Unbound Gravel 2021, Race / Ride

As far as hydration plan, I am thinking of using Maurten drink mix. I have used them on the past and they serve me well. They are super expensive though.
I want to have hydration mix but also regular water.

I have 2 bottle cages on my bike and I have a half frame bag (Apidura). I am not sure if I want to just carry two bottles of Maurten 320 and a 1.5L hydration pack of water on my back. I would use the half frame bag for tools and solid foods.

Thoughts and suggestions?

Tires

I was thinking about running Specialized pathfinder pros with inserts and tire wiz on the Bontrager wheels?

I was going to run Maurten in my 1L bottles. I am going to carry a 3L hydration pack. I am large so I want to have more then not enough. Last year I did a 175 mile ride on a 95 degree day, the asphalt was 110 and 2L in my bottles went by very quick, I know I want more then not enough.

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My concern about the Pathfinder pros (or any semi-slick tire) would be protection against the flint rocks. A tire with more knobbies will provide extra protection two ways:

  • Gaps between the knobs give the edges of rocks to go between w/o reaching the casing. With the PP, they can immediately strike / slash the smooth area in the center

  • The extra rubber on the knobs themselves, which is not on the PP’s

Also, if it is wet, I don’t think they would work very well on some of the climbs.

I think they are a bad tire if wet, I have not made a tire choice for wet yet.

The Pros seem to have the highest sharp point resistance out of a few tires.

I’m in for Unbound 200 and just started TR this week.

I’m going to stick with the LV plan but then 2 add 1:30-1:45 endurance (.65-.75 IF) rides during the week, then add more endurance volume to the weekend ride.

Interested to see what others are doing and how they progress. Just took my baseline Ramp Test: 4.15w/kg.

I ride and run a lot, but haven’t had much progressive structure for most of 2020. I’m fully aware that I’ve just compounded volume for too long and it’s prevented me from progressing. I’m capable of 10-14hrs of cycling and 4-6hr of running/week, but I think it’s created a plateau. I’ve never really been able to get over 4.3w/kg, but I’ve always been running and riding for Ironman/ultraman, etc. I know that higher FTP isn’t necessarily the goal for a 200 mile event, but I’m sure it can’t hurt.

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I’ve done a “wet” DK back in 2015 and (at least on the old southern course) most of the course drains pretty well and I don’t remember thinking that a more aggressive tire would have made a difference in how that day played out.

Never really thought about it that much, as there weren’t exactly a lot of “gravel” tires in the market back then. The rideable bits were quite rideable with my Clement (now Donnelly) 40mm MSO/35mm USH front/rear combo.

Where the course was muddy, it didn’t matter what tires you had, you had to walk. The longest section of walking came early, only 20km into the race, I walked for 45 minutes before being able to ride again. If I recall correctly, there were two other sections that day that required some walking and carrying of the bike, but they were not nearly as long, maybe 5-10 minutes.

In 2019, there were many rumblings of how wet it had been in the area leading up to the race. Even with the risk of wet, I did not deviate from bringing solely my planned tire, Teravail Cannonball, for that year (in multiples, of course). Alas, the rains stopped a few days before the race and the course was fantastic. It was also fantastically hot on race day, but that is a different story altogether.

So, my recommendation after having done the event in the hot sun, the cold wet, and in between, is to find a tire that will reduce/eliminate the punctures during the day. A single random puncture in the second half of the day isn’t going to be devastating, but multiple punctures get demoralizing, especially if these start in the first 1-2h of the day while the groups are still working well together and the pace is brisk. That reminds me of something…I’d not recommend the Schwalbe G-One. :rofl:

Lastly, I am envious of all of the 2021 talk, my wife and I deferred our already-once-deferred entries into 2022 due to the unknowns of COVID and related possibly continued border closings between Canada and the US.

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Word.

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For sure. I guess I feel a little odd about randomly posting here, but if there’s interest I’ll set aside my social anxiety…I’m like the Anti-Successful Athlete right now :slight_smile: .

I’ll give a baseline and thumbnail of my current plan:

51yr old ex-roadie snob, always found longer distances to be my thing…like my legs came alive after 60-70miles. Burned myself out eventually thinking I wanted to race crits and stopped cold 15+years ago. Married, no kids, awesome dog named Jake. I work a fairly boring management job in industrial welding supply so it’s M-F 7:30AM-5PM. Decided this gravel thing was for me, started nerding out on everything. Found the podcast and ordered my bike in May. Listened to many, many podcasts and combed the forum while waiting and waiting and waiting for my Diverge.

Got my bike 09/27/20, started TrainerRoad 09/28/20 with SSBLV1 and my first Ramp Test at a whopping FTP of 147. I’m a med/large framed 6’4", and was 252lbs on day 1. I’m now down to 235lbs with an FTP of 226 as of Jan 19th. 2.12w/kg. Aiming to be 205-210lbs by June and continued progression of my training will bring me closer to 2.5w/kg or so…hopefully (eventual goals: 190lbs and 3.5w/kg). I train after work, before dinner…I find excuses to keep hitting snooze if I try mornings. Until 3 weeks ago, I’d only been doing the 3 LV workouts a week…that’s when I started road riding with the local B group here in Valdosta GA on Saturdays, 40-50 miles. Moving forward I’ll be adding miles before and after this ride until I’m up around 70-80. In a couple weeks, I’m going to add shorter duration, gravel specific rides on Sundays once I get the second set of wheels I have coming…1-2hrs of skills work mostly. I need to reduce the cognitive load on gravel/dirt and get back some of my childhood BMX confidence.

I have 3 A events this year including Unbound Gravel. I tweaked the Build and Specialty blocks in Plan Builder to suit each event that I’m leading up to…First is the 74mi Gravel Battle of Sumter Forest in Clinton SC which is March 13th, so I’m currently in Rolling Road Race LV (after General Build LV) leading towards that race. Second A race is Unbound on June 5th, but I am going with Sustained Power Build LV and then Century LV leading to that. Last A is the 3 day Hellhole Gravel Grind stage race in Cordesville SC Sep 24-26 and I’m using Sustained Power Build LV followed by Rolling Road Race LV as I am hoping to get into UnPAved in Pennsylvania as a B event on Oct 10th.

Between now and May 8th, I have 5 additional gravel events of 60-100miles and 2 road centuries. These will all be C events, used for training, experimenting and nailing my nutrition/hydration. I’ve been very conservative to date, trying to make sure I don’t get any strains or overuse injuries…going to keep that thought process while still adding quite a bit of TSS to get me where I need to be. Sleep and recovery, feed the workouts, listen to my body.

That’s the plan as of now. Thoughts and suggestions are always welcome and I can’t begin to express how much I’ve taken away from this forum/community. The support and overall good vibes are just awesome.

Cheers.

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Colin Strickland was running Pathfinder Pro’s last year IIRC. I’m between those in a 42mm and Rene Herse Hurricane Ridge 42mm with the Endurance Plus casing right now

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I’ll likely ride them for SBT GRVL - as the course is a mix of road, light gravel and heavier gravel.

If I was riding Unbound, I’d ride the Panaracer Gravel Kings. They get good reviews, and I think the tread design helps prevent sidewall tears - due to the almost continuous outside tread that protects the sidewall.

If you go with the GK SK make sure to get the +. My GK are the non plus and I have about 5 punctures, one didn’t seal and the dart didnt take

I assume that the rule for Unbound is that your tires have to be setup tubeless. I am certainly planning on doing that.

Are any of you guys thinking (or have experience) using tubeless inserts? My wheels are currently setup as tubeless but I heard good things (mainly from MTB) about having inserts inside the tire. This provides additional help in case of a puncture. What are your thoughts?

https://www.vittoria.com/us/en/bike-accessories/tire-inserts/air-liner-gravel

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There is no actual rule saying you must have tubeless, but it is certainly the “rule of thumb”. Not running tubeless at Unbound would just be silly, IMO.

And I would absolutely plan on running the Air Liner inserts if I was doing Unbound…will almost certainly use them for The Rift in July (assuming it happens / I can make the trip).

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My set up is.

Bontrager Aeolus RSL 37V TLR
vitorria inserts
specialized pathfinder pro 42
will be running a 11/42 or 11/34 depending on bike

Would love to swap on a sram xx1 cassette and save 200g, but dont know how well the 10 works with GRX

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I’ve got the same bike on order but not for UnBound 200. I’ll be using my Warbird for that which has Cannonball’s on it. I’ve had nothing but great experience with them. Rock solid so far.

Lodging - I’ve got two options booked. A dorm room if any wife decides not to come along (highly possible) and a hotel room in Topeka if she does.

Tires - I’m a big fan of the Terravail Cannonballs. I use them on my Warbird and have been very happy.

Nutrition - Mines fairly simple. I drink one bottle of Tailwind per hour (100 cals) plus eat approximately 75-100 cals roughly every 30 mins starting at the 1hour mark. I take a variety of stuff including cookies, Larabars, trail mix, granola bars, beef jerky, powdered donuts, bananas, etc. I always bring 1 gel with me just in case but it’s been a very long time since I’ve used one. Usually during the last 10-20 miles of a long gravel race. This nutrition plan has served me well so far up to 155 miles.

Train - As someone else mentioned I’m a big fan of long endurance for these types of events and not much structured interval training. About the only intervals I’ll do is one fast group ride per week where I’m on the rivet to hold the front group for part of the way or a hard Zwift ride. I regularly push 300-400 mile weeks of mostly Z1 and Z2.

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And I would absolutely plan on running the Air Liner inserts if I was doing Unbound…will almost certainly use them for The Rift in July (assuming it happens / I can make the trip).

Dude. That’s my dream for next year. The Rift looks just amazing. I’d struggle to make the time cut as I’d just be looking around constantly.

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I’m really looking forward to it…just hoping it happens.

The course, the setting, the country…spectacular. Good buddy of mine from my bike biz days did it the first year (2019) and said it was jaw-dropping.

Plus Red Bull and bacon at rest stops!! :sunglasses::sunglasses:

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Today was a great day. Things arrived.

Thule vital 6 - hydration pack
Tire inserts - vittoria
Tire wiz
Ordered pathfinder pro’s

  • bike fit this week, pending pedals, and chains
  • need to figure out chain lube since I wax and swap my XT cassette for an XX1 to save 200grams, through axle bolts, and a larger rear seat bag, also a top tube bag. Through training I will determine which bike to utilize

I now need to assign my self a training plan, Since I was off the bike for 2 months, and due to the limited weeks prior to the event, plan builder is sending me right into General build. Dont know if I am ready for that. On a positive note, im well rested .

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