Josh Reid’s UNBOUND XL video documents a somewhat impromptu undertaking from the accomplished ultracyclist and bikepacker. With a run at the Tour Divide on the calendar, Josh decided to give UNBOUND’s longest distance a go after some help from the folks at Chamois Butt’r. Watch it here…

With some assistance from Chamois Butt’r, Josh Reid recently took on UNBOUND XL, the nearly 370-mile version of the Lifetime Grand Prix Race. Documenting his roughly 30-hour effort, Josh’s journey across the Flint Hills of Kansas provides a unique insight as to what one of the longest and hardest races on the calendar is actually like. With cameos from Lael Wilcox, eventual winner Rob Britton, and many other familiar faces, the video combines vlog-style documentation with a narrative journey that really piques interest.

With Unbound continuing to increase in popularity, there’s even more interest in their longest version, the XL. Though there will likely always be some cap with regard to how many people are willing to take on a 370-mile race, conversations among our team had us thinking as to what truly defines a bikepacking race. Given most entrants try to take on the XL in a single push, it seems outside the spectrum of what we’d typically imagine to be a true bikepacking race. However, does the length and necessary pack list for the XL make it a modern version of what we imagine a bikepacking race to be? Let us know your thoughts in conversation below.

For more on Josh Reid’s UNBOUND XL journey, visit his YouTube channel.

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