The summer of 2023 is very much underway, and along with it our wonderful world of cycling adventures! For those of us that took part in Unbound, it was quite an epic one, and then some. Mostly because of the effort required to conquer the mud and adversity faced while preventing and resolving mechanicals. I am happy to say that even with all of that, I was still very comfortable the entire time in my Eliel cargos and the Rincon jersey that I went with specifically for endurance comfort. This was my first 100-mile race, and I was grateful to not have anything force a DNF against my will.
With Unbound the rearview mirror, I am seriously excited for SBT GRVL as it approached in August. This is my favorite race of the year, and this time we have quite a lot of teammates/friends that will be attending this time around. I look forward to seeing all of them as there is just something to say about mutual suffering with friends. Especially when doing it together through the beautiful mountains of Colorado! Not to mention the actual hot springs to enjoy as race day approaches.
My final race of the year (at the moment) will be Big Sugar. I’ve never raced this one but have ridden the wonderful trails of Bentonville and enjoyed every minute of it. Being the final race of the year for the Lifetime Grand Prix, I expect this to be quite a fun and well supported event for everyone. Having survived the mud of Kansas, a full span of Eliel clothing on hand to cover everything from zero degrees up to 100 degrees, thoroughly tested my fueling strategy, and with fitness on point so late in the season, I just need my bike to perform for what should be an amazing day on gravel!
Bikes are a wonderful thing. Racing them takes the enjoyment up several notches. Racing bikes with friends through beautiful landscapes is hard just to beat. Come on out and join us!