Mud, 32"ers, & Grit: Reactions To Unbound 2026

 NOTE: Images from Unbound's Instagram page unless otherwise noted.  A shorter version of this posted on my Substack a couple of days ago. All opinions are Guitar Ted's

Well, they cooked up another tasty dirt/mud fest for Unbound this year. With this being the "20th anniversary*" of an event run on gravel at this time of year in Emporia, the organizers wanted something special. 

Dan Hughes, himself a winner of the Dirty Kanza 200, the event which inaugurated this 20 year run, said in an interview that this year's course was an amalgam of all the "favorite roads" from past DK200's and Unbound events. So, instead of a "North" or "South" course, they ran a course which encompassed Emporia from the North, West, And South. It was to be a celebration of the best that the Flint Hills had to offer in a gravel event. 

The only thing beyond the organizer's control, of course, was the weather. Apparently the need to amp-up things further was in the cards as rain fell overnight before the race and rain was falling at times during the 200. This made the dreaded mud come to life and yes- there were DNF's and even some minor injuries. 

Old gravel folk will smile and nod their heads in an understanding way. This was part and parcel to the gravel experience, and for some, a requisite part of having a "great race experience". But as money, fame, careers, and sponsorship has infiltrated this style of racing, some have an opposing attitude when it comes to the mud and weather. 

A rider tries wrenching his bars into plane after a crash.

One of the comments, ironically left two days prior to the event, on Unbound's Instagram account, by a person going by"german_belgian_waffle" reads: "When is unbound finally going to realize they have outgrown their ability to safely hold this during severe weather months? With all the tents, campers, lack of hotels and basements… it is one severe weather event from catastrophe due to the vast area the event covers. Have it two weekends before nebraska gravel worlds in early august. The mudpit and tornado/hail alley is a mess that does not need to be dealt with anymore. Its too great of an event to trash so many competitors bikes"

Another commenter on Facebook commenting on a post by Unbound said "Not real racing" 

Now, longtime readers of this blog will know how I, as a race event director, would have answered this. I would have replied, "Well, perhaps this event is not for you." 

And I still feel a lot of people just do not understand how American gravel racing came to be. Weather was part of the adventure and broken bikes and parts were also seen as a probable outcome of submitting oneself to trying to overcome such challenges. I have personally witnessed people walking miles, scootering unpedalable bikes, and making repairs until they just couldn't continue. One media source had a post on "X" saying the XL winner, Robert Gemperle, was "..forced to walk 21K"  (Gemperle's estimate, not likely the reality)

I would say he chose to walk (approximately, maybe...) 21K. And it is a good thing he did, because he won .So.....there is that. 

 But again, money, fame, career, and sponsorship backing come with different expectations. One Pro rider, knocked out by another rider running into him while he was walking a minimum maintenance road, had a deep look of frustration, but to his credit, he did not publicly take the other rider to task for essentially ruining his day. But he did say the past two weeks seemed like a huge waste of time due to the incident and the consequences of that crash. 

I think we, as outsiders looking in, really have no say in this matter. This - of course - won't stop the negativity. As for myself, I do not think there is any way to "sanitize" gravel to the point where wild cards like unruly weather, poor road conditions, and just bad circumstances would be eliminated. Certainly just changing Unbound's date, or even location, guarantees nothing. That is basically a very poor argument against what we saw over the weekend. 

Scott 32"er (Image from Cameron Jones Instagram)

32"ers Figure Heavily In The Events:

Scott Bikes brought two 32"ers to Unbound with Cameron Jones on one for the 200 and Robert Gemperle on another in the XL, which he won in a little over 21 hours. 

I didn't note any big 32"er news officially, but there was a bike shown from Mosaic with WTB tires on it. They looked like Resolutes, and if so, these would be gravel specific tires. Again, this plays into my notions that 32"ers will eventually become a gravel dominate wheel size despite their being on MTB bikes first. 

There was an old maxim used in the automobile world that went: "Race on Sunday, Sell on Monday". While I do not think the bicycling world will be taken over by 32" wheels, it certainly doesn't hurt that a 32"er figured heavily at the front of the 200 and that a 32"er won the XL. The Cameron Jones ridden Scott 32"er bagged a top ten result in the 200. Scott couldn't have hoped for much better. Yes - Scott said this was not going to be a bike they put into production. Companies say a lot of things. Take Specialized, Yeti, or Giant, all who said 29"ers were a fad and that their respective companies wouldn't offer them for sale. 

Yeah.....right. 

So, let's say Scott is true to their words. It doesn't mean they won't ever do a 32"er. It will float the boats of all the others who do/will offer a 32"er as winning races and showing great results does affect sales. So, we will see, Scott. We will see.....  

Also of note: Joe Meiser of QBP/Salsa Cycles finished the 200 on his Fargo 32"er. Specialized's new Crux v5 bike, debuting at Unbound, took the top two places in the Men's and the Women's 200. Prepare for an onslaught of ads from the Big S.

Joe Meiser finishing on a 32" Fargo (Image courtesy of Mike Reimer)

 Gritty Performances - Disappointing Failures:

On one hand when riders overcome conditions such as we have witnessed this year at Unbound, their reward is becoming part of legend. They also have that feather in the cap. They overcame, as one media source put it, "horrible conditions". On the other hand you get riders like Peter Stetina and Ted King crashing out and having "DNF" next to their names in the results.  Some decry these outcomes as being "unfair", or as the commenter I quoted above saying things like, "we can't be trashing all these great bikes". 

Really? You cannot have it both ways. As I've often pointed out, Paris- Roubaix is the classic it is because it was rough, muddy, and it broke humans and their machines. The ones who overcame with a layer of French farm mud covering their faces were the "heroes". The ones celebrated forever in art, story, and whispered tales in bike shops. This doesn't happen if we are more worried about not breaking bikes, worried about not breaking spirits, and expecting everyone to finish. 

Racer/ You Tuber/ Cycling Coach and sponsored athlete Dylan Johnson posted this on Facebook after the event: " This is the second time I’ve hemorrhaged massive time at a muddy Unbound. It’s clearly something I need to figure out, because that will always be part of this race. I actually think that’s part of what makes the race so special. Riders need to be ready for anything, and it rewards mental toughness and perseverance. "

The 2026 Unbound, in my opinion, was a classic ultra-distance gravel event in every way. Riders should feel pride in even having been in this event. But there will be naysayers and critics who want something different. 

Well then, maybe this event is not for you.  

*I consider 2006 - 2019 as an evolution of DK200. From 2020 till the present it has become a completely different affair. Your mileage may vary) 

Country Views: Hazy & Hot

 Escape Route: MLK Trail

Another quick one to get some more miles for BRAN gravel coming up. This time it was hot again, but hazy. I left a little after noon. The wind was out of the Northeast. A weird direction without rain and cool temperatures. Summer kit, of course, and on the pink BMC once again. 

I wanted to head out East to see this part of Black Hawk County again. I haven't been out this way in a while. Typically when I leave Waterloo to do Eastern Black Hawk County gravel I'll use the MLK Trail until it ends out at Tyson's plant. 

Then it's a bout a half a mile North to get to Newell Road and gravel heading East. This road climbs slowly and in fact, the entire way out to this point is more gain than descent. It was also all against the wind! 

The gravel kicks in right off the mark when you leave the road in front of Tyson's

Wind rows of cut hay waiting to be bailed. 

The crops are just peeking out of the ground now but I was surprised to see a fresh cut field of hay. Seems early for the first cut here in Iowa. This will bring out the round bailers soon, no doubt. There is one other agricultural activity happening all across the countryside now as well. I'll get to that later in the story here. 

The fields are looking more and more like no-till practices are being used. (Note the glacial erratic)

I could smell the hay in this field before I saw it!

A few years ago, our friend in Pennsylvania, Dave Pryor, was extolling the virtues of no-till planting to us, (N.Y. Roll and I, that is). Well, it seems the practice is catching on here in Black Hawk County, as I'm seeing more fields being planted through the trash. 

 I came across another freshly cut hay field and it smelled so strongly I caught wind of it before I could see it. Love that smell! It's probably not good for you folks with allergies though, I would imagine. 

The blue sky shown through for a moment or two, then it went back to hazy. 

 

A few cattle grazing peacefully

This area has a lot of field stones piled up here and there. This was an impressive pile on Pilot Grove Road

When I left for this ride, I was indeterminate about where I wanted to go. No big surprise. I generally feel no real sense of where to go until I find myself on certain streets which helps dictate where I will end up going. This ride was kind of like this for most of the route. I had zero intentions of going South on Pilot Grove Road until I got there at the corner of Newell Road and Pilot Grove. I just turned right, and well..... I'd figure it all out from there. 

That other ag activity I mentioned? Sprayer rigs. They are crawling all over the countryside now. 

 

I got dusted by a dump truck. You can see the dust trailing off to the right here. 

I meandered down to the corner of Pilot Grove and Osage Road. There I took a brief rest stop. Then I rode West on Osage Road a few miles until I got to Ordaway Road and I took that South. This dead ends into one of the old routes for Highway 20 in the area. 

Old Highway 20 East of Raymond. It's not bad when the shoulders are graded like this. 

The gravel part ended here on Young Road headed West toward Elk Run Heights

I went this way and that, finding a weird route back to Elk Run Heights which, honestly I kind of like it. The wide gravel shoulder on old Highway 20 is fast and smooth, so that mile to two miles wasn't terrible. I then have to use a shoulder on a County Road (South Raymond Road), for a half mile to a right on Young Road. That gravel takes you to just south of Elk Run Heights. 

It used to be that going into Elk Run Heights was a bit of a nightmare. The road North of the access to I-380 was  an old highway. Narrow, with no shoulder. There were no sidewalks of any kind to get you off the pavement. Pedestrians and child cyclists had carved a bit of a single track into the dirt adjacent to the pavement. That eventually petered out and you were forced into traffic. 

Now there has been an upgrade. The road has a full sidewalk several feet from the edge of the new road which now has a curb. This goes all the way up the hill by Casey's Convenience store where it goes Left, and eventually turns into a new bike path to Evansdale. It's about a thousand times better than it used to be when none of what I just described as new existed. 

Anyway, a good ride was had. More miles in teh bank. I hope to make a few more deposits before I leave on Friday.  

Commentary On The 2026 Class Of The Gravel Cycling Hall Of Fame

Notes And Comments On The 2026 Inductees

This article will sum up my thoughts on this new class of inductees to the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame from 2026. First of all, "Congratulations to all four of you inductees!" As a fellow member of the GCHoF, I welcome all of you into this varied and colorful cast of characters who helped form gravel cycling into what it has become today. 

Now, I won't pretend to know a lot about some of you. Hopefully this will change at some point. But as this hall grows larger it only stands to reason that not everyone will know everyone else, or perhaps ever meet each other face to face. Due to this and the varied nature of the inductees, I will not pretend to be an expert on all the members nor will I have any commentary of import for some members now and in the future. It simply is impossible to be a balanced human being and also be hyper-focused on 100% on the GCHoF at the same time. In fact, that would be borderline insane. 

So, here I will be more general in my comments and at the end I will have an over-arching statement for the future and the GCHoF in general. 

I am including the statements from the press release for each individual here for your consideration. 

(L-R) Megan Fisher, Kristen Legan, Paul Errington, Jim Cummings (Image by Dan Hughes)

Megan Fisher: With palmares including Paralympic gold, silver and bronze medals, Meg Fisher turned her world-class talent to gravel bicycle racing. There, she quickly became an example of courage, perseverance and inclusivity, with para category wins at world-class events including Unbound Gravel, Rebecca’s Private Idaho, Gravel Worlds, and SBT GVL, among others. As an advocate for the creation of para classes, Meg has helped create inclusive spaces at gravel events across the country. Her presence at those events, her willingness to share her story, and her encouragement of others has inspired countless riders of all abilities to find confidence, resilience and joy through gravel cycling.

Comments: Gravel cycling, if nothing else, has been welcoming of any and all who wanted to give things a go. Megan Fisher is a person who represents how others who are para-athletes or physically impaired in some way can see themselves "doing that" and be a part of the biggest move in popular cycling in recent memory. Having an athlete with her accomplishments is impressive and a welcomed addition to the Hall. 

Kristen Legan:  Gravel cycling has always been about more than the ride itself. It’s a mindset rooted in resilience, curiosity, adventure, and a strong sense of community. Few people embody that “Spirit of Gravel” more fully than Kristen Legan. From her earliest days chasing dusty, muddy horizons to her current work shaping how the world experiences gravel, Kristen has served as an inspiration to countless aspiring gravel cyclists. Her accomplishments on the bike include multiple Unbound 200 podiums and a victory at the 2023 Unbound XL, but today her ongoing legacy is in her storytelling and the riders she coaches. Kristen has helped cyclists of all abilities accomplish and exceed their goals in gravel cycling. In addition to her coaching, Kristen works with leading brands in the cycling industry, including Shimano, Lazer helmets and others, to advance and promote the sport of gravel cycling.

Comments: Kristen, along with her husband Nick, are the 'first couple of gravel now', I suppose, since they are the first couple inducted in to the GCHoF.  But seriously,Kristen is a very accomplished athlete on gravel and now, behind the scenes, is doing a lot to influence gravel riding. Her work with Shimano is probably more of a big deal than anyone knows, but fortunately, the electors figured it out and voted this well-deserving candidate into the Hall. 

Paul Errington:  While modern gravel cycling has its roots firmly planted in the USA, it has quickly become a global phenomenon. One of the key figures in the global proliferation of gravel events has been Paul Errington. He recognized the potential of gravel cycling as a unique and accessible form of outdoor adventure. As an early advocate for the sport, he’s inspired countless cyclists to explore the world on gravel, both in Europe and beyond. He hosted his first gravel event –– The Dirty Reiver –– in 2016 and was a key figure in the global expansion of the Grinduro gravel series. Today, as the Grinduro series owner, Paul hosts thousands of riders each year at multiple events across the globe.

Comments: Paul is a person I have met and spoken with in the past. He came over and did Trans Iowa in 2013 and I believe he did the DK200 the same year. A Salsa Cycles sponsored athlete as well, if I recall correctly, so he was embedded into gravel culture fairly early on. Echoing the press release here, but Paul has to be the key figure in making gravel cycling more popular in the UK for sure. His event was an immediate hit, and his continuing support of the form speaks volumes years later.  

Jim Cummings:  As co-founder of Unbound Gravel’s predecessor, the Dirty Kanza 200 (with 2023 GCHOF inductee, Joel Dyke), Jim Cummins placed his bet on the potential of gravel as a cycling discipline in 2006. Jim and the DK team successfully scaled from 34 riders in 2006, to using a lottery system to fill the 2,500 available spots in 2018 –– remarkable growth by any standards. It was also one of the first gravel events to host international riders. Today, Unbound Gravel is the world’s largest gravel cycling event, bringing thousands of riders, support crews and race fans from all over the world to the Emporia area. The economic impact is easy to see, as the empty storefronts of 2006 have been replaced by thriving businesses. Throughout the spring, summer and fall, the Emporia area is now a destination for gravel cyclists seeking adventure.

Comments: Righting a serious wrong here, the electors finally came to their senses and inducted Jim after his having been submitted as a candidate for every year of the Hall's existence. Also- Thank you in that I don't have to write another screed admonishing this entity for its lack of inducting one of the key founders of gravel cycling in the Modern Era in Jim Cummings.  

And yes - that upset me. So, selfishly I can now be at peace seeing Jim being included in this hall. But also I am happy for Jim, and I know he has his head on straight and I know his heart is in the right place. He didn't need to be in this Hall. He already knows where his 'prize; is, and it isn't in this World.  But that said, I am happy for him. He deserved to be a first class inductee along with myself, but at least he got in. I hope people will celebrate his inclusion and see his contributions as being paramount to the success of gravel cycling as we know it in 2026 and beyond. 

The Extras: There were other awards handed out as well on Wednesday evening. These included GCHoF Athletes of the Year, and GCHoF Community Impact Awards. There was a Gravel Icon award as well. 

Comments: Nice, but honestly, will anyone care next month? I get it. Recognizing work in the field is meaningful to those working in the field. To consumers it matters little. This is just the hard truth of the matter. Also - No one cares about cue sheets. This coming from someone deeply passionate about them.  My opinion- others can disagree. 

Final Thoughts:

Ah....halls of fame! This sort of thing engenders a lot of feelings. Some are indifferent. Some are passionate. I suspect most don't care. 

I saw a little more of an effort to showcase the physical items representing the history by the GCHoF social media person. The stories this hall purported it wanted to catalog? I don't see it. Personalities seem to be this hall's area of expertise. I get it....

A week ago I floated an idea for an Iowa Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame. The discussion in the comments helped me focus this idea and distill it down to what I feel really matters: The historical record of gravel and having that record tell the story of how gravel cycling grew into this world-wide phenomenon which it is today.

 My opinion is that the current leadership behind the GCHoF has no appetite for doing a historical record in keeping with the truth of the matters as they occurred. And, it should be added to be fair, they don't have the finances or manpower to do that anyway, in my opinion. So the GCHoF is what it is. I'm less excited about that than I am about what I see as being more important in the future, That is telling a story, based in historical facts, in such a way that future generations can read it, or see it,  and understand where this form of cycling originated from. 

Friday News And Views

Image courtesy of Cameron Jones Instagram

The 32" Watch: Cameron Jones To Race 32"er Scott Bike At Unbound:

With a stern message from Scott that this bike is "only a prototype with no plans for production", the images of a Scott gravel bike with 32" tires has set the internet buzzing since images hit on Tuesday morning earlier this week. 

While Scott can say whatever they want, it would be foolish of them to put out this bike without some sort of plan to at least garner interest in the platform. It may not be this exact bike, but I am going to say Scott has something in the works for 2027. 

However this may turn out, we do know the bike is outfitted with Schwalbe G-One rubber. According to a comment made by Cameron Jones on his Instagram post of this bike, those tires are 32" x 50mm. This would lead me to believe earlier rumors of 32" gravel bikes in the pipeline. 

And look at those deep section carbon wheels. You must know that something like this is not a one-off. I'd look for aero 32"er rims to be a thing very soon. 

Tomorrow will be interesting in Kansas. I would not at all be surprised to see some other 32"ers break cover there also. 

In other 32"er news "Bike Rumor" posted a story about a prototype 32"er DT Swss front suspension fork being spotted at a recent World Cup MTB event along with 32"er DT Swiss wheels.  

Image courtesy of Specialized Bicycles

 Specialized Introduces "The Fastest Gravel Race Bike"

 Claiming the new 5th version of the Specialized Crux is the fastest gravel race bike in existence is a heady claim. But that is what Specialized is saying about this new Crux. 

The version 5 of the Crux leaves the classically shaped round tubes for a predictably more aero tube design, but Specialized did not go all-in on aero. They used data gathered from athletes riding in events like Unbound and inserted the data into their design plans. What came out was a theory that real-world racing conditions - Slower and more technically demanding - trumped aerodynamics to a degree, requiring a different design than what an all-out aero driven design may have demanded. 

Specialized dropped the bottom bracket some and tweaked the head tube angle a bit due to the new trend of running huge tires on gravel bikes. This results in a maximum tire clearance for the Crux 5 of 55mm in width.  Designers did not want to utilize dropped chain stays or longer chain stays so this design is 1X compatible only. 

Of course, it is expensive. But you would have guessed this anyway. Check out the range on Specialized's site HERE.  

Image courtesy of  Pardus

Chinese Brand Commits To European Sales Model:

China's top high-performance cycling brand, Pardus, have announced a commitment to enter the European cycling market with sales support in Europe and by selling through brick and mortar bike shops only. This news came via a press release sent out earlier this week.  

Comments: You may not see much of importance here. However; this bears watching and I think it could be an interesting development for US based cycling companies.  

Watch the You Tube videos of the Shanghai Bicycle Show from this year and you most likely will see Pardus bikes on their stand. Often cited as the most popular Chinese high-performance brand, their integrated manufacturing model, where all facets of frame and fork production are done in-house, could pose to be a formidable force in the European market due to Pardus advantage on price. 

This could push sales away from European Trek, Specialized, Cannondale, and Giant dealers. These brands all are already scrapping and fighting to get every sale they can in an atmosphere where the oxygen is scarce.  

Having a new, heavy-hitter come into the market in Europe could upset things even on these shores. Much more so if a Pardus type brand landed product directly here for sale. I'm keeping an eye on this.  

Image courtesy of Twin Six

The 32" Watch Part Deux - Twin Six 32"er To Be Offered Soon

I was informed by a "reliable source" that pre-orders for the Twin Six 32"er will go live "...in a few weeks.". 

Spec details will be released at the same time the pre-orders go live. As of now, there isn't much to go on concerning this new 32"er offering. 

I do know it was designed to be set up with flat or drop bars. I also know the person riding the prototype is super-stoked on the ride. Stating it is "pure fun". 

I can only speculate based upon past history with Twin Six and say this bike should be a classy looking rig with a reasonable price tag. I wouldn't be shocked if it had an eccentric bottom bracket for single speed but I also wouldn't expect this in titanium from Twin Six, as they typically do not offer the eccentric in their titanium offerings. 

I also know N.Y. Roll is excited about getting one of these. We will have to see what sort of size range Twin Six ends up offering, but my guess is the smallest size would be a Medium and then Large, XL, and perhaps an XXL would be the sizing range which is what we have seen other companies do. (Salsa Cycles notwithstanding) 

Stay tuned for further updates on this bike.

The Unbound Section of the FN&V

Courtesy of @ministerofgravel Instagram

20 Years Later And You Get All This And More:

Of course, I cannot go into this weekend without a nod to the twentieth anniversary of a gravel event which has changed so dramatically it is almost comical. 

In 2006 you got nothing. Basically show up, sign in, "Here's your number and a course map", show up on time the next day and ride. I remember not knowing anything about Emporia, Kansas, the Flint Hills in general, or knowing anything about the event at all. 

Now? 

Well, everyone knows about Emporia, Kansas. Gravel cycling product has the name on it. The event is known world-wide in gravel cycling circles, at least. The Flint Hills? Lots of information on that area out there now. Roads you'd never had a need to hear of now are famous. Geographical points, like Texaco Hill, are known to thousands of riders. 

And if you are one of the few yet clueless to what Unbound courses are like, there is a livestream of the event, or you can get all the information, images, and advice you'd ever want from lots of sites. Even a local known as "The Minister of Gravel" (Neil Taylor,an actual Christian minister), gives detailed course reviews of this years Unbound courses. It was this event preview I watched to learn about what the riders will be facing this year. 

So even I know what to expect, and I'm not even going to the event! Ha! What a change from 20 years ago. The advancements in technology have demystified this once mystical experience and perhaps has turned it into a commodity. I know the 2026 riders will not have anywhere near the types of experiences we used to have, and maybe they like it that way. 

I think that is a loss for anyone who feels that way, but hey - ride on! You'll get an experience, of some sort, and that is what matters most. 

Pretty sure this road is part of the 200 this year. From DK My Way 2017

Is This A Wet Year 200?

Looking at the forecast for tomorrow in Kansas things look wet. Scattered showers should persist over most of Southern Kansas and perhaps up into the Flint Hills due to a weird jet stream pattern which has a lot of Pacific moisture streaming in from the Southwest.  

It would be fitting if in fact it were raining this year since the course is utilizing the same three mile stretch of minimum maintenance roads used in the infamous "Wet Year" of 2015.  

As stated above, you can find out all sorts of stuff you couldn't possibly have known was going on in Emporia ten years ago. One of those things are what bicycle set ups the big-time Pro riders are using. 

I noted a bike run down from one of the top male contenders and it was interesting to hear this one particular racer say the focus is all on the aero. So much so that he had numbers for how a 50mm tire up front is better than the fad of running a XC MTB tire in a 29" X 2+ inch width is for aero. Interestingly this person also stated suspension gravel forks are notoriously not very good aerodynamically. His choice? An inverted Cane Creek design which his team developed fairings for to get it within a half a watt in aero compared to a rigid fork. 

Maybe fat tires and suspension forks are really MTB things? It would seem so from this rider's standpoint. 

If the rains hold off or are minimal this could be the fastest 200 ever because the course is using flatter roads, especially in the last sections, and not the really gnarly, mountain-bikish terrain which was used in recent years. 

Tailwinds to all riding tomorrow out of Emporia!

That'll do it for this week. I'll have a commentary on the inductees to the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame tomorrow. Now, get out there and ride those bicycles! 

Country Views: Pep Talk

Escape Route: Sans Souci Bridge

 Well, things just didn't work out for me to get out on Memorial Day weekend, but on Tuesday, which was functionally a Monday in my brain, I did get away for a bit. 

It was a fine hot day, little breeze to speak of, and I wore the Summer type kit as a result. The new flowery Twin Six jersey made its debut. I rode the pink BMC, of course, in preparation for the upcoming BRAN gravel ride. 

I wanted to head out South, but the Sergeant Road trail has an ancient railroad "bridge", (more like a drainage crossing), which is collapsing after all the decades of usage. I really didn't want to use that trail anyway, as it makes you cross three major roads at intersections which carry heavy traffic. It's a bad design for cyclists.  

Anyway, I ended up going North again, but not without some dismounted scurrying across a section of Broadway Avenue which is being prepared for new pavement. Watching out for re-bar and ropes, I tip-toed across the compacted gravel and remounted going North on Burton Avenue. 

Looking back from where I came. 

 

Gravel straight ahead!

I was worried on this ride. Worried I wasn't going to ride well in Nebraska. Worried that I hadn't done enough time in the saddle. I know.....worry gets you no where. But that said, it is hard to put it out of your mind. 

 

The gravel going up Burton was fresh and a little deep in places. The going was difficult. This did not play well with my mental state at the time. I tried to distract myself by looking around at the scenery. The crops barely peeking out of the soil. Green ditches, trees all leafed out, and a few ditch flowers brightening the roadside helped. 

Fortunately there were no issues with the bike, just the motor was a little off!

Curious cattle watched as I rode by their shed.

I looked at the watch and realized I was going to have to go East on Mt. Vernon Road. I then made it over to Sage Road and back toward town. I was still battling doubt and worry, but by this time I was rationalizing my situation a bit more clearly. 

The road improved as well. Now I was out of the freshly laid gravel and on more "average" conditions gravel. Average for around here anyway. So this made me feel a bit better, even though I was going into a headwind heading South. 

 

I'd likely be riding with people, and that would take my mind off of myself. I would not be in a big hurry. The average day mileage is a little over 58 miles and I'd have all day to do that. Yes, there is a 72 mile day, and one that is 60-something, but I'll make it work. I just have to keep pedaling. 

I ended up giving myself a bit of a pep talk there. It helped, and I felt a lot better about things once I got back home.  

I'll try to ride every day this week for at least an hour or so just to get used to being on a bike every day. Then next week I'll rest up, pack, and hopefully get myself out there and on the bus to Valentine. 

Onward.....

Two Things

The latest Guitar Ted Podcast episode is out now and it is quite the rambling affair. Some definite nonsense was expressed, but we covered a lot of ground. We even were interrupted by N.Y. Roll's neighbor who detained him for several minutes so she could tell him the latest neighborhood gossip. 

Meanwhile I driveled on and on concerning the new 32"er from Twin Six which is not available yet. However; when it is N.Y. Roll says he's getting it. 

We shall see!

But along those lines, I submitted that we'd see a 32"er get raced at Unbound this coming weekend. Well, low and behold, Scott Bicycles put out there that they are putting a 32' wheeled version of their Addict gravel bike underneath Cameron Jones. 

Gotta say - I called it. Ha!

One of the other things we briefly touched upon is Jim Cummins finally getting his due as he is being inducted into the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame today. Congratulations, Jim! 

As many of you long time readers know, I have said that the omission of Jim from the GCHoF all these years was a travesty of major proportions, when it comes to the mission of the GCHoF, that is. But now that things are being put to rights in regard to Jim Cummins and this hall of fame, I am at peace with the situation. 

It should be interesting to hear Jim's speech, which I hope will be on social media or the GCHoF site. I do wish I could have been there this evening, but I already have this big Nebraska trip coming up soon and it is eating up a lot of resources here. Speaking of which....

Going Camping 

My tent, sleeping pad, travel pillow, electrolyte, some computer accessories, and the laptop this is being published with were all extra expenses I incurred to be able to go on this trip. That all wasn't cheap, or of little significance, by the way. 

Heading to Emporia on top of all of that? Not in my deck of cards.  

I  did get everything set up and I actually took a nap in the tent using all the stuff I will be taking on the trip. It has been  quite a long time since I've been tent camping, but I should get into the groove of being an amateur homeless  person fairly easily. 

I want to say the last time I was camping was with my son, Jacob when we went to see the races at Iowa Speedway and ended up at Rock Creek State Park in a raging thunderstorm, 

Good times! Let's hope I don't have to ride out anything similar in Nebraska.  I know weather isn't a very solid bet this far out, but things are not looking too bad at the moment. I'd prefer it not be like "Gravel Worlds" weather though. That heat and humidity combo is not my cuppa tea. 

At any rate, things are coming together for this trip and soon it will be time to go. Waivers need signing and details need attending to, but right now I am on track and ready for anything.  

BRAN Gravel: Decisions Made

 It is getting closer to crunch time and the bags need to be packed up. Decisions need to be made. Last week I wrote about bike choice and for myself, it came down to two bicycles.

The Salsa Cycles Fargo Gen I is a crowd favorite. I posted an image on Facebook and Instagram of that bike and it got a lot of views. It would be the "People's Choice" bike to take on BRAN for the gravel route. 

This may not be fair, as I did not post a similar image of the Black Mountain Cycles MCD.  The bike may have received as many views as the Fargo. I can only say the two bikes got a different take here on the blog as commenters seemed to lean toward the pink machine instead of the venerable veteran choice. 

And the MCD is actually the bike that is going to Nebraska this time. I thought about this a lot, but a couple of things came to mind which swung the pendulum towards the BMC. One of those has to do with tires and what I heard randomly at work last week. 

A man came in to the Collective who said he was from Northwestern Nebraska. We got to talking about things and the subject of goat heads came up. In case you are unaware, goat heads are round-ish, smallish thorny bombs of doom and can ruin a bicycle ride in a hurry. 

The man said that in Western Nebraska this year the goat heads are at a higher level than normal. He suggested to not even roll my bike through grass out there. And he strongly suggested I run a tubeless set up. 

Of course, both my bikes under consideration are tubeless currently. However, only one has puncture protected tires, and that is the BMC. I just mounted both sets up within the last few months, but I will inject just a little extra goop into the Schwalbes before I go. Plus I will take a Stan's DART tool, extra sealant, and valve cores. 

I also mounted my XTR 11 - 40T cassette which is paired with my 46/36T crank set. This gives me two gears of 1 to 1 or lower which should be enough to get me up any hill I encounter out there. As I (vaguely ) recall, the hills aren't super steep, but longer than we have out here in Iowa. The elevation profile on Ride With GPS also suggests this with climbs of a mile to a mile and a half in some places. 

You may be wondering if my GRX derailleur will actually work with this cassette. While Shimano does not suggest that it will, if you carefully choose the correct chain length and use the B tension screw you will find it shifts in and out of the 40T cog quite nicely.  I even still have a little B tension screw sticking out beyond the derailleur, but I wouldn't push the capacity any further than 40T and expect great shifting. 

 So, there is the bike I am taking and how it will look. The water carrying capacity is great. I have low enough gearing with fast enough road gearing to suit me. The Schwalbe tires roll excellently on pavement and there will be paved sections of this ride nearly every day significant enough in length that this will make a difference. 

There is a Redshift Sports ShockStop Pro stem on this bike which should help take the zing out of the gravel. The Ritchey Design Venturemax carbon handlebars will help as well. Their flattened ovalized top section will be a nice respite for tired hands on long climbs. 

Now I have to go through my tool roll and top tube bag to see what I do or do not have. I may need to get rid of some stuff as well. Otherwise this is it. Now on to packing the rest of the gear up!