Iris Slappendel on the women's peloton, gravel riding, activism, clothing design, reporting and more

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

• Iris Slappendel, designer, (former pro) rider, activist, entrepeneur, reporter
• Gravel Union Talks podcast with hosts Carlo van Nistelrooy and Olly Townsend

Want to bring in ideas for topics or guests? Mail Olly at [e-mail]

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Links for the notes

• News - Launch of the Grinduro global event series for 2024

Gravel events generally fall into one of two camps – either testosterone-fuelled pedal-to-the-metal races or more relaxed, welcome-everyone celebrations of gravelling. But there is a third way and apparently, it’s painted purple! Grinduro have just announced the launch of their 2024 world series and we got the inside scoop of what will be involved, from head honcho James Deane.

• Gravel Inspiration – Taking On The Weather Gods And Winning

It seems to have rained in the north of England non-stop since the start of October. Each time you ride, your drivetrain and brake pads make the kind of noise that whispers “your bike hates you” repeatedly in your ears. Wouldn’t it just be best to wrap your gravel bike in a blanket and forget about riding it until the Spring? Never fear – we’re not going to let climatic conditions ruin our ride plans, we just have to be a little cleverer. Here’s Olly’s guide to not giving up when the weather gods aren’t smiling on you.

• The Gear – Ass Savers Win Wing Mk 2

In a sales meeting in 1909, renowned car maker and engineer Henry Ford is documented as saying “customers can have any colour they like so long as it's black”. The design team at Ass Savers have obviously been paying attention to their history of design lessons, as their newly launched Win Wing Mark 2, at first glance at least, follows the same ethos laid down by Henry Ford.