Emporia Kansas UNBOUND Course

 

Gravel Grinding Mecca of the USA

Our summer road trip took us through Emporia, Kansas, the gravel grinding mecca of the USA and home of UNBOUND. As they say, “When in Rome do as the Romans do,” so we pulled up the 2024 25-mile UNBOUND course, drove from our hotel to downtown Emporia, mounted our bikes and enjoyed a taste of riding on the flat rural roads of Kansas. Our gravel roads in Loudoun County, Virginia are in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains so we generally average 50 to 75 feet of elevation per mile so those flat roads along the Kansas farmlands were a novelty and a treat.

 

What is UNBOUND

My husband and I became interested in gravel grinding while watching YouTube videos of various cycling events from across the USA and were first introduced to Dirty Kanza, a race based out of Emporia, Kansas, back in 2017. The race was purchased by Lifetime Sports in 2018, and in 2020 the event was renamed UNBOUND.

UNBOUND, presented by Shimano, consists of the following race distances:

  • • 25-mile
  • • 50-mile
  • • 100-mile
  • • 200-mile (the marquee event)
  • • 350-mile (known as the XL)

Starting in downtown Emporia, this late spring race winds through the Flint Hills region of the Great Plaines. Spring rain creates a peanut butter mud that sticks to bicycles and cyclists alike, and the sharp flint gravel can play havoc with bike tires, making even the shorter races a challenge. The 200-miler is considered the World’s Premiere Gravel Grinder, and last year we cheered as our friend’s son Dylan Johnson placed tenth in the highly competitive race. 

From 34 riders at Dirty Kanza in 2006, UNBOUND has grown to 5,000 total riders in all distances in 2024. The event now accepts registrants by using a lottery system, those qualifying in one of two qualifying races, and the professionals invited as part of the Lifetime Grand Prix Series.

 

Ride Overview
  • • Ride Name: 2024 UNBOUND – 25 Mile
  • • Ride with GPS: Link to turn-by-turn navigation cue sheet
  • • Location: Flint Hills region of Kansas
  • • Start/Finish: downtown Emporia, Kansas
  • • Course Type: loop with an out-and-back tail
  • • Course Surface: mostly gravel with some paved
  • • Bike: Salsa Warbird
  • • Distance: 27.32 miles
  • • Time: 2:03:46
  • • Average Speed: 13.2 MPH
  • • Maximum Speed: 23.9 MPH
  • • Elevation Gain: 564 feet
  • • Elevation Range: 1,091 to 1,190 feet
  • • Weather: 61° and mostly cloudy with a few rain drops early on, climbing to 64° with light rain the last ~2 miles
  • • Date of ride: August 10, 2024
  • • Course Map:

 

Fun Pictures From Along the Way

By the time we parked in downtown Emporia and got our bikes ready to ride, it was 6:49 AM and overcast with a chance of rain. With our routes loaded on our bike computers we made our way out of town and onto rural roads. We rode several miles before seeing our first vehicle, and after that, we only saw maybe five other cars/trucks.

Having heard horror stories about UNBOUND racers’ frequent flat tires thanks to the flint gravel, I was happy to have my husband with me in case of a flat. Luckily, all four of our bike tires finished the ride unscathed.

 

This farmer’s daughter was super impressed with the dark, rich soil and couldn’t resist taking a picture as I rode by.

 

We stopped briefly to refuel in Americus which is the site of an aid station during the race.

 

Just a little Kansas dust on my bike fork…

 

We were able to lay my husband’s Salsa Cutthroat and my Salsa Warbird (we were first introduced to Salsa Cycles while watching those early videos of Dirty Kanza) on the gravel road for a picture without worrying that a car might come out of nowhere and hit them. The road was so flat and straight that we could see for miles and would have had plenty of time to move our bikes if the rare car had come by.

 

Refueling with Honey Stinger chews, my fuel of choice…

 

We saw a lot more crops than livestock during the ride so when I rode past these cows, I made a u-turn to get a closeup picture.

 

Crossing over I-35…

 

Cornfields…

 

Hayfields…

 

And soybean fields…

 

A light drizzle started as we made our way back onto pavement approaching town…

 

Downtown Emporia…

 

Garmin Stats

Post-ride Garmin…

 

Garmin map and elevation graph…

 

Murals After the Ride

After cruising back into town and finishing our ride, we got into dry clothes and securely attached to our bikes on the rack. As we were leaving town, we stopped for pictures of a few murals…

 

Final Thoughts on the Ride

This was one of the most peaceful rides I’ve ever done, and for some weird reason, it left me with warm fuzzies. Every time I think about our morning riding on those Kansas gravel roads, a smile spreads across my face. The course was was flat, the scenery changed mostly from one crop type to another, but I was never bored. I’d do this ride again in a second!

 

Questions:
  • • Have you been to Kansas? ~ We’ve driven through Kansas many times, starting back in 1981 on our way to Utah for grad school.
  • •  Do you think you would be bored riding on a flat course without a lot of different types of scenery? ~ perhaps if I did that ride repeatedly
  • • Do you stop and relax occasionally to fuel or take pictures, or barrel on through when on a long run or ride? ~ Pictures, always pictures, unless I’m racing!

 

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