Dan Hughes
Few people are as fully immersed in gravel cycling as 2022 Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame Inductee, Dan Hughes. From his stunning victories on gravel roads across the country, to raising money for kids cycling, to his award-winning Sunflower Bike Shop, Hughes’ passion for cycling is easy to see.
Hughes began his gravel cycling adventures in the early 1990s. Seeking adventure and roads less crowded by cars, he found his calling on the countless miles of gravel roads around his Lawrence, Kansas home. Hughes participated in some of the earliest known organized gravel events, including the 80-mile “non-competitive” race at the Flint Hills Death Ride.
When he learned of plans to launch the DK200 (now Unbound Gravel), Hughes decided to give it a try. And though he didn’t know it at the time, the decision would strongly influence his future life path.
After winning the inaugural DK200/Unbound Gravel in 2006, Hughes won the overall title in the 200-mile event three more times and has amassed a total of eight top-10 finishes and 11 event finishes to date. He has also finished the grueling 350-mile DKXL/Unbound XL.
Hughes won the overall title at Gravel Worlds 2014, and his stunning TransIowa v.13 overall victory in 2017, in miserable freezing rain, was an amazing display of grit and determination.
His early racing success helped Hughes legitimize the unique needs of gravel riders, so manufacturers could develop bikes and components better suited to the task. From frame geometry and features, to drivetrain, wheel and tire technology, Hughes has been instrumental in the evolution of the modern gravel bike.
“Pushing the bike industry to develop more purpose-built products for enhancing the gravel experience, and then seeing those products come to market, that’s very gratifying,” Hughes said.
Hughes said he’s proud that the modern gravel scene is an evolution of a homegrown Midwest concept.
“So often the lens of the cycling world has been focused on the roads of France, or the coasts of the U.S., or some far-flung place that has nothing to do with ‘flyover country’. Most of the established events in the gravel space happened first in the heartland of the U.S.
“(2022 Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame inductee) Rebecca Rusch would be a great example. She came to race the DK200 almost against her will but had such a great time that she went home and created her own event that’s now in its tenth year. That’s life changing for me for sure, but its life changing for folks across the U.S., and the world.”
In 2021, Hughes rode the 200-mile Unbound Gravel race with his teenage son, Charlie. The pair rode to raise money for the Outride Fund, which assists communities in launching youth cycling programs, and the Life Time Foundation, which works to bring healthier food options to schools. In the end, the pair raised more than $15,000 for the charities.
Hughes said that, despite the competitive accomplishments and accolades, it’s the friendships he’s made along the way that are the most valuable to him.
“Without gravel, I wouldn’t have met Yuri Hauswald, Amanda Nauman, Ted King, Matthew Kutilek, or Paulina Batiz,” Hughes said. “Those bonds are more important than wins in my book.”
