Unbound MUD!

[cd_davis]

https://www.cyclingnews.com/features...ll-be-in-2024/

[peanutgallery]

The contrarian in me loves the idea of all these annual fitness journey fools paying a boatload of $$$ for entry fees/travel expenses/equipment to journey to the middle of nowhere Kansas and only riding like 10 miles before the mud claims their superbike and their soul. Instead of Unbound, rename it "Crushing of the Dreams - p/b Lifetime"

The locals must just about keel over from laughing

[tomato coupe]

Originally Posted by peanutgallery

The contrarian in me loves the idea of all these annual fitness journey fools paying a boatload of $$$ for entry fees/travel expenses/equipment to journey to the middle of nowhere Kansas and only riding like 10 miles before the mud claims their superbike and their soul. Instead of Unbound, rename it "Crushing of the Dreams - p/b Lifetime"

The locals must just about keel over from laughing

Some people seek out adventure and bikes are just a tool for finding that adventure.

[bigbill]

The lines are kind of blurred on gravel events. An epic and muddy course can snap off a derailleur from either clogging it up or the rider not paying attention and spending too much time in the big-big. Cyclocross bikes get packed with mud, but it's a short lap course and you can either swap bikes or clean them in the pits. Muddy gravel, not so much. I think I'd consider a monster cross bike with a MTB frame, drop bars, and an eight-speed drivetrain. Leave the carbon wonderbike at home.

[StressStrain]

No thanks.

[tv_vt]

Originally Posted by cd_davis

https://www.cyclingnews.com/features...ll-be-in-2024/

That was actually a very well-written piece, viewed from my soil science background. He's right about the clay, silt, sand stuff. One thing he didn't mention about clay, or only indirectly, is how some clays can absorb water within their molecular structure. These are known as 2:1 clays and are common in KS and parts of Texas, and are very sticky.
Clays that don't absorb water ( and thus don't shrink and swell) are what's used in pottery-making and are known as 1:1 clays - these are much more prevalent in southern states like Georgia, etc. Not really as sticky as the 2:1 clays either, but slippery when wet.

PS. zero desire to be riding in any of that stuff!

[bluefish42]

Originally Posted by tomato coupe

Some people seek out adventure and bikes are just a tool for finding that adventure.

Unbound seems to be akin to climbing Everest when it comes to "adventure." Like Everest, it's an expensive curated experience for privileged amateurs to show off on social media. The biking part doesn't even look fun. Participants seem to spend most of their time waiting in various lines and complaining. Just misery all around. And they paid a ton of money for it.

[tv_vt]

Originally Posted by bluefish42

Unbound seems to be akin to climbing Everest when it comes to "adventure." Like Everest, it's an expensive curated experience for privileged amateurs to show off on social media. The biking part doesn't even look fun. Participants seem to spend most of their time waiting in various lines and complaining. Just misery all around. And they paid a ton of money for it.

Just curious, how much is the entry fee? I've never looked.

[benb]

Originally Posted by tv_vt

Just curious, how much is the entry fee? I've never looked.

Entry Fees:

XL: $255
200: $295
100: $200
50: $90
25: $55
JUNIOR: $65

Really quite reasonable for what it is and how long it takes to complete IMO, but you do have to travel out there.

That's me though. I am more than OK with a 10 hour event being a lot more expensive than a 1 hour event.

The thing with misery is you can have it for free any day you want. Is this mud as a surprise thing part of the event's appeal to people from non-muddy areas?

[peanutgallery]

https://www.unboundgravel.com/selection-process/

It's not just the fees, it's a process too

Originally Posted by tv_vt

Just curious, how much is the entry fee? I've never looked.

[bluefish42]

Originally Posted by tv_vt

Just curious, how much is the entry fee? I've never looked.

The long race is $300. The shorter one is $200. But it's the travel and lodging that makes it so expensive. Not to mention all the requisite gear, including the bikes, which seem to get ruined frequently.

[AngryScientist]

Everyone with some disposable income finds a way to spend it doing something they find fun. Compared to some other sports, cycling continues to remain pretty affordable.

This kind of thing is 100% not for me, but to each their own.

[tv_vt]

Thanks for the info. Those fees really aren't bad. We have a century ride in VT that only has two sag stops (one is used twice on the loop), all on roads not closed to traffic, and the entry fee is $90 prepaid or $120 day of ride. Seems kind of ridiculous to me, frankly.

[FastCanon]

I think a lot of us take vacations to places to ride our bikes. Isn't that expensive?

Then there are us who have multiple bikes, which means we need to maintain multiple bikes.

Then there are us who buys the latest and greatest.

The list goes on.

I don't see anything wrong in going to a big event for the experience, if you can afford it

To each their own. Angry Scientist agrees.

[tomato coupe]

Originally Posted by bluefish42

Unbound seems to be akin to climbing Everest when it comes to "adventure." Like Everest, it's an expensive curated experience for privileged amateurs to show off on social media. The biking part doesn't even look fun. Participants seem to spend most of their time waiting in various lines and complaining. Just misery all around. And they paid a ton of money for it.

Comparing Unbound to an Everest expedition is pretty silly, for a lot of reasons.