Active Hobo

David Jenkins
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The Active Hobo is a community of storytellers on a mission to make meaning. We’re rooted in Westlake, Cape Town—part café, part studio, all heart. Drop by for a great flat white, stay to enjoy our shows, or book a session to capture your own story.

  1. Aug 16

    Ultimate Gravel Wheel Shootout

    Four of the most exciting gravel wheelsets go head-to-head in a real-world test, with the ENVE G SES 4.5, Csixx Gravel 65, Zipp 303XPLR SW and Roval Terra CL wheels tested on the same bikes, tyres and pressures. We put them through changing wind, gravel roads and a multi-directional course to see how speed, stability, comfort and handling compare outside the wind tunnel. The results were full of surprises, but clear differences in how each wheelset feels and performs. So which wheels would we actually spend our own money on? 00:46 - The Four Wheelsets & Test Setup 01:57 - Meet the ENVE, CSIXX, Zipp & Roval Wheels 06:25 - How We Designed the Real-World Test 07:33 - Csixx 65mm 08:52 - ENVE G SES 4.5 09:50 - ZIPP 303XPLR SW 10:37 - Roval Terra CL 13:40 - Wheel Specs 20:25 - Weight: Does It Really Matter? 24:10 - Hooked vs Hookless Wheels 26:36 - Warranty & Crash Replacement 31:46 - The Overall Verdict 45:05 - Which Wheel Would You Actually Buy? # === 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 ========================= Subscribe: https://youtube.com/@activehobo?sub_confirmation=1 Website: https://activehobo.com/ Instagram: @theactivehobo Strava: https://strava.app.link/ciVbx92FJ2b # === PARTNER LINKS =================================== Doolhof Wine Estate https://doolhof.com 🔗 Code: ActiveHobo (20% off wines) RH 77 🔗 https://rh77.co.za Code: THEACTIVEHOBO30 (30% off, first 10 users) 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 #envewheels #zipp #carbonwheels #gravelwheelreview #ENVEGSES4.5 #Csixx65 #Zipp303XPLRSW #RovalTerraCL

  2. Aug 14

    She Broke Her Wrist a Week Before the Race — Then Finished Top 10 | Hayley Preen

    She slept in her car at her first race in America. Two years later, she's finishing top ten in the toughest off-road series in the world. Hayley Preen is a South African cyclist who almost became a surgeon instead. In this conversation, she traces the whole path: competitive cross-country running and show jumping as a kid, a near-move to study medicine in America, an engineering degree at UCT that somehow coexisted with becoming national road champion, and the decision to walk away from a European road team that nearly broke her, only to find her real home in American gravel racing. This is a story about what it takes to back yourself completely when nobody's doing it for you yet, and what happens when it finally starts to pay off. # === CHAPTERS =================================== 0:00 — From cross-country running to an accidental cycling career 5:22 — Winning Road Nationals as a complete outsider 10:18 — Chasing the Olympics, and missing out on Paris 17:23 — A brutal European season, and the decision to walk away 20:43 — Sleeping in a car at Sea Otter, then racing Unbound for the first time 38:23 — Injuries, self-funding, and building a support network from scratch 47:18 — The moment everything clicked at Gravel Burn 57:37 — ChemChamp, Honeycomb, and finally turning professional 72:29 — The dream of a South African pair winning the Cape Epic # === 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 ========================= Subscribe: https://youtube.com/@activehobo?sub_confirmation=1 Website: https://activehobo.com/ Instagram: @theactivehobo Strava: https://strava.app.link/ciVbx92FJ2b # === THE CREW =================================== Dave @davlewjenkins Hayley @hayleypreen # === MORE FROM ACTIVE HOBO ====================== Latest episode: https://youtu.be/VRIeP2JYf5U Full podcast playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLc2XIoaiAXafwoZykJM-jg6HnrLkWlJXH Related episode: https://youtu.be/lGfvanjllXY 🔗 Scicon Sports SA — Premium eyewear and luggage for cyclists who take their kit seriously. https://theactivehobo.short.gy/sciconsports-discount # === WORK WITH US =============================== Sponsorships & collabs: david@activehobo.com Send a question for the show: noah@activehobo.com #ActiveHobo #CyclingPodcast #originstory #podcast #revive #capeepic #enduranceathletes #mtb

  3. Aug 9

    Specialized Crux 5 Review: The Fastest Gravel Bike in the World?

    The Specialized Crux 5 swept the Unbound Gravel podium 48 hours after launch — and set the tone for the future of this reiangined gravel race weapon It's the final bike in our review series and by a significent margin - the fastest. We closed out our gravel bike review series with the one everyone kept asking about: the Specialized Crux 5, tested in the same trim the local Toyota Specialized elite team races. This isn't a subtle update. Specialized redesigned the Crux from the tube shapes up, borrowing aero cues straight from the new Tarmac road bike, dropping the seat stays, and fully hiding the cables. The result is the fastest gravel race bike Specialized has ever built, and the results back it up: days after launch, riders on the new Crux 5 swept the podium at Unbound Gravel, cycling's toughest test of a race bike's credibility. On our trails, it's just as convincing. SRAM Red XPLR AXS shifting, room for genuinely massive 2.2-inch tyres without the drama of toe overlap, and a weight that came in at 7.6kg dry, lighter than every other bike we've tested in this series. It climbs like it's trying to prove a point, and those bigger tyres mean you can carry real speed downhill without the old Crux's reputation for harshness. Pricing runs the full spectrum: R80,000 gets you the same race-bred frame shape in a lower-spec build, all the way up to R280,000 for the full S-Works package our test bike sits just below. Whichever end of that range you're looking at, you're buying into the platform the fastest gravel racers on earth are choosing right now. This wraps our four-bike gravel review series. If you missed the Titan Racing, the Merida Silex, or the Cannondale SuperX, links are below. Let us know which one you'd actually buy.. # === CHAPTERS =========================== 0:00 — Cold Open: The Final Bike in the Series 2:15 — Meet the Crux 5: Specs Breakdown 5:18 — Massive Tyre Clearance: Room for 2.2" Rubber 5:33 — The New Aero Seat Tube & Comfort Redesign 7:17 — Flex-Tuned Handlebars 9:12 — Climbing: A Dream to Ride Uphill 9:58 — Descending on 2.2" Tyres 13:01 — Weigh-In: 7.6kg Out of the Box 13:20 — The Price Breakdown: R80k to R280k 15:22 — Final Verdict: Why This Crux Won Unbound # === 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 ========================= Subscribe: https://youtube.com/@activehobo?sub_confirmation=1 Website: https://activehobo.com/ Instagram: @theactivehobo Strava: https://strava.app.link/ciVbx92FJ2b # === THE CREW =================================== Dave @davlewjenkins # === MORE FROM ACTIVE HOBO ====================== Latest episode: https://youtu.be/VRIeP2JYf5U Full podcast playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLc2XIoaiAXafwoZykJM-jg6HnrLkWlJXH Related episode: https://youtu.be/lGfvanjllXY 🔗 Scicon Sports SA — Premium eyewear and luggage for cyclists who take their kit seriously. https://theactivehobo.short.gy/sciconsports-discount Link to product: https://specializedbicyclesafrica.com/collections/crux-5-eat-my-dust?srsltid=AfmBOor-v22Ykqu-T70YVWC_uEJJnfw2tKLwtEsFssCPQhIamAUYM4w4 # === WORK WITH US =============================== Sponsorships & collabs: david@activehobo.com Send a question for the show: noah@activehobo.com #ActiveHobo #CyclingPodcast #SouthAfricanCycling #gravelbike #specialized #superx3 #crux #crux5 #bikereview #gravelbikereview

  4. Aug 6

    The Huge Maintenance break through in cycling, KZN wins with Cycle Sunday & Tour de France Femmes

    Dave went in for a routine wash and lube. He came out having waxed his chain for the first time — and swearing he'll never go back to lube. Better drivetrain efficiency, and none of the black grease stain that never quite comes off your fingers. If you've ever wondered whether it's worth the hype or just a strong sales pitch, this is the honest answer. Also on this episode: listener feedback on Amashova, the iconic KZN race that deserves its comeback. A race where entry costs 50 rand and the whole thing runs on people who'd rather build the sport than complain about it ( https://www.facebook.com/p/Cycle-Sunday-61579290593407). And a full Tour de France Femmes breakdown — Kim Le Court's incredible solo move, and why she's the favourite heading into the final days. # === CHAPTERS =================================== 0:00 — Intro & Listener Feedback 04:15 Cycle Sunday KZN 7:13 — The Ecosystem Problem: Getting More People Into Cycling 13:48 — Cycling’s biggest breakthrough 17:12 Freewheel Chain wax offering 25:59 — Tour de France Femmes 44:00 — Wrap-Up & A Preview of Road to Gravel Burn Nutrition # === 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 ========================= Subscribe: https://youtube.com/@activehobo?sub_confirmation=1 Website: https://activehobo.com/ Instagram: @theactivehobo Strava: https://strava.app.link/ciVbx92FJ2b # === THE CREW =================================== Dave @davlewjenkins Juanita @juanitarosemackenzie Nic White @nicwhitedotcoza # === MORE FROM ACTIVE HOBO ====================== Latest episode: https://youtu.be/VRIeP2JYf5U Full podcast playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLc2XIoaiAXafwoZykJM-jg6HnrLkWlJXH Related episode: https://youtu.be/lGfvanjllXY 🔗 Scicon Sports SA — Premium eyewear and luggage for cyclists who take their kit seriously. https://theactivehobo.short.gy/sciconsports-discount # === WORK WITH US =============================== Sponsorships & collabs: david@activehobo.com Send a question for the show: noah@activehobo.com #ActiveHobo #CyclingPodcast #SouthAfricanCycling #chainwax #tourdefrancefemmes #cyclesundays

  5. Aug 3

    Cannondale SuperX 3 Review – IS IT THE FASTEST GRAVEL BIKE?

    We tested the SuperX 3 in the same batch as the Titan Racing Switch Carbon Comp and the Merida Silex 7000, and it sits at the complete opposite end of the spectrum from both. This is Cannondale's dedicated race gravel bike, built to go fast, not to carry your camping kit. At 8.57kg it's the lightest bike we've weighed in the whole series, running mechanical Shimano GRX in a 2x setup, DT Swiss 370 hubs, and tyre clearance up to 51mm up front and 48mm out back if you want to push past the stock 40s. Frame storage is minimal on purpose: three bottle mounts and a top tube bag, nothing more, because this bike wants you moving fast enough that you won't need it. It's neither of our reviewers' first gravel bike, but it is their first Cannondale, and it's easy to see why the brand's owners talk about it like a cult. At R80,000, this is a genuinely competitive way into that world without giving up anything on performance. We scored it an 8 out of 10, and reckon a wider tyre choice is the only thing standing between this bike and a 9. 0:00 — Cold Open: Meet the SuperX 3 0:40 — First Ride: Southern Suburbs to the Green Belts 2:52 — Frame & Component Walkthrough 5:55 — Weigh-In: The Lightest Bike We've Tested 6:41 — Three Weeks on Gravel: The Real-World Test 9:00 — Tyre Clearance: Room to Go Wider 9:31 — The Price Reveal: R80,000 11:09 — Final Verdict: Scoring the SuperX 3 # === 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 ========================= Subscribe: https://youtube.com/@activehobo?sub_confirmation=1 Website: https://activehobo.com/ Instagram: @theactivehobo Strava: https://strava.app.link/ciVbx92FJ2b # === THE CREW =================================== Dave @davlewjenkins # === MORE FROM ACTIVE HOBO ====================== Latest episode: https://youtu.be/VRIeP2JYf5U Full podcast playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLc2XIoaiAXafwoZykJM-jg6HnrLkWlJXH Related episode: https://youtu.be/lGfvanjllXY 🔗 Scicon Sports SA — Premium eyewear and luggage for cyclists who take their kit seriously. https://theactivehobo.short.gy/sciconsports-discount # === WORK WITH US =============================== Sponsorships & collabs: david@activehobo.com Send a question for the show: noah@activehobo.com #ActiveHobo #CyclingPodcast #SouthAfricanCycling #gravelbike #titangravelbike #bikereview

  6. Jul 30

    We’re Going to Go 2 Sea! Tour de France Debrief, Jarryd from ECC joins us | The Breakaway EP27

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  7. Jul 24

    Merida Silex 7000 Review: The Comfiest Gravel Bike We’ve Ridden

    The Merida Silex 7000 might be the most comfortable gravel bike we've ridden — and it's not even trying to race you. We tested the Silex 7000 back to back with the Cannondale SuperX and the Titan Racing Switch Carbon Comp, and the contrast couldn't be bigger. Where those two want to race, the Silex wants to disappear into the hills for a week. Merida built this carbon gravel bike for exploring, not sprinting — mechanical Shimano GRX shifting, a wide-range mountain-bike cassette, 180mm rotors with genuinely serious stopping power, and tyre clearance up to 45mm (42mm once you fit mudguards). It comes ready to ride out of the box, complete with a water bottle, mini tool, and tubeless valves — a detail none of the other bikes we've tested this year bothered with. At roughly 9.55kg, it lines up with a Specialized Diverge, minus the suspension and the price tag. It's also home to the best small feature we've found on any bike this year: a magnetised Fidlock bottle cage that's worth the price of admission on its own. At R65,000, both our reviewers landed on a 9 out of 10 — not because it's flawless, but because for anyone chasing distance over speed, almost nothing touches it. 0:00 — First Impressions: Smooth Criminal 1:16 — Meet the Silex 7000 2:45 — Shimano GRX & That Stopping Power 6:13 — The Fidlock Magnetic Bottle System 9:12 — Comfort Test: Smoother Than a Diverge? 10:42 — Weigh-In: 9.55kg With All the Extras 11:38 — The Price Reveal: R65,000 13:02 — Final Verdict: Scoring the Silex 7000 14:25 — Closing Thoughts # === 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 ========================= Subscribe: https://youtube.com/@activehobo?sub_confirmation=1 Website: https://activehobo.com/ Instagram: @theactivehobo Strava: https://strava.app.link/ciVbx92FJ2b # === THE CREW =================================== Dave @davlewjenkins # === MORE FROM ACTIVE HOBO ====================== Latest episode: https://youtu.be/VRIeP2JYf5U Full podcast playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLc2XIoaiAXafwoZykJM-jg6HnrLkWlJXH Related episode: https://youtu.be/lGfvanjllXY 🔗 Scicon Sports SA — Premium eyewear and luggage for cyclists who take their kit seriously. https://theactivehobo.short.gy/sciconsports-discount # === WORK WITH US =============================== Sponsorships & collabs: david@activehobo.com Send a question for the show: noah@activehobo.com #ActiveHobo #CyclingPodcast #SouthAfricanCycling #gravelbike #titangravelbike #bikereview

  8. Jul 20

    Is Your TT Bike Even Legal? A UCI Commissaire Explains | The Breakaway EP26

    Most riders have no idea if their TT bike would actually pass inspection. Dave sits down with Stephan, a national road cycling commissaire based at Cycle Lab N1 City, who measures TT bikes against UCI regulations for a living — and puts a bike through the exact test riders face on race day. Before the demo: reaction to the biggest story to come out of the Tour de France this week. Jonas Vingegaard crashed out of Stage 15 on the descent into Plateau de Solaison, ending his bid for a third yellow jersey with a fractured collarbone. Remco Evenepoel took the stage win, his first road victory at the Tour, while Tadej Pogačar showed real sportsmanship in how he handled the closing kilometres. Then it's down to business: what "default" position actually means, why the UCI cares about 750mm and category height limits, and why a bike that looks fine to the eye can fail on a technicality worth three millimetres. # === CHAPTERS =================================== 0:00 — Cold Open: Coffee, Colours & Cycle Lab N1 City 1:49 — Meet Stephan: Commissaire & TT Bike Specialist 3:37 — Tour de France: Vingegaard's Crash & Pogačar's Sportsmanship 5:32 — What Makes a Commissaire Qualified to Judge Your Bike? 6:44 — Why the UCI Regulates TT Bikes: Man vs Machine 10:42 — The Jig Demo: Measuring a "Default" Position 18:10 — The Non-Compliant Bike Example 19:44 — Category Heights Explained: Why Taller Riders Get Less Room 25:41 — The Jig Built for Western Province Cycling 26:17 — Why the Time Trial Is the Purest Test in Cycling 30:35 — Chasing KOMs & Wrap-Up # === 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 ========================= Subscribe: https://youtube.com/@activehobo?sub_confirmation=1 Website: https://activehobo.com/ Instagram: @theactivehobo Strava: https://strava.app.link/ciVbx92FJ2b # === THE CREW =================================== Dave @davlewjenkins James Ross-Marsh @jamesrossmarsh # === MORE FROM ACTIVE HOBO ====================== Latest episode: https://youtu.be/VRIeP2JYf5U Full podcast playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLc2XIoaiAXafwoZykJM-jg6HnrLkWlJXH Related episode: https://youtu.be/lGfvanjllXY SOIL SEARCHING on YOUTUBE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DYUE9tW24E https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZEaRtB5hzs 🔗 Scicon Sports SA — Premium eyewear and luggage for cyclists who take their kit seriously. https://theactivehobo.short.gy/sciconsports-discount # === WORK WITH US =============================== Sponsorships & collabs: david@activehobo.com Send a question for the show: noah@activehobo.com #ActiveHobo #CyclingPodcast #SouthAfricanCycling

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About

The Active Hobo is a community of storytellers on a mission to make meaning. We’re rooted in Westlake, Cape Town—part café, part studio, all heart. Drop by for a great flat white, stay to enjoy our shows, or book a session to capture your own story.

Information

  • Creator
    David Jenkins
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Active Hobo

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