jim and Joel had originally intended to have their event be a cross-state, or at least a point-to-point event, like we had with the original Trans Iowas. However, they landed on a loop course in the Flint Hills.\u201d<\/p>
$\"Josh$
The author of this article, Josh Patterson (left), and four-time Unbound 200 winner Dan Hughes (right) minutes before the start of the first Unbound 200 in 2006. – Josh Patterson<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
Stevenson, better known to many gravel cyclists by his online moniker \u2018Guitar Ted\u2019, likes to say Trans Iowa was \u201cthe first domino to fall\u201d in the evolution of modern gravel racing<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>
Stevenson promoted Trans Iowa from 2005 to 2018 and was instrumental in amplifying gravel riding<\/a> through his blogging and reportage. More than any other individual, he is responsible for gravel cycling as we know it today, and he was duly inducted into the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame<\/a> in 2022.\u00a0<\/p>
So why did Unbound, and not Trans Iowa, become the most recognised gravel race in the world? Difficulty and desire. Trans Iowa was longer and more difficult (generally averaging between 320 and 340 miles), thereby drawing smaller fields. It also took place in April, which is often cold and wet in Iowa.\u00a0<\/p>
$\"Josh$
Josh Patterson, dazed and confused at the halfway point of the first Unbound 200. – Josh Patterson<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
Not that Unbound hasn\u2019t had its share of bad weather over the years, but Trans Iowa had a year when conditions were so bad that nobody finished<\/em>. Last, and perhaps most important, there was a concerted effort on Stevenson\u2019s part to retain Trans Iowa\u2019s intimate, grassroots nature.\u00a0<\/p>
Cummins and Life Time (the current organising body behind Unbound), on the other hand, focused on growing Unbound into the premier gravel race it is today.<\/p>
$\"Unbound$ Left: The pack in 2007 at it reached the first climb, still used on the southern course and known as “Heart Attack Hill”. Right: Even in the dry years, the B-road sections are treacherous. – imdesigngroup.com \/ MTBR.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Branching out beyond the original 200-mile course to include beginner-friendly 25- and 50-mile options and a more difficult 350-mile Unbound XL meant there was a race for everyone. <\/p>
Adding a gravel-cycling expo, which is quickly becoming the Sea Otter<\/a> of gravel, also sets Unbound apart from similar gravel grinders.<\/p>
$\"Josh$
Purpose-built “gravel bikes” didn’t exist when Unbound started. Josh Patterson designed and fillet-brazed his own race bike for second edition of Unbound in 2007. He says, in truth, the Surly Cross-Check he raced the year before was a better bike. – Josh Patterson<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
A sense of place<\/h2>
$\"View$
The Flint Hills: home to Unbound. – Nils Nilsen \/ Sports Illustrated via Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>
The elements that made Emporia an improbable cycling hotbed (its remote location in a fly-over state) also worked in its favour as gravel cycling grew. What the town lacked in cycling infrastructure, it made up for in location. Emporia sits on the eastern edge of one of the most beautiful yet under-appreciated landscapes in the United States, the Flint Hills.\u00a0<\/p>
This region, often called the last great expanse of tallgrass prairie in North America, stretches across eastern Kansas and into north-central Oklahoma. The thin soil and rocky terrain that made the area unsuitable for farming inadvertently preserved the prairie ecosystem and open rangelands we cyclists are privileged to enjoy today.\u00a0<\/p>
$\"Cyclist$
Rocky climbs provide a stern test throughout. – Wil Matthews \/ Life Time<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Despite Kansas\u2019 reputation as a flat state, the Flint Hills are typified by rolling terrain and rocky outcroppings. As for the name, the abundant flint rock, or chert, that covers many gravel roads was shaped into arrowheads and other tools by the region\u2019s indigenous peoples. Today, these razor-sharp rocks slice easily through gravel tyres, so plan accordingly.\u00a0<\/p>
Anyone who has seen images from Unbound can appreciate these stunning vistas. But views alone don\u2019t build a world-class bike race. Emporia embraced the event from its early years in a way many other Kansas communities may not have. This small college town of fewer than 25,000 residents has a knack of supporting off-beat sporting events, such as the Disc Golf World Championships.\u00a0<\/p>
$\"Two$
Emporia has embraced Unbound with open arms. – Craig Huffman \/ Craig Huffman Photography<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Emporia\u2019s willingness to host thousands of cyclists each June has spurred economic development and revitalised its downtown. According to the Regional Development Association of East Central Kansas, activities associated with Unbound contribute more than 5 million dollars to the local economy annually.\u00a0<\/p>
Turning the corner<\/h2>
$\"Cue$
With no GPS units allowed in the early years, riders relied on cue sheets such as this to navigate the course. – Josh Patterson<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
Word spread in the years following the inaugural event and more riders wanted to try their luck. In 2010, Joel Dyke left Unbound to focus on frame building, with Cummins remaining at the helm.\u00a0<\/p>
\u201cIt was about this same time that I began to see a faint vision of what the event could become,\u201d Cummins says. \u201cI knew I couldn’t build the event alone. Kristi Mohn was a lifelong Emporia resident and a successful entrepreneur. She had served as our volunteer coordinator and liaison to all the Emporia local government agencies. I knew she would be the perfect partner.\u201d<\/p>
$\"Big$
Unbound expanded to 150 riders in 2010. Today, thousands take part. – Wil Matthews \/ Life Time<\/figcaption><\/figure>
The numbers seem quaint today, but 2010 really was a breakout year for Unbound. Cummins increased the field size to 150 riders. Participants were allowed to receive support from their crews at every aid station rather than only at the mid-way point. GPS devices were even allowed, but only for emergency extraction from the course and not for navigation during the race.\u00a0<\/p>
Salsa Cycles signed on as Unbound\u2019s title sponsor \u2013 a sign of things to come in the development of the first production gravel race bike<\/a>, the Salsa Warbird<\/a>.<\/p>
$\"The$
The wide-open expanse of the Kansas tallgrass prairie. – Wil Matthews \/ Life Time<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\u201cOver the next few years, we began to fine-tune our vision of where we wanted to take the event,\u201d Cummins says. \u201cWe both knew the event had strong potential. And we were very intentional about growing the event slowly and systematically. But I think it would be accurate to say we drastically underestimated its potential.\u201d<\/p>
Growing pains<\/h2>
$\"Group$
Unbound gained its current name in 2020. – Craig Huffman \/ Craig Huffman Photography<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Sport is a mirror for society, and as gravel cycling became more popular, the event\u2019s organisers found themselves under increasing pressure to change its name.\u00a0<\/p>
The name \u2018Dirty Kanza\u2019 was never intended to be derogatory. Kanza, Konza and Kansa are all variations on a name given to the Kaw people, who originally inhabited the region, by early Europeans. Yet a name that was generally accepted in 2006 felt very out of place in 2020.\u00a0<\/p>
In early 2020, as indigenous rights groups and members of the gravel cycling community petitioned for a name change, Life Time, which had acquired the event in 2018, responded by rebranding to \u2018Unbound Gravel\u2019.<\/p>
$\"Riders$
Unbound of today is a far cry from the first edition in 2006. – Wil Matthews \/ Life Time<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Controversy reared its head a few weeks later when a social media post re-shared by Jim Cummins appeared to equate the murder of Rayshard Brooks<\/a> at the hands of a police officer to a different police shooting that was ruled as justified. The outcry created by this post led to Cummins parting ways with Life Time<\/a> shortly thereafter.\u00a0<\/p>
Although Cummins would have preferred to exit the event on better terms, he remains rightly proud of what he created. \u201cI am particularly proud of our \u2018grassroots\u2019 heritage,\u201d he says. \u201cI think we were successful in keeping that grassroots feel for a lot of years, in spite of the astronomical growth. We always put as much emphasis on the shorter distances as we did the 200-milers.<\/p>
\u201cAnd we celebrated everyone’s finish, regardless of the distance and the time it took to complete that distance.\u201d<\/p>
Professionalism problems\u00a0<\/h2>
$\"Lachlan$
WorldTour rider Lachlan Morton has been one of the pioneers of combining pro road racing with elite gravel racing. – Wil Matthews \/ Life Time<\/figcaption><\/figure>
As Unbound draws more professionals, it\u2019s becoming clear that the needs of the pro field are sometimes distinct from those of amateur athletes.\u00a0<\/p>
Changes to keep the playing field level have included staggered starts for the pro men, pro women, and amateurs, thereby giving each group a distinct race. All events in the 2024 Life Time Grand Prix<\/a>, which includes Unbound, feature separate starts for the pro men and women to discourage drafting between groups.\u00a0<\/p>
In recent years, WorldTour road riders have joined the fray with varying degrees of success. The dynamics of gravel cycling are very different from professional road racing, and not every pro roadie is willing to see it that way \u2013 you\u2019d better be able to fix your own mechanicals, because there\u2019s no team car coming with a spare wheel or a fresh bike.<\/p>
$\"Three$
The pointy end of racing at Unbound is now serious business. – Wil Matthews \/ Life Time<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\u201cThere is certainly a pressure that comes from pros coming into the space, who have expectations that don’t always align with what Unbound is \u2013 looking for us to remove mud, asking for other changes to make the event more accommodating for race conditions they want,\u201d says Kristi Mohn, Unbound\u2019s marketing manager.\u00a0<\/p>
\u201cThe bottom line is that while the event is growing and changing, there are pieces of what we do here in the Flint Hills that are simply part of the fabric of what makes Unbound special.<\/p>
\u201cIt is not supposed to be easy \u2013\u00a0this event was designed to be challenging, a day on gravel with some friends that will provide epic stories and community building. In the grand scheme of things, we have to make sure that is the experience we provide.\u201d<\/p>
Is it still the same race?<\/h2>
$\"Riders$
Flat tyres were even more frequent in the early years of Unbound \u2013 this image is from the 2007 edition \u2013 but self-sufficiency is still a key theme. – Josh Patterson<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Some of my fellow gravel riders who have been at it since the early 2000s, point to the sale to Life Time, or to the rebranding, as points at which Unbound \u2018lost its soul\u2019 or the so-called \u2018spirit of gravel\u2019 died. For my part, I\u2019m no retro-grouch, nor am I sentimental about the grassroots vibe that has been lost.\u00a0<\/p>
Yes, I miss seeing the glint of a single helmet on the horizon and knowing I\u2019ll have to push hard for the next hour to catch them. I miss riding in total solitude as dusk settles over the prairie and pushing through the pain in a last-ditch effort to reach the finish line before sunset.<\/p>
$\"Small$
Back in 2007, smaller fields made it easier to enjoy the loneliness of the Flint Hills. – Josh Patterson<\/figcaption><\/figure>
These experiences will never again be part of Unbound. The fields are just too large for these moments to exist. Thankfully, there are 364 other days in the year that I can experience the beautiful isolation of riding through the Flint Hills.\u00a0<\/p>
Is Unbound perfect? Absolutely not.\u00a0<\/p>
But if we\u2019re discussing what has been lost \u2013 or gained \u2013 as Unbound has evolved, I will gladly trade my romantic notions of gravel\u2019s formative years for how inclusive the race has become and the role it continues to play in getting more people \u2013 from all walks of life \u2013 involved in cycling.<\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n
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