Wondering who here has done Unbound and/or is doing it this year? I’m in for the 200, first time. I’m curious to hear people’s thoughts on pacing strategy and water carrying strategies.
For pacing … I clearly am not competing for the win, but want to do my best. Is it best to stay with the fastest group you are capable and be willing to redline it especially early in the race? Hoping the group slows before you blow. Or take a measured approach and just ride with a group that feels more sustainable? I’d be inclined for the latter, but obviously if you can hang at the back of a group of faster riders there’s the potential for substantial time savings.
For water, it seems like the most common strategy is a regular bottle setup + camelbak (or actually multiple camelbaks that you swap at the aid stations). I’ve never used a camelbak, I did order one to try, but I’m wondering why this would be better than stashing bottles BTS, or more bottles on the interior of the frame stored in a frame bag or using some wolf tooth gadgets? Feels like the backpack might get to be a burden after 7 or 8 hours, plus possibly contribute to overheating.
I’ve done the 200 3x and 100 1x and can give my 2 cents.
You’re going to crack at some point. Then again, and probably again. Given the talent, only very strong bike racer types with skill & fitness (I.e. can follow wheels, hide in pack when possible, change speeds often) will be able to stay in the front group until getting their ticket punched. And many of them will ultimately blow as a result. The key is to not go so deep that you end up there. I think a good approach is one that focus on saving energy, patience and finding a group to can ride with early. A lot will depend on the new course and how often/early the race will be on.
Camelbak because you won’t be taking your hands off bars early in the race (unless you go for a small group right away). If you get behind on hydration and nutrition it’s over. And if it’s a hot and/or windy one it’s surprising how fast you’ll go through fluids. Personally there’s no way I would ride it without one. Worst-case is you can ditch it as CP2 if you’re overheating or tired of it.
I haven’t done Unbound XL, but have done other ultra events.
Redlining wouldn’t be the word I use. Yes, I think it can be worthwhile to go moderately deep early on to try to get out ahead of big crowds and find the “Goldilocks” group to go with. Genuine redlining (threshold or higher) for any length of time - no. You’re going to pay dearly for that.
Camelbak - I forget I’m wearing it. It shouldn’t bother you at all, if you get it fitting well. Nor have I found them to be an overheating issue. In fact if it’s going to be a really hot day, you can freeze the 3L the night before and ride for hours with icy cold goodness on your back, drinking ice water as it melts. Aid stations at these events can be a pure time suck. It’s not like Ironman aid stations where you grab a bottle on the move (typically). You stop, put your bike down, etc. Elite riders can get through them quick because they get there first. Slower riders can run into large number of people lining up. Wearing a hydration pack lets you skip quite a few aid stations. It buys you flexibility too. Like maybe your group is coming into an aid station late in the race, and you’re still feeling frisky. You see the group ahead leaving the aid station right as yours comes in. Just jump in if you’ve got a reserve of calories and fluids - it’s the way to “upgrade” groups without expending any energy whatsoever.
Take this for what it’s worth as my only attempt at UnBound (last year) I crashed out with a cracked collarbone and concussion at about 186 miles.
Pacing - if you’re thinking about redlining, good luck with that. I went the complete opposite approach and after about 20-30 mins settled in with a comfortable group with my HR and power well below IM pacing levels. Though 80 miles I was thinking this is a piece of cake, around 100 miles I was starting to worry, and then the proverbial “shit hit the fan.”
Water - Personally I don’t like hydration packs. For a long day they are too hot on my back. Instead, I carried 4 bottles with me (2 in frame and 2 on fork mounts). I also had a soft 20oz bottle in my half frame bag for one of the long stretches.
Unfortunately I didn’t get in this year so will have to wait another year for redemption.
If you get behind on hydration and nutrition it’s over. And if it’s a hot and/or windy one it’s surprising how fast you’ll go through fluids. Personally there’s no way I would ride it without one. Worst-case is you can ditch it as CP2 if you’re overheating or tired of it.
This! Better to be tired and well-fueled than the opposite.
All my clients doing it are taking a pack of some sort. USWE packs look good. My wife has liked her Nathan pack with a 2 L bladder for 200mi MTB/gravel rides in Tucson in the past.
If you’re going to carry 32-33oz bottles, get strong bottle cages and test them off road before you race with them. Ejecting a full fuel bottle early on is common and far from ideal.
Zefal, Elite, (Polar bottles, coming soon), and SIS, all make 32-33oz bottles.
The winner of Unbound XL claimed that he had the heaviest bike/gear setup on the start line, with most of the weight coming from fluid. I would do the same. My wife is racing Unbound XL this year and is take the same approach.
or using some wolf tooth gadgets?
Just test them off road with the fluid volumes you intend to race with many times before the race. They have a claimed weight limit well below what would allow holding 2 liters of fluid. I can confirm that they work fine for holding 2 liters of fluid on road rides and have never had a product failure.
The most I’ve ever tried on them off road is 1.4 liters, and they hold up fine. The trick may be getting bottle cages that are secure enough, that aren’t also so tight on 1-liter bottles that you end up breaking the Wolf Tooth product during riding and removing/replacing bottles before/after drinking. When I’ve used 1.4 liters (even split between bottles), when I push the bottles into the cages on my MTB while riding, sometimes it’s jarring enough that the Wolf Tooth setup flexes quite a bit laterally and makes me question my sanity for carrying so much.
As with anything, just test the race setup repeatedly in training and maybe racing beforehand.
If you get behind on hydration and nutrition it’s over. And if it’s a hot and/or windy one it’s surprising how fast you’ll go through fluids. Personally there’s no way I would ride it without one. Worst-case is you can ditch it as CP2 if you’re overheating or tired of it.
This! Better to be tired and well-fueled than the opposite.
All my clients doing it are taking a pack of some sort. USWE packs look good. My wife has liked her Nathan pack with a 2 L bladder for 200mi MTB/gravel rides in Tucson in the past.
Thanks for everyone’s thoughts. I hadn’t considered about not wanting to take the hands off the the handlebars to drink. I will practice with the pack and see how I get along with it.
FWIW, I wasn’t thinking particularly large bottles, was thinking I could easily get four or five regular frame bottles using some combination of the third mount below the downtube, BTS, BTA (I will have aerobars), and using a Wolf Tooth ‘Everywhere’ to put one on the top corner of my frame, or using a frame bag and putting in some soft bottles or even a hydration reservoir with the straw routed to my aerobars (I hate drinking out of those things though).
The advice to practice the setup is well noted! But it’s 20F with ice on the roads here, so I’m planning to practice!
A frame bag w/ reservoir is an option Michelle and I are exploring. I’ve explored virtually all but frame bags & reservoirs comprehensively, so if anyone has suggestions for aero, light-ish, high volume frame bags which support a reservoir, I’d love to hear experiences/advice.
Question for users of frame bags w/ reservoirs: does the height of reservoir placement in the bag appreciably affect how much suction is required to get fluid out of it?
A frame bag w/ reservoir is an option Michelle and I are exploring. I’ve explored virtually all but frame bags & reservoirs comprehensively, so if anyone has suggestions for aero, light-ish, high volume frame bags which support a reservoir, I’d love to hear experiences/advice.
Question for users of frame bags w/ reservoirs: does the height of reservoir placement in the bag appreciably affect how much suction is required to get fluid out of it?
Here is a video showing how Colin Strickland made a custom frame ‘bag’ for a reservoir for Unbound. He used rubber bands on the reservoir to create pressure that made it easier to drink. I have a Revelate Tangle frame bag that has a slot you could easily route a straw out of, but I haven’t tried to do it, so am unsure what pitfalls I would run into. It’s more appealing to put in a couple extra bottles tbh.
If she’s using a full frame bag instead of a half bag, Apidura just released a 1.5L and 3.0L bladders that are specifically designed to fit the lower part of the triangle. There’s a review up on Bikepacking.com from last week I think.
I do not like camelbaks as it makes my back too hot. I got an evoc waist pack. It will hold two bottles and has a 1.5L bladder. And has extra pockets for anything else. I just use the bladder. Then I have 3 bottles on the frame.
you’re likely a faster rider than I am but redlining wouldn’t be my idea for unbound at any point for a 200 mile race. it’s a long day. It’s likely hot. And the hills can be relentless.
As others have said do not fall behind on nutrition or hydration. It will end your day quickly.
2x starter/finisher - blew sky high both times, so take my 2 cents for what it’s worth
BTS (behind the saddle botles) are an almost definite “no” from me. I saw a guy try it, and a few miles into the race he was missing 2 bottles. Losing half (or more) of your water would be one of the most terrible things that could go wrong. You want to secure it better than BTS can. Sure, you could potentially strap the bottles down somehow, but then it would be more tricky to get them out.
I think i usually started with 2x1L bottles and then grabbed a camelbak out of a cooler at the first aid station and filled it with ice water at the other aid stations. i don’t love the weight of a camelbak on me all day, so starting without one and feeling “light” as i follow wheels until the first aid station seemed good to me.
I think i usually started with 2x1L bottles and then grabbed a camelbak out of a cooler at the first aid station and filled it with ice water at the other aid stations. i don’t love the weight of a camelbak on me all day, so starting without one and feeling “light” as i follow wheels until the first aid station seemed good to me.
How far into the race was the first aid station when you did it? Last year the first check point wasn’t until mile ~70, 2L doesn’t seem like it would be enough. Which actually brings up another question . . . a lot of the videos I’ve been watching show neutral water stops other than checkpoints, but those aren’t on the official map. Will you know where they are and how many there are ahead of time?
I should have clarified: All my athletes, and wife, will be using a hydration pack if they (or I) don’t devise a frame bag solution with at least 2L water which allows 2-3 more liters in bottles. Michelle, doing the UG XL, may still carry a pack if we can’t get frame bag + bottles ≥ 6 liters. Still need to investigate course more.
Aid stations at these events can be a pure time suck. It’s not like Ironman aid stations where you grab a bottle on the move (typically). You stop, put your bike down, etc. Elite riders can get through them quick because they get there first. Slower riders can run into large number of people lining up.
That’s not how it works at this race. In the 200, there are only three stops and you must have your own crew so no waiting. There is only one neutral water stop in the middle of nowhere and two checkpoints where are your crew can meet you.
Which actually brings up another question . . . a lot of the videos I’ve been watching show neutral water stops other than checkpoints, but those aren’t on the official map. Will you know where they are and how many there are ahead of time?
I agree with the NO backpack thing 100%. I’ve done many of very long bike races (over 10 hours) and I’m a skinny dude. Unless I know I can’t get enough support on course I won’t wear a back pack or hydration pack of any sort. I use a frame storage bag and that allows me to carry up to 4 bottles and all the nutrition I need.
