For some riders, 200-miles of gravel roads through Kansas is enough. Others, like previous Unbound Gravel winner Amanda Nauman, are looking to go longer.
Nauman will be riding Unbound XL this weekend, a 350-mile jaunt starting and finishing in Emporia that will take more than 24-hours. The long-distance race requires a unique bike set up, including lights for riding in the dark and plenty of storage space for food and water.
See below for all of the details on Nauman's bike that she shared with Bike Perfect.
- Best gravel bikes: drop bar offroaders for racing and exploring
- Best gravel bike tires: fast-rolling yet grippy rubber for drop-bar dirt road rides
Nauman's race bike is built around a Niner RLT 9 RDO gravel bike frame. The carbon-fiber chassis is designed to be an all-arounder gravel bike, with the brand saying it's "a multi-tool of a bike."
One of the most obvious features of this bike is the storage bags. Nauman is using a top tube and frame bag from PRO's Discover range. For the seat bag, she will use either the PRO Strap Saddlebag or PRO Discover Team Seatpost Bag, depending on the conditions, If conditions are rainy and muddy, she will opt for more storage space.
Another unique demand of Unbound XL is riding in the dark. The race is more than 24-hours long, so riders need to be prepared with lights for prolonged nighttime riding. Nauman will use the Exposure Lights Race MK15 on her handlebars and Exposure Lights Axis MK7 on her helmet.
For gearing, Nauman has opted for a 2x11 setup for a wider range of gearing. The 46/34T crank is from Shimano's Dura-Ace range while the 11-34T cassette is Ultegra. If the conditions are muddy, she will use an 11-40T cassette from the XTR range. Shifting is electric thanks to a Shimano GRX RX815 Di2 derailleur and shift lever.
Wheels are Shimano Dura-Ace, and Nauman will choose tires based on the conditions. She will either use 700x42 Rene Herse Hurricane Ridge, 700×48 Oracle Ridge, or 700x44 Snoqualmie Pass tires.
Other gear includes an Orange Mud Endurance Pack 3.0 for hydration and storage, a Garmin Edge 1030 computer, and PRO Missile Ski-Bend Clip-on aero bars.
Amanda Nauman's Niner RLT 9 RDO
- Frameset: Niner RLT 9 RDO, Size 47 cm
- Brakes: Shimano GRX RX810 Flat Mount, Ultegra Centerlock, 140mm Rotors
- Brake/shift levers: Shimano GRX RX815 Di2/Hydro
- Rear derailleur: Shimano GRX RX815 Di2
- Cassette: Shimano Ultegra Cassette, 11-34T
- Chain: Shimano Dura-Ace 11-Speed w/ Quick Link
- Crankset: Shimano Dura-Ace 9100 (46-34) (w/ power meter)
- Bottom bracket: Kogel Bearings PF30-24 for Shimano cranks w/ CROSS seal
- Wheelset: Shimano Dura-Ace, 700C, Tubeless
- Tires: 700×42 Rene Herse Hurricane Ridge, Endurance Plus casing
- Pedals: Shimano XTR SPD
- Bar Tape: PRO Discover
- Handlebars: PRO Discover Carbon 40cm with PRO Missile Ski-Bend Clip-on aero bars
- Stem: PRO Koryak 50 mm
- Saddle: SDG Components Allure
- Seatpost: PRO Vibe Carbon, 27.2 Post, 0 Setback
- Bottle cages: PRO Bottle side cage
- GPS: Garmin Edge 1030
- Bags: PRO Discover Team Top Tube Bag, PRO Discover Compact Framepack Bag, 500ml PRO Storage Bottle, PRO Strap Saddlebag Medi
- Hydration pack: Endurance Pack 3.0 from Orange Mud
- Lights: Exposure Lights Race MK15 for handlebar light and the Exposure Lights Axis MK7 for helmet-mounted light
