From Wind Tunnel to Podium: Paige Onweller’s Unbound Gravel Comeback
Unbound Gravel hardly needs an introduction these days. It’s grown in prestige and popularity and is now regarded by many as the Super Bowl of off-road racing. Held in the Flint Hills of Kansas, characterized by terrain with tire-shredding rocks and devastating "peanut butter" mud, the course routinely breaks elite riders and their equipment.
Elite racer Paige Onweller knows this all too well. After a devastating mechanical failure ruined her 2023 race, she returned to Unbound this year with sights set on a much different result.
Paige's Comeback
As a former Physician’s Assistant, Paige left her profession to pursue gravel racing full-time, yet has carried over her analytical and scientific mindset. Her approach to training and racing is well-matched to SILCA's obsession with marginal gains.
In the lead-up to this year’s Unbound, we invited Paige to the wind tunnel where, together with Josh Poertner, we discovered remarkable aero breakthroughs. Through techniques like hair braiding and chain waxing, Paige shaved nearly 20 watts, which gave her the confidence to hold aero positions for extended periods.
"The obstacle either becomes a barrier or becomes an opportunity... I was racing to win." - Paige Onweller
This technical edge proved vital during a chaotic race day. Midway through the race, a rogue tree branch jammed her drivetrain, leaving her to chase back a five-minute deficit to the lead bunch. But instead of panicking, Paige trusted her engine and her gear.
She motored through brutal crosswinds to catch the lead group and held her position until the final bunch sprint. Determined not to settle for a safe top 20 finish, Paige’s grit and confidence earned her a remarkable podium spot.
Opportunity at Unbound
In the latest episode of SILCA’s video series of “Within the Margin of Error,” we document how Paige’s story of opportunity started months before arriving in Kansas to line up at Unbound’s elite start. Rather, it began in large part in Indianapolis at the ARC wind tunnel with SILCA.
Paige became the first female gravel athlete to work with SILCA in the wind tunnel and full aerodynamic testing, and it was there that she found the marginal gains to close that 5-minute gap on race day.
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