Dave first heard of the Sedgefield 500, a self-supported, 500km-plus gravel race through South Africa's Garden Route, watching a video of ultra-endurance cyclist Tegan Phillips take it on years ago. This episode is the honest post-race account: what worked, what didn't, and the night things nearly fell apart. Somewhere past halfway, a stomach crisis turned a hard day into a genuinely frightening one — alone, in the dark, with no signal and the hardest section of the route still ahead. What followed was one of the more honest reflections on endurance sport you'll find: not a highlight reel, but the real cost and the real reward of finishing something that once felt out of reach.

0:00 — Before the Start: Recording a Message to His Future Self

2:23 — The Sedgefield 500: The Post-Race Report Begins

4:56 — Rating the Equipment: What Actually Held Up

9:35 — Fuelling 500km: The Full Nutrition Breakdown

11:30 — Where It Went Wrong: The Night Into Uniondale

14:51 — Coming Back to Life: The Final Stretch

16:29 — 30 Hours Later: What the Body Proved

17:37 — Thank You — and What Comes Next

# === LISTEN ON THE GO ===========================

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# === THE CREW ===================================

Dave @davlewjenkins

# === MORE FROM ACTIVE HOBO ======================

Latest episode: https://youtu.be/vSnCZ6pTguQ?si=4hvAobdbQznnyw10

Full podcast playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLc2XIoaiAXafwoZykJM-jg6HnrLkWlJXH

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# === WORK WITH US ===============================

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#RoadToGravelBurn #TheActiveHobo #StoriesThatMatter #HumanSpirit #Sedgefield500

Tom Pidcock started the 2026 MTB World Championships XCO race from the

fifth row of the grid. He finished it as world champion — his second

rainbow jersey, won by clawing back through the entire field in Val di

Sole, Italy. Jared Haley (East City Cycles) joins us to break down

exactly how he did it, and why Mathieu van der Poel's race went the

opposite way.

We also cover the Tadej and La Vuelta race shake up, lessons learned the hard way at the Sedgefield 500, preview of go2sea — the seven-day stage race everyone's talking about. The main talking points are then the China effect and what we need to safeguard in South Africa and a bike preview and MTB advice for the upcoming stage race.

Plus: East City Cycles has a new gravel bike launching this Friday at

9am, timed to drop simultaneously with the rest of the world. Come for

the ride, stay for the coffee.

0:00 — Intro & News Roundup

3:24 — MTB World Championships: Pidcock's Incredible Comeback

09:45 — Tadej Crash & La Vuelta

18:26 — Can Pidcock make World Champ History?

21:04 — Sedgefield 500 recap

30:18 — Gran Fondo Worlds

32:13 — Project 'Reform Cycling'

35:03 — Viewer Bike Spotlight: A UK Project Build

36:24 — Go 2 Sea 2026

43:09 — DuraAce 13 Speed

45:20 — Global Factor Launch at ECC

47:25 — Thank you Netto Invest

48:15 — New Pathfinder 2.2 and Maxxis Aspen

49:38 — East City Cycles' New Gravel Bike Launch

55:10 — Trek Domane

59:01 — The China Debate

1:31:05 — Choosing a MTB

# === LISTEN ON THE GO ===========================

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# === FOLLOW ACTIVE HOBO =========================

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# === PARTNER LINKS ===================================

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RH 77

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SCICON

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East City Cycles

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Gear Change Bicycle Store

🔗 https://gearchange.co.za/

# === THE CREW ===================================

Dave @davlewjenkins

Jaryd @jarryd_haley

# === MORE FROM ACTIVE HOBO ======================

Latest episode: https://youtu.be/vSnCZ6pTguQ?si=4hvAobdbQznnyw10

Full podcast playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLc2XIoaiAXafwoZykJM-jg6HnrLkWlJXH

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# === WORK WITH US ===============================

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#TheBreakawayPodcast #TheActiveHobo #SouthAfricanCycling

#MTBWorlds #TomPidcock #xlab #go2sea #cannondalescalpel

We get an exclusive first look at the all-new Factor Elora, a seriously aggressive gravel race bike making its global debut from Cape Town, South Africa. From its 55mm+ tyre clearance and aero-focused fork to deep-section wheels, integrated storage and race-proven SRAM Force, we break down what makes this one of the most cutting-edge gravel bikes we've seen. But with complete builds reaching well into six figures in South Africa, is the Factor Elara the future of gravel racing—or has Factor gone too far?

00:36 – An Aggressive Gravel Race Bike

01:00 – The Aero Wheelset & Deep Rims

01:44 – Race-Focused Frame & Rear End

02:17 – Geometry & Race Pedigree

03:20 – Frame Details & Storage

04:34 – Raw Carbon, Fork & 55mm Tyres

06:22 – Aero Cockpit & Front-End Design

08:00 – Pricing & Build Options

08:57 – Final Verdict: The Future of Gravel Racing?

# === LISTEN ON THE GO ===========================

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# === FOLLOW ACTIVE HOBO =========================

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# === PARTNER LINKS ===================================

Doolhof Wine Estate

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RH 77

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226ERS

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Code: ActiveHobo (10% off)

SCICON

🔗 https://theactivehobo.short.gy/sciconsports-discount (URL and 10% Discount code link)

East City Cycles

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Gear Change Bicycle Store

🔗 https://gearchange.co.za/

# === THE CREW ===================================

Dave @davlewjenkins

# === MORE FROM ACTIVE HOBO ======================

Latest episode: https://youtu.be/vSnCZ6pTguQ?si=4hvAobdbQznnyw10

Full podcast playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLc2XIoaiAXafwoZykJM-jg6HnrLkWlJXH

Related episode: https://youtu.be/mgogDtiB_vg?si=RBaUt8VItbQisdTd

# === WORK WITH US ===============================

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Send a question for the show: noah@activehobo.com

#ActiveHobo #CyclingPodcast #SouthAfricanCycling #gravelbike #factorbikes

Coming off a brutal recovery week following the Sedgefield 500, the focus turns to something I never properly worked on: technical mountain bike skills. A session with coach Rob from Rubber Side Down MTB Skills starts in a parking lot with basic balance — and ends up reshaping everything from body position to cornering, ahead of the notoriously technical terrain expected at the Nedbank Gravel Burn. Along the way: a hard lesson in self-compassion after a rough week of fatigue, a preview of the next big test (the seven-day go2sea stage race), and the packing system that's about to save a lot of race-day stress!

0:00 — Cold Open: "I Knew Everything, I Knew Nothing"

0:16 — The Fatigue Reset: What a Hard Recovery Week Actually Taught

1:36 — What's Next: A Community Story Ahead of go2sea

2:40 — A Skills Lesson With Rob: Body Position, Tyres & Suspension

9:06 — The Cornering Pattern That Changes Everything

11:00 — The Parking Lot Reality Check

12:40 — Packing Smart: Sorting the Bike Bag Before Race Day

15:19 — What's Coming Next on the Road to Gravel Burn

# === LISTEN ON THE GO ===========================

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Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/active-hobo/id1846864699

# === FOLLOW ACTIVE HOBO =========================

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# === PARTNER LINKS ===================================

Doolhof Wine Estate

https://doolhof.com

🔗 Code: ActiveHobo (20% off wines)

RH 77

🔗 https://rh77.co.za

226ERS

🔗 https://226ers.co.za/

Code: ActiveHobo (10% off)

SCICON

🔗 https://theactivehobo.short.gy/sciconsports-discount (URL and 10% Discount code link)

East City Cycles

🔗 https://eastcitycycles.com/

Gear Change Bicycle Store

🔗 https://gearchange.co.za/

# === THE CREW ===================================

Dave @davlewjenkins

# === MORE FROM ACTIVE HOBO ======================

Latest episode: https://youtu.be/vSnCZ6pTguQ?si=4hvAobdbQznnyw10

Full podcast playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLc2XIoaiAXafwoZykJM-jg6HnrLkWlJXH

Related episode: https://youtu.be/mgogDtiB_vg?si=RBaUt8VItbQisdTd

# === WORK WITH US ===============================

Sponsorships & collabs: david@activehobo.com

Send a question for the show: noah@activehobo.com

#RoadToGravelBurn #TheActiveHobo #StoriesThatMatter #MountainBiking #GravelCycling

He was told to teach kids ball skills. He ended up building one of Cape Town's most trusted mountain bike coaching businesses — almost entirely by accident.

Rob du Preez is the founder of Rubber Side Down, a Cape Town-based mountain bike skills coaching business born out of an unlikely place: the 2020 lockdowns. In this conversation he traces the whole path — growing up racing road and track in Durban, discovering mountain biking almost by chance, and the strange gift that COVID gave an entire generation of South African kids who suddenly needed something to do outside.

He breaks down the three fundamental skills that determine how safe, confident, and fast any rider will ever be, looking ahead, braking, and staying balanced... and why he believes most cyclists never look at them because they're too busy chasing watts and nutrition plans. He talks candidly about coaching kids as young as four and a half, the parents who need almost as much guidance as their children, and why he believes South African cycling has a "perception problem" — we're already among the best in the world, we just don't see ourselves that way yet.

This is a conversation about what it actually takes to build confidence on a bike, and why the skills that keep a beginner safe are the same ones that make a professional fast.

0:00 — Cold open: the one rule of coaching kids

0:43 — Meet Coach Rob, from KZN road racer to MTB skills coach

6:52 — How COVID accidentally created Rubber Side Down

9:21 — Enduro vs. downhill, and finding his own line in gravity riding

15:56 — Building a business at the intersection of passion and skill

19:15 — The three fundamental skills every rider needs

30:45 — South Africa's "perception problem" in sport

35:46 — Inside the explosion of the Western Cape schools series

45:15 — What makes a good — or a reckless — skills coach

48:37 — Coaching the parents as much as the kids

1:02:12 — Rob's dream of coaching overseas

# === LISTEN ON THE GO ===========================

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5GselFmeym7YgYXtcyPUXU

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/active-hobo/id1846864699

# === FOLLOW ACTIVE HOBO =========================

https://linktr.ee/theactivehobo

# === PARTNER LINKS ===================================

Doolhof Wine Estate

https://doolhof.com

🔗 Code: ActiveHobo (20% off wines)

RH 77

🔗 https://rh77.co.za

226ERS

🔗 https://226ers.co.za/

Code: ActiveHobo (10% off)

SCICON

🔗 https://theactivehobo.short.gy/sciconsports-discount (URL and 10% Discount code link)

East City Cycles

🔗 https://eastcitycycles.com/

Gear Change Bicycle Store

🔗 https://gearchange.co.za/

# === THE CREW ===================================

Dave @davlewjenkins

# === MORE FROM ACTIVE HOBO ======================

Latest episode: https://youtu.be/vSnCZ6pTguQ?si=4hvAobdbQznnyw10

Full podcast playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLc2XIoaiAXafwoZykJM-jg6HnrLkWlJXH

Related episode: https://youtu.be/mgogDtiB_vg?si=RBaUt8VItbQisdTd

# === WORK WITH US ===============================

Sponsorships & collabs: david@activehobo.com

Send a question for the show: noah@activehobo.com

#StoriesThatMatter #TheActiveHobo #MountainBiking

Before anything else: this week we lost someone close to our community.

Our sincerest condolences go out to everyone who knew and loved her. And our thoughts are with Michael Foster and his family, currently in ICU

after a collision while cycling, he's showing positive signs, and we're

holding onto hope. Please, be careful out there.

On a different note, we're glad to have Jason back. Years ago, he made a video about endurance that, without either of us realising it at the

time, has quietly become one of the first things people watch after

being diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. He's back to talk about that,

about a race in Japan that pushed him further than he expected, and

about what actually drives someone to keep going when it would be so

much easier to stop.

We also cover the news: La Vuelta a España has been genuinely brilliant

racing, with Enric Mas putting in performances that have won over even

the skeptics.

0:00 — Intro

1:49 — Community News: A Tragic Loss & Ongoing Prayers

4:59 — go2sea & Racing News Roundup

8:48 — La Vuelta a España: Enric Mas Impresses

1:03:16 — Jason's Story: Living With Cystic Fibrosis

1:08:09 — What Really Drives You: Love, Hate & Shame

1:33:48 — Wrap-Up & Thanks to Jason

# === LISTEN ON THE GO ===========================

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5GselFmeym7YgYXtcyPUXU

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/active-hobo/id1846864699

# === FOLLOW ACTIVE HOBO =========================

https://linktr.ee/theactivehobo

# === PARTNER LINKS ===================================

Doolhof Wine Estate

https://doolhof.com

🔗 Code: ActiveHobo (20% off wines)

RH 77

🔗 https://rh77.co.za

226ERS

🔗 https://226ers.co.za/

Code: ActiveHobo (10% off)

SCICON

🔗 https://theactivehobo.short.gy/sciconsports-discount (URL and 10% Discount code link)

East City Cycles

🔗 https://eastcitycycles.com/

Gear Change Bicycle Store

🔗 https://gearchange.co.za/

# === THE CREW ===================================

Dave @davlewjenkins

Jaryd @jarryd_haley

# === MORE FROM ACTIVE HOBO ======================

Latest episode: https://youtu.be/vSnCZ6pTguQ?si=4hvAobdbQznnyw10

Full podcast playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLc2XIoaiAXafwoZykJM-jg6HnrLkWlJXH

Related episode: https://youtu.be/mgogDtiB_vg?si=RBaUt8VItbQisdTd

# === WORK WITH US ===============================

Sponsorships & collabs: david@activehobo.com

Send a question for the show: noah@activehobo.com

#TheBreakawayPodcast #TheActiveHobo #StoriesThatMatter

#CysticFibrosis #LaVuelta

Day 1 at Go2Sea was about more than just getting to the finish line.

From interviews with the children and riders in the race village to the incredible scenes at the finish, we got to see what makes this race so special.

The emotion on the riders faces as they arrived was had to miss and seeing the children waiting for them captured something that goes beyond cycling.

This is Go2Sea.

00:00 Intro

01:05 Farmer Gary shares a brief overview

02:46 Dave shares some riding footage and moments within the race

03:25 Dave at the finish providing his thoughts on the ride

05:05 Interviews

=== FOLLOW ACTIVE HOBO =========================

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=== PARTNER LINKS ===================================

Doolhof Wine Estate

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RH 77

🔗 https://rh77.co.za

226ERS

🔗 https://226ers.co.za/

Code: ActiveHobo (10% off)

SCICON

🔗 https://theactivehobo.short.gy/scicon... (URL and 10% Discount code link)

East City Cycles

🔗 https://eastcitycycles.com/

Gear Change Bicycle Store

🔗 https://gearchange.co.za/

=== THE CREW ===================================

Dave @davlewjenkins

Noah @noah.futter

Alec @alec.gates

Regardt @regardstander

=== WORK WITH US ===============================

Sponsorships & collabs: david@activehobo.com

Send a question for the show: noah@activehobo.com

As expected we felt the continued excitement and how go2sea directly effects the students.