Since launching TREAD in 2009, we’ve only published two April Fools’ articles. Perhaps that rarity is exactly why so many people fell for our 2026 gag.
By Sean Badenhorst
The thing about April Fools’ pranks is that most people expect them to appear on 1 April. That’s the rule, right? Well… not necessarily. Both of our fabricated stories were deliberately published before 1 April, giving them a better chance of catching readers off guard.
Here’s the first one, from 2017: SPECIALIZED INTRODUCES ANOTHER HAND POSITION ON ITS S-WORKS MODELS
And here’s our 2026 effort: ABSA CAPE EPIC ADDS EBIKE CATEGORY FROM 2027
We came up with the idea for the latter while driving back to Joburg after covering the 2026 Absa Cape Epic. It’s an intense, high-pressure event, with a race culture that sits at the opposite end of the mountain biking spectrum to the eBike scene.
Having completed two editions of the Cape Epic myself, I understand the level of commitment – and sacrifice – required just to reach the start line with confidence. Endurance can’t be faked or shortcut. It’s earned through months, often years, of consistent effort.
At the same time, we regularly test eBikes for TREAD Media, and I’ve personally used them during recovery from injury (in 2022/2023) and more recently while recovering from heart bypass surgery. So we’re well acquainted with the eBike community – and the criticism it often receives from the more hardcore endurance crowd. That tension is exactly what made our fake article so believable.
Of course, many readers only skimmed the headline and opening paragraph before reacting, a number of them took to our Facebook page to voice their frustration almost immediately.
Even the Absa Cape Epic reached out to us, noting they were receiving “some negative feedback and calls,” and were considering issuing a statement to clarify the situation. In the end, they chose not to. As is often the case, emotions settled. The outrage passed. Fuel prices went up, and attention shifted elsewhere.
After all, it was just a prank.
Fortunately, many readers did take the time to read the full article – and appreciated a bit of humour in a world that can feel increasingly serious.
Will we do another April Fools’ article next year? Or the year after? Probably not. Then again… maybe we will.
Either way, if something seems a little too ridiculous to be true in future, it might be worth reading the full article before letting your emotions take over.
Note: Thanks to the Absa Cape Epic team for copping a bit of temporary flack.
