The Gravel Family Podcast

Professional cyclists Hannah Shell and Jake Magee are not only incredible athletes on the bike, but they have a passion for people and this community that brings us all together! We were able to catch up with Hannah and Jake for an episode full of event stories, their story of how they met, and we also talk a little bit about Hannah's new role as the First to Last Coordinator!

Collectively finishing dozens of races and events including multiple Gravel Worlds, Cole and Kelsi are both involved in the Iowa Gravel Project, run weekly gravel group rides, and now host three separate gravel events! It was an honor to sit down with them to talk about Iowa Gravel, RAGBRAI, and the events they put on in the community!

As long time friends and supporters of Gravel Worlds John Wilmeth and Venny Alub sit down with us for another episode on the Power Couples series! Together they have finished countless gravel and mountain bike events around the country are the owners of Cantu Wheels, and they are just all around incredible people! We talk about their adventures both on and off the bike, how Cantu came to be, and.... Pickleball?!

Taking a week break from our power couple series (don't worry... we have a few more coming up) we thought it would be a great time to catch up and talk about our favorite thing.. GRAVEL WORLDS!

This week's couple has hands down been the most requested power couple, yet! While Ali is the most winningest female of Gravel Worlds, as well as being on the top podium of countless other races, her husband Blaize is the National Account Sales Manager at SRAM- so you could say they know a thing or two about bikes and the cycling world! In this episode we talk about their experiences traveling the world together, how they met, and update on their life since we last had them on the podcast!

This episode is not only a continuation of the Power Couples series, but it piggy backs on last week's episode about NICA as we interview Vanessa Hauswald, the Executive Director of NoCal NICA and her husband Yuri Hauswald who is the community manager of GU Energy Labs, Unbound Gravel champion, and a class of 2023 Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame member! We talk about Vanessa's experience in NICA, being a stage 4 cancer survivor, Yuri's experience at GU, and their love for bikes as a couple! You can find Yuri and Vanessa on Instagram at: @yhauswald @vhaus

Taking a break from our Power Couples series, Josalyn Poore and her dad, Jesse Poore join us to talk about our local NICA league, Lancaster Composite and what it's like to be part of that culture and community! If you are interested in more information about NICA for either a coaching position or as an athlete, check out the links below: Nebraska Interscholastic Cycling League: https://nebraskamtb.org/ Lancaster Composite Mountain Bike Team: https://lancastermtb.com/ NICA: https://nationalmtb.org/

Putting on a combined total of 55 successful events, being event directors for 24 years, and being married for 28 years- this power couple knows a few things about both bikes and love so it was only natural to have them on our podcast! Being promoters for Pine Island Gravel Odyssey, 28 Below, and Dakota 5-0, Kristi and Perry Jewett shared their experiences through their years of both riding and event directing and we are so lucky to get to share those stories with you!

When you think of the phrase "Power Couples" Ted and Laura King fit that description to a T! While Ted is a former world tour pro who hit the gravel rolling in 2016 to go on to win countless podiums, Laura has been on those same podiums and between her work on the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame board and advocacy work for women in cycling, she has become an inspiration for women around the world. We talk all about their busy life raising two young children while balancing the life in the cycling world, their van life adventures, and what their next year will look like!

Dave and Selene are the epitome of a power couple in the cycling industry! On her side she brings a wealth of knowledge about women's health in sport as she runs the "Hit Play Not Pause" podcast, as well as competing in almost all of the big name gravel events around the country. On the other hand, Dave is the promoter of UnPaved Pennsylvania and Monkey Knife Fight, and has been a crucial part of the growth of gravel cycling on the East coast. This is not one you will want to miss!

We're starting off strong with our "Love Month" series interviewing Kristen and Nick Legan! We truly could not ask for a better couple to talk to about their dynamic as active cyclists and leaders in the industry. We talk about Kristen's upcoming year in the Lifetime Grand Prix, Nick's upcoming Great Divide Mountain Bike Route adventure!

It's been a long time coming, but we finally had to chance to talk to the first ever winner of Gravel Worlds- Mike Marchand! An absolute legend, incredible person, and librarian, Mike brought his wisdom of his years in gravel cycling at different events and sheds light on the evolution of the sport!

Chase Wark has numerous accolades including being the 2021 Randy Gibson Climbers Jersey Winner, 2023 Gravel Worlds 2nd place overall, and winning multiple other races in 2023 including two Para National Championships! Coming off an incredible year, we had the chance to pick his brain on being a race promoter for some incredible grassroots events, and got to hear about his incredible Gravel Worlds experience! You can find more information about his events below: Warkscyclingservices.com

While Geno Villafano is well known for his Tiktok presence, he has so much more to share with the world! On the heels of his move to Berlin, we were able to sit down with him for a conversation about his racing history (including his 2023 Long Voyage win), how he first went viral on social media, his recent move to Germany, and also his unique wedding story! You can follow Geno on both Instagram and Tiktok under the username: @Spieo

Kaci is no stranger to the running world, and as two time champ of the Gravel Worlds Land Ho, she knows a thing or two about winning races! We talk about her history as an athlete and also dive into her new found passion for cycling!

From our team to you, HAPPY HOLIDAYS! No matter where you're from, who you are, or what you ride, we are proud to call you family! We will see you in 2024 for a whole new batch of episodes.

As the founder of both Pure Gravel and Lift Creative Studios, a board member of the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame, and as we learned in the episode, the inventor of the bar end shifters on triathlon road bikes, Steve Driscoll has etched his name in gravel history. In this episode, we talk about his history of cycling, his endeavors in both Pure Gravel and Lift Creative Studios, and we pick his brain on what has changed and evolved in this sport over the years! For more information about Pure Gravel: https://puregravel.com/

While Shane Peed started out as a triathlete and Ironman, he has found a love for gravel cycling and has done so much for the community through his team, Slowtwitch Good Life Racing. We were able to snag some time with this busy business owner (he also owns Certified Piedmontese) to talk about his Ironman and triathlon experiences! To find out more information about Certified Piedmontese- https://www.piedmontese.com/ To find out more about Good Life Racing- https://www.goodliferacing.com/

Not only is this week's guest a talented cyclist with plenty of podium finishes throughout his career (including 5th place at Gravel Worlds 2023), but he is a world champion in U23 rowing! Clearly Brennan Wertz is a multi-dimensional athlete and we were lucky enough to talk to him about his last few years at races across the country, and his experience as a world champion rower! Instagram: brennan.wertz

What are we thankful for this year? YOU! Jason and Sofia kick off Thanksgiving week with a short episode, summing up our thankfulness for the next year, featuring a few special guests!