Here’s a look at the four fastest bikes at this year’s Dirty Kanza 200 and DKXLBikeRadar
Ted King rode to his second Dirty Kanza victory aboard Cannondale’s SuperX cyclocross bikeTed King
King added aerobars and a feedbag for the 200-mile raceTed King
SRAM’s Force 1 drivetrain featured prominently at this year’s raceTed King
Kaitlin Keough’s 46cm SuperX in all of its post-Kanza grit and gloryJosh Patterson / Immediate Media
Keough used Quarq’s Tire Wiz to monitor her tire pressureJosh Patterson / Immediate Media
Keough kept track of checkpoints and other ciricial sections of the courseJosh Patterson / Immediate Media
Matt Acker’s DKXL winning hot pink WarbirdMatt Acker
Clip-on aero bars allowed to grind out all 350 miles of the XL courseMatt Acker
This is clearly the bike of a man who knows how to accessorizeMatt Acker
Veteran endurance athlete Rebecca Rusch used her experience to ride away with the women’s win in the DKXL aboard a Niner RLT 9 RDOJosh Patterson / Immediate Media
Revelate Designs frame and feedbags held many of her essentialsJosh Patterson / Immediate Media
The ABCs of bikepacking and ultra-endurance gravel: always be chargingJosh Patterson / Immediate Media
Another Dirty Kanza 200 is done and dusted. This iconic gravel race draws riders from across the globe to test their mettle on the rocky roads that traverse the Flint Hills region of Kansas in the midwestern United States.
This year’s field was stacked with current and former professional athletes, including legends of the sport such as former cyclocross world champion Sven Nys, 17-time Tour de France finisher Jens Voigt, and three-time MTB Olympian Geoff Kabush.
When the dust settled, it was a former winner and a gravel neophyte who rode away with the wins in the men’s and women’s 200-mile categories.
This year, the event organizers added a 350-mile “XL” version for a select group of 34 experienced gravel racers who rode through sweltering afternoon temperatures and a night filled with thunderstorms to lay claim to the first ever DKXL.
Here’s a look at the fastest bikes at this year’s races.
Ted King’s Cannondale SuperX
Ted King rode to his second Dirty Kanza victory aboard Cannondale’s SuperX cyclocross bikeTed King
The once and current king of Kanza, Ted King won his first Dirty Kanza 200 in 2016 aboard Cannondale’s 650b and front suspension-equipped Slate. This year, King opted to run Cannondale’s SuperX cyclocross bike.
“I’ve been spending a lot of time on the SuperX this year. The bike is basically designed for my backyard in California where I’m constantly linking up pavement and off-road. The SuperX rides like a road bike on the road and then tears up the dirt,” King said.
King added aerobars and a feedbag for the 200-mile raceTed King
“I felt given my size, the 700c wheels would be an advantage on the long, open roads,” he added.
King took cues from many other Kanza racers and added clip-on aerobars to his cockpit this year.
SRAM’s Force 1 drivetrain featured prominently at this year’s raceTed King
Kaitlin Keough’s 46cm SuperX in all of its post-Kanza grit and gloryJosh Patterson / Immediate Media
Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com racer Kaitlin Keough fought off former Dirty Kanza winners Allison Tetrick and Amanda Nauman – along with 100 miles of head winds – to take the win in the women’s 200-mile category.
Not only was it Keough’s first attempt at Dirty Kanza, it was also the first time the 26-year-old racer has participated in a gravel race.
Keough used Quarq’s Tire Wiz to monitor her tire pressureJosh Patterson / Immediate Media
The petite cyclocross racer stuck to the bike she knew best. Like King, Keough opted to run her SuperX cyclocross machine with a few gravel-specific touches including a Quarq Tire Wiz to monitor tire pressure over the course of the day.
Keough kept track of checkpoints and other ciricial sections of the courseJosh Patterson / Immediate Media
Matt Acker’s DKXL winning hot pink WarbirdMatt Acker
Matt Acker is a racer and event organizer from Grand Rapids, Michigan. He’s taken on the 200-mile Dirty Kanza three times before trying his hand at the DKXL this year.
Clip-on aero bars allowed to grind out all 350 miles of the XL courseMatt Acker
His bike of choice was a hot pink Salsa Warbird equipped with a painted-to-match Lauf Grit fork. Acker said he loved the Lauf fork for taking the edge off the rough terrain.
If he had to change one thing about this set-up it would be swapping the 11-32t cassette for something with a wider range.
This is clearly the bike of a man who knows how to accessorizeMatt Acker
Component highlights: Lauf Grit fork, SRAM Force 1 drivetrain w/Wolf Tooth chainring, Quarq power meter, Industry Nine hubs laced to Velocity Aileron rims, 700×38 Terravail Cannonball tires, Zipp Vuka EVO 70 clip on aero bars, Oveja Negra frame bags
Rebecca Rusch’s Niner RLT 9 RDO
Veteran endurance athlete Rebecca Rusch used her experience to ride away with the women’s win in the DKXL aboard a Niner RLT 9 RDOJosh Patterson / Immediate Media
Rebecca Rusch is no stranger to ultra-endurance events. Before becoming a three-time Queen of the Kanza, she was 24-hour mountain bike racer with multiple world championship wins to her name in 24-hour and adventure racing.
Revelate Designs frame and feedbags held many of her essentialsJosh Patterson / Immediate Media
For the DKXL, Rusch rode her Niner RLT 9 RDO with modifications to make it through the night. To keep her lights and Garmin charged, Rusch used a dynamo front hub with a Sinewave Cycles USB top cap.
To keep herself fueled, Rusch used Revelate Designs’ Tangle frame bag and Mountain Man feedbags.
The ABCs of bikepacking and ultra-endurance gravel: always be chargingJosh Patterson / Immediate Media
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Component highlights: SRAM Force 1x drivetrain w/42t chainring, Quarq DZero power meter, ENVE M50 front rim laced to a Shutter Precision PD-8X dynamo hub, ENVE G23 rear rim, Maxxis 700×38 Rambler tires, Revelate Designs frame pack and feedbags
Josh Patterson is a BikeRadar contributor and former technical editor. He has spent most of his career working in the cycling industry as an athlete, mechanic and journalist. He holds a master's degree in journalism and has more than 20 years of experience as a cyclist and 12 years of experience riding and writing for BikeRadar, Cyclingnews, Cycling Weekly, Dirt Rag, RoadBikeReview and Outside Magazine. A native of the Flint Hills of Kansas, Josh was a pioneer in the gravel cycling movement, having raced the first Unbound 200 and many other gravel events around the globe. He considers himself a cycling generalist and enjoys road, gravel and mountain biking in equal measure. When not traveling for work, he can be found exploring the singletrack and lonely gravel roads that surround his home in Fort Collins, Colorado. In addition to his love of cycling, Josh is an enthusiastic supporter of brunch, voting rights and the right to repair movement.
