Ep 01: Amy Charity is co-founder of SBT GRVL, a former pro road cyclist, and the author of The Wrong Side of Comfortable
One of the most exciting parts of cycling currently, is the rise of gravel events, and who better to talk about this trend than the wonderful Amy Charity? Amy is the brains behind SBT GRAVL, the exciting event that had its first run in 2019 and is back again in August of 2021! Amy gives us the inside scoop on the event, its founding ethos, and what cyclists can expect from taking part. We also spend some time in the conversation hearing about Amy's somewhat unusual path into professional cycling, and how her how life pivoted in her 30s, from a career in investing, into her passion for riding! Amy explains why she now officially considers herself a 'gravel racer' and we get down to why gravel is such a burgeoning aspect of cycling culture. We also talk about what it was like to be a rookie at an older age, and the mutually beneficial relationships she struck up with younger women during that time. A big message that Amy emphasizes is the benefit of confronting discomfort, an idea that is expanded on in her book The Wrong Side of Comfortable. Amy believes that all the best experiences in life are related to pushing our limits and that this concept can be applied beyond cycling and sport. So for this fascinating and inspiring chat with a special guest, be sure to listen in!
Key Points From This Episode:
Fat-biking in the snow and the grooming of certain trails in Steamboat.
How Amy and Rob met in the early days of the new trend towards gravel events.
New and exciting freedoms afforded to racers on gravel.
The expansion of gravel races and the aim of widening their accessibility and appeal.
Amy's story of starting SBT GRVL; the motivation and unique opportunity that was its spark.
The core values on which the event was founded and the difficulty level that Amy and her team decided to settle on.
What is 'champagne gravel'? And how this term fits into the Steamboat lexicon.
The breakdown of the event and the four distances that participants can choose from.
Race times from the 2019 event and the amazing conditions that contributed to these.
The crazy challenge that Amy set up for racers to ride back-to-back events on Saturday and Sunday!
Amy's identification as a 'gravel rider' at this point in her career.
The early days of Amy's career in racing; how she quit a job at a hedge fund and went pro!
Amy's experiences of life as a rookie in her 30s and the younger women around her.
Favorite moments in cycling; team time trials, winning nationals, and racing in Europe.
The process of writing the book, The Wrong Side of Comfortable.
Important coaches and mentors that Amy has had along the way.
Applying lessons from sport and cycling to other areas of life and business.
Amy's training schedule now and how this fits in with her responsibilities as a coach.
A look at Amy's race schedule for the year ahead!
Tweetables:
“With this gravel revolution that’s happening, we each have a very different take on what is important in our events and that’s actually what makes them so incredible.” — @amymcharity [0:10:00]
“We don’t have a governing body. We don’t have anyone who is telling us what needs to happen. And each race director really has that freedom to choose what they want to have in a race.” — @amymcharity [0:10:58]
“I think the beauty of gravel is that it is incredibly inclusive. I think that that is true. It’s certainly true of SBT, but I think it’s true of all of the events. Every one of the event organizers are trying to find ways to bring in new populations.” — @amymcharity [0:12:03]
“SBT GRVL really started from people who are passionate about cycling and really starting to get interested in the racing gravel.” — @amymcharity [0:13:39]