SUMMER 2015-2016

How far have we come? 

It’s been a busy period again for PGMTB; communication with Parks Victoria has been good and the meeting on the 18th of March went well. No hugely exciting news for the trails as of now but the trail network application is progressing well. Over 70 km of trail mapped, 
50+km of it is single-track! The proposal has been surprisingly in depth with details on individual track segments, proposed river crossing access location and possible sites for trailheads to be developed. Unfortunately, the discussions with Melbourne Water have ceased and the proposal for the bridge over the Plenty River has been put on the backburner due to funds.
On the 7th and 8th of December 
Guy Stephens and Sean Milligan attended the Australian Mountain Bike Summit to attend workshops that will allow us to structure the 
trails and the club better. The summit allowed the club to get a better view of the “big picture” of mountain biking in the state and where Plenty Gorge fits into it all. Key takeaways include trail-work methods, how to bring more visitors to our cosy part of Melbourne and a more thorough understanding of securing funding for mountain bike related projects in the club’s future.

Recent News

We had a successful event at Creswick with 15 club members attending. A great day was had by all and the post-race BBQ re-fuel was much appreciated. Congratulations to the following people who completed the event:

50km Riders: 
Nathan Chan         
Andrew Butler Sean Milligan
Guy Stephans
David Douglas
Fulvio Cauci    Brendan Dean
Ian Beattie Trevor Rim
Adrian Wisth
Robert Heideman 
25km Riders: 
Phil Jackson
Tanya Simpson (4th place and her first ever competition)
Tracey Budin (Best Stack)
Jennifer Fitzpatrick 
And a special thank you to Nathan Chan, who found the hidden trail fairy, putting his winnings towards the club trail fund. Thank you!
Extra congratulations to the club members who attended the Otway Odyssey at Forrest:
50km Riders: Glen Brown, Jason Lansbury
30km Riders: Jen Fitzpatrick, Brendan Dean

Next Up Coming Ride 

FORREST 6 HOUR
On the 7th of May, PGMTB will be participating in the Forrest 6 Hour. The event offers a race for solos, pairs or triples. If you’re interested in joining a team please feel free to contact the club at plentygorgemtb@gmail.com and we’ll be able to organise a team for you. The club will be offering a bbq and drinks to all members. Please keep your eye on your emails for more information.

Where are we going 

We will continue to communicate with Parks Victoria and work with them in progressing with the trail network application. 
We will continue to offer Tuesday night rides and monthly rides. In addition to this we will be offering 2-3 events this year for members who enjoy a fast paced ride. Club Clothing
Soon the club will be asking for orders for a new range of club jerseys, t-shirts and winter wear. If you’re interested in some new gear, make sure to keep an eye on your email.
Special thanks
This quarter we would also like to say a huge thanks to a few people that have done a lot of work behind the scenes, and who really put in a lot of effort to make the club something special. 
These people are:
Sean Milligan for his communication with Melbourne Water
Guy Stephens for his amazing work with the Plenty Gorge MTB banners
Nathan Chan for his generous donation of the prize he won at the Brackenbury Challenge All the club members who made such fantastic donations at our monthly BBQ’s. 
 

Key terms and Links: 
PGMTB – Plenty Gorge Mountain Bike Club
PV – Parks Victoria
DELWP - Victoria’s State Government Department of Environment, Land, Water & Planning. Formerly known as DSE and DEPI.
IMBA – International Mountain Bicycling Association
MTBA – Mountain Bike Australia
‘The Park’ – Plenty Gorge Park
PGMTB website – www.plentygorgemtb.org.au
PGMTB official Facebook page – www.facebook.com/PGMTB
Plenty Gorge Master Plan http://tinyurl.com/PGMasterP
Instagram: https://instagram.com/plentygorgemtb/
Email: plentygorgemtb@gmail.com