I’ve been enjoying all the chatter on the Unbound 2025 topic (I’m doing the 200 this year). However, I also just signed up for Big Sugar, so figured we could have another topic for that! Didn’t see one when I searched, but if I missed it let me know and I can archive this one.
I’m actually originally from Arkansas (high school and college), but now live out in Washington state. Taking advantage of the race this year to go visit family and friends and also do some gravel riding.
Who else is doing Big Sugar and have you done it in the past? I’m very excited to check it out. Every time I go back to visit Arkansas it seems to be getting nicer and nicer!
The 50 or 100? I will probably get an airbnb. Logistics will be weird since wife had a conference come up last minute, so I may be solo.
You renting an RV or already have one? That sounds like it could be fun!
I’m doing it again this year. Just as a fun race, I’ll be a bit out of shape that time of year. Plan to do what I did last year and come in early and just enjoy all the great riding in the week leading up to the event. For those who haven’t done it, it’s a course that favors large and sturdy tires.
@burnett2k - doing the the 100. Will be driving up from Houston and will probably make a long weekend out of it. We have a 23’ travel trailer. Works great for races to bring the wife, 2 little kids, and dog along.
@grwoolf - much different to expect in terms of tire choice than unbound? Are the rocks as notorious for flats, or just chunky? Long ways for me to think about tire choice between now & then, but will maybe prevent me from playing musical chairs with wheels/tires and ordering several tires the two weeks prior, in my indecisiveness
While the courses are very different, tire choice for me is very similar. And yes, notorious for flats and lots of chunk. And more high speed sketchy descents with big/loose/sharp gravel.
I have only done the 50mi and ran 47 pathfinders and 2.2 Race Kings. No issues. I don’t know why it has a reputation for being so chunky; I found it pretty smooth overall. Last 5 miles or so is tarmac, which I really enjoy.
Comparing to Unbound (I only did the 100 south route), I would say Unbound was worse overall. It felt like race director purposely sent you on equipment check roads for the Spirit of Gravel.
Perhaps they intentionally choose an easier course for the 50 mile? You have pretty large tires as well, so I’d imagine you wouldn’t have too many issues with those anyways!
I’m stuck on 40s right now due to indecisiveness around a new frame, but hoping to upgrade to new frameset fairly soon. About to go out to unbound and do that on 40s so we will see how it goes.
I’m in for the 100 and am in for the 100 at unbound. This is my first year doing gravel events. I was a triathlete turned XCM, who is now enjoying the gravel bike. I’m also signed up for the Coldwater race the week after big sugar to hopefully catch a Leadville coin as I have unfinished business there.
As someone who has ridden all the roads many of times, no some of the worst roads are on the 50 mile loop.
I would not run anything smaller than a 42mm tire. I have had great luck with the pathfinders. As I have raced in the lead group of the 50 multiple and rode all of the 100 mile loop many times and had 0 issues.
I would say the number one thing is ethire know every turn, or be ready to go from bombing a decent to “Am I gonna go flying into the ditch” with 0 warning.
If you care about being fast, get good at short punchy climbs (5ish minuets) and being aero. The last like 15 miles is almost always into a headwind on flat roads.
I hope this was usefull. If any of yall have questions I will try to answer them. See yall at the race!
I live in Washington, so I can’t really know every turn. I guess I’ll just have to review the map and possibly create a cheat sheet for the really sharp turns. Luckily, we do a lot of steep gravel riding out here so I feel fairly comfortable with that.
I’m maxed out on 40mm tires at the moment, so a little concerned about that. For Unbound, I was also concerned and things ended up being fine - probably due to no small amount of luck.
I was a little confused by your statement on 100 vs 50 mile course. The 100 mile has worse or better roads? I’m doing the 100 so that’s all I care about atm
There aren’t any big surprises on course, you can generally see what’s coming. It’s just the nature of the descents that are so sketchy. Many are as fast as you dare to go on chunky/loose gravel, sometimes with turns involved at the bottom. It’s zero drama at sensible speeds, but people will send it on the downhills and you will get gapped/dropped if you descend cautiously (at least towards the front of the race where folks are pushing it). I think it’s probably the most dangerous race I do and saw 4-5 high speed wrecks on the descents last year. And what really makes it dangerous (in my opinion) is that you are at the mercy of the folks around you on these descents. I was on a FS MTB racing Big Sugar last year and obviously had a big advantage on the downhills. But dodging the people who are out of control on less capable setups can be a crap shoot no matter what you are riding. If 40’s is all your bike can handle, it’s going to be tough to hang onto fast groups on the descents and there will be a big pucker factor if you try. It’s not like Unbound where there are just a handful of chunky descents and it’s typically double track and stretched out. Big Sugar can be a big pack descending at close quarters with many people riding way beyond the the limits of their abilities and equipment.
I really enjoyed racing the MTB last year as it took some of the stress out and I wasn’t too concerned about results. And even with off season fitness and just racing for fun, I was still top 10 (age group), so the MTB wasn’t a terrible bike choice. I have a gravel bike that will run 2.25’s now, so I’ll probably be racing that this year, but the MTB was a lot of fun and I might roll it again. 40’s on that course is madness to me, but lots of folks do fine on smaller tires. Good luck.
I’ve ridden the 50 mile course the last three years. There are some chunky roads on the 50. If your frame is maxed out in the back for a 40 I’d try to put a larger tire on the front. I did this with my old Crux the second year. I run the Maxxis Rambler 45c and love them for this course. The little bit of tread on the centerline gives me a lot of confidence with traction. I see lot’s of flats on this course. The really chunky stuff on the50 mile course is after the Whistling Springs Aid Station where the 50 and 100 mile courses converge. After the really chucky stuff it opens up into what is usually a headwind. Wind was down last year but it was really hot and dry/dusty.
I’m registered for the 100 this year, so I need to build up some mileage before October.
