TREAD Media, South Africa’s leading mountain bike media brand, has officially launched TREAD Events, a new digital platform designed to make it easier than ever for cyclists to find and enter races.
Built specifically for the South African cycling community, TREAD Events gives mountain bikers and gravel riders a central place to discover events, explore race details, and connect directly with organisers. It is one of the first platforms in the country focused purely on cycling events, with a strong emphasis on simplicity, speed, and ease of use, especially on mobile devices.
A SIMPLER WAY TO FIND YOUR NEXT RACE
TREAD Events is intentionally designed to do one thing well: help cyclists quickly find the right event.
Instead of overwhelming users with unnecessary features, the platform offers a clean and focused experience. Riders can easily search for events, filter results to match their preferences, and save their favourites for quick access later. Each event listing includes direct links, making it simple to get more information or enter online.
Additional features such as Google Sign-In allow for fast and easy access, while built-in map links help riders navigate to event locations without hassle.
AN APP-LIKE EXPERIENCE – WITHOUT THE APP STORE
TREAD Events is built as a Progressive Web App (PWA), meaning users can save it directly to their phone or device and use it like a regular app, without needing to download anything from an app store.
This approach not only makes it quicker for users to get started, but also allows TREAD Media to continuously improve the platform and release updates instantly, without relying on third-party app store approvals.
BUILT FOR PERFORMANCE AND RELIABILITY
Behind the scenes, TREAD Events uses modern technology to ensure a fast, secure, and reliable experience.
The platform is hosted on high-performance infrastructure, with content delivered through global networks to improve speed and responsiveness. Secure login systems, including Google Sign-In, protect user data, while the overall design has been optimised for fast load times and smooth performance on mobile devices.
For everyday users, this simply means a platform that feels quick, intuitive, and easy to use. For more tech-savvy riders, it reflects a thoughtful, modern approach to building digital products – prioritising mobile-first design, fast content delivery, and secure access.
Key Features
- Dedicated cycling-only event discovery
- Built on the trusted TREAD Media brand
- One of the first event-focused platforms of its kind in South Africa
- Powerful search and filtering tools
- Save favourite events for quick access
- Easily shareable with cycling friends
- Easy sign-in with Google
- Direct links to event details and online entries
- Built-in map navigation for event locations
- App-like experience without app store downloads (PWA)
- Continuous updates with no app store delays
- Fast, mobile-optimised performance
“We’re stoked to finally have TREAD Events in the start chute. We have worked on it for almost a year and are excited at how it makes finding mountain bike and gravel races quick and easy – all in one place,” said Sean Badenhorst, Co-Founder of TREAD Media.
“It helps that our tech development partners are also mountain bikers. We chose this project out of frustration for never finding the races we wanted in one place. We don’t yet have all races on the system, but most of them. We implore event organisers to send us details (which they can do via the app) if we don’t have their events listed yet,” added Badenhorst
“On the backend, the goal was invisibility – the rider should never feel the system working,” said Kevin Sharland, Backend Developer. “That meant fast event data, reliable sign-in, and an architecture that lets us add new features and events without anyone noticing a hiccup. If the platform feels effortless to use, that’s the backend doing its job properly.”
“Since we race ourselves, we know what South African cyclists want and need when searching for events,” said Ryan Butterworth, Frontend Developer. “My background as a physiotherapist meant I’d spent years listening to riders talk about how they plan their season, so I came into this knowing what mattered. We pushed hard to make every interaction feel seamless – from the moment you open the app to the moment you click through to view a race. No clutter, no friction, no guessing.”
“We’ll add road cycling events soon, but wanted to get the app into riders’ hands as quickly as possible,” added Butterworth.
TREAD Events represents the next step in TREAD Media’s mission to add value to cycling in South Africa through practical, rider-focused digital tools. By removing friction and focusing on what matters most, the platform aims to become the go-to starting point for cyclists looking for their next event.
Opportunities exist for companies to secure TREAD Events app title partnership as well as category partnership. Events are also able to book campaigns to gain featured status, or to advertise on the app. Contact Sean Badenhorst for more information: sean@treadmtb.co.za
TREAD Events is now live and available to all riders. Click here to access or load it.
Intro image: 2025 FNB Wines2Whales Shiraz | Photo: Wines2Whales
