Destination Unbound Gravel with the Ribble Collective

When it comes to gravel racing, Unbound Gravel is the biggest show on earth. The US gravel race regularly attracts the cream of cycling talent from across the globe, four of whom represented the Ribble Collective. Little could these unsuspecting riders have guessed what chaos was about to be unleashed as they raced their Gravel SL bikes through the peanut butter mud of a rain-lashed Kansas landscape.

To say that Unbound Gravel presented the Ribble Collective riders and their Gravel SL race machines with the harshest conditions imaginable would be to vastly underestimate the challenges they faced. Less than favourable weather conditions before and during the race itself unleashed chaos. Entire sections of the course became unnavigable due to what has since come to be termed as 'peanut butter mud'. Upon encountering these sections, every rider was left with little option but to dismount, attempting to clear the cloying mud that had caused both wheels and drivetrains to jam solidly in place (as evidenced in the images below).

Thankfully, these are just the type of conditions which the Gravel SL was designed to overcome. Our flagship carbon gravel racer's rugged construction and mammoth tyre clearance ensured it overcame the harshest of conditions with flying colours. When many were riders were forced to abandon, the Gravel SL's ride-anywhere attitude and pro-level performance resulted in all the Collective riders completing the race.

With the current landscape changing in terms of team sponsorship, Ribble wanted to take a more creative approach. So, in February of this year, we launched a new athlete support model - the Ribble Collective. As the name suggests, it's not your average run of the mill cycling team, but is instead a collective of individual like-minded riders who all share a passion for cycling in all its forms.

This 'collective' is more community driven and rider focused, allowing us to work more collaboratively with the individual riders themselves while providing each with the freedom to curate their own race schedule. This multi-gender, multi-discipline, community of riders competes as privateer racers on the domestic and world cycling scene, albeit within the foundations of a traditional team structure. Each rider is free to sate their appetite for competitive racing at races scattered as far afield as Europe and North America, only coming togther to ride as one at the more traditional races on the racing scene.

Unbound Gravel is a prime example of the Collective in action. With various members converging on America's mid-west to test their mettle amid the tyre-shredding, sun-baked, flint hills of rural Kansas. Though they will ride the race solo, they have the support of their teammates to fall back on before and after the event.

So, Unbound - What made you want to ride it?

I didn’t. My original plan was to do a block here in Northern America and skip Unbound. I think it’s crazy racing Unbound in your first Gravel season but here we are! It’s the biggest Gravel race in the world, and when an entry somehow found its way to me, I couldn’t say no.

Which distance are you down to ride, the 100 or 200?

The 200.

How do you think this course and terrain will compare to any other gravel course you have recently undertaken?

It’s the fact that it’s ten hours long. Two hundred miles is a very long way to race your bicycle. The flint hills of Kansas have a reputation to be tyre slashing, but we’ll see how true that is. It’s the spectacle which makes it different too. It’s the Tour de France of the Gravel world. All the best riders, and all the media focus is on this one race.

How do you approach the race? Are you riding to set a strategy or reacting to what’s going on around you? (Forming groups etc)

I’ll be following the wheels for sure, and crossing my fingers like any other race I’ve done!****

What does your pre-race training routine for a race like this even look like?

I’m coming off the back of Belgian Waffle Ride in Vancouver where I placed tenth. That was a hard race followed by a long day of travelling, so I’m still carrying some fatigue in my body. My pre-race training revolves around rest and recovery, with some light intervals to stay as fresh as can be.

Do you adopt a scientific approach to mid-race fuelling? For example, linking your intake to a predicated calorie burn

My nutrition strategy is planned around 90g of carbohydrates per hour. This is between gels; drink mix and energy chews. Food is fuel during the race, so I’m not too fussed about whether I enjoy it or not!

And before the ride itself – do you need to start carbo-loading the night before, or on the morning of the event itself?

BIG carb load starts 48hrs out of the race. You cannot over eat in prep for this race.

Do you have any special treats to eat during races?

Nope. Just water. That sounds silly but plain water gives you the same joy as a Michelin starred meal when you’re deep into a bike race.

Take us through what fuel you need to survive an event as hardcore as Unbound?

Already covered above.

What's your setup on your Ribble Gravel SL?

I’ve made a fair few changes to my Gravel SL. I’ve opted for a double Shimano GRX Chainring to give me more range on the fast part of the course. I’m running different tyres to normal, Pathfinder Pro 42's. I’ve got a top-tube bag filled with snacks and tools. Finally, my neatest upgrade is the bar-end Dynaplugs which hide neatly in our LEVEL handlebars and allow quick access to plug any punctures.

USA Unbound - describe in three words

One big unknown.

In June 2023, four Ribble Collective riders took flight - destination Unbound. Check out our YouTube video to discover what chaos awaited our intrepid riders amid the 'peanut butter' mud and under the doom-laden skies of deepest, darkest, rural Kansas.

Looking for the ultimate in terms of performance and speed? Read our Hero Collection guide to discover our range of world-beating superbikes.

Since 2003, ex-England footballer Geoff Thomas has raised millions for Cure Leukaemia. This year we celebrated his efforts by presenting him with a special Ultra SL R Alumni Edition bike. Find out more here.