Cutting weight for the Nedbank Gravel Burn is only half the fight. The other half is not losing the strength to survive it.

Five weeks ago, Dave couldn't activate some of his own muscles. He didn't know where his body was in space. Now, deep into an 8-week calorie deficit ahead of a 750km gravel stage race across South Africa's Great Karoo, he heads to a biokineticist in Westlake, Cape Town, to build the functional strength his cycling alone can't give him — the kind that keeps a rider upright, pain-free, and strong on day six of seven. It's not about looking strong. It's about not falling apart.

What is a biokineticist?

An exercise-therapy professional who uses movement science to build strength, stability, and resilience — often used by cyclists and endurance athletes to complement on-bike training.

Why does strength training matter for a gravel stage race?

A seven-day event like the Nedbank Gravel Burn demands more than fitness — riders need the core, glute, and postural strength to hold form and avoid injury deep into repeated long days on rough terrain.

# === CHAPTERS ===================================

0:00 — The Weight Cut Wasn't Enough

1:55 — Why Cycling Fitness Isn't the Whole Picture

2:39 — Meeting the Biokineticist Building Him From the Ground Up

3:38 — Cycling First, Strength Second — Or the Other Way Around?

5:23 — Five Weeks In: The Body Awareness Turnaround

6:41 — Training That Complements, Not Competes With, the Bike

9:47 — Protecting Muscle While the Weight Comes Off

10:27 — Next Stop: Fuelling the Fight

# === 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

Alec @alec.gates

Regardt @regardt.stander

# === 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 #podcast #toyota #gravelburn #gravelcyclist #enduranceathletes #mtb

The latest gravel superbike has arrived, and after spending time on the all-new Pinarello Grevil F9, it's safe to say this bike exceeded every expectation. In this review, we dive into its ride quality, comfort, handling, premium Italian craftsmanship, and whether its eye-watering price is truly justified. From high-speed gravel descents to technical terrain, we put the Grevil F9 through its paces to find out if it really is the ultimate gravel bike. Watch until the end to see who this bike is built for.

00:00 Introduction

01:00 First Impressions of the Pinarello Grevil F9

02:35 Why This Might Be the Best Gravel Bike Ever

04:45 Wheels, Tires & Cockpit Setup

07:15 SRAM, Frame Design & Premium Features

10:10 In-Frame Storage & Practical Details

12:40 Comfort, Geometry & Ride Position

16:20 The Beauty of Italian Design

19:30 Climbing & On-Trail Performance

22:50 Descending Confidence & Stability

26:15 Living With the Grevil F9

30:10 Is It Worth the Price?

33:40 Who Is This Bike For?

36:30 Final Verdict

38:45 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 #giantrevoltreview #bikereview

At 13, she cried until the start gun went off — then she raced. At 17, she won the XTERRA Youth World Championship in

Italy. At 18, Nadia van Wyk is just getting started.

This is the intro. The full origin story episode drops very soon — subscribe so you don't miss it.

Nadia van Wyk is 18, from Durbanville in the Western Cape, and competes in more disciplines than most athletes manage in

a career: XCO mountain biking, road cycling, track, duathlon, XTERRA, and horse riding on the side. She's a reigning

XTERRA Youth World Champion, a U23 SA XCO MTB Champion, and a SA Duathlon Cross Champion. She homeschooled her matric

year to compete at world level, skipping Grade 8 along the way to give herself more time. This week on The Breakaway,

she talks about the mental cost of competing young, the nutrition challenges no one warns you about, why girls drop off

from cycling at Grade 10, and what South African youth cycling actually looks like from the inside. Plus: Tour de France

predictions, her favourite rider in the peloton, and what it was like to see Tadej Pogačar in person in Spain and

think, "How is that small?"

# === CHAPTERS ===================================

0:00 — Welcome: Meet Nadia van Wyk

1:13 — Cycling, XTERRA, Horses: Her Multi-Discipline Life

4:25 — Homeschooling to Compete at World Level

5:36 — The Mental Game: Crying on the Start Line at 13

6:13 — Pre-Race Nutrition: The Thing Nobody Talks About

10:14 — Why Homeschooling Works for Elite Young Athletes

20:11 — How to Get More Girls on Bikes

23:27 — What Titan Racing Is Doing for SA Youth Cycling

31:18 — Downhill MTB: What She's Watching Right Now

36:52 — XTERRA Explained + Worlds Qualification

42:46 — Training Camp in Spain: Life on the Road

45:08 — Tour de France: MvdP, Pogačar & Breakaway Love

49:54 — SA Road Champs: Negative Racing and What to Do About It

# === 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