1. Hold onto other people for as long as you can.
Riding with others is such a key to success. I made it until midnight with a group, then got a flat tire and rode from midnight until 9 a.m. completely alone. I honestly don’t remember five hours of that stretch. Even if it’s just one stranger, try to stay with somebody. The mental boost matters more than you realize.

2. Pack everything onto your bike a week before the race.
I bought a frame bag that ended up being way smaller than expected, so I panic-bought another one off Amazon at the last minute. Ironically, it worked better and was cheaper, but if I hadn’t tested everything beforehand, I would’ve been completely screwed. A full frame bag is absolutely the move.

3. Plan your nutrition strategy NOW.
You cannot just “wing it.” I mapped out every stop, calculated the mileage between each one, estimated how many hours each section would take, and figured out how many carbs and milligrams of sodium I needed per hour. Then I pre-packed all my nutrition into labeled Ziploc bags so I could quickly refill bottles at stops without thinking. When your brain is fried at 3 a.m., simplicity wins.

Also. if you’re dumping a ton of fuel into a USWE or Cameback bladder, make sure you do this in small increments. I dumped all of mine in at once and it completely clogged up the ability to drink. It all sat at the bottom and I was at the starting like panicked, basically trying to suck a ping pong ball out of a straw. It was nearly impossible. I sucked, and blew, sucked and blew and finally unclogged it, but I almost completely screwed myself before the race even started.

4. Pack the tiny things that seem meaningless.
Put together a separate Ziploc bag with random emergency items: a toothbrush, an extra cleat, electrical tape, safety pins, ibuprofen, whatever. I broke a cleat and rode unclipped for 150 miles. The smallest stuff can become the biggest problem out there.

5. Don’t just prepare for Friday night. Prepare for Saturday night too.
If you’re trying to finish Unbound XL, there’s a good chance you’ll still be out there Saturday night. Bring enough battery power for everything. A portable 10,000mAh battery pack is a lifesaver. You can charge your bike computer, phone, headlamps, basically everything while riding during the day.

6. Be incredibly kind to the people helping you.
At every checkpoint or country store, thank the workers. Tip them if you can. All of a sudden, thousands of cyclists descend on these tiny towns, and not everyone treats people well. Kindness goes a long way. Same goes for the families sitting at the end of their driveways cheering you on. A family in a truck with a ‘Free Water’ sigh sat in the middle of mile 300 when it was brutally hot out. They were like angels for me. Say hello. Take the water. have a nice little conversation, and appreciate the moment.

7. If you flat and can’t find the puncture, use the CO2 first.
If you’re running tubeless with Orange Seal or similar sealant, blast it with CO2 before panicking. The pressure will often seal the hole immediately. At mile 100, I wasted way too much time searching for a tiny puncture that ended up sealing instantly once I hit it with CO2.

8. Bring baby wipes. Seriously.
Put them in a Ziploc bag, then put that bag inside another Ziploc bag. If you have to take a dump in the middle of a Kansas field, you need a clean system. Leave no trash behind and don’t contaminate your clean wipes. The most helpful tip!

9. Expect rural dogs.
And be prepared to bark at them loudly. Hearing a pack of rural dogs in the distance at 3 a.m. is enough to spike your heart rate instantly and get your head on a swivel. Bark back like you’re trying to scare off a black bear. Weirdly effective but also fun!

10. The local Jeep crews will absolutely tempt you to quit.
And honestly, it’s kind of hilarious. They’re amazing people out there helping riders with broken bikes and bad situations, but they’ll occasionally try to convince you to hop into a warm Jeep with snacks, drinks, and air conditioning. Laugh, give them a thumbs up, and keep moving. They’re having fun too.

11. If your night vision isn’t great, bring glasses.
I don’t have the best eyesight at night, and bombing down dirt roads in the dark felt like entering hyperspace in Star Wars. Everything blurred together. It was honestly one of the scariest parts of the race for me. I never crashed, but I definitely realized I should’ve planned better for nighttime visibility.

12. The bugs are relentless.
You are basically a human windshield in rural Kansas. Hundreds of bugs will fly directly into your face at night. Wear glasses, keep your mouth closed, and mentally prepare for giant bugs smacking into you for hours.

13. Download podcasts and playlists beforehand.
Reception gets terrible out there. Bluetooth headphones saved me during some really rough stretches, especially during solo night riding and the brutal midday heat. Just don’t forget your charging cable.

14. Sun sleeves are elite.
I wore sun sleeves for basically the entire 29 hours and never took them off. During the day they protected my skin, and at night they kept me surprisingly warm. I also packed a lightweight windbreaker that I barely used, but it was worth carrying for peace of mind in case of rain or cold wind.

15. Use the safety lanyard on your bike computer.
That tiny stretchy tether matters. At mile 100, my cheap bike computer mount snapped in the middle of the night and my computer launched into a ditch. Without GPS, my race was basically over. I slammed on the brakes, backtracked with my headlamp, and thankfully found my COROS Dura face down in the grass after 10 minutes of pure panic.

16. Pack zip ties.
Zip ties can solve an unbelievable number of problems. That’s literally how I mounted my bike computer back onto my handlebars after the mount broke. I was shocked how many riders didn’t carry them.

17. The final 10 miles feel endless.
You can see the finish line lights. You can hear the music. But somehow the course keeps twisting and turning forever. Just remember what you’ve already accomplished. If you’re riding with others, work together and rotate quick pulls. You’re so much closer than you think.

18. You don’t need to feel strong the whole time.
Nobody feels good for 360 miles but race your race. I made the stupid decision to push 215W for the first 10 hours and then really fell off a cliff for the next 18 hours. Be your own self, do what feels good and remember, this is likely the absolute longest ride you’ve ever done and it comes wth a million different scenerios that get thrown at you. Everyone at some point is suffering and the riders who finish aren’t necessarily the strongest riders — they’re the ones who keep moving when things get ugly. Pedal by pedal, stroke by stroke, forward progress matters more than speed.

19. Crossing that finish line will change you.
Not in some cheesy motivational-poster way. But spending nearly 30 hours solving problems, managing fear, fighting sleep deprivation, and continuing to move forward does something to your brain. Unbound XL is bigger than a bike race. You leave knowing you’re capable of far more than you thought possible.

20. Don’t Drive Home
From Kansas to Austin, it was roughly 10 hours. I was lucky enough to have a great friend come with me for the race. On the way home though, my reaction time and overall brain fog and body exhaustion was so apparent, there is absolutely no way I could have driven without getting into a car accident. The race may be over, but be smart about getting home safely.

Good luck out there!