Welcome to the Grind
Every June, the quiet town of Emporia, Kansas, explodes into life. Streets packed with bikes, coffee, cowbells, and adrenaline. Thousands of riders from across the world roll in to take on Unbound — the ultimate test of gravel grit.
Two hundred miles of rocks, ruts, wind, and pure stubbornness. Unbound isn’t for posers. It’s for those who crave chaos and grin when the road gets mean. The kind of maniacs who think a 200-mile sufferfest in the Kansas heat sounds like a proper weekend out.
That’s exactly why we love it — real riders, real struggle, real filth. No clean jerseys or easy miles here. Just grit that sticks.
Rocks, Wind, and Zero Mercy
If you’ve never seen the Flint Hills, picture a gravel blender. Sharp limestone bites at your tyres, rolling hills chip away at your spirit, and the wind? It’s got no mercy.
Pro or amateur, aero whip or steel tank — the terrain doesn’t care. Everyone suffers out there. You don’t beat the Flint Hills; you survive them.
That’s where Muc-Off riders thrive. Gravel doesn’t hand out free passes, and every mile must be earned — by both bike and rider.
Emporia doesn’t just host Unbound — it becomes it. The whole town goes full-send for the weekend. The start line hums with nerves and noise: kit checks, the national anthem, one deep breath, and... go.
When riders return, it’s carnage. Mud-caked, sunburnt, delirious — but grinning like lunatics. Because finishing Unbound isn’t about distance. It’s about belonging to the tribe that gets it.
Stay Filthy Forever
Here’s the truth: gravel’s no longer just a discipline. It’s a mindset. It’s about ditching smooth lines and following fun wherever it leads.
From California to Vermont, riders are trading asphalt for attitude. And that’s why we’re hooked — gravel gives cycling its soul back. It’s messy, unpredictable, and gloriously mental. The kind of riding that leaves your bike filthy and your head clear.
So, whether you’re hammering through the Flint Hills or tearing up your local backroads, keep it Muc-Off style: ride hard. Get filthy. Clean up. Repeat.
Because in a world chasing fast and flawless, we’ll always pick rough and real.
