I went, I rode and I finished the 200. I crashed bad during the event at about mile 54. I had to hobble into Alma but was able to put on fresh wheels and make some adjustments. It was hot and it was windy but I love the area. So much different than MI.
Comparing this year with past years is difficult. I felt the energy was not there. Certainly the people were not there. Less than half as many in the race and where were the spectators?! No hugs by Jim or Lelan at the finish. I noticed several little bits and pieces that were different and disappointing. But I have to remember that this is not Dirty Kanza. That event is over, forever. This event is run by different people, on the same week in June and on the same general course and so It's going to be different. Once the event began many factors felt the same, and that was a good feeling. I may very well return but this year was more difficult that past years. And I'm getting older and there are so many other events to go to.
I entered the 200 and ended up bagging it at mile 156 (checkpoint 2) due to heat exhaustion and not really having much fun. Interestingly, I didn't feel bad about quitting. I've done other gravel events in MN, MI, and WI that were more fun and had better courses - for example, the Michigan Coast to Coast. It's similar in length and has a much more variable and interesting course.
Will I do the DK / UG again? I don't have any real interest in doing so. But, if a group of friends entered, I would probably think about joining them.
I rode the Michigan Coast to Coast 100 mile event the first year and I liked it a lot, even with the flooding and sand. I was going to do the 200 but I pre-rode some of that route and felt there was too much sand and the first half of the route was just boring. What I don't like is Hike-a-bike. I want to ride on gravel, and maybe some good two track B roads. Excessive sand is not for me. Anything more than a few yards and it's a mountain bike event. I'm not interested in that. I like Barry Roubaix a lot too. I'm thinking that my preferred event distance is in the 80 to 120 mile range. Anything longer that that and you have cramping, bonking and other issues to deal with that can make for a very unpleasant experience. I'm not interested in that. This is all supposed to be for fun!
Unbound was still good. The welcoming attitude of the local folks is half the attraction, and it was still there. And the course remains one of the most challenging in sport. This was one of the hardest years ever due to the heat, wind -- especially the wind -- and maybe the gnarliest gravel there ever given that some of the worst sections had been recently scraped, kicking up new chunks and fracturing sharp edges onto others. The race was as good as ever. No question. The expo was the bigger... it’s clear that Unbound is still the center of the sport. Were there things that could have been done better? Yeah. Things like the riders meeting were just not nearly as good. But that was balanced by increasingly professional approach to things like registration, scoring, some of the logistical things. The water at the neutral stop was great this time vs last, when it was nearly undrinkable... and they were smart enough to throw in that second neutral stop when it become clear the weather was going to be toasty. The drama on the front was all you’d want... it was televised. the splits worked. etc. Don’t let familiarity/ boredom with a long standing event that you might have done several times convince you it was deficient in any serious way. Are there tougher courses? Maybe a few, but not necessarily for good reasons. Are there more beautiful courses? Some... though the prairie is pretty unbelievable. But I’m not buying the idea that a race with long stretches of sand and hike a bike is better. It ain’t. Nor are races famous for mud. Or for gimicky stretches of super-technical single track that would be hard on a full-suspension mountain bike (BWR CC). And something that’s only 100 or 125 miles long can never really be in the same league. It remains the definitive race in gravel, for good reason. Could that change? yeah, but no time soon. It’s going to be of course larger next year. After that, just have to watch the trends, and see if one of the competitors starts to emerge as more dominant some how.
For me, it was better than ever, although my time was not. Some things were different because things change and that is the nature of everything and some things (like the support of the town and surrounding area) were not so changed.
There were less people but I suspect it is primarily a lingering effect of the pandemic and not a statement about the race.
People expecting everything to be stuck in amber and for the event to be the same year after year after year after year, especially after the pandemic, maybe are going to be frustrated or disappointed that things are not the same as they were 10 years ago.
It's time to stop using the old name. Adapt to change or be crushed by it.
The weather was perfect.
It is still the premier gravel event and for good reason.
The drop in riders was solely due to the pandemic. You have to remember back to the point when a lot of people were having to guess where the pandemic would be, what kinds of risks and restrictions would be in place months and months down the road, etc., and many simply bowed out or defered to 2022, including four of the six who were coming from my local groups and all went for deferral. It will be back entirely in 2022.
Multiple shake out ride options instead of just one big one
Volunteering to bypass lottery
The course-even though it was the same as 2019. I did the 100 mile course and there was enough of a challenge for me
The televised finish of the 200 and other course updates
All the locals along the course to offer water and watermelon when I needed it the most
No mechanical issues on my end, the Cutty performed like a champ. The rider had to fight cramps, but that is a usual thing on my end.
The Hughes family raising money. That was pretty cool gimmick, if you are into those type of things.
What I didn't like
The heat and the wind. Event though it wasn't "hot" it was still hotter than anything I trained in. The wind, what can you expect, it is Kansas after all
I did not care for the swag bag. I miss the water bottle. It didn't look like a lot of thought went into the bag.
The vendor expo. It was weird not having so many vendors. Many vendors still have restrictions on travel, and the availability of products is just not there.
The riders meeting. Race director didn't really want to be there. Just an awkward start to the biggest race of the year.
Neutral
The 25/50/Juniors starting on Friday instead of Saturday. Not sure how this impacted number of participants.
They changed the name, everyone knows they changed the name. There is no need to include the previous name to insure people know which race you’re referring to.
Now, if you’re including the old name because you’re butt hurt about the change, get over it.
