Got in as well!
Now I need to book my flight and camper asap.
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Go slower then you think you should go. I need to right some wrongs I did in 2021 with my pacing.
Here was my 2021 IFĀ® 0.71 kj(Cal) 9,103
The first hour I was lulled to sleep by an easy pace. The 2nd and 3rd hour my NP was my ftp. That made me drop about 10w on np every hour till I was done in sub 14 hours, I also had 1 hour of not ride time in that 14 hours due to cramping and body not wanting to take food since I over extended. If I can be more consistent with my pace and limit off saddle time I hope to go sub 13 hours.
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What was your FTP back then? And your Watt/KG?
Iām trying to find out what is possible for meā¦
350 and tad under 4w/kg
Thanks! Good benchmark.
Iāll try to get to 320-ish. Which is 10 watt more then my all time high.
And I should be arround the 4.2/4.3 watt/KG
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Once I knew I was in trouble and backed off the pace I enjoyed my day a lot more. I helped people with flats, I paced a few pro women for 20 miles. I road with a podium single speed finisher the final 50 miles just to have someone to talk to since no one really speaks the whole day. Riding with the single speed rider he would walk the hills and I would wait for him at the top. I think the goal of a time helps motivate us, but also enjoying the adventure should be a part of it.
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Well crap, I got in the 200. I was not expecting this. Time to buy a gravel bike for this and Steamboat (I guess summer 2023 is going to be the Summer of Gravel 
). Open to suggestions, early thoughts are Open UPPER, 3T Exploro, or Cervelo Aspero. I live in New England for whatever thatās worth in terms of other gravel riding available.
I should probably get a coach lol.
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I really liked my Aspero and Iām selling my large kanzo fast
Course should be similar to last year starting going south. South routes are generally considered easier whatever that means for a 200 mile ride.
Weather was overcast last year vs sunny which makes a big difference. I think temperature was cooler than normal. So assume it will be hot going in.
Agreed. Even though we spent over an hour hiking because of the mud, the cooler weather probably more than made up for if it had just been 80-90 the entire time.
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I assumed that would be the case. I was there in 2021 and bonked at mile 100. I was good through the first checkpoint at like mile 65. But it got hillier and hotter and it almost took me as long to get the next 30-40 miles as it did the first 60+. My body just shut down and I couldnāt take in any food or liquids.
I think the no shade is killer. But since then Iāve just worked on drinking every 10 minutes to make sure I get through at minimum 20oz of liquid an hour as Iām notoriously bad at just not drinking.
I canāt recall why the south routes at unbound are considered easier. I donāt recall if itās less hilly or the general direction of the wind.
Depends on what you want in a gravel bikeā¦.the Open may give you a bit more versatility, while the 3T and Aspero will feel more like a road bike on gravel.
My Aspero gave me exactly what I wanted in a gravel bikeā¦.also note that the Open will have a higher BB than the other two (one of the key reason I bought the Aspero)
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And you know a lot about bikes, just to put that into perspective to people who read what you wrote.
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My 3T is amazing. One of my favourite bikes Iāve ever owned. I was very much looking for a road bike with big tires and the 3T fit the bill. I used it with a mullet 46x10-50 at Unbound last year and I wouldnāt have wanted anything else.
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Yupā¦.the 3T and the Aspero are very similar bikes. I have seen some people complain about issues with the proprietary parts on their 3Tās, but I think those issues have pretty much been resolved.
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I was there in 2021 as well. Thankfully I was able to handle the heat relatively well being from Houston. What got me was a rut at mile 186ish. Grabbed my front wheel and sent me flying into a ditch with a cracked collarbone and mild concussion. Looking back on it I probably could have limped in for a finish. But, a few minutes after my crash a local high school kid drove up in his truck and offered me a ride back to town. In my dazed condition, I quickly took him up on his offer. Going back this year for some redemption.
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And the dorm room is taken care of.
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Yep, just got a dorm room too. Time to cancel hotel. 
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I recently bought a RaceMax for my n=1, read Jamesā piece on at CT, people hereās thoughts about it, and talked to some ppl on reddit who have raced the RaxeMax for a year or so. I still bought it. It rips. Been on about 4 four road rides with my race deep dish wheels and 28s. Had to slam the stem because the stack was higher than I was used to but. Feels good. Doesnāt feel weird or twitchy or whatnot. Will be fine for the few crits and road races I do. I also wanted to take off the groupset and go 46 - 10/52 but have heard conflicting reports about a 46 sram fitting in and not touching the chainstay.
The problem is a second wheel set that can easily throw a high/tall tire with tread on, I bought a 650b carbon wheel set secondhand that was cheap and I got a spinergy 24 internal width 700c I can put 38s in. The 650b I want to test with some faster 650b 2.1 tires to see how much slower it is overall.
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Concussions are nothing to mess around with.
I train in the heat of Georgia but sometimes that heat can just get you. I think this time around I am going to at least train do a few longer rides in the heat of the day to make sure I have all my hydration worked out and just to test myself mentally. Last time around I also did a long ride in the rain just to mentally challenge myself
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