Gravel Union Talks

Gravel Union Talks is a podcast series full of inspiring stories, news and events from the world of gravel biking. Each month hosts Carlo and Olly will be chatting with guests who are passionate about riding off the beaten track… adventure riding, bike packing and gravel racing. 

In this episode:
Angela and Manon from Velocity Ladies
Gravel Union Talks podcast with hosts Carlo van Nistelrooy and Olly Townsend.
GU’s editor-in-chief Olly on three highlighted articles from the Gravel Union platform.

Want to bring in ideas for topics or guests? email Olly at [email protected] 
Check out our platform and socials
www.gravelunion.cc
Insta: @gravel_union
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GravelUnion/
Komoot: https://www.komoot.nl/user/1080024447202

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Links:
Velocity Ladies  

Gravel Inspiration - Peak Gravel OvernighterIn the world of bikepacking, there’s a fine line between “epic adventure” and “complete chaos”. The Peak Gravel Overnighter 2025 somehow delivered both - and that’s precisely what made it such a hit. Event organiser Valerio Stuart reveals how the inaugural edition came together and why it left everyone wanting more.

Gravel Inspiration – GTRB Wild WeekenderGravel event organisers have to put in an incredible amount of work when organising an event, including giving regular offerings to the weather gods to get their event blessed with sunshine. Unfortunately, despite their best efforts, after months of hot, dry weather, the heavens opened for the inaugural Girls That Ride Bikes Wild Weekender which was held at the end of August. Fortunately, the weather didn’t dampen the spirits of the participants. 

Gravel Inspiration - Five things I learned as a guide at a women’s-only gravel campIt’s no secret that there’s a profound impact that comes through doing any sort of outdoor sport – especially when you do it as part of a community. Fresh from guiding a women’s gravel camp in central Italy, Shimano Gravel Alliance rider Claudia Gerosa looks back on how riding in an all-women’s environment can be so inspiring.

Gravel Union Talks is a podcast series full of inspiring stories, news and events from the world of gravel biking. Each month hosts Carlo and Olly will be chatting with guests who are passionate about riding off the beaten track… adventure riding, bike packing and gravel racing. 
In this episode:
Matt Hart from Torq
Gravel Union Talks podcast with hosts Carlo van Nistelrooy and Olly Townsend.
GU’s editor-in-chief Olly on last month’s most popular articles on the Gravel Union platform.

Want to bring in ideas for topics or guests? Mail Olly at [email protected] 
Check out our platform and socials : www.gravelunion.cc
Insta: @gravel_union / Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GravelUnion/
Komoot: https://www.komoot.nl/user/1080024447202
JOIN US NOW FOR FREE on www.gravelunion.cc
Shownotes:

Matt Hart: Torq websitehttps://www.torqfitness.co.uk

The Gear – Wahoo Trackr heart rate monitorIf your typical gravel ride prioritises views over VO2 max, friends over FTP and having-a-good-time over heart rate zones, then Wahoo’s Trackr heart rate monitor probably isn’t for you. But, on the other hand if you’d like to try and enhance your fitness levels, efficiently burn off a few more calories or even sign up for a gravel race, then read on, as this gadget could be just what you need.

The Gear – Hydration VestsIf you’re heading out for a quick ride then it’s easy enough to grab a wattle bottle, fill it with the beverage of your choice and head out the door. But what if you’re going to be out all day, or for multiple days, or you want to carry more things than you can cram in your jersey pocket? A hydration vest might be the answer, so we’ve put together an overview of three of the best. 

The Gear - Torq Explore Supercharged Adventure FoodTorq might be better known to some of you as purveyors of nutrition products for use during rides – energy drinks/gels/bars/jellies etc but did they also know that they make a range of “adventure foods” too? At first glance these might look like they’re primarily aimed at bikepackers and ultradistance riders (which they are), but Olly has found another perfectly good use for them during shorter duration gravel rides too.

Gravel Union Talks is a podcast series full of inspiring stories, news and events from the world of gravel biking. Each month hosts Carlo and Olly will be chatting with guests who are passionate about riding off the beaten track… adventure riding, bike packing and gravel racing. 
In this episode:
Caroline Livesey, professional gravel racer and extreme triathlete
Gravel Union Talks podcast hosts Carlo van Nistelrooy and Olly Townsend .
GU’s editor-in-chief Olly on last month’s most popular articles on the Gravel Union platform.
Want to bring in ideas for topics or guests? Mail Olly at [email protected] 
Check out our platform and socials
www.gravelunion.cc
Insta: @gravel_union
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GravelUnion/
Komoot: https://www.komoot.nl/user/1080024447202

Show notes:
- Caroline Livesey's article Not just along for the ride: Equal standards for women in professional gravel racing In this compelling article, Caroline Livesey takes a hard look at the rapid professionalisation of gravel cycling, a sport once celebrated for its laid-back ethos and open format, now grappling with inconsistent rules and uneven standards - especially for women.

Highlighted Arcticles picked by Ollie:
- Gravel Inspiration – Size does matterWhen it comes to comfort, the maxim of ‘the bigger the better’ definitely applies to tyre volume on gravel bikes. We’re increasingly seeing this trend in the professional ranks in gravel racing, but until fairly recently, having capacity for bigger volume tyres was limited mainly to men’s bikes. A few companies though have realised that women gravel riders are also looking for the perfect combination of comfort and speed. Liv launched their Devote gravel bike back in 2020 and the latest version ticks all the boxes for women riders who want to get really off the beaten track. 

Gravel Inspiration – Golden Ride Magazine - the gravel editionIn an era where the vast majority of cycling media is digital only, discovering a new-to-us print magazine is a real pleasure. Golden Ride magazine have already published more than 70 editions, but we only just found them! With that perfect combination of stunning imagery, thought-provoking stories and of course, the beautiful sensation of having a high quality print magazine in your hands, we can highly recommend getting hold of a copy. 

Raising awareness of Lyme disease and gravel riding

It’s the middle of summer and you’re out gravel riding with a group of buddies. At the top of a long climb onto a beautiful ridgeline you sprawl on the grass, relaxing, pondering life and watching the sunset. But a week later you start to feel unwell and you discover a rash which looks roughly like a ‘bulls eye.’ It’s possible that you’ve been bitten by a tick bearing Borrelia, a spirochete bacteria. If you get medical help promptly then it can be treated, but left untreated (or undiagnosed) then the risk is that you could develop Lyme Disease.

Gravel Union Talks is a podcast series full of inspiring stories, news and events from the world of gravel biking. Each month hosts Carlo and Olly will be chatting with guests who are passionate about riding off the beaten track… adventure riding, bike packing and gravel racing. 
In this episode:
Kofi Kyei
Gravel Union Talks podcast with hosts Carlo van Nistelrooy and Olly Townsend.
GU’s editor-in-chief Olly on last month’s most popular articles on the Gravel Union platform.

Want to bring in ideas for topics or guests?
Mail Olly at [email protected] 

Check out our platform and socials
www.gravelunion.cc
Insta: @gravel_union
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GravelUnion/
Komoot: https://www.komoot.nl/user/1080024447202

Thanks for listening. Please share a review, like and share!
Don’t forget: join us now

Gravel Inspiration - Gralloch Gravel, setting the gold standardDespite women making up nearly half the global population, they’ve long been underrepresented in gravel racing. With more and more women now signing-up to race at the highest levels of the sport you would hope that race organisers would do everything in their power to make the experience for female racers as good as possible, but this hasn’t always been the case. Elite racer Caroline Livesey reports back from The Gralloch, an event which is attempting to buck the trend and set the gold standard for women’s gravel racing.

Gravel Inspiration – Gravel riding with the Nepali cycling queenMost world-class athletes will be supervised by a security team and the closest you could hope to get to them is a rushed autograph at best. Fortunately for us, gravel riding is a different world. Earlier in the year, Olly was fortunate enough to be invited to go and join a group of passionate gravel riders as they participated in the inaugural Trans-Nepal gravel event. The head guide on the trip was  Usha Khanal, who as a former Nepali cross-country and downhill national MTB champion, is as close to cycling royalty as you could hope to meet. 

Armchair Adventure – Riding the length of AfricaMost of us aspire to do a big ride at some point during our lives as gravel riders.  But everyone’s definition of ‘big’ differs somewhat. It might be that 100 km or 200 km is as big as you imagine. For Wiebke Lühmann though big is a relative term. During 2024 she rode from her home in Germany down the west coast of Africa to reach the Cape of Good Hope, a total distance of over 20,000 km. We chatted with her recently to find out what makes her tick.

Gravel Union Talks is a podcast series full of inspiring stories, news and events from the world of gravel biking. Each month hosts Carlo and Olly will be chatting with guests who are passionate about riding off the beaten track… adventure riding, bike packing and gravel racing. 
In this episode:
Guests: 
Nicole Van Batenburg, Ultracylist
Gravel Union Talks podcast with hosts Carlo van Nistelrooy and Olly Townsend.
GU’s editor-in-chief Olly on last month’s most popular articles on the Gravel Union platform.

Want to bring in ideas for topics or guests? Mail Olly at [email protected] 

Check out our platform and socials www.gravelunion.cc
Insta: @gravel_union - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GravelUnion/
Komoot: https://www.komoot.nl/user/1080024447202

Thanks for listening. Please share a review, like and share!
Don’t forget: join us now

Articles Highlighted.

https://www.gravelunion.cc/article/gravel-inspiration-gravel-riding-and-birdingYour initial instinct might be that there’s not much in common between gravel riding and bird watching, but an early morning bike-powered visit to a local bird hide could be just the thing you need to kick start your day. We head out with slow adventure fan Abi Fisher and discover a hidden world just out of sight of our local gravel trails.

https://www.gravelunion.cc/article/news-gra-via-gravel-race-launchedLong term Gravel Union readers will know all about our love of urban gravel riding, so when news of a new gravel race which starts in central London later this summer was announced recently, it was fair to say that we were quite excited! Read on if you’d like to find our details of what GRA-VIA is all about.

https://www.gravelunion.cc/article/ride-report-a-day-in-hell-of-rheinhessenThe old cobblestone paths of Rheinhessen are a reminder of times when the pace was slower and the roads more arduous – and therefore more intense. Riding them today on a gravel bike is like taking a small journey through time, with every meter carrying a piece of history. In their imperfection lies a unique beauty – raw, authentic and grounded, just like gravel biking itself. Timo Rokitta reports back from the recent A Day in Hell of Rheinhessen which took participants across some of Germany’s finest sections of pavé.