Don't Fly Over Kansas

KANSAS IS A FLYOVER STATE...

That's what most folks will tell you. I’ve traversed across this country by plane and car plenty of times and never once was my final destination Kansas. In fact, any time I would drive through Kansas I would think to myself, how can a road be this flat and this straight for so long? I found myself wondering what people did for work and fun in Kansas, because there is seemingly nothing in most of the state. The state stretches roughly 410 miles from east to west—410 miles of flat, straight road.

This trip would be different. Kansas wasn’t something to fly over, it was the destination. I was heading to the 20^th edition of Unbound Gravel in the small town of Emporia Kansas. Breezer had a booth at the Unbound All Things Gravel Expo and I signed up for the 50 mile ride. 

UNBOUND GRAVEL 2026

• 5,445 participants
• 50 states represented
• 47 countries represented
• 5 ride distances
      * XL – 350 miles
      * Marquee – 200 miles
      * 100 miles
      * 50 miles
      * 25 miles

This event was started in 2006 with the first ride drawing 34 participants. The earlier years of the event only had one distance, which was 200 miles. The event grew year after year. People were drawn to epic stories of the endless gravel in the flint hills and unpredictable weather. 

The "All Things Gravel" Expo was great. There were over 100 brands on site and it took over main street downtown and the surrounding blocks. We had lots of folks come by and check out the new models and grab a koozie and some stickers. Spotty rain and thunderstorms lingered over the two days at the expo and that trend would continue on ride day. One thing I noticed was a lot of booths were giving away wooden paint stirring sticks. Is there going to be a painting party at some point this weekend? I had no idea why, until the ride the next day.

I was staying in Topeka which was about 45 minutes away from Emporia. Emporia does not have many hotels so if you are planning on doing Unbound, reserve a hotel room way in advance or you’ll be doing some commuting as I did. On my daily commute I started to appreciate Kansas’s wide-open plains. The sky and clouds constantly changing, the ability to see storms building miles away and stunning sunsets. 

I awoke the morning of my ride to thunder, lightning and down pouring rain. Oh man, this is going to be a long day. 

BIKE & GEAR CHECK

The bike I chose for the ride is the new Breezer Radar Team. This bike features a double butted chromoly steel frame and fork, GRX 820 drivetrain with a 10-51 tooth cassette and 34 tooth chainring. I ran the stock tires set up tubeless, WTB Nineline 29x2.25 with tire pressure 28psi rear and 26psi front. Bike was completely stock except for the handlebar which I swapped out with a Ritchey Beacon and I wrapped the bars with Lizard Skin DSP 3.2mm bar tape.

For hydration I was using Skratch and for nutrition I had some GU gels and some Nerds gummy clusters. My tool kit had a multi tool, patch kit, some CO2 cartridges, Stans Darts, a spare tube, Pedros tire levers, Wolftooth chain lube and a paint stirrer stick. 

THE 50 MILE RIDE

There was a staggered start depending on what distance you were riding. The XL crew set out the day before around 3pm, The 200 mile crew went out before sun up on this day, 100 mile went off at 7.30 am, 50 mile was at 9 am and 25 mile at 9.30 am. I loaded into the starting area and was amazed at how many riders were doing the 50.  Over 1000 participants!

The ride starts out on main street in town and makes it way out of town to the first taste of gravel. The pace leaving town started slow but then ramped up as people started to spread out. Soon enough we were jamming along at 18 or so mph with what felt like a good tailwind. We got on gravel a few miles outside of town and you pretty much stay on gravel until you make your way back into town and the finish line.  Approximately 90-95% of the route is on gravel or MMR, Minimum Maintenance Roads. 

 
The rain had stopped before we set off but there were dark clouds overhead and nobody knew what the day would bring. Around an hour into the ride everything came to a halt. Hundreds of riders stood in a traffic jam of bikes and bodies, all trying to navigate a muddy, rutted section of road that had become virtually impassable. Most riders abandoned the thought of attempting to ride through after their tires quickly filled with mud and made it so their wheels could not spin freely in their frames and forks.

This is where the paint stirrers came into play. They are the most commonly used tool to try and remove the peanut butter mud from your tires, wheels, derailleurs and shoe cleats. Fortunately for me my high volume tires and ample tire clearance on my bike, you can fit up to a 29” x 2.4” tire on the Radar with room to spare, I was able to pick through the folks walking and clear the section without having to walk a step.

SIDE BAR: Why Tire Clearance Matters

A lot of race-oriented gravel bikes are touting big tire clearance now. 700 x 55c is becoming the new normal. However, they do not have much clearance between the highest advertised volume and the frame and fork which results in wheels not spinning with the slightest bit of mud build up. Seems to me it would make sense to build in more clearance to allow for some mud build up when necessary. Is it less aerodynamic, probably, but I’m pretty sure walking next to your bike is also less aerodynamic than riding your bike.

BACK ON THE COURSE

We had fast riding dry gravel, drenched and muddy double track and wet and slimy gravel.  We rode through dark skies, downpours with thunder and lightning and some sunny skies. We even had to stop once to wait for a freight train to pass. Even though it was the absolute messiest and worst weather I’ve ever ridden through it was the most fun event I’ve ever done. I found the terrain to be interesting and too my liking, ie not a ton of climbing but what really made the event for me was the people and being out on the route with so many folks. 

I met a father and son duo from Northern California doing the 50 mile route on a sweet Ritchey tandem. I spoke with a woman at the start who was doing the event for the 5^th time. The only distance she had not done is the XL. There was a crew of guys called the Gravel Bandits I met at the expo then saw out on the ride. They carry around spares for, master links, tubes, tires, who knows what else, and they help folks out who are having mechanicals and might not have the supplies to carry on. That is what I loved about the event, cool people enjoying bikes and encouraging each other. 

RACERS & RIDERS

I believe there are two types of people doing this event. The racers and the riders. I didn’t spend much time with the racers because, well, I can’t keep up. All the riders I encountered were awesome, having a good time, challenging themselves and enjoying the experience regardless of the conditions. I can’t say enough good things about the quality of the event and the great vibe that was happening all weekend.  

Before this trip, Kansas was simply the long stretch of highway between somewhere else and my destination. Now it's a place I'll happily return to.