Active Hobo

• The best bike shop on the Atlantic seaboard | John O’Connor

  Cape Town bike shop stories don’t get more real than this. John O’Connor shares how he went all-in on a small storefront in town—after being told he “won’t last three months” —and how that decision helped shape a huge part of Cape Town’s cycling culture. John takes us back to 2009: the move from the Tiger Valley area, the risk of using what was left in their bond, finding the spot in the rain, and backing his gut when the “smart” advice said don’t do it  . From there, we go deep into what’s changed in the sport—especially gravel—plus the hard-earned lessons you only get after decades in the industry. 0:00 Intro  5:42 Bike touring lessons: safety, punctures, staying smart  7:05 Cycling community: how the shop introduced him to everyone  7:49 The shop origin story (how it started after liquidation)  8:39 Finding the spot in the rain + “pitching” the landlord  10:06 “They said you won’t last 3 months” — surviving the early rent pressure  15:06 The day-to-day reality of running the shop (logistics, grind, consistency) 16:34 The cycling boom: what changed and how demand exploded 18:51 Old-school road racing culture (why it worked, why it was special) 21:36 Malcolm Lange + the SA circuit / racing memories 26:44 Double Century: how it started and why it exists  31:30 Tandem with his daughter + Cape Town Cycle Tour reflections  35:03 Southside Cycles + women showing up in a big way  36:49 Trends in cycling (where bikes and the culture are going)  42:06 Bikepacking story: Caledon → Riviersonderend (heat, storms, learning)  46:22 GravelBurn 2025: route breakdown + “Hospital Bend” moments  1:02:19 Riding in Europe: Alps climbs + what it teaches you  1:08:07 Savage Tuesday, cycling groups, and the Coates battle  1:09:35 Final thoughts + wrap 

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• John Wakefield: SA’s most successful Motocross to Red Bull - BORA - Hansgrohe the incredible story

  What does it take for a Cape Town motocross kid that championed the coaching game and led multiple SA champs to become one of the leading performance brains behind UAE Team Emirates and Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe? In this episode, John Wakefield—director of coaching, sports science and technical development at Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe—unpacks the wild, unplanned journey from local tracks and garage coaching to testing WorldTour riders in a Sheik’s private gym and shaping grand tour contenders. John shares how a bad injury pushed him from racing to coaching, the early days of building Science to Sport with Jeroen, and the “we’re going to take over the world” mentality that took two South Africans into the very top tier of pro cycling. We get into how UAE rebuilt its performance structure before its Tour de France breakthrough, how the Bora Hansgrohe → Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe evolution changed the game, and what it’s really like living out of hotels for 160 days a year while trying to keep riders healthy, fast and winning. You’ll also hear honest stories about brutal interviews, being thrown into high-pressure testing days in Abu Dhabi, handling difficult personalities inside WorldTour teams, flirting with burnout, and why John still gets his biggest kick from a domestique nailing their job or a development rider stepping onto a podium. If you love pro cycling, performance, or underdog South African stories punching in the big leagues, this one’s for you. 00:00 – Intro: Springboks, Saturdays & who is John Wakefield 02:22 – Present day: Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe & life in Andorra 04:40 – Growing up in Cape Town & school sport 05:09 – Surfing, speed and discovering motocross 06:41 – Injuries, rehab & first road bike with Jeroen Swart 11:29 – Starting Science to Sport & the first 20 athletes 17:27 – Taking Science to Sport to Girona & Europe 20:49 – The UAE Team Emirates phone call & N1 roadside interview 31:22 – Burnout, stepping away & why he almost left pro teams 37:13 – Inside UAE’s rebuild and the structure behind a Tour win 39:31 – Why South Africans are more world-class than they think 44:23 – From BORA to Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe: culture, budget & pressure 56:52 – Purpose, underdogs & what success means to John

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• John Wakefield: From Motocross Kid to Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe

  What does it take for a Cape Town motocross kid to become one of the performance brains behind UAE Team Emirates and Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe? In this episode, John Wakefield—director of coaching, sports science and technical development at Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe—unpacks the wild, unplanned journey from local tracks and garage coaching to testing WorldTour riders in a Sheik’s private gym and shaping grand tour contenders. John shares how a bad injury pushed him from racing to coaching, the early days of building Science to Sport with Jeroen, and the “we’re going to take over the world” mentality that took two South Africans into the very top tier of pro cycling. We get into how UAE rebuilt its performance structure before its Tour de France breakthrough, how the Bora Hansgrohe → Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe evolution changed the game, and what it’s really like living out of hotels for 160 days a year while trying to keep riders healthy, fast and winning. You’ll also hear honest stories about brutal interviews, being thrown into high-pressure testing days in Abu Dhabi, handling difficult personalities inside WorldTour teams, flirting with burnout, and why John still gets his biggest kick from a domestique nailing their job or a development rider stepping onto a podium. If you love pro cycling, performance, or underdog South African stories punching in the big leagues, this one’s for you. 00:00 – Intro: Springboks, Saturdays & who is John Wakefield 02:22 – Present day: Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe & life in Andorra 04:40 – Growing up in Cape Town & school sport 05:09 – Surfing, speed and discovering motocross 06:41 – Injuries, rehab & first road bike with Jeroen Swart 11:29 – Starting Science to Sport & the first 20 athletes 17:27 – Taking Science to Sport to Girona & Europe 20:49 – The UAE Team Emirates phone call & N1 roadside interview 31:22 – Burnout, stepping away & why he almost left pro teams 37:13 – Inside UAE’s rebuild and the structure behind a Tour win 39:31 – Why South Africans are more world-class than they think 44:23 – From BORA to Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe: culture, budget & pressure 56:52 – Purpose, underdogs & what success means to John

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• John Wakefield: From Motocross Kid to Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe

  What does it take for a Cape Town motocross kid to become one of the performance brains behind UAE Team Emirates and Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe? In this episode, John Wakefield—director of coaching, sports science and technical development at Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe—unpacks the wild, unplanned journey from local tracks and garage coaching to testing WorldTour riders in a Sheik’s private gym and shaping grand tour contenders. John shares how a bad injury pushed him from racing to coaching, the early days of building Science to Sport with Jeroen, and the “we’re going to take over the world” mentality that took two South Africans into the very top tier of pro cycling. We get into how UAE rebuilt its performance structure before its Tour de France breakthrough, how the Bora Hansgrohe → Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe evolution changed the game, and what it’s really like living out of hotels for 160 days a year while trying to keep riders healthy, fast and winning. You’ll also hear honest stories about brutal interviews, being thrown into high-pressure testing days in Abu Dhabi, handling difficult personalities inside WorldTour teams, flirting with burnout, and why John still gets his biggest kick from a domestique nailing their job or a development rider stepping onto a podium. If you love pro cycling, performance, or underdog South African stories punching in the big leagues, this one’s for you. 00:00 – Intro: Springboks, Saturdays & who is John Wakefield 02:22 – Present day: Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe & life in Andorra 04:40 – Growing up in Cape Town & school sport 05:09 – Surfing, speed and discovering motocross 06:41 – Injuries, rehab & first road bike with Jeroen Swart 11:29 – Starting Science to Sport & the first 20 athletes 17:27 – Taking Science to Sport to Girona & Europe 20:49 – The UAE Team Emirates phone call & N1 roadside interview 31:22 – Burnout, stepping away & why he almost left pro teams 37:13 – Inside UAE’s rebuild and the structure behind a Tour win 39:31 – Why South Africans are more world-class than they think 44:23 – From BORA to Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe: culture, budget & pressure 56:52 – Purpose, underdogs & what success means to John

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• From 4 Friends to a Movement: The ”Let’s Ride” Cycling Story

  What happens when a few friends in Cape Town decide cycling shouldn’t be lonely, intimidating, or only for “serious” racers? In this episode we sit down with the founders of Let’s Ride, a fast-growing community cycling crew rolling out from Rondebosch Common every Sunday and proving that vibes, safety and belonging matter more than fancy bikes. You’ll hear how a R300 Facebook Marketplace bib-short deal, an emotional wake-up call after losing a friend, and a 100-kg weight-loss journey all collided to spark a movement. The guys share how Let’s Ride went from four mates on a WhatsApp group in 2024 to a 20–30 rider bunch, why they keep the pace accessible (around 24–28 km/h), and how they’re creating a space where no one gets mocked for “cheap kit”, dropped on a climb, or left alone after a crash. They talk safety in numbers on Cape Town roads, the “no club kit” rule, and their dream of becoming the city’s biggest community cycling group without losing the relaxed, fun, non-FTP-obsessed culture that makes Sundays feel like therapy on two wheels.

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