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 info@gravelunion.cc

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 Overnighter
  • In 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 Weekender
  • Gravel 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 camp
  • It’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 info@gravelunion.cc

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 website
  • https://www.torqfitness.co.uk
• The Gear – Wahoo Trackr heart rate monitor
  • If 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 Vests
  • If 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 Food
  • Torq 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 info@gravelunion.cc

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 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
  • 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 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.