First quarter newsletter 2025 – Latest news, ride pics and future plans!

Dear fellow FatTracks members, sponsors, and donors,

Looking back on the first quarter of 2025, I hope everyone has enjoyed our beautiful Baakens trails as much as I have, whether riding, hiking, or running!

We’re incredibly grateful to our generous sponsors and donors for their ongoing support in developing and maintaining our fantastic trails.

A huge thank you also to every member – your contribution is vital to FatTracks’ annual budget. We sincerely hope that everyone who uses the FatTracks trails will be inspired to join our club, ensuring its continued success and growth into the future.

THANK YOU!

We would not be able to do what we need to do on theFatTracks trails with membership fees only.

So, we are incredibly grateful to all the corporates and businesses contributing financially to help upgrade and maintain the MTB trails in the valley…  

Please support our donors and sponsors!

Continental SA Waudcray Atlas Billson Trucks City Paint and Tool CycloPro

Grindstone Ian Meaker Brokers Pam Golding Properties Springwell Steel Pipes & Fittings

New sponsor signage at the Containers:

All of our corporate sponsors have their logos prominently displayed at the Containers. If you would like to join these fantastic businesses who are making a difference in our City, please contact pieter@fattracks.co.za.

Why FatTracks membership matters

While FatTracks offers member benefits, the core value lies in supporting the preservation and improvement of our shared natural resource.
Our annual fees, at roughly R60 per month for individual members, contribute directly to:

• Maintaining and improving the Baakens Valley trails, a crucial recreational asset for our city.
• Repairing damage caused by events like the 2024 floods, ensuring the trails remain safe and accessible.
• Increasing the safety and accessibility of the valley for all users, including riders, walkers, birders, and hikers.
• Contributing to a community effort that makes our city a better place for all.

Joining FatTracks is about being part of a bigger picture, supporting the sustainable enjoyment of our beautiful Baakens Valley trails. We encourage everyone who values these trails to join us.

News on maintenance and flood repairs

The 2024 floods caused significant damage to the trails, but we are pleased to report that we have managed to repair most of the flood-related issues.

With great effort, we’ve restored the washed-away bridges, and the contractor has taken extra care to reinforce the connecting points. This added reinforcement is expected to help keep the bridges secure should another flood occur.

We also want to extend our gratitude to Joseph and Nedson, our dedicated trail workers, for their outstanding efforts in maintaining and repairing the trails.

Partnerships

We’ve received queries regarding the operating hours at our partner trails at Norm Hudlin. Norm Hudlin has explained that the current specific opening and closing times are in place for safety reasons.

Ian Pearson further shared that they are in the process of installing an electronic entry/exit system. Once in place, FatTracks members will have access cards to enter the trails during hours when the gates are locked to the public. We will keep you posted. 

FatTracks club rides and walks

Our weekly #NewbieTuesday rides and #ThursdayWalks continued until March this year. We will start these up again in spring when the evenings are lighter. However, we encourage all members to organise their own group rides on the WhatsApp Banter group.

More photos from the rides and walks can be found on our website here.

Thanks to local trail runners for your support!

A huge thanks for the generous donations from the trail runners at Achilles Amateur Athletics Association and all those who join the first Thursday night run in April.

Achilles has committed to doing a collection every first Thursday to help support the work FatTracks is doing in the Valley.  FatTracks is committed to keeping the trails in tip top shape for all Valley users, so every donation counts.

Award-winning waterpoints!

A massive shoutout to the FatTracks volunteers who won “Best Waterpoint” at the Astron Energy Trail Run in the valley on Sunday 2 February. And later that month our amazing 4-women support team won Best Waterpoint at the Herald MTB Race.

Merchandise

We have some awesome new FatTracks gear available. Keep a lookout on our channels for more info on where you can try on the shirts, and how to purchase them.

Socks are going for R130, shirts available for R650.

Trail etiquette

If you’re a Newbie rider, or you just want a refresher on trail etiquette, please check out the link on our website where you’ll also find our code of conduct and WhatsApp group policy.

Find out more HERE.

A personal note from Pieter

As my tenure as Chairman of FatTracks comes to a close this year, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on my time in this role.

I will not be available to continue as chairman after this year, marking the fourth year since I stepped in when Andrew Rist’s chairmanship came to an end.

Looking back, I realise it was probably a good thing I didn’t fully understand what I was stepping into at the time. My motivation to take on the chairmanship stemmed from my love for mountain biking and a desire to build upon the incredible legacy of those who came before me.

With the kind and generous support of the current committee, donors, sponsors, and loyal FatTracks members, I’m proud to say I’ve achieved the objectives I set for myself when I took on this role.

As we approach our AGM in November, I want to put out an early call to our FatTracks members to begin identifying and approaching potential candidates to take over as Chairperson. If any member is interested in learning more about the role or how to get involved, please feel free to reach out to me or any committee member by sending us a personal message.

For more information about what each position requires, please have a look at the portfolios here.

Enjoy our Baakens Valley adventure trails, let us all together make every effort for FatTracks to go stronger and stronger into the future.

See you on the trails!

Pieter Labuschagne
FatTracks Chairperson