And Pathfinder Pro 47’s just got a little more scarce.
It will be similar route to 2021, but I have it on good authority that extra spice will be added. Spent some time with some folks in the know last week. For reference, I rode over 550 miles of gravel while there and about 220 of that on the north course. 3 flats up north, zero to the south despite a couple days hard racing south with higher speeds and less caution. That’s all on pathfinder 47’s and all flint cuts, not hitting anything or bottoming out.
1 Like
Yeah, my guess is that they want to add some extra spice after last year just to show they aren’t backing down from the criticism.
Are you making any changes to your tire plans or still rolling with the Pathfinder 47’s? Also, what are your thoughts on 650b w/ Thunderburt 2.1’s vs. 700c w/ Pathfinder 47’s?
Based on my discussions, it’s about making the race more selective and reducing the group dynamics. With the recent trend toward larger pack finishes, they want to give the racers more opportunities to create selections via challenging tech sections. It also sounds like changes are coming with the finishing chute to separate the pros and amateurs, but I didn’t get into the details of how that was happening and I’m not sure that’s finalized. Lifetime/Unbound hosted an event last Wednesday for locals and volunteers and introduced the new race director and others. Seeing and meeting many of the Lifetime folks (as well as people who have a long history with Dirty Kanza), I can tell you that all of these people have a great passion for the race and they want to make it tough (particularly the longer distances). People can agree or disagree with their approach, but these are passionate racers/riders and the decisions are not being made by some big corporation trying to maximize $'s.
No, it will be pathfinder 47’s if dry and 42’s if muddy. MTB tires wouldn’t be a bad choice on some of the chunky sections if you want an advantage there, but I don’t think they types of flats I got would be reduced by MTB tires. Big tires would let you be more aggressive on some of the descents without the risk of banging a rim, but you still have the risk of cuts and small flint punctures (which is a real risk even if you are careful with your line choice). I just think the chance of flatting is much higher to the north regardless of what you do. The only changes I plan to make is running extra sealant, adding a small bottle of sealant to my top tube bag, and carrying 3 co2’s instead of my typical 2 (and I always carry a mini pump just in case also).
3 Likes
Sorry…my question re: 650B kinda got muddled with the question about your particular set-up…was just wondering on your thoughts in general of 650b w/ 2.1’s vs. 700c w/ Pathinder 47’s.
I’m debating between the two…I’ve liked the 650B’s more than I thought I would and don’t seem any slower overall (except on pavement). But there is also a reason why not many people are running 650B’s, too…
Yep, I was just trying to answer in the context of MTB (2.1’s) vs. the 47’s (sort of ignoring the 650b aspect). I’d make the decision based on what size tire you want to run, I don’t think 650b vs. 700 really matters beyond what tires they can support (assuming you adjust gearing as appropriate).
It’s definitely a course I’d consider going bigger than 47, but only if I was prioritizing the really chunky sections. Those sections are a very small percentage of the race, but they could be decisive if trying to hang with a fast group. Those sections will be high risk/reward spots. I’ll likely err on the side of caution and burn some watts trying to catch back on when gaps form. That first chunky descent at around 27 miles in will be really interesting. I actually paused there during my pre-ride it was so rutted and chunky, just no line I felt comfortable with even at a very slow pace. Might be better or worse by race day. There will absolutely be people attacking that point, I predict the road to be lined with people fixing flats.
1 Like
A quick recap on my 8 day “gravel camp” in Emporia last week -
575 miles
35 hours
1850 TSS
CTL hit 130 on the last day (all time high for me)
That’s all wrapping up a block of 4 weeks on, not sure I’ve ever done a block with anywhere near that volume, but I feel remarkably good right now.
2 really long tough days in 30+ MPH wind and a decent bit of mud and rain riding. Legs have never been so sore as they were after the 2nd day in the wind, must have been gusting over 50mph and the pedaling dynamics are just different in those conditions. No heat, but I’ll get that in Texas before Unbound.
Last 2 days were the La Grind Stage race. 100 miles Saturday and 65 Sunday. Fun time and a race I’d recommend as perfect prep and timing for unbound. I had good legs both days.
Saturday - I got dropped by the lead pack about an hour into the race. I was pushing threshold for the first hour and just couldn’t respond to the surges any more, letting a group of 7 go up the road and hoping I’d catch of few of those later. I settled into TT mode for remaining 4.5 hours and hit my best 5.5 hour power ever (254watts, .82 IF). Caught and passed 2 guys that got dropped from lead group, but that was it and rolled in 6th (4th male) and only lost about 15 minutes to the lead pack with over 80 miles solo into a headwind for much of it. There wasn’t a soul in sight for almost all of the race, but it felt pretty damn good.
Sunday - Hung with the lead pack despite hanging on by a thread any time the road pointed up. Pretty funny “gravel” thing - Paige Onweller was in the group and giving me a hard time and telling me I needed to work more. I felt like Adam Roberge, except I don’t have a sprint to save for and wasn’t playing games. I guess just different perspective, I was just out there trying to hold on so I didn’t have to ride solo again, but was definitely conserving for the hills and sitting in as needed. I was also ~20 years older than the other 5 people in that group, so just happy to be there. Paige and the male winner got away late and won by a couple minutes, I was happy to stay with the main group and ended up 4th (mens) on the stage race. Paige won the overall (ahead of all men), she’s a beast for sure. Another pro woman (Tori Dippold) got 3rd overall. No pro men at this event.
Anyway, I couldn’t have asked for a better week of prep. No wrecks and lots of heavy pedaling. Body was feeling terrible after a couple days from the rough terrain, but feeling much better by the end of the week. Time to rest and absorb.
5 Likes
Good to hear you had a good time up here. Wild weather from last year’s Saturday race heat to yesterday’s cold rain. If you believe my Wahoo, 90* avg to 48* comparing the two days.
1 Like
Yeah, last year was a death march in that heat. I lined up yesterday with normal kit and sun sleeves thinking “it will be fine as long as it doesn’t rain all day”, which of course it did. I never felt too cold during race, but quickly feeling hypothermic as soon as it was over. I’ll still take cold rain over 100f for racing.
And this is where our similar paths diverge!! 
Damn, those are some impressive numbers!
1 Like
Anyone have a lead on a crew/SAG for hire they could share?
Also, life and work has kicked me in the nuts. Thinking of selling my rego, is there a way to do that?
I think you can still register for the Crew for Hire through Unbound.
You cant sell and its too late to push to next year
Yeah, new path for me as well. I’ve been a little nervous about overtraining over this last block, but no alarm bells going off yet. And I just realized it was actually 9 days in Emporia, not 8, so spread out a little more. Surprisingly, I only rode on a single red day the entire week+. Now I’m trying to figure out how to best taper without loosing too much.
2 Likes
I’ve been browsing the Unbound website and cannot find this answered anywhere.
I am signed up for the 200 but am considering dropping down to the 100.
Can this be done on the day of packet pick up? If so, is there a charge for it?
Try emailing them if the info isn’t on their website. They’ve were pretty responsive and helpful for me last year. I was able to get a spot after missing the lottery.
Did a group trail ride last night…and for the first time, the 650B wheels seemed slower. Hard to pinpoint exactly what it was, but there were a couple of times when I thought “huh…this seems off”.
Threw the 700c hoops on after the ride and rode them this AM and definitely feel faster…so gonna ride the rest of this week with them and see.
Only downside is my 47 Pathfinders only measure out at 45 once mounted. Was hoping to ride something is the 47+ range for Unbound…and I don’t want to invest in another pair of tires at this point.
1 Like
The pathfinders are weird. The 42 measures 44 and the 47 measures 45.
Is it a good time to mount race tires. I don’t think 2 gravel rides will damage the pathfinders
1 Like
Courses dropping overnight!
2 Likes