Danni Shrosbree and Bradley Shenton are busy people. Danni leading the privateer life of a professional gravel racer with all that that entails. And Brad never not on the road as business developer for Quoc cycling shoes.
So taking time out between return flights to Europe and back again, races, van trips and reconnaissance rides, they talk through what connects them as a couple, how home is both a moveable feast yet grounded in Girona, and why, in and amongst this whirlwind of life and living, they prioritise making memories together.
cyclespeak
You’re calling from Boulder, Colorado?
Danni
We’re staying with this lovely family that host us every year. They clearly like us because they allow us to return. And it’s my favourite place in the United States. Like a playground for all the different types of riding.
Brad
But this also offers up an interesting insight into Danni’s life and how she has to hustle for what riders on teams like Specialized might perhaps take for granted…
Danni
It’s always hard when you’re based over in Europe and racing in the States. Some of the races can be a month apart but it’s not always cost effective to fly back and forth. So this family stay came about through a friend of my Dad’s who very kindly hooked me up after Unbound last year. With the proviso that if I’m a pain in the ass, then I’ll have to leave straight away [laughs].
cyclespeak
I did wonder whether your wild card entry into the Lifetime Grand Prix—which means you’ll be racing Leadville—made staying at elevation in Boulder a tad more desirable?
Danni
Oh, for sure. But what’s funny is that, because of my visa, I have to go home for three weeks before heading back for Leadville. Which cost wise is absolutely crazy.
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cyclespeak
We’ve met before Brad; in real life, as they say. But I also feel I kind of know you Danni, from listening to the Bonk Babes podcast. So I was wondering—in this very connected, social media saturated world in which we live—whether this ever catches you unawares when you meet strangers for the first time and there’s this sense of knowingness?
Brad
It’s started happening to me a little more but it’s a regular thing with Danni.
Danni
And I’ve got this, “Hello mate, how’re you doing” personality.
Brad
I was at an event in New York a couple of weeks ago and someone came up to me saying, “Keep doing what you’re doing Swan Dog.” And I was like, what?
cyclespeak
Did you get the tattoo that Danni designed that references your nickname?
Brad
Not yet. But it will probably happen. We spend a lot of time together driving the van, so any number of stupid ideas get dreamed up on the road.
Danni
Which was why I was asking AI to help me design this combination of a swan and dog.
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cyclespeak
I’m guessing, Danni, that you lean into your name’s allusion to strawberry?
Danni
Not that my family name looks anything like strawberry but because no one can say it, Strawbs was my nickname from back when I was racing on the road and it just stuck. Which accounts for my bright pink helmet having strawberry decals all over it.
cyclespeak
Does that help in race feed-zones, Brad?
Brad
It’s so good. I’m so over all-white helmets.
cyclespeak
Before we look in more detail at the professional aspects of your lives, could we start with your story as a couple? How you first met and where it went from there.
Brad
There are a lot of funny nuances to our story. And it all started when I first joined Quoc and was getting to grips with understanding the cycling scene. At that time, Danni was just starting to race seriously…
Danni
On CAMS-Basso, a continental road team…
Brad
Who were cleaning up at the London races and I quickly realised that Danni was someone to keep my eyes on as her career progressed. And then at this race called Battle on the Beach over in Wales…
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Danni
I’d robbed my Dad’s camper van…
Brad
So I said hello and we started chatting. Only to discover—and here’s what’s so funny about our story—that I was coached on the athletics track by Danni’s aunty and uncle and grew up racing her cousins.
Danni
So weird…
Brad
And then when Danni did so well at the race, I offered her some shoes and out of this first meeting—bearing in mind that, at the time, we both had partners—Danni became a Quoc athlete and we became good friends.
cyclespeak
So what changed in the sense that you’re now a couple?
Brad
We both went through tough breakups, which bizarrely led us both to Girona, where we moved in together pretty quickly.
Danni
What Brad is missing out, is that we both agreed to race Badlands, in the couples category, before we were actually a couple. But then, in the run up to the race, we got together which meant we were racing as a couple in both senses of the word.
cyclespeak
And went on to win.
Danni
That race was a big test of our fledgling relationship [laughs].
Brad
We were both in Girona—riding together loads in the lead-up to Badlands—when things between us began to get a little more serious. And in all honesty, it was only a few people in Girona that knew we were together. But then we race, and win, Badlands and it gets picked up by BBC South Today and BBC Online and I’m getting all these messages saying, “Brad, who’s this girlfriend of yours?”
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cyclespeak
It struck me that you work with Quoc shoes, Brad. But Danni, you also worked in shoes—researching and forecasting trends—before becoming a full-time gravel professional. So was it perhaps fated, the two of you finding each other?
Danni
Footwear has always been a passion of mine. My Mum jokes that when I was a kid, I always wanted the latest sneakers. So I can talk about shoes all of the time.
Brad
And she does. I get all the feedback [laughs].
cyclespeak
Just out of interest, how many individual pairs of shoes do you each own?
Danni
I definitely have a shoe problem so I actually couldn’t even tell you.
Brad
Are we talking just Quoc shoes?
cyclespeak
No. All categories of shoes.
Brad
In that case, give up now! There’s too many and not enough numbers.
cyclespeak
Now that we’ve heard your story as a couple, I thought it would be interesting if you both took it in turns to describe what the other does professionally.
Danni
Brad’s in charge of business development at Quoc but it goes so much further than simply a job title. In all honesty, the brand would be lost without him. When you see him out in the field, it’s just incredible. Yes, the brand comprises the logo and the physical product but it’s so much more than that. And Brad was personally responsible for growing the UK market to where it is today, which is why he’s now out here in the States building on that growth. From retail outlets to race expos, everyone knows Brad and love all the crazy events he dreams up. He’s a proper hustler and my career genuinely wouldn’t be where it is today without Brad supporting my so-called privateer life. The gravel scene is becoming increasingly professionalised so you need a support crew in the feed zones and Brad has been there at every important race. The best Swan Dog I could wish for.
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Brad
That was unreal, thanks.
cyclespeak
Now it’s your turn, Brad.
Brad
So first and foremost, a lot of people know Danni as a pro gravel racer. But what people might not realise, is that Danni has a full-time job outside of that. Notwithstanding her training, no one gets to see how much work she does behind the scenes. A day doesn’t go by without any number of calls, a sponsor photo or video shoot, hosting a podcast, researching the guests on the podcast. The list just goes on and the number of times I wake up in the morning and Danni is explaining an idea she’s had for an Instagram reel. And I’m talking the very second you wake up. But what’s so great, is that Danni is amazing at juggling all these different facets of her career and being the best version of herself she can possibly be. There’s her advocacy for women in cycling, the coaching advice she offers, she’s a much valued brand ambassador and when it all comes together on race day and she gets a good result, I couldn’t be happier for her. And Danni’s a fantastic chef. Which is great because I don’t really cook…
Danni
No, no. He can. When we have a Quoc house, all of a sudden he rustles up the most incredible dish for all the athletes. But joking aside, we actually make a really good team.
cyclespeak
Possibly a slightly odd question but you both in a sense worked Unbound and I was wondering who found the experience the more challenging?
Danni
I’ve done a stint in a feed zone so I know how hard that can be. And especially for Brad at Unbound: on his feet every day leading up to the race, working the expo, before helping talk through my strategy when he’s back to the house in the evening. And it’s a 200 mile course with three feed zones so that puts pressure on the support crews to drive between them across some pretty rough country. Throw in any unforeseen issues like me losing my tracker signal—which happened this year—and it can get crazy stressful.
Brad
It’s a different kind of hard. And in the grand scheme of things, we’re very fortunate that we get to do this for work. So whenever things ramp up a little, I remind myself that we’re blessed to be able to travel the world together and help each other to do our jobs. And there’s nothing better than being on the Quoc stand and showing the public our shoes. I just love it.
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cyclespeak
And race day?
Brad
There is a certain amount of stress. And especially when it’s your partner out there, putting everything on the line. Because I know exactly what’s gone into Danni’s preparation and what race day means. And when it doesn’t go according to plan, that hits hard. Which is why, waiting at the third and final feed zone and expecting to see her in the front group, when she wasn’t I had so many different scenarios going through my head. So I’ve got Danni’s mum texting me from over in England asking what’s going on. And I hadn’t even bothered to pick up any food and drinks from the van, thinking her race was over. Then I hear this shout, “Danni’s 15th!” so I’m scrambling to get her nutrition before she arrives.
cyclespeak
Just out of interest, how long was it—after Unbound had finished—that you were still finding pieces of grit, mud and sand about your person?
Danni
My bike is still not right. I’ve taken the headset apart twice now and I’m still finding grit. But quite unbelievably, the lady we were staying with in Emporia helped get my skin suit pretty much back to looking normal.
cyclespeak
Because at some points—I’m thinking of that tunnel underneath the railway tracks—you were going through some pretty deep water.
Danni
I stupidly tried to ride that, only to discover my handlebars were disappearing underwater. And then there was the lightning—which in the eventuality, the race handbook advises you to find shelter—but because Unbound is so exposed, where exactly do you go?
cyclespeak
I’m guessing your travel plans for the season have drastically changed now that you’ve qualified for the Lifetime Grand Prix through the wild card, Danni. More time in the States, less time in Europe. And you never seem to be in one place for very long, Brad. And though it’s one of my favourite questions to ask, it seems especially pertinent for you two. So what’s your concept of home?
Danni
Recently I had to write my address on something and I joked to Brad, “What do I put?” Because Girona is a special place for us and especially in the winter when it’s a little quieter. But both our families live in the south of England. So I guess it’s a little easier when we’re travelling together; in the sense that wherever we’re going is home.
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Brad
What’s interesting is that a lot of the professional cyclists in Girona live in spaces that are completely bare—they’re in and they’re out—whereas I feel we’ve created a proper sense of home in our flat that acts as a safe haven. But everyone is so welcoming over here in the US that it also starts to feel like home.
Danni
But you definitely get those moments when you don’t want to live out of a suitcase anymore. And that’s when I like to go back to Girona and spend some time on the beach.
cyclespeak
When you are both at home in your Girona apartment, who’s the tidiest?
Danni
I’d describe things as organised chaos. Especially when we first get back and there are bags everywhere. But then it will start to stress me out so I’ll tidy everything away and it will be pretty immaculate. And maybe I should add that Brad is terrible at putting his clothes away but possibly that’s just a male thing. I used to put them away for him but recently I’ve got a bit more stubborn. And I know what he’s going to say…that I’ve got so many clothes…
Brad
That there’s no space left for me to put things [laughs].
Danni
To be fair, he only ever wears his Quoc t-shirts so he doesn’t need any other clothes.
cyclespeak
Seeing each other in intense bursts and then being apart, possibly for weeks on end; does that feel completely natural or need some navigating?
Brad
We’re getting better—when we’re together—at understanding that we still need time to ourselves. But saying that, I reckon we’ve only had one proper date this year. So it’s probably fair to say some work is needed when we’re on the road and every weekend there’s an event or a race. Yes, we’re together, but is it the quality time a relationship needs?
cyclespeak
I don’t believe anyone lives a life devoid of at least some stresses and strains. But everything you do professionally, Danni, is done in the full glare of social media where individuals can comment and express their opinions, however ill-informed those might be. And Brad, your role is very customer facing and, as I’ve mentioned, you’re never in one place for long. So how do you each process the difficult times, what are your individual coping mechanisms, and how do you pull together as a couple to support each other?
Brad
We proper moan at each other [smiles].
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Danni
I used to try and give advice but really, he just needs to let it all out. And for me, I am on social media a lot but getting better at being real with my audience. So many people paint this perfect picture of the privateer life and you know what? Some days are shit. And I just got tired of pretending that everything was okay. Like earlier this year when I was training so hard—doing my best numbers—but not able to deliver in the races. And I just broke down and told Brad I couldn’t do this anymore. But everyone has a bad work day and you just need to sort your head out and the results will come.
Brad
We’ve got a lot better at speaking to each other when we’re struggling, as opposed to bottling up those feelings.
Danni
And I’m very close with my family. My mum’s like my best friend and always happy to listen. And then she’ll say, “You could always be back in London, sitting behind that laptop.”
cyclespeak
Talking about finding a balance, what does free time look like for you both? Is it ever possible to switch off completely?
Danni
That has to wait for the off season. But I’m a big advocate for grabbing a spa day, meeting up with friends, I even went horse riding last week. All those things make me the athlete I am. Because I would go insane if all I did was train and then sit around recovering. I need to keep things fun and in balance.
cyclespeak
Have you got an off switch, Brad?
Brad
Normally when I’ve got a beer in my hand.
Danni
A bit of a cliché but when I’m old and sitting in my rocking chair, I don’t want to look back on these times and not have a bunch of amazing memories of the things we saw and did. So maybe I should talk about Brad’s idea for my birthday present.
cyclespeak
This sounds intriguing…
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Danni
Well, I love Andorra and do a lot of altitude training there over the winter. But I’d never really seen it in the summer, my birthday is in July, and Brad told me he’d booked us a spa day. But then he tells me we’re going to bike pack there and back. So I’m doing this mental calculation—Girona to Andorra is roughly 200km with a fair bit of climbing—and decide I’m okay with that.
cyclespeak
So off you went.
Danni
Brad starts off super spritely but it was a seven hour day and we only just made the massage we had booked. And then on the return leg, there’s this awful headwind and way more climbing than Brad had anticipated. So he decides he’s done—bear in mind this was all his idea—and lets me pull him all the way back to Girona. And then—to top it all off—on the very last climb he pulls up next to me and starts to chat. So I’m, “Don’t you dare talk to me. It’s my birthday and you’ve put me on the front for five hours.”
Brad
One memory we won’t forget [laughs].
cyclespeak
As we’re talking about riding, any cycling pet peeves that you’re happy to share?
Danni
Sometimes I’ll join a group ride when I want to ride easy. But there’s always at least one person who feels the need to half wheel me or push the pace.
cyclespeak
So how do you respond?
Danni
I can be really stubborn and—if I’m going easy—I literally don’t give a fuck. If you want to ride with me and have a conversation, I’m back here.
cyclespeak
And you, Brad?
Brad
I actually have two. The first one—that I think we both share—is faffers. We both like to keep riding, we’re not fans of big stops, so that can drive us a little nuts. And the other one is very specific to my life in Girona and that’s the text message on the night before, or even the day of, saying, “Yo Brad, want to meet at 10:00am and go and ride for four hours?” And I’m like, no, I have a job. It’s a nice thought but I need at least a week’s notice in advance.
cyclespeak
I ummed and arred about asking this but who’s the fastest on a road bike up Els?
Brad
This time of year? Danni.
Danni
Brad is actually so strong. So sign him up for a two week boot-camp and then it would be pretty close.
Brad
Until it gets steep. You give me anything steep and I’m out the back [laughs].
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cyclespeak
I’m guessing your year, Brad, is pretty much mapped out with brand activations and trade expos to attend. For you, Danni, with the wild card entry, plans are a little more on the fly. So are you both planners—short and long term—in what your careers might look like in the future? Because media wise you’re both crushing it. You’re a super natural podcast host, Danni, and your pieces to camera, Brad, are highly entertaining and engaging. So does media stardom beckon when you decide to park the van and call a halt to racing?
Danni
I’m super passionate about my racing and want to enjoy that for as long as I can. But when the time comes to change direction, I’d love to stay in this industry whether that’s commentating or more podcasting.
Brad
You’d be so good.
Danni
I’d also love for us to do more on YouTube as a couple. And we’ve talked about having kids one day so lots to think about.
cyclespeak
How about you, Brad? How many years on the road is enough?
Brad
Sometimes it feels like I’m getting there.
cyclespeak
A fulfilling but tough life?
Brad
It has its moments but we’re just rolling with it. And Danni and I are always talking over future projects together.
Danni
I think our dream would be to have our own little hub somewhere and take all our learnings from these years on the road and create something truly unique.
cyclespeak
We’ve looked at the misconceptions of your professional lives so can we wind things up with the best aspects?
Danni
For me, it’s that we get to experience all these amazing places and events together. The vast majority of the memories that I’m creating in my racing career are shared by Brad.
Brad
And likewise, Danni’s seen all the growth of Quoc and can feel a sense of pride for being, one, part of that journey, and two, seeing all the hard work that goes into that success. Which I feel is really wicked. And you know what? We do live a pretty fun life. And that’s because we try not to take things too seriously.
Danni
We might not have the London city life and salaries…
Brad
But we’re rich in experience.
Thanks to Danni and Brad for embracing the Two Together theme so beautifully
Feature image by Dan Hutchinson / All other photography credited individually
cyclespeak 