Gravel Union Talks

Gravel Union Talks is a podcast series full of inspiring stories, news and events from the world of gravel biking. Each episode 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:

• Jim van den Berg from JOIN (training app)
• 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.

About JOIN.CC

Free 30 day trial for Gravel Union members -https://join.cc/campaigns/gravelunion

"JOIN was born out of two decades of coaching experience and one simple belief: that every cyclist deserves guidance that adapts to them. Training shouldn’t be about guessing, burning out, or feeling guilty. It should be about steady progress, clear goals and enjoying the ride. Whether you’re new to cycling or chasing peak performance, JOIN helps you train smarter, ride stronger, and stay motivated 12 months a year.”

Read our article about the benefits that JOIN can offer gravel riders - https://www.gravelunion.cc/article/premium-content%E2%80%93join-the-movement

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/

Thanks for listening. Please share a review, like and share!

Don’t forget: join us now, it's free... you can register for a free membership on our website www.gravelunion.cc. 

Links to articles:

• News – The world’s biggest gravel event is back for 2026
  • Saturday May 30th is a date to put in your diary as it’s when the 2026 version of Rebound, the world’s biggest gravel event, is being held. Rebound is described as “a global, free, self-supported gravel cycling event” which was first run back in 2022. The 2024 version of the event saw 361,000 riders taking part and an incredible 6,195,467 combined kilometres were ridden across the world. The organisers are hoping that this year’s version will be even bigger. If you’d like to take part this year, keep reading to find out how to get involved. 
• The Gear – Postal power
  • Analysing piles of data after a gravel ride might not sound like everyone’s idea of fun, but accurate metrics are essential for evaluating (and improving) your fitness. The real question is: which data is actually worth your attention and how should you interpret it? Olly donned his lab coat to put 4iiii’s PRECISION 3+ Powermeter to the test.
• Gravel Union Talks Podcast - Episode 34 - Nutrition, hydration, training and rest for gravel riders.
  
  
  • All cyclists, no matter what discipline of riding we’re taking part in, need the same things in order to arrive happily at the end of our ride - we need to eat and drink appropriately, for longer rides we should have done some training and afterwards we need some rest. The question is, what kind of food should we b

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

Thanks for listening. Please share a review, like and share!

Don’t forget: join us now

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 [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 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 [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 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.

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 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 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
  • 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
  • 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 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-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 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
  • 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
  • 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, 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 [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

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 
• Armchair Adventure - From dust to dusk: 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
  • “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. It must be downhill all the way to the Indian border now, right?
• Armchair Adventure – The Alps Divide
  • Having completed numerous challenging bikepacking trips already, Leo Purcell 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
• 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! It's free. www.gravelunion.com 

• Ride Sri Lankan 2025 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 - 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
  • 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 signed up again for the 2025 event and sent in this fantastic story. 
• The Ride Gravel, 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!

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: 

• Markus Stitz -  the first person to ever ride around the world on a singlespeed bike, guide book author, filmmaker, gravel event organiser, public speaker and passionate advocate for all things Scottish.
• Gravel Union Talks podcast with hosts Carlo van Nistelrooy and Olly Townsend.

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. It's free!

• Travel Gravel – Karibu Kenya
  • Until 2021, Kenya was perhaps better known for wildlife safaris or high altitude trekking than it was as a destination for gravel riders and bikepackers, but the launch of the Migration Gravel Race saw that turned on its head. With an incredible network of dirt roads, stunning wildlife viewing opportunities and plenty of sunshine, Kenya is now well and truly on the radar of adventurous gravel riders. Julian Velascotravelled there in autumn 2024 and has sent in an amazing write-up of his adventures. 
• Armchair Adventure - Gravel racing at the end of the world
  • Many of us have probably had the opportunity to ride off the beaten track before. After all, even in the most populous of regions, a gravel bike is often the perfect way to find a bit of solitude. Jorge Padrones decided that he wanted to really explore the wilderness though and headed off to Patagonia to try and find the end of the world. The Karukinka Gravel 2024 race seemed the perfect opportunity to explore somewhere that very few people have ever visited, let alone ridden a gravel bike. Read on to find out more. 
• Gravel Inspiration – Mastering high-mountain gravel riding - essential preparation and top tips
  • In early February, Olly will be on the far side of the world, heading for some of the planet’s highest gravel roads. A small but intrepid group of gravellers are going to be taking on the Trans-Nepal gravel event which starts at nearly 5000m, right on the border of Nepal and Tibet. With temperatures forecast to be way below freezing, rough terrain, fairly basic accommodation and the remote nature of the event, proper preparation is key to having a good time. What bike to take? Which clothing to pack? How to keep the luggage below the 25kg maximum? Olly shares his top tips for gravelling on top of the world. 

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: Erwin Vervecken

• Erwin Vervecken, UCI Gravel World Series 
• 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

On this episode's guest:
Erwin Vervecken, Mr Gravel at the UCI, the world governing body for cycling. As a former multi-time world champion in cyclocross, Erwin is pretty adept at riding off-road on a dropbar bike. It would be fair to say that gravel racing since the arrival of the UCI into the gravel racing scene, has seen stratospheric growth. Today we’re going to be chatting to Erwin about the UCI’s plans for gravel racing in 2025 and beyond...

What's cooking on Gravel Union website:

• Armchair Adventure - Across the Andes
  • Ultra-distance gravel event riders seem to be a different breed to mere mortals, riding incredible distances in short periods of time and surviving on tiny levels of sleep, unimaginable to ‘normal’ riders. But is there a point where the safety of riders is being overlooked in the pursuit of ever greater challenges? When he took part in this year’s Across Andes, Mark Livesey was pushed to his absolute limit and wonders whether the spirit of gravel is being lost somewhere out there in the wilderness? 
• Gravel Adventure - Canyon’s gravel review of 2024
  • It’s that time of year where we all probably start thinking about what the future might bring, but also reviewing how this year went. What went well? What do we need to work on? What shall we just gloss over and pretend never happened? It’s not just Joe Public who do this of course, the cycling industry having been doing it too. Canyon sent over their version of a “year in gravel” featuring two of their sponsored riders, former Unbound winner Carolin Schiff and ‘the original gravel privateer” Pete Stetina. We’ve cherry picked some of the highlights from their year to share with you. 
• Armchair Adventure - Getting cross in Antwerp
  
  
  • “Do you fancy going to see one of the rounds of the cyclocross world cup later in the year? We could take our gravel bikes and make a long weekend of it?” As a veteran of numerous CX world cup and world championship viewing weekends over the past twenty years, Olly thought he knew how to make a mixed CX/gravel weekend fun. Despite the fact that only one of his regular gravel riding buddies actually ride or race CX, everyone else were keen televised CX racing fans and jumped at the chance to see it in real life. Plans were made, tickets booked and the #fridaygravelgang were soon on their way to Antwerp. Read on to find out how they got on.