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 ===========================

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

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

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

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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)

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Gear Change Bicycle Store

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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

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 #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 ===========================

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 #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 ===========================

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

#ActiveHobo #CyclingPodcast #SouthAfricanCycling #gravelbike #factorbikes