Every year, the Unbound Gravel 200-mile race pushes cyclists and their gear to the absolute limit. Known for its grueling Flint Hills terrain in Kansas, it’s a proving ground for high-performance gravel bikes and rider endurance. But this year, a team from Rodeo Labs decided to shake things up, swapping out carbon fiber and top-tier components for something decidedly more… pedestrian. They chose Walmart Cruiser Bikes. Specifically, the Kent Bicycle 27.5″ Men’s Seachange Beach Cruiser Bicycle, advertised online as “the perfect bicycle for teens and adults going on long summer adventures.” Could these budget-friendly bikes, costing just $198, survive, let alone thrive, in one of the toughest gravel races in the world?
Stephen Fitzgerald, founder of Rodeo Labs, along with his friends Nick Gilroy and David Hornick, embarked on this audacious experiment. After driving from Denver to Emporia, Kansas, their first stop wasn’t a bike shop, but the local Walmart. They purchased four of these steel beach cruisers – three for racing and one as a spare. The transformation began in the parking lot. Unboxing the bikes, they quickly stripped off unnecessary parts and applied “sick fades” with spray paint, injecting some personality into their budget steeds. Reassembly followed, with only essential component swaps: seatposts for better fit and saddles for comfort. They initially planned to upgrade to clipless pedals, but the cranks had incompatible spindle specifications. Aware of the stock plastic pedals’ fragility, a second Walmart run secured metal replacements, a crucial upgrade for the demanding race ahead.
Rodeo Ken, ready for Unbound Gravel, showcasing its modifications and unique paint job.
Dubbed the ‘Rodeo Ken,’ these modified walmart cruiser bikes retained their original wide swept-back handlebars, wheels, tires, and even plastic cranks. Personal touches were added: a basket on one, a canvas handlebar bag on another, and bottle cages on all three, practical additions for the long race. Just 24 hours before the Unbound Gravel race commenced, the Rodeo Labs team announced their unconventional plan. Their goal wasn’t just to finish the race, but to have fun doing it, embracing the uncertainty of tackling such a challenge on such unlikely machines. The inherent risk of failure, the unknown of what lay ahead, was precisely the allure of this unique endeavor.
The Rodeo Labs team, Fitzgerald, Gilroy, and Hornick, proudly displaying their transformed Walmart cruiser bikes, the Rodeo Kens, before the Unbound Gravel race.
This wasn’t a case of necessity driving invention. Fitzgerald and his friends are far from short on bikes. As the founder of Rodeo Labs, he designs and builds high-end gravel bikes like the Flaanimal and Trail Donkey, alongside custom projects. The Walmart cruiser bike challenge was a deliberate choice, a way to reconnect with the foundational spirit of Rodeo Labs. Ten years prior, the brand began with a sense of adventure and exploration, a spirit they felt was perfectly embodied by taking these humble beach cruisers into the unknown of Unbound Gravel. It was a return to their roots, a celebration of the joy of riding, regardless of the equipment.
A close-up shot emphasizing the playful and carefree spirit of the Rodeo Ken project, highlighting its simple and fun nature.
Beach Cruiser Bikes Conquer Gravel? Unbound Gravel on a Budget
Saturday morning, 6:30 a.m., the Unbound Gravel 200 race began. Among the thousand riders at the starting line, Fitzgerald, Gilroy, and Hornick positioned their Rodeo Kens at the very back. The coaster brakes on their walmart cruiser bikes dictated a cautious start, but this rear position turned out to be an unexpected advantage. The initial miles were a rolling party. “The vibe in the morning for the first 30 miles was unreal,” Fitzgerald recounted. The relaxed pace at the back allowed for camaraderie and laughter with fellow riders, a stark contrast to the intense focus often found at the front of such races.
However, as the Rodeo Kens began to overtake other cyclists, the atmosphere shifted slightly. The sight of beach cruiser bikes, with their upright riding positions and flat pedals, passing serious gravel rigs seemed to challenge some riders’ egos. While most racers remained positive and supportive, a palpable sense of surprise, and perhaps a touch of disbelief, was noticeable. Despite the varied reactions, the Rodeo Labs team maintained their high spirits. Handlebar setups varied – Gilroy’s slammed for a more aggressive posture, Hornick’s moderately high, and Fitzgerald’s “sky high” for maximum back comfort. They even developed an “aero tuck,” grabbing the bars near the stem to combat headwinds, showcasing a resourceful approach to speed on bikes not designed for it.
Fitzgerald demonstrates an "aero-ish tuck" on his Walmart cruiser bike, highlighting the humor and adaptability of their approach to Unbound Gravel.
The first 70 miles of the Unbound course, characterized by relatively flat and fast terrain, were surprisingly smooth for the Rodeo Kens. Against all expectations, none of the three riders experienced a single flat tire or mechanical issue throughout the entire day. Fitzgerald attributed this unexpected durability to the stock tires. Though not tubeless and admittedly wobbly and poorly molded, their thick casings and fast-rolling tread proved surprisingly resilient. Prior to the race, they had preemptively added extra sealant to the tubes, a wise decision in retrospect. “The tread pattern was baller,” Fitzgerald joked, “Fast rolling.” He did note the necessity of significant wheel truing before the race to address the “mega wobble” in all six wheels.
The stretch between miles 75 and 150 proved to be the most demanding. Relentless punchy climbs, endless rolling hills, and chunky gravel tested both rider and machine. The sun intensified, raising temperatures and adding to the physical strain. Pedaling the heavier walmart cruiser bikes uphill required significant effort, leading to frequent hike-a-bike sections. However, on flatter sections and descents, the bikes “actually flew at times,” surprising even the riders themselves. In the final 60 miles, fueled by a mix of adrenaline and the finish line in sight, they increased their pace, overtaking an estimated 140 riders.
A rider powerfully pedaling the Walmart cruiser bike, emphasizing the unexpected effort and capability required to race gravel on such a machine.
Fitzgerald, Gilroy, and Hornick were acutely aware of the privilege inherent in their undertaking. Their fitness and experience allowed them to amplify the challenge of Unbound by choosing unconventional equipment. However, the unexpected reward was a unique psychological advantage. “To the average riders, I’d say this would be extremely challenging, but to people who sort of do challenging things often enough this was maybe 10-20 percent harder?” Fitzgerald estimated. More significantly, he declared this Unbound to be “the least stressful and most fun” of his eight participations, highlighting the liberating effect of low expectations and the pure joy of the ride.
Rethinking Bike Culture: Simplicity and Fun on Walmart Bikes
Fitzgerald and Gilroy crossed the Unbound finish line together in 16 hours, 50 minutes, and 49 seconds, placing 721st and 722nd out of 904 finishers. Hornick followed approximately an hour and a half later, completing the challenge. The remarkable performance of the Kent Bicycle 29″ Men’s Seachange Beach Cruiser Bicycles sparked considerable reflection for Fitzgerald. Social media buzzed with questions and comments, one in particular resonating: “if a Walmart cruiser can survive Unbound, then are all gravel bikes overbuilt?”
Fitzgerald admitted to constant apprehension throughout the race. “There was no point in our ride where we didn’t wonder if a tire would spontaneously explode or a wheel taco or a pedal fall off.” Their collective surprise at the bikes’ resilience was palpable. Pre-race predictions of success were likely low, yet the walmart cruiser bikes defied expectations. This experience led Fitzgerald to a fundamental question: “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.”
The Rodeo Labs team celebrates their Unbound Gravel finish on their Walmart cruiser bikes, highlighting the bikes' unexpected durability and their successful challenge.
The flawless (and unexpected) performance of the walmart cruiser bikes prompted deeper contemplation. “It actually made me think, ‘why does all of this have to be so complicated?'” Coming from someone who designs and sells high-end bikes, this perspective might seem contradictory. However, Fitzgerald insists that Rodeo Labs’ ethos aligns with this very idea of simplicity and adventure. The Unbound beach cruiser ride served as a potent reminder of the brand’s core values, a commitment to the joy of riding that transcends the relentless pressure of commerce.
“We started with silly bike rides and having fun before there was ever an idea to make a bike,” he explained, recalling past adventures like riding Denver bike share bikes up a 14,000-foot mountain. While proud of Rodeo Labs’ bike designs, Fitzgerald emphasizes that the company is “not a product first company.” Products, he believes, should stem from the inspiration derived from real-world riding experiences. Rodeo Labs will continue to innovate and create bikes, but their foundation remains rooted in celebrating the fundamental joy of cycling. “Is that hot air? I hope not. It’s hard not to get lost in the commerce of it all, but we’re doing our best.”
The Rodeo Labs team, doing their best to promote fun and accessibility in cycling, pictured with their Walmart cruiser bikes after the Unbound Gravel race.
The overwhelmingly positive response Fitzgerald received after Unbound, over 500 Instagram messages, reinforced this sentiment. The common thread was a sense of relief, a yearning for a simpler, more accessible cycling culture. “There is a lot of fatigue out there towards being marketed at non-stop,” Fitzgerald observed. The message was clear: “Could we please pause the marketing machine for a second and just go outside and enjoy our common sport and culture?” Taking this message to heart, Fitzgerald decided to keep the Rodeo Ken, the walmart cruiser bike that defied expectations, bringing it back to Colorado instead of donating it. The $200 Kent Bicycle Seachange, initially intended as a disposable experiment, proved to be surprisingly capable, embodying the very essence of “the perfect bicycle for teens and adults going on long summer adventures” – and perhaps even a 200-mile gravel race.
