We love UNBOUND Gravel here at Litespeed, so we always send a team to work the expo, mingle with gravel riders from around the world, and of course, race! If you’re going to be in Emporia, Kansas, this year, be sure to stop by the Litespeed booth at the UNBOUND expo to see (and maybe test ride) the world’s best handbuilt titanium gravel bikes and chat with our team.
Since we’re all bike geeks here, let’s take a closer look at the titanium gravel bikes our team will be riding at UNBOUND Gravel 2025. We’ll have six people on course this year, including Litespeed’s president! I asked everyone a few questions about their experience level, their goals for the race, and their bike setup, including that all-important question: “What tires are you running?”
2025 Litespeed Toscano FI
Rider: Sam Voigt, Sales/Logistical Engineer
“This year I’m doing the 50-mile distance. I rode it last year for the first time. I’d definitely like to beat my time from last year. I think a sub-3-hour ride is a little ambitious for me, but I’d like to be under 3 hours and 15 minutes."
“I’m riding my new Toscano FI with SRAM RED XPLR. For tires, I’m running a Kenda Rush 29” x 2.2” in the front and a Kenda Crusher 700x45mm in the rear. I’ve got a pretty unique build. I’ve got a Ritchey Butano Ridge 1-piece integrated carbon bar/stem set up. I really like the mix of back sweep and angled flare in the drops. I’ve been back and forth on a couple of different wheels, but have really come to love the Industry Nine Solix SL AR40c carbon wheels (not pictured). The silver Solix hubs and silver spoke nipples really complement the titanium frame.
“I also wanted a little bit of extra compliance on the seat post, so I’ve opted to use an Ergon CF Allroad Pro carbon post. This setup has been very capable and fast. I’m undecided on the bar bags that I’ll be using, but most likely I’ll just run a top tube storage bag for some extra munchies on the ride.”
2024 Litepeed Toscano FI
Rider: Audrey Mace, Digital Content Creator
“I’m riding the wee baby 100-mile this year. This will be my third year working/racing UNBOUND. I did the 50-mile my first year, then the 100-mile last year, and I’m sticking with the 100-mile again this year. Maybe I’ll bump it up to the 200 or XL next year… My goal is to have fun and make friends and not bonk! I’m not too competitive, but it would be nice to beat my time from last year."
“I’m riding the Toscano FI with Audrey Blue Ano Blast! The first of her kind! Her name is Tonks, btw, if the people must know. I’ve been running a 45mm Panaracer GravelKing X1 Plus in the rear and a 2.0” Continental Race King in the front. I’m not sure if I’ll make a last-minute tire change or not, but I’ve been loving the chunky Race King up front. There’s nothing too crazy about my build: SRAM Red XPLR groupset, ENVE gravel IN-route bars, double wrapped bar tape, togs on the drops for descending, and an Oveja Negra Top Tube bag for snacks.”
2023 Litespeed Ultimate G2
Rider: Jay Prasuhn, Marketing Content Specialist
“Long-time listener, first-time caller, here riding the UNBOUND 100! I’m aiming to have a good time, but not a long time. I would love to surprise myself with a top 20 in my age group, but the pace and weather gods may be required to play a part if I’m going to have legs in the last quarter of the race. I’m actually hoping for the worst conditions imaginable. More cold, more mud, more rain, more skill-requiring bike handling. I was raised in Arizona, but I don't do well in the heat; I think I was meant to be Belgian.
“I’m riding my trusty Litespeed Ultimate G2 with tanwall Panaracer GravelKing X1s, 700 x 40mm*. There's so much focus on bigger volume, but—and I’ll preface this by saying that I have ridden a bit on the course, but I have not raced it yet—I feel the terrain (weather permitting) is fast, and that a 40mm tire is as much as is needed. It’s enough for a bit of comfort over a long day. The only reason I'd put on a bigger volume tire is to do some of the chunky XC singletrack stuff I like to do... But not for a fast race with pacelines. I just feel that much tire is a (literal) drag. We'll see how it pans out!”
*Editor's note: 40mm tires!? Enjoy your shattered hands and sit bones, Jay. JKJK, you’ll be fine… maybe…
Top-Secret Litespeed Prototype
Rider: Brad DeVaney, Product Design and Development
“I’ll be riding the “fun-fiddy” this year after doing the 100-miler a few times. Really, I’m looking forward to some tent time with folks at the expo. So many great stories and passions are shared. I try not to put an expectation on the week, on or off the bike. In years past, I’ve met a few performance goals. Those came at a price and revealed a side of me that I don’t enjoy.
“I’m hoping to catch a few holes of disc golf on my ride home from the expo each day. On my first trip to UNBOUND, I was introduced to disc golf, and over time, I learned its deep history in Emporia. I’m glad to say I’m now a fairly avid disc golfer, and it keeps me from leaning towards my darkness and over-obsession with cycling. Cycling is the greatest activity I’ve found in life. Too much of it makes me…
“As for the bike, I typically ride on prototypes. Not having many miles in me this year, I will likely be on a repeat ride on one of my old prototype bikes. I’m not currently riding anything special of note. I’m not much of a fashion show guy. Function before fashion. Priority #1 is to have fun while sharing the experience with those around me on the roll.
“I am opinionated and obsessed as anyone when it comes to chain prep tire/wheel setup. I won’t show up all “race tuned” with my chain looking like it just had a box of powdered donuts*, but I am a paraffin and drip wax guy. For my tire setup, I will use a rear tire insert with 80 ml of sealant, and in the front, I’ll have 60 ml of sealant with no liner. As for size, I’ve typically stayed on the larger side of the trend each year. Brand and model are undecided, but it will be something as big as a 55mm.”
*Editor’s Note: Brad is referring to products like MSPEEDWAX Race Powder.
2025 Litespeed Toscano
Rider: Bruce Lin, Content Marketing Manager
“This will be my fifth trip to Emporia, and I’m racing the UNBOUND 200 for the fourth time. It's my favorite event of the year! My only goal is to do better than last year. That could mean improving on my previous finish time (11:58:20) or placing (90th non-elite). It’s going to be hard, though! I got really lucky by finding the right group last time, and the competition seems to get stiffer every year.
“I picked up my new Toscano a few months ago, and the main thing I wanted on my new bike was a Cane Creek Invert SL suspension fork. I think a gravel suspension fork makes a huge difference for something as long and rough as UNBOUND. I’m super happy with how much comfort it adds!
“I’ve tested a ton of tires over the last two months: the 45mm Maxxis Reaver, 50mm Continental Terra Hardpack, 50mm Schwalbe G-One RX Pro, 2.0 Maxxis Ikon 3C MaxxSpeed, 2.1” Vittoria Mezcal XC, and 2.2” Continental Race King. I’ve gone a little crazy trying to decide. I was almost set on the Race Kings, but I'm getting a bit of tire rub whenever I stand up and put down power, so I’m going to go with option two: the 2.0" Maxxis Ikon, but it needs to be perfectly dry. If it's looking a bit wet, then I'm swapping to the 50mm Schwalbe G-One RX Pro. If it's apocalyptically muddy (like in 2023 when I DNF'd), then I'll pray the 45mm Maxxis Reaver will get me through.
“Otherwise, my build is blingy, but kind of boring: SRAM RED XPLR, an ENVE SES AR cockpit, Industry Nine Solix SL UL250c wheels, and Silca Ultimate sealant.”
2024 Litespeed Toscano
Rider: Chris Pascarella, President
Chris Pascarella is far too busy managing the Litespeed Factory, so he didn’t have time to tell us about his bike. What we do know is that it’s his first time at UNBOUND, he’s doing the 50-mile course, and Sam Voigt is either going to be a loyal employee and stick with his boss or go for glory and try to drop him. We’re taking bets here at the factory on who crosses the finish line first!