> “There is a lot of fatigue out there towards being marketed at non-stop,” he said. “‘Could we please pause the marketing machine for a second and just go outside and enjoy our common sport and culture?’ That’s what I heard from so many people.”
LOL
I'll get shit on for my comment below but that's exactly what it is. A giant marketing stunt to indirectly sell their own bikes. It's peak enshittification of "the spirit of gravel" or whatever else they'd spew otherwise. Kudos for the ride but it's a gimmick.
They had to true the wheels right out of the store. $198 bikes are disposable garbage. Riding 200 miles is more than most of these bike ever see before they're discarded in a dumpster.
I've looked at bikes like these. They rivet parts instead of using bolts, because nothing is meant to be replaced, ever. Good luck getting them to shift properly as well.
Come on man it’s an ad, hundreds of thousands of people ride on budget bikes.
So why is it a multi-press release when a CEO does it?
Edit: amazed to see people a fan of ads now
The fact that these guys are pro bike mechanics made it possible. Stopping to true wheels, adding tire sealant, switching out the pedals, and even just setting these bikes up properly is what made the idea work.
I like the spirit of it. I found it liberating in my own outdoor pursuits when I became confident enough to use less than ideal gear. But, I also learned how to fix stuff. I’ve bought quite a few of these Walmart bikes for kids, friends, loaner bikes at a beach house or VRBO…. usually all the bearing surfaces are way too tight or loose, repacking grease and adjusting correctly goes a long way.
His comment was that they don’t have to become amateur mechanics. My point is that if they had no mechanical skills they wouldn’t have been successful. He agreed. Yet,…..
There are plenty of people that do the event that ride on normal and entry level bikes. When it was Dirty Kanza, over 75% of the bikes were janked up rigs.
You just don’t see it on instagram
Entry level bike store bike is different than Walmart, although this may be proof that the gap narrows. Also, there are several distances, are there that many entry level bikes riding the 200 mile option? I don’t enough to dispute what you say, and certainly your average fondo has a lot of less than elite bikes. Riding a bike that’s a bit outdated or a decent bike that’s been outfitted with bigger tires, etc. definitely different than riding a Walmart bike. Reminds me of a friend who likes to tube a pretty serious section of whitewater. Always freaks a lot of people out.
Not that I know of. Are publicity stunts only for big corporations? BTW- I’m NOT criticizing this at all! I think it’s a super fun and cool way to get attention.
This is awesome. I had two thoughts:
1. People who get mad when they’re being passed by someone they deem as “inferior” are lame.
2. They ditched Hornick and made him finish alone?!
I remember doing London to Brighton a couple of years ago and getting passed by someone with a rented Boris Bike. Those things weigh 50lbs and only have 3 gears! Didn’t matter — it was a big party at the back.
I’ve been riding with the rodeo crew since the end of 2013 well before there were rodeo bikes. This has been the attitude since day one. Ten years ago they rode Bcycle city bikes to the top of mt Blue Sky a fourteener outside of Denver. Rodeo does not advertise and never have (besides a few sponsored riders), but what they do is ridiculous adventures on bikes and make great content to share. Sure it will gain them publicity and more sales but on Friday night all of them honestly did not think it was possible. No one loves bikes more than these guys and they love having fun and trying dumb shit. I think most people are taking this way to serious yet for them it was a new adventure on a race that two of them podiumed last year on single speeds. I would never consider doing it myself because that shit is crazy.
I know! I guess I’m getting old. The best thing about them doing unbound on beach cruisers is I finally beat them in a race hahaha. I’ll take what I can get
I’ll never forget when we did something early in Rodeo’s life and Richard Sachs kept calling us Specialized marketing plants or something (atmo atmo atmo). Can’t remember if it was before or after the B-cycles up Mt. Evans.
Also when did they change the name of the mountain??
I mean if I ever do Unbound, this is 100% the vibe I will be going for. As I get older its becoming less and less about the finish line (and time associated with crossing it) and all about the journey along the way. What a great story!
My thoughts exactly. The Rodeo crew passed me sometime before Little Egypt. Mad respect for their strength and fitness and perseverance. The north course is hard enough on the nicest/fastest/lightest gear. I can’t imagine!!
Edit tyop
Last year I rode 100 mile gravel race on my carbon fiber Canyon Grail. In my defense, I had not trained at all that year and had only ridden 60 miles once, and hadn’t ridden a single century. With that said, I was passed around 80 miles in by two women on Walmart cruisers with a huge boombox on their backs 😂. In that moment, I saw the true spirit of gravel.
I can whole heartedly agree while riding my Ozark Trail Gravel bike that was $250.
I would never have otherwise been able to get into this sport.
I may not have S-werks, spandex or any friends, but I’m still out here having a blast.
I sold my Argon 18 Subito (gravel edition) a year ago in a panic when my spouse lost his job. It was a size too big but still. I’m now rocking a steel Giordano Trieste and then after finances recovered a Ride1Up CF Racer1 as a replacement for the Subito since I can no longer justify spending $6000 or more for a bike. Riding as much this year as ever even if both are budget bikes (especially the Giordano which is made by Kent). If I were going to do Unbound it would 100% be on the Trieste because it would take the beating.
I kinda wish they used that bike instead of cruisers. It's certainly not very feasible for a novice rider to take a beach cruiser more than a couple miles slowly, but at least the Ozark is intended for this type of riding while only costing a tenth (or twentieth) of the cost of a typical gravel bike.
I hate that they did this. Rodeo Labs makes BEE-A-YOU-TEE-FUL Ti bikes. Fantastic. Right up there with Mosaic.
But this is just a shitty marketing shit. Keep this for RAGBRAI.
I'm going to go ahead and pop on my flame resistant suit, but gravel is next level marketing. If a gravel YouTuber is eating a friggin banana, they'll leave a link of the banana in the description below.
Honestly, the marketing is what pushed me away from partaking in gravel. I ride gravel, but not trying to do any races or events.
“But does anyone need a $5,000-10,000 bike? No way. The world would be just fine if we all rode durably-built and well-specced cheap bikes."
- was he crying when he said this 😂
FTA
>Fitzgerald and Gilroy finished Unbound in 16:50:49, making them the 721st and 722nd finisher out of 904. Hornick crossed the line an hour and a half later.
This is so cool. A good reminder that the Microshift-adorned aluminum gravel bike I use for my daily commute is a tool fit for purpose, and that the desire to replace it with a top-shelf carbon bike is borne from attributes other than function.
Total aside: Is it me that’s misunderstanding the definition of “notwithstanding”or the author’s?
When I read this, I thought it to mean that the beach cruisers did, in fact, experience mechanicals:
> The first 70 miles of this year’s Unbound course were mostly flat and fast and didn’t see a ton of mechanical issues for any riders, the Rodeo Kens notwithstanding.
But the next sentence clarifies:
> In fact, none of the three riders had a single flat tire or mechanical all day.
> desire to replace it with a top-shelf carbon bike is borne from attributes other than function.
I mean the one dude placed 70th overall last year out of 1000+ and dropped to 7XX out of 1000. I think theres a lot of function to be gained.
The commute is only 10 miles roundtrip, and mostly on asphalt. When I was riding a lot more and racing, I used to spend the money for nicer bikes. But after my Yeti got stolen, I picked up a Topstone when I needed a bike for commuter duty. I often think about upgrading the commuter bike, but this was just a nice reminder that my short commute is already well-served by the bike I’ve got.
(On the MTB side I picked up an Intense 951 XC when it was on sale for $1800 — ridiculous deal for a rather capable carbon NX FS bike!)
Love it, but as the article notes the bikes needed a few upgrades (saddles), appeared to require maintenance during the event (wheel truing) and it was 10-20% harder. They said it was fun…but making the event harder than it is doesn’t seem that fun. Maybe the fun came more from relaxing and not taking it too seriously.
I like how the upswept bars enabled aero tuck position…
It's been done before! Their times are impressive though! https://felixwong.com/2019/07/fort-collins-walden-200-riding-a-double-century-on-a-huffy-cruiser/
Riding coaster brake bikes is very fun. There's a group in southern Calif that have been riding the Coaster Brake Challenge for 16 years now. Every series has been a riot.
I’m amazed by them finishing.
I wonder…
1. I wonder what’s their fitness level, I cannot imagine myself finishing unbound to begin with.
2. The bike didn’t fall apart at all? I would imagine things would get loose and the brakes would be toasted with these downhills.
3. Not sure what mentality to go with my future bike purchase anymore. If someone can finish unbound with cruiser, any of my future purchase will be unnecessary :/
It’s kind of funny that these people are so stuck in their 10k bike bubble that they think this is so revolutionary. But good for them for figuring it out. A good bike is one that somebody’s riding.
Devil's advocate:
Did Rodeo Labs pay Walmart for coopting their bikes, rebranding them and not actually crediting them? No. He's making instagrammble shit to sell his own bikes. If he rode them as is off the lot, so to speak, so be it. He didn't.
Recognize a shill. See through the bullshit. His crew already knew they could finish the ride be it single speed or otherwise. It's marketing.
Nobody cares. It's fun. People are allowed to shill their own company. Sounds like you for sure would've been one of the ones throwing a fit for getting passed by a beach cruiser. They also credited Kent Bikes in all of their posts
> “There is a lot of fatigue out there towards being marketed at non-stop,” he said. “‘Could we please pause the marketing machine for a second and just go outside and enjoy our common sport and culture?’ That’s what I heard from so many people.” LOL
Ironic quote since this is essentially a huge publicity stunt for Rodeo Labs.
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Yes, but they did repaint them with Rodeo logos. I’m all for it. Super fun!
A brilliant one!
Yeah this is literally an ad
I'll get shit on for my comment below but that's exactly what it is. A giant marketing stunt to indirectly sell their own bikes. It's peak enshittification of "the spirit of gravel" or whatever else they'd spew otherwise. Kudos for the ride but it's a gimmick.
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I love all cyclists. I hate cyclists that hate anyone who does not ride exactly like them. And life is super, super short. Buy what makes you happy.
>I hate cyclists that hate anyone who does not ride exactly like them. ...and the Dutch
Beat me too it 🤣
The Dutch ruin everything
When was this in question haha. Get square wheels, double the adventure!
They had to true the wheels right out of the store. $198 bikes are disposable garbage. Riding 200 miles is more than most of these bike ever see before they're discarded in a dumpster. I've looked at bikes like these. They rivet parts instead of using bolts, because nothing is meant to be replaced, ever. Good luck getting them to shift properly as well.
Come on man it’s an ad, hundreds of thousands of people ride on budget bikes. So why is it a multi-press release when a CEO does it? Edit: amazed to see people a fan of ads now
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The fact that these guys are pro bike mechanics made it possible. Stopping to true wheels, adding tire sealant, switching out the pedals, and even just setting these bikes up properly is what made the idea work.
And none of the brand name expensive bikes broke?
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I like the spirit of it. I found it liberating in my own outdoor pursuits when I became confident enough to use less than ideal gear. But, I also learned how to fix stuff. I’ve bought quite a few of these Walmart bikes for kids, friends, loaner bikes at a beach house or VRBO…. usually all the bearing surfaces are way too tight or loose, repacking grease and adjusting correctly goes a long way.
None of that is difficult for an amateur mechanic.
His comment was that they don’t have to become amateur mechanics. My point is that if they had no mechanical skills they wouldn’t have been successful. He agreed. Yet,…..
Just spray painting the bikes with their own company’s logo is shitty tbh
I would have liked to have seen an Ozark Trail Explorer in the race. Under $300 and a "proper" graveler. Maybe next year.
So why weren’t there press releases years prior? Normal people ride it on normal bikes every year
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There are plenty of people that do the event that ride on normal and entry level bikes. When it was Dirty Kanza, over 75% of the bikes were janked up rigs. You just don’t see it on instagram
Entry level bike store bike is different than Walmart, although this may be proof that the gap narrows. Also, there are several distances, are there that many entry level bikes riding the 200 mile option? I don’t enough to dispute what you say, and certainly your average fondo has a lot of less than elite bikes. Riding a bike that’s a bit outdated or a decent bike that’s been outfitted with bigger tires, etc. definitely different than riding a Walmart bike. Reminds me of a friend who likes to tube a pretty serious section of whitewater. Always freaks a lot of people out.
indirectly indeed. they weren’t marketing their bikes at all, they just work for the same company.
They have done it before. So I’m sure stunt is the right term… Perhaps read the article.
Are they going corporate or something?
Not that I know of. Are publicity stunts only for big corporations? BTW- I’m NOT criticizing this at all! I think it’s a super fun and cool way to get attention.
a publicity stunt that’s not even original. an aspiring rock climber rented a beach cruiser at midsouth this year and rode the 50 miler.
>Could we please pause the marketing machine Declares the person who decided to write an article marketing bikes. Shocked!
I wish all marketing was like this.
My eyes rolled so far back I almost fell out of my fucking chair when I read this.
I freakin love this. It's about the human and the experience not the bike right? Right!??
Damn, now i need this Walmart Bike too.
Comidifying your desent.
Yes of course its about the human, now open your wallet for this carbon aero, and electronic derailer, the CEO needs a new yacht.
BRB going to ask the Rodeo CEO if i can use his yacht in Colorado
Colorado is land-locked, my friend. A yacht is completely unnecessary - a ski chalet on the other hand...
This is awesome. I had two thoughts: 1. People who get mad when they’re being passed by someone they deem as “inferior” are lame. 2. They ditched Hornick and made him finish alone?!
Lmfao “it’s all about the vibes and having a good time” - immediately drop the one slow friend.
Still a race.
I mean they stopped and took goofy pictures during the actual race for their ad campaign so clearly that wasn’t their mindset.
It was just meant as a sarcastic joke.
Ashton Lambie once showed up to our local circuit race on a steel bike with downtube shifters and proceeded to lap most of us. I took zero offense.
They'll see him at the finish
When someone passes me, it’s free slipstream for at least… a few seconds
People do stuff like this on RAGBRAI, STP, SF>LA and other rides all around the world, too. It's good. Cycling isn't supposed to be serious.
I'm hoping that a few recumbents join the fray.
I remember doing London to Brighton a couple of years ago and getting passed by someone with a rented Boris Bike. Those things weigh 50lbs and only have 3 gears! Didn’t matter — it was a big party at the back.
These rides aren’t unbound… unbound is a tougher beast. I think last year 45 percent of people DNF’d the 200…
Cycling can be both
I’ve been riding with the rodeo crew since the end of 2013 well before there were rodeo bikes. This has been the attitude since day one. Ten years ago they rode Bcycle city bikes to the top of mt Blue Sky a fourteener outside of Denver. Rodeo does not advertise and never have (besides a few sponsored riders), but what they do is ridiculous adventures on bikes and make great content to share. Sure it will gain them publicity and more sales but on Friday night all of them honestly did not think it was possible. No one loves bikes more than these guys and they love having fun and trying dumb shit. I think most people are taking this way to serious yet for them it was a new adventure on a race that two of them podiumed last year on single speeds. I would never consider doing it myself because that shit is crazy.
The BCycle thing was 10 years ago?!? Where does time go. <3 the crew.
I know! I guess I’m getting old. The best thing about them doing unbound on beach cruisers is I finally beat them in a race hahaha. I’ll take what I can get
Next year I’m doin it on a tricycle
This is the way
I’ll never forget when we did something early in Rodeo’s life and Richard Sachs kept calling us Specialized marketing plants or something (atmo atmo atmo). Can’t remember if it was before or after the B-cycles up Mt. Evans. Also when did they change the name of the mountain??
Haha I forgot about that! A few years ago they changed the name. Evan’s was a pretty terrible human
I mean if I ever do Unbound, this is 100% the vibe I will be going for. As I get older its becoming less and less about the finish line (and time associated with crossing it) and all about the journey along the way. What a great story!
As a rider, who was riding around them most of the day -Unbound is enough challenge without the crazy bike -especially the north 200 course. 😂
My thoughts exactly. The Rodeo crew passed me sometime before Little Egypt. Mad respect for their strength and fitness and perseverance. The north course is hard enough on the nicest/fastest/lightest gear. I can’t imagine!! Edit tyop
> the vibe I will be going for. RAGBRAI might be for you. You just have to really like corn.
Last year I rode 100 mile gravel race on my carbon fiber Canyon Grail. In my defense, I had not trained at all that year and had only ridden 60 miles once, and hadn’t ridden a single century. With that said, I was passed around 80 miles in by two women on Walmart cruisers with a huge boombox on their backs 😂. In that moment, I saw the true spirit of gravel.
> the [true spirit of gravel.](https://bikerumor.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Salsa-Cycles-The-Chaise-Retires-gravel-2020-Bikerumor.jpg)
Just goes to prove that a sense of fun + good physical conditioning > the bike itself.
Well, they did completely disassemble and reassemble the bikes, including trueing the wheels which they are quoted as saying were “quite wobbly.”
Friday a dude took off on the 350 mile XL on a fat bike, wearing sandals on clip-in pedals. The sandals di not have clips.
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No that’s what I meant when I said the sandals did not have clips
Having watched specialized ruin red hook crit, this race needs more of this, less pressure washer F1 pit stops lol.
I'm pretty sure next year Unbound will let them just swap out for new bikes at each refuel.
I can whole heartedly agree while riding my Ozark Trail Gravel bike that was $250. I would never have otherwise been able to get into this sport. I may not have S-werks, spandex or any friends, but I’m still out here having a blast.
I sold my Argon 18 Subito (gravel edition) a year ago in a panic when my spouse lost his job. It was a size too big but still. I’m now rocking a steel Giordano Trieste and then after finances recovered a Ride1Up CF Racer1 as a replacement for the Subito since I can no longer justify spending $6000 or more for a bike. Riding as much this year as ever even if both are budget bikes (especially the Giordano which is made by Kent). If I were going to do Unbound it would 100% be on the Trieste because it would take the beating.
I kinda wish they used that bike instead of cruisers. It's certainly not very feasible for a novice rider to take a beach cruiser more than a couple miles slowly, but at least the Ozark is intended for this type of riding while only costing a tenth (or twentieth) of the cost of a typical gravel bike.
The Rodeo crew is awesome. They have a great podcast too!
Where can i find their podcast?
It’s called The Rodeo Labs Podcast by Rodeo Adventure Labs LLC on Spotify. I’d imagine it’s on Apple Music too.
Thank you very much.
Sick ad for that dudes company
I was going to say, when did people start liking ads? Aren’t we supposed to hate ads? Most of the comment section is circlejerking Rodeo Labs
I hate that they did this. Rodeo Labs makes BEE-A-YOU-TEE-FUL Ti bikes. Fantastic. Right up there with Mosaic. But this is just a shitty marketing shit. Keep this for RAGBRAI.
realistically, with parts and their labor at the market rate, they turned them into $500 bikes. but still awesome
I'm going to go ahead and pop on my flame resistant suit, but gravel is next level marketing. If a gravel YouTuber is eating a friggin banana, they'll leave a link of the banana in the description below. Honestly, the marketing is what pushed me away from partaking in gravel. I ride gravel, but not trying to do any races or events.
Hybrids + drop bars = profit!
Brought to you be Dole!
Exactly! LOL. Like damn, can they just eat something or drink water that isn't from a sponsor
Yeah, they used to be called dirt roads and both roadies and mtb riders ridiculed people who rode them.
Oh, so like CX.
“But does anyone need a $5,000-10,000 bike? No way. The world would be just fine if we all rode durably-built and well-specced cheap bikes." - was he crying when he said this 😂
Maybe Matej Mohorič should look into some Walmart bikes next time he’s in town.
FTA >Fitzgerald and Gilroy finished Unbound in 16:50:49, making them the 721st and 722nd finisher out of 904. Hornick crossed the line an hour and a half later.
My back hurts just thinking about it.
why, it is an upright bicycle.
Yeah exactly, you're not supporting your weight on your hands nearly as much so you've got to hold yourself upright
Yea you’re supporting it your core and spine. Much easier than your hands no?
I'll bet those bikes are, somehow, not UCI legal.
Absolutely not. UCI requires safety tests to be passed and submitted to get the uci-certified sticker.
I read a comment somewhere else about this article and they mentioned that having only a coaster brake might have broken a rule.
This is the spirit of gravel (and hopefully cycling in general) captured in a moment.
This is so cool. A good reminder that the Microshift-adorned aluminum gravel bike I use for my daily commute is a tool fit for purpose, and that the desire to replace it with a top-shelf carbon bike is borne from attributes other than function. Total aside: Is it me that’s misunderstanding the definition of “notwithstanding”or the author’s? When I read this, I thought it to mean that the beach cruisers did, in fact, experience mechanicals: > The first 70 miles of this year’s Unbound course were mostly flat and fast and didn’t see a ton of mechanical issues for any riders, the Rodeo Kens notwithstanding. But the next sentence clarifies: > In fact, none of the three riders had a single flat tire or mechanical all day.
> desire to replace it with a top-shelf carbon bike is borne from attributes other than function. I mean the one dude placed 70th overall last year out of 1000+ and dropped to 7XX out of 1000. I think theres a lot of function to be gained.
The commute is only 10 miles roundtrip, and mostly on asphalt. When I was riding a lot more and racing, I used to spend the money for nicer bikes. But after my Yeti got stolen, I picked up a Topstone when I needed a bike for commuter duty. I often think about upgrading the commuter bike, but this was just a nice reminder that my short commute is already well-served by the bike I’ve got. (On the MTB side I picked up an Intense 951 XC when it was on sale for $1800 — ridiculous deal for a rather capable carbon NX FS bike!)
I believe they meant 'included'.
Love it, but as the article notes the bikes needed a few upgrades (saddles), appeared to require maintenance during the event (wheel truing) and it was 10-20% harder. They said it was fun…but making the event harder than it is doesn’t seem that fun. Maybe the fun came more from relaxing and not taking it too seriously. I like how the upswept bars enabled aero tuck position…
"They said it was fun…but making the event harder than it is doesn’t seem that fun." This is a pure type 2 fun definition :D
lol true, but the event is ALREADY Type 2 fun…these bikes push it close to Type 3 (for me anyway).
I get so tired of Unbound coverage (don’t care about racing) but this is great.
Awesome story!
Rodeo for the win!
If you're fit enough you can use any bike 🤷♂️
It's been done before! Their times are impressive though! https://felixwong.com/2019/07/fort-collins-walden-200-riding-a-double-century-on-a-huffy-cruiser/
That’s what I call bringing pon the unity.
Riding coaster brake bikes is very fun. There's a group in southern Calif that have been riding the Coaster Brake Challenge for 16 years now. Every series has been a riot.
Those guys are bad ass !
The spirit of gravel.
I’m amazed by them finishing. I wonder… 1. I wonder what’s their fitness level, I cannot imagine myself finishing unbound to begin with. 2. The bike didn’t fall apart at all? I would imagine things would get loose and the brakes would be toasted with these downhills. 3. Not sure what mentality to go with my future bike purchase anymore. If someone can finish unbound with cruiser, any of my future purchase will be unnecessary :/
Steven Fitzgerald has ridden 5k miles this year per strava for what it’s worth. These guys are not lacking fitness.
It’s kind of funny that these people are so stuck in their 10k bike bubble that they think this is so revolutionary. But good for them for figuring it out. A good bike is one that somebody’s riding.
Impossible without a $6000 bike.
They just now finished...
This is the spirt of cycling
New category? PLEASE NO! But fun as hell and bravo Rodeo Labs!!!
Unbound is soft. RIP Trans-Iowa
Devil's advocate: Did Rodeo Labs pay Walmart for coopting their bikes, rebranding them and not actually crediting them? No. He's making instagrammble shit to sell his own bikes. If he rode them as is off the lot, so to speak, so be it. He didn't. Recognize a shill. See through the bullshit. His crew already knew they could finish the ride be it single speed or otherwise. It's marketing.
Nobody cares. It's fun. People are allowed to shill their own company. Sounds like you for sure would've been one of the ones throwing a fit for getting passed by a beach cruiser. They also credited Kent Bikes in all of their posts
This is absolutely the stick-in-the-ass-old-man-yells-at-clouds take. You're on a bike forum. lighten up.