Advertise on podcast: Detours: Bikepacking, Ultra-Cycling and Adventures by Bike

54 women took to the start of the inaugural Taurus Mountain Race. Listen to their voices and words of wisdom to themselves. I hope you are inspired by their stories to take on your own grand adventure. Here are as many of their voices as we could gather:  Kate Nelson — Cap 137Merlijn Sluiter — Cap 177Isabelle Berti — Cap 12Hannah Simon — Cap 175Erin Poland — Cap 311BPeta Mc Sharry — Cap 119Claire Sharpe — Cap 174Nathalie Baillon — Cap 7Kristen Tonsager — Cap 196Helene Keuthen — Cap 318B Shona Oldfield — Cap 319BSvenja Betz — Cap 13Susie Douglas — Cap 45Emma Missale — Cap 312BCynthia Carson — Cap 23Lynn Meier — Cap 123Helene Fromenty — Cap 61Rosalyn Osborne — Cap 142 ⚠️Laura Deave — Cap 39Femke van Kessel — Cap 305BNicole Farrier — Cap 53Maxi Unger — Cap 199Katrien De Smet — Cap 37Emma Bateup — Cap 10Tess Elias — Cap 52Blair Blackwell — Cap 15Ariane Richter — Cap 158Meg Pugh — Cap 153Justine Rondeau — Cap 162Claire Stevens — Cap 185Jeanne Lepoix — Cap 110Karen Ekman — Cap 51Tori Riemersma — Cap 159Heidi Seeto — Cap 172Leanne Bentley — Cap 11Marei Moldenhauer — Cap 127Catherine de Medici Jaffee — Cap 36Meaghan Hackinen — Cap 69Freyja Moreton — Cap 131 Follow Mel on Instagram: @melwwebb Follow Detours on Instagram: @detourscycling Follow Albion on Instagram: @albion.cycling Use code DETOURS15 to get 15% off your next order from Albion If you enjoy listening please consider pledging your support to sustain producing this show: https://buymeacoffee.com/detourspodcast

We often set out on these big adventures with a picture in our heads of what we're going to get from them. The reality is that they almost never deliver that thing. Instead, they hand us something else entirely... and that's exactly what makes them worth doing. Hannah Glatter rode the brand new Great Plains Gravel Route this summer, travelling 3,000 miles from the Texas desert to the Canadian border, through the states people love to write off as flyover. She covered around 100 miles a day for 36 days — and before this, she'd never bikepacked more than a few days at a time. In this episode of Detours we talk about choosing community over going it alone, letting go of who you think you should be as an adventurer, learning to be proud of our accomplishments for the genuine feats they are, and building a life you love so much you don't need to escape from it. Learn more about the Great Plains Gravel Route Follow Hannah's adventures on Instagram @hannah.glatter Follow Mel on Instagram: @melwwebb Follow Detours on Instagram: @detourscycling Follow Albion on Instagram: @albion.cycling Use code DETOURS15 to get 15% off your next order from Albion If you enjoy listening please consider pledging your support to sustain producing this show: https://buymeacoffee.com/detourspodcast

What does it take to win an ultra-distance bikepacking race and then run 192 kilometres across the Balkans three days later? Dilara Tuna is a Belgian adventurer who moves as comfortably on foot as she does on two wheels. In 2026 she took the women's win at the Trans Balkan Race, riding on women's record pace for much of it, before heading straight out to run the Peaks of the Balkans trail through Albania, Montenegro and Kosovo.  In this episode of Detours, we talk about what running and cycling each teach you about the other, why the women's field in ultra running feels years ahead of bikepacking, and the voice that told her for years she was "too slow" to sleep — and how working with a coach helped her finally rest, race smarter, and go faster because of it. We also get into racing Silk Road in a pair with a man she'd met days earlier, the thunderstorm that cost her the record, the stray dog that followed her for five hours, and the problem with chocolate in a heatwave. Follow Dilara's adventures on Instagram @tunafisch Follow Mel on Instagram: @melwwebb Follow Detours on Instagram: @detourscycling Follow Albion on Instagram: @albion.cycling Use code DETOURS15 to get 15% off your next order from Albion If you enjoy listening please consider pledging your support to sustain producing this show: https://buymeacoffee.com/detourspodcast

Now in my 30s, the question of whether or not to become a mum sits heavier than it used to. And when I go looking for a template to follow — women who've done it without giving up riding, racing, their freedom — I come up with a handful. Today's guest Luisa Werner is an athlete who has won the women's race at Atlas Mountain Race, stood on the podium of many ultras AND she's a mum. In this episode of Detours we talk about identity, the physical changes of pregnancy, coming back to sport postpartum, and how Luisa is approaching this season of her life. Follow Luisa on Instagram @luisasophiewer Follow Mel on Instagram: @melwwebb Follow Detours on Instagram: @detourscycling Follow Albion on Instagram: @albion.cycling Use code DETOURS15 to get 15% off your next order from Albion If you enjoy listening please consider pledging your support to sustain producing this show: https://buymeacoffee.com/detourspodcast

Meaghan Hackinen just rode the Tour Divide faster than any woman ever has in 14 days 10 hours 2 minutes, taking more than a full day off her own previous time across nearly 4,400 kilometres from Banff to the Mexican border, and besting Austin Killips record 14 days 23 hours. In this episode of Detours, Meaghan shares the ins and outs of her record-breaking run: what she learned from her rookie attempt in 2024, the marginal gains that added up, the collective she built for women and underrepresented riders to build community around the divide, how she managed to find time for a skinny dip on route... yes you heard that right! and so much more.  Follow Meaghan's adventures on Instagram @meaghanhackinen Follow Mel on Instagram: @melwwebb Follow Detours on Instagram: @detourscycling Follow Albion on Instagram: @albion.cycling Use code DETOURS15 to get 15% off your next order from Albion If you enjoy listening please consider pledging your support to sustain producing this show: https://buymeacoffee.com/detourspodcast

Svenja Betz is a rider I've had on my radar for quite some time. She's won the likes of Unbound XL — twice — along with Badlands and Traka560. But what's intrigued me most is how she's balanced racing at such a high level with her career. For the past two years she's been in an intensive teacher training program in Germany, finishing her final exams just one week before flying to Kansas to defend her Unbound XL title.  In this episode of Detours we talk all about her approach to racing — why having nothing to lose became her secret weapon, the rise of fiercely strong women on the start line and why she's an open book with all of them, and the brutal Badlands debut where she begged her mom to pick her up. We also get into what she's learned about enjoying the experience along the way, not just chasing the win — and what she's most looking forward to in this next chapter now that her studies are finally done.  Plus! We have another listener voicenote from Alex who just raced his first ultra at Solstice Sprint.   I'd love to hear from more of you! What adventures have you been up to this summer? What did you experience or learn along the way. Send me a voice note to [email protected] and we'll feature if on an upcoming episode. Follow Svenja's adventures on Instagram @svenja__betz Follow Mel on Instagram: @melwwebb Follow Detours on Instagram: @detourscycling Follow Albion on Instagram: @albion.cycling Use code DETOURS15 to get 15% off your next order from Albion If you enjoy listening please consider pledging your support to sustain producing this show: https://buymeacoffee.com/detourspodcast

The Traka has become one of the biggest gravel events in cycling, rivalling Unbound for prestige and increasingly important for sponsors. The 560 – their adventure distance added in recent years – has quickly become a proving ground for endurance talent. This year, Maddy Nutt lined up for the 560 having never raced an ultra. She had big goals, with her eyes on the women's record time – which she went on to smash. In this episode of Detours, we get into her ride along with preparation that included AI-assisted pacing, carrying five kilos of nutrition and water, the importance of having fun, and what a win like this could mean for her future. Check out Maddy's Traka 560 film Follow her adventures on Instagram @maddy_nutt Plus we hear from Ainsley who just raced her first bikepacking race!   Follow Mel on Instagram: @melwwebb Follow Detours on Instagram: @detourscycling Follow Albion on Instagram: @albion.cycling Use code DETOURS15 to get 15% off your next order from Albion If you enjoy listening please consider pledging your support to sustain producing this show: https://buymeacoffee.com/detourspodcast

Racing and riding season is in full swing! This week we hear from some of the women racing Tour Divide 2026, along with Hannah Glatter who is currently riding 5,600KM along the Great Plains Gravel Route.      Follow Mel on Instagram: @melwwebb Follow Detours on Instagram: @detourscycling Follow Albion on Instagram: @albion.cycling Use code DETOURS15 to get 15% off your next order from Albion If you enjoy listening please consider pledging your support to sustain producing this show: https://buymeacoffee.com/detourspodcast

For the first time ever, the Highland Trail 550 has a 50-50 gender split on the startline. For the 14th edition in 2026, 32 women will be racing. Since 2022, Alan has worked hard to build a 50-50 start list, encouraging women that they belong on the startline. This year’s event is longer than previous editions, with 913km around the Scottish highlands. Created by Alan Goldsmith, it was inspired by events in the US like the Tour Divide and the Colorado Trail Race. As Alan describes it on the HT550 website: initially put together as a training ride, it became apparent that the great trails, beautiful scenery, remote wilderness, and fickle Scottish weather offered a world-class route for a self-supported challenge right here in the UK. The route follows stunning trails, includes some boggy and technical sections, and hike-a-bike to boot. Watch our dots HERE as we make our way around the highlands. Follow Mel on Instagram: @melwwebb Follow Detours on Instagram: @detourscycling Follow Albion on Instagram: @albion.cycling Use code DETOURS15 to get 15% off your next order from Albion If you enjoy listening please consider pledging your support to sustain producing this show: https://buymeacoffee.com/detourspodcast

Nutrition is one of the most underestimated parts of bikepacking and ultra-distance racing. We can dial our kit, obsess over our gear, train for months — but if we're not fuelling well, none of it matters. This week, Dietician Uri Carlson is back on Detours, and this time we had a very specific agenda: Highland Trail 550 is on the horizon, and this year I'll be lining up for my first time, and I wanted to make sure I left no stone unturned.  We get into carb loading — when to start and how to think about it for a multi-day race that lasts a week — resupply strategy, hydration ranges, gut health and the microbiome, what to do when you're too nauseous to eat but still have a long way to go, and why under-fuelling is a bigger threat to your gut than any high-carb gel. A lot of the specifics are Highland Trail flavoured, but the fuelling principles apply to any ultra-endurance adventure you've got on the horizon. You can also find the blog post version of this episode on Substack Follow Uri on Instagram @uri_carlson_nutrition Follow Mel on Instagram: @melwwebb Follow Detours on Instagram: @detourscycling Follow Albion on Instagram: @albion.cycling Use code DETOURS15 to get 15% off your next order from Albion If you enjoy listening please consider pledging your support to sustain producing this show: https://buymeacoffee.com/detourspodcast

What do you do when things don't go your way? When you're caught in the eye of a storm and unsure whether to continue. When the race you trained all winter for falls apart on day one. Justyna Jarczok has been cycling for only two years, and in that short time she's found some answers. She's resilient, positive, and ambitious – and she just won the women's race at Dale's Divide. We talk about decision making in extreme weather, reframing races that don't go to plan, the community that rallied when her bike was stolen, and why ultra feels like the place she belongs. Follow Justyna's adventure on Instagram @justine_bike Follow Mel on Instagram: @melwwebb Follow Detours on Instagram: @detourscycling Follow Albion on Instagram: @albion.cycling Use code DETOURS15 to get 15% off your next order from Albion If you enjoy listening please consider pledging your support to sustain producing this show: https://buymeacoffee.com/detourspodcast

A lil life update on our recent trip to Spain, bikepacking around Girona, one month living overseas and the final few weeks of prep before Highland Trail 550.  Follow Mel on Instagram: @melwwebb Follow Detours on Instagram: @detourscycling Follow Albion on Instagram: @albion.cycling Use code DETOURS15 to get 15% off your next order from Albion If you enjoy listening please consider pledging your support to sustain producing this show: https://buymeacoffee.com/detourspodcast

Gala Giannini is an ER doctor, ultra racer, and now event organizer based in northern Italy. She's raced Italy Divide, Gran Guanche, Silk Road, Atlas, and Badlands. At her first ultra, there were maybe four women on the start line. At Atlas this year, the change was undeniable. In this episode of Detours, we talk about the growing movement of more women on start lines, how winning a gravel bike by drawing a 180-kilometer reindeer on Strava led to her first ultra two months later, the parallels between night shifts in the ER and racing through the night, and the event she's building in the Italian Alps – named after a mythological goat with uneven legs. Learn more about the Dahu Trail Follow Gala's adventures: @gala.giannini Follow Mel on Instagram: @melwwebb Follow Detours on Instagram: @detourscycling Follow Albion on Instagram: @albion.cycling Use code DETOURS15 to get 15% off your next order from Albion If you enjoy listening please consider pledging your support to sustain producing this show: https://buymeacoffee.com/detourspodcast

What if the thing waiting on the other side of "failure" is more valuable than the goal itself? Vedangi Kulkarni is an ultra-endurance cyclist, adventurer, and two-time round-the-world rider. She first circumnavigated the globe at 19 – starting in Australia in 2018 and finishing on Christmas Eve, turning 20 somewhere along the way. Then in 2024, she set out again, starting and finishing in India, chasing the record for the fastest woman to cycle around the world. She didn't get the record. But what she found along the way might have been more valuable. Now based in Inverness, Scotland, Vedangi runs The Adventure Shed, helping others plan solo expeditions, and is launching the Looking Beyond Barriers Adventure Fund to support the next generation of women adventurers. In this episode of Detours we talk about the privilege of a single yes, what it took to keep going when her goal slipped out of reach, redefining success around impact over performance, and so much more. Follow Vedangi's adventures: @thisisvedangi Get your Detours & More Women on Startlines Stickers!!  Follow Mel on Instagram: @melwwebb Follow Detours on Instagram: @detourscycling Follow Albion on Instagram: @albion.cycling Use code DETOURS15 to get 15% off your next order from Albion If you enjoy listening please consider pledging your support to sustain producing this show: https://buymeacoffee.com/detourspodcast

Millie Gibbons loves riding her bike. And when I say loves, I mean she's Everested four times and her idea of a really good time is gathering eight women and riding 200K to France for a croissant. Based in Girona and always surrounded by a girl gang, Millie has built community simply by showing up and doing what she loves. She's also a seriously quick racer, winning the women's race at Kromvojoj in 2025 and and Trans Pyrenees 2023.  In this episode, we talk about her proudest finish at Alps Divide on an underbiked gravel setup through every weather condition imaginable, the meditative simplicity of racing for a busy brain, and her philosophy: find your thing, have fun doing it. Follow Millie's adventures: @milliegibbons Follow Mel on Instagram: @melwwebb Follow Detours on Instagram: @detourscycling Follow Albion on Instagram: @albion.cycling Use code DETOURS15 to get 15% off your next order from Albion If you enjoy listening please consider pledging your support to sustain producing this show: https://buymeacoffee.com/detourspodcast