Riding a bicycle 206 miles on gravel roads through mud and storms might not be everyone’s idea of fun, but for Bill Jeffery, it proved to be a great adventure. Jeffery took part in the Garmin UNBOUND Gravel race June 3-4 at Emporia, Kansas, completing the grueling off-road course in just over 18 hours.
Jeffery, who serves as Digital Media Recruiting Coordinator and Director of Student Music Ministry at Williams Baptist University, credits bicycling opportunities in and around Walnut Ridge with preparing him for the daunting race.
“It is known as the world’s premier gravel race, both the best and the toughest,” Jeffery said. “Many of the pros and veterans of the race said this year was exceptionally challenging because of the mud, multiple miles of walking, and a storm that rolled through. Over 400 people in my race either quit or did not make the cut-off in time to complete the race.”
Jeffery was selected in January to compete in the race, and he began training for the physically and mentally demanding course right away. He said most weeks consisted of 5-6 days of training, riding 1-2 hours per day.
“Cycling certainly requires a level of physical strength and endurance,” he noted. “However, mental endurance and overcoming your body’s signals to tell you to stop is just as important if not more important. The muddy conditions that left others no choice but to drop out, I was able to reframe from negative circumstances into positive circumstances in my mind, and use it to my advantage later in the race.”
More than 1,150 competitors from all 50 states and over 40 different countries took part in the Garmin UNBOUND Gravel race. Jeffery finished at number 446 placing him in the top 40% overall. His finish time was 18 hours and eight minutes, with an average speed of 11.32 mph overall, including walking through mud for five miles and rest stops.
“Completing the race felt surreal,” he said. “I couldn’t believe I crossed the finish line, and I couldn’t believe that I had the energy to spare. The feeling of accomplishment and gratitude was overwhelming, and I can honestly say that after training all over Lawrence County that the race was so much easier than I had anticipated.”
Jeffery said bike enthusiasts would likely be surprised at the cycling opportunities around Walnut Ridge, including the increasingly popular activity of riding on gravel.
“There is an endless amount of ideal gravel roads and even several paved roads that have little to no traffic that was ideal for training,” Jeffery said. “From my apartment, I could hit almost any gravel road that varied in rock conditions. Some were hard-packed dirt, and others were very loose to the point where every pedal stroke feels like you’re digging yourself out from sinking into the ground.”
“I knew that the gravel roads at UNBOUND had a variety of gravel, most of which people are ill-equipped for in training, but the roads around here were perfect training grounds. There’s even a 30-mile gravel ride between Lynn and Imboden that has just as tough hills and gravel as the hardest sections of the race in Kansas.”
Jeffery has been an avid cyclist since 2020, starting out with a road bike on paved surfaces. He credits the Lawrence County Rail-Trail through Walnut Ridge and Hoxie with giving him the outlet he needed to pursue his passion.
“When I started cycling just three years ago, it was the LawCo Rail-Trail that gave me the experience and confidence to start riding,” he recalled. “It took me probably a month to become brave enough and strong enough to ride from the starting point at WBU all the way to Hoxie and back. Riding 13 miles is a serious task, but the rail-trail provided the safety and luxury of learning to enjoy riding. I believe that if I were starting out cycling on gravel that having something similar to the rail-trail would encourage more people to get out and give cycling a shot.”
Jeffery became passionate about cycling with his road bike and then branched out into riding on gravel. Gravel biking requires a different type of bicycle with notable wide tires, but Jeffery says it has caught on in the cycling community.
“Riding gravel is becoming wildly popular,” he said. “It’s a perfect combination of road cycling and mountain biking. The adventure aspect is attractive for many, but it’s also safer than riding with traffic. I don’t consider myself to have great balance or bicycle handling skills, but it’s quite remarkable how stable you feel when your tire size is the right width.”
Lots of students will be moving to Walnut Ridge this fall to attend WBU, and Jeffery encourages them to bring along their bicycles. Whether their passion is riding on pavement or gravel, he thinks they will love what they find in the area.
“I would love to see more cyclists enjoying these roads, and there’s nothing more fun about riding than riding with your friends,” Jeffery said. “There’s something very special about the roads in Lawrence County, and for anyone looking to take steps with their physical health like I was, you may be surprised at how far cycling can take you in every aspect of your life.”
And those who are out and about in Lawrence County are apt to see Jeffery training for next year’s Garmin UNBOUND Gravel race. But he notes the training may not always look conventional.
“The only thing I could not train for, or didn’t think to train for, was walking through mud with my bicycle on my shoulders,” he said. “It just did not cross my mind that I would have to do that for five or six miles for this race, but now that I know that will be part of my training for next year. So if anyone in the area sees me walking around town with my bicycle on my shoulders, you don’t have to stop to see if I need help.”
Jeffery said next year’s UNBOUND race will begin on June 1 at Emporia.
Williams Baptist University is a private, Christian university in Walnut Ridge.