Dorothy, We're Not Calling It Kanza Anymore
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Retired words and ideas? Who decides? "Kanza" is out, going to "Kansas" is totally fine? It's probably better, and I guess this has been looked at, so it's not like trying to cancel Abraham Lincoln or anything. It's still sort of all whitesplaining, given the rider population. Okay.
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Gravel Unbound looks like a lot of fun. Big one in front, over to the right in back, and go go go. Except now the single big one in front is maybe a 36 chainring.
Straight out, there is no true self-sufficiency in organized bike riding. There's always all this neutral zone support, and major glamping, too.
And glampin' ain't easy on the pocketbook. The bikes themselves are great and affordable, same cost as a two/three year gym membership, but then the money meter starts to run. It can all be done affordably, but it takes some experience, elbow grease, and then also the entry fees for so many of these rides are kinda prohibitive for some.
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The inclusion of young people is welcome, but also very questionable and needs close management. Super endurance riding (racing?) at 14 often means hanging it up by 19. Except for like less than 10-20% that keep going. So we're still back on the for adults only tennis club problem that USA bike racing has always had, following a lost generation because of parents disgusted by vampire Lance. Gravel riding is clearly better for young people than road biking, road racing, if just to keep away from cars. Same for all the other riders, too.
It's just that there could be a set of ideas that gear young people away from ideas like, next year you can do the full 200 miles. It's like training a kid up to run a marathon and that's really not useful or a success plan. It won't work. Trying to get to true cycling joy for everyone.
But it's a cool, and a less expensive, healthier lifestyle vs. people who have expensive boats, motorcycles, jet skis, mobile homes with a little jeep attached, all of the above.
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The minimal places on Gravel Unbound to get water make this a tough run. Just three of them. When one is in good shape, you can go with less water, but the duffers and also the real fast riders need more. Maybe there are other spots along the way to get water, to mix with Gatorade, et cetera. Concerned riders are advised to forage outside of the checkpoints if/when possible. Not sure if that's even doable on this ride. It's an art form to forage while riding.
The dirt surface clearly costs the fastest riders at least two/three hours vs. riding on the road. Even much more time for the mortals. It takes a high speed to get any kind of momentum going, mainly it's always needing to be ready to power through all the time.
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Sounds like there will be TV coverage of the last hour for some of the races. Pretty clear that someone like Ian Boswell is happier doing this than haplessly working for Ilnur Zakarin, his previous job. Should be fun to watch.
I would like them to also show the true last hour, with the very last riders making it in in ones and twos.
Atomic batteries to power! Turbines to speed! And please don't litter!