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: * Caroline Livesey [https://www.instagram.com/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 info@gravelunion.cc [info@gravelunion.cc]  Check out our platform and socials www.gravelunion.cc [http://www.gravelunion.cc] Insta: @gravel_union Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GravelUnion/ [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 [https://gravelunion.cc/article/gravel-inspiration-not-just-along-for-the-ride] *  In this compelling article, Caroline Livesey [https://www.instagram.com/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 matter [https://www.gravelunion.cc/article/gravel-inspiration-size-does-matter] * When 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 edition [https://www.gravelunion.cc/article/gravel-inspiration-golden-ride-magazine] * In 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 [https://www.instagram.com/goldenridemagazine/] 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 [https://www.gravelunion.cc/article/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 [https://www.instagram.com/kofi.chay/] * 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 info@gravelunion.cc [info@gravelunion.cc]  Check out our platform and socials www.gravelunion.cc [http://www.gravelunion.cc] Insta: @gravel_union Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GravelUnion/ [https://www.facebook.com/GravelUnion/] Komoot: https://www.komoot.nl/user/1080024447202 [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 standard [https://www.gravelunion.cc/article/gravel-inspiration-gralloch-gravel-setting-the-gold-standard] * Despite 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 [http://www.instagram.com/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 queen [https://www.gravelunion.cc/article/gravel-inspiration-gravel-riding-with-the-nepali-cycling-queen] * Most 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 Africa [https://www.gravelunion.cc/article/riding-the-length-of-africa] * Most 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 [http://www.instagram.com/wiebkelueh] 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 [https://www.instagram.com/nicolevanbatenburg/], 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 info@gravelunion.cc [info@gravelunion.cc]  Check out our platform and socials www.gravelunion.cc [http://www.gravelunion.cc] Insta: @gravel_union - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GravelUnion/ [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-birding [https://www.gravelunion.cc/article/gravel-inspiration-gravel-riding-and-birding] * Your 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 [http://www.instagram.com/bikesandbirdhides] and discover a hidden world just out of sight of our local gravel trails. * https://www.gravelunion.cc/article/news-gra-via-gravel-race-launched [https://www.gravelunion.cc/article/news-gra-via-gravel-race-launched] * Long 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-rheinhessen [https://www.gravelunion.cc/article/ride-report-a-day-in-hell-of-rheinhessen] * The 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.

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:  * Katherine Moore [http://www.instagram.com/katherinebikes], author, journalist, podcast host & gravel route creator * Gravel Union Talks podcast with hosts Carlo van Nistelrooy and Olly Townsend. * GU’s editor-in-chief Olly on Armchair Adventures articles on the Gravel Union platform. Want to bring in ideas for topics or guests? Mail Olly at info@gravelunion.cc [info@gravelunion.cc]  Check out our platform and socials www.gravelunion.cc [http://www.gravelunion.cc] Insta: @gravel_union Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GravelUnion/ [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 Links: * Katherine Moore's book: Gravel Rides South West England  * Gravel Rides South West England  features 24 cycling routes, ranging from 16 to 180 kilometres, showcasing the extensive gravel trails of the West Country. Order at your local bookshop (publisher Vertebrate Publishing) or online [https://www.adventurebooks.com/products/gravel-rides-south-west-england?srsltid=AfmBOorIoiq_qLavf--RVJgYEMKbNC5ldOdadOY3BllMuJ36X4XbmZFF]  * Armchair Adventure - From dust to dusk: conquering the Atlas Mountain Race [https://www.gravelunion.cc/article/armchair-adventure-conquering-the-atlas-mountain-race] * If you had to write a list of things you were most worried about when signing up for a bikepacking event, stomach issues, aggressive dogs, acacia thorns, exhaustion and deep sand would likely be some of the highlights, but for riders taking part in the Atlas Mountain Race, they’re par for the course. Despite its super tough reputation, Valerio Stuart had dreamed about taking part for years. Would he manage to banish his demons and make it safely to the finish?  * Armchair Adventure – Nepal from top to bottom – Part Two [https://www.gravelunion.cc/article/nepal-from-top-to-bottom-part-two] * “Unfortunately, because it’s been so cold here recently, all the water in the hotel is frozen, so there’s no possibility of taking a shower.” said Usha. Everyone who had signed up for the Trans-Nepal Gravel event knew in advance that getting a shower in hotels located at the higher altitudes wasn’t going to be possible, so we had come prepared with wet wipes and hand sanitiser a-plenty. In Part Two of Olly’s story, after four days of travelling, the team have finally reached the start line of the Trans Nepal Gravel [https://www.mtb-worldwide.com/transnepal/]. It must be downhill all the way to the Indian border now, right? * Armchair Adventure – The Alps Divide [https://www.gravelunion.cc/article/armchair-adventure-the-alps-divide] * Having completed numerous challenging bikepacking trips already, Leo Purcell [http://www.instagram.com/thrilled_skinny] decided he was ready for another adventure. This time his destination was the Alps and his route of choice was The Alps Divide, a challenging 1000km route which runs roughly north/south between Thonon-les-Bains (near Lake Geneva) and Menton (close to Monaco) or vice versa. Leo set off from the Mediterranean coast heading north, searching for some “me time” in the mountains. Will he successfully make it to his final destination? You’d better read on to find out….

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: Guest: * Andrea Lodder [http://www.instagram.com/andrealodder] * 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 info@gravelunion.cc [info@gravelunion.cc]  Check out our platform and socials www.gravelunion.cc [http://www.gravelunion.cc] Insta: @gravel_union - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GravelUnion/ [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! It's free. www.gravelunion.com  * Ride Sri Lankan 2025 video recap [https://www.gravelunion.cc/article/filmfriday-RSL2025-video-recap] * Ride Sri Lankan is a multi-day gravel event which takes participants on a journey through some of the island's fantastic scenery. Along the way you get to stay in incredible accommodation, eat a huge range of delicious food and receive the warmest welcome possible from the island's incredible people. For anyone who has never considered Sri Lanka as a gravel destination, this might be just the inspiration you need! * Cycling in the Badlands with Saddle Skedaddle [https://www.gravelunion.cc/article/gravelling-in-the-badlands-with-saddle-skedaddle] - Premium Content * The south-east of Spain is home to two semi-deserts - Gorafe and Tabernas. In both areas, the soft clay, chalk and sandstone soils have been heavily eroded by rain in places, leading to the formation of stunning rock formations, often called Badlands. This region of Spain offers some of Europe’s best gravel riding, but you need some decent local knowledge to get the best out a trip here. We chat with local expert Dan Hirst from the cycling tour operator Saddle Skedaddle to find out more about this amazing destination and what to expect on their guided gravel trip.  * Armchair Adventure - a brutal ride in the clouds [https://www.gravelunion.cc/article/armchair-adventure-a-brutal-ride-in-the-clouds] * The Transcordilleras, which has been held in Colombia for the past five years, has a magnetic attraction to lovers of bikepacking and high-altitude bikepacking. Despite its super-tough reputation and the fact he has competed in the event multiple times in the past, Jorge Padrones [https://www.instagram.com/jorge_padrones/] signed up again for the 2025 event and sent in this fantastic story.  * The Ride Gravel, [https://www.the-ride-gravel.cc/] powered by Shimano GRX * Your fully supported gravel adventure from 7 - 11 September 2025. Five epic stages with the most beautiful paved and unpaved roads in the Netherlands, Germany (Eifel) and Belgium (High Fens). Ride a standard stage (100 km) or XL stage (up to 125 km), both at least 60% off road. Perfect from intermediate to expert level!