PGMTB newsletter, Winter 2025
News
A World Champion among us!
One of our most recent additions to the PGTMB Committee, congratulations to Mel Anset, the 2025 Masters 50-54 XCO World Champion. All that training (daily climbs on gravel and singletracks in the hills around Hurstbridge) has really paid off. You are a star.
Member Protection Information Officer
At Plenty Gorge MTB Club, we are committed to providing a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for all members. To support this, we have appointed a Member Protection Information Officer (MPIO) - a key role within the club’s structure that helps ensure the wellbeing of our community is maintained.
Our MPIO is Guy Stephens, and his primary responsibility is to act as a point of contact for any member who has concerns relating to behaviour, discrimination, harassment, child safety, or other issues covered under our member protection policies.
Here’s a closer look at the key responsibilities of the MPIO:
• Provide information and guidance
the MPIO helps members understand their rights, the club’s policies, and the available options if they have a concern or complaint.
• Offer confidential support
Guy provides a safe and confidential space for members to raise issues, offering guidance without pressure or judgement.
• Refer to appropriate channels
while the MPIO does not investigate complaints or make decisions, they can guide members on the next steps; whether that involves internal processes or referrals to external bodies.
• Promote awareness
the MPIO supports a culture of inclusion, safety, and respect by promoting awareness of relevant policies and codes of conduct within the club. • Stay up to date with best practice
MPIOs are trained in member protection and are encouraged to stay informed of current legislation and procedures relevant to sport and recreation.
It’s important to note that the MPIO role is impartial and independent - they’re there to listen, support, and provide accurate information, not to advocate for either side of a complaint.
If you have any concerns or simply want to understand more about your rights and responsibilities as a club member, you can contact Guy Stephens at any time. His role is here to ensure our club remains a safe and welcoming space for everyone, on and off the trails.
For any questions or concerns you’d like to raise with the MPIO, you can send an email message to the mailbox we have set up solely for this purpose. It’s not accessible by any of the Committee or other Club Members, aside from Guy as the elected Officer:
Rides
Since the last newsletter, we have scheduled over 30 group rides, with more than 260 riders attending, and we have cancelled only 3 rides due to appalling or dangerous weather conditions.
Our fortnightly Sunday Social rides have had a regular attendance of at least 20 riders, with Tuesday nights normally attracting 10-12 – but still running even if there were only 4 of us.
We hosted an away ride at Smiths Gully with 20 riders, expertly guided by our new World Champion, Committee Member Mel Anset.
And on those miserable Tuesday nights when we couldn’t ride, we often found ourselves at Prosciutto Bros in Eltham, enjoying wood-fired pizza and craft beer together.
One of the Sunday Social rides on a beautiful June day
Cool and clear, perfect riding conditions on a Tuesday Night Ride
Cancelled Tuesday Night Ride? No problem!
Trail Care Days
We have run three official (and endorsed) trail care days, with a recent one attracting a dozen Club Members. Rusty Tin, Dam Run and Jess’ Track have never run so smoothly, and White Cow is now in the same excellent condition.
Working the blower to add the finishing touches
A small section of White Cow looking cleaner than ever before
Our last working bee revived Rocky Raccoon, Make No Bones About It, Tribute and Welcome Back, once again with thanks to over a dozen riders.
AusCycling VIC MTB Trail Maintenance Workshop
Beechworth - 30 & 31 May 2025
AusCycling received a small grant from the Victorian Government which enabled Mr. Ash Gray from Blue Sky Trails to facilitate five regional workshops across Victoria at no cost to the MTB Club community.
The informative and interactive workshops offered Club Members the ability to upskill and understand the management requirements for sustainable trail networks, supported by robust governance structures and skilled volunteers.
The course provided the skillset, tools and mindset to understand and apply best practice governance, strategic planning, trail planning, and trail management and maintenance tasks with consideration to the land manager, sustainability and resilience, rider experience, cultural heritage, and natural environment management.
The following topics were covered in Workshop (Day 1) and Practical (Day 2):
• Strategic planning
• Governance frameworks
• Economic models
• Land access
• Developing agreements with Land Managers
• Grant writing to increase success
• Delivering trail projects
• Engaging and working with Contractors
• Attracting and managing volunteers
• Applying trail guidelines and Trail Difficulty Rating System (TDRS) • Trail construction and maintenance
Participants at the workshop
Trail formalisation project
The formalisation process has been kicked back into gear, thanks to a reinvigorated Club Committee’s commitment to progress.
Communications with Parks Victoria have returned to the open and constructive manner we had in the early days, and new draft CHMP documents are ready for submission in the very near future, with thanks to Archaeological Solutions Australia Pty Ltd. This is the final approval we need to obtain, and that decision will lie with the Registered Aboriginal Party, the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation.
Image of proposed formalised trails and links, noting that Betty Bell Link will not be included in the formalised trails at this stage
Annual General Meeting
Our 2024/2025 Club AGM is coming up soon, and all Committee positions will be open for nominations.
It’s important that we have good representation of the local riding community on the Committee, and we would love to share the load around a bit while giving others an opportunity to learn what’s involved and lead the Club into the future.
Date, venue and agenda will be emailed to Members in the coming weeks.
Upcoming AusCycling courses
Our AusCycling affiliation provides us with access to training courses and seminars. Some that we may attend in the future include:
• Integrity: Supporting Discipline and Complaints at Club Level Wednesday 24 September - 7:00pm – 8:00pm AEST
• Diversity & Inclusion in Clubs: Best Practices and Case Studies Wednesday 22 October - 7:30pm – 8:30pm AEST
• Volunteers: Attracting and Retaining
Wednesday 19 November - 7:30pm – 8:30pm AEST
• Community Instructor
Delivered flexibly online – this accreditation is recommended for MTB Social Ride Leaders
Find out more about courses offered here:
https://auscycling.org.au/coaching-and-officiating/coach-and-instructor-courses
Calendar of events
An updated calendar of events for social rides and trail maintenance is shown below – please check with latest PGMTB email, on our new website, or the PGMTB Facebook page events, as things can change at fairly short notice.
Strava events now available
Our social rides are now being posted to Strava, so you can follow us there to ensure you’re in the loop for all the upcoming rides we’re running.
Facebook events
We will continue posting our social rides on social media – of course! https://www.facebook.com/PGMTB/events
It’s also where you can find details of Trail Care Days.
Indicating that you’re ‘Going’ to these events on Facebook is a good way to be kept aware of any last-minute changes or cancellations.
Social rides
What sort of bike do I need?
You’re welcome to bring any bike that will handle the terrain. There’s no requirement for any particular kind of bike.
We welcome dual-suspension, hardtail or rigid, gears or single-speed, MTB, e-Bike or gravel bike – but we have an expectation that your bike will be in proper working order before you arrive, and that you have the confidence and ability to ride trails which can be rough, slippery, technical, with loose surfaces and trail obstacles.
You will need to wear a helmet (for your protection, and for ours as a Club), and bring your own water – at least a 700mL bidon.
It is recommended that you also come equipped with a spare tube (and the tools to fit and inflate it). More difficult technical issues can be patched up as they occur, but we’d all really prefer if they occur due to accident rather than lack of maintenance or preparation.
Posing for the photo during one of our Sunday Social rides
Sunday Social
Our Sunday morning social rides continue every second Sunday (weather permitting) – these local rides loop around the trails in the proposed formalisation area, or further afield within Plenty Gorge Park, depending on the consensus of the group. We usually split the attendees into smaller groups, with a more relaxed group staying close to the Tank, an advanced group taking in a longer and more technical route including river crossings, and sometimes a middle group enjoying the best of both worlds.
Departing Yellow Gum carpark at 9:00am sharp during winter and typically finishing around 11:00am.
Please arrive 15 minutes early to ensure you’re ready for the departure time. 
Rolling out at the beginning of our last Sunday Social ride
Typically, some of us will head to Plentiful Café post-ride for a coffee and something to eat. Unless you rode to the starting point, you probably drove past it in your way to the ride. You’ll find it close to the CFA fire station, near the intersection of Memorial Drive and Yan Yean Road.
https://plentiful-general-store.business.site/#gallery
One of the locals getting ready for the coming spring, waiting for something to eat at Plentiful Café.
Away rides
Every 12 weeks or so, the Club will organise a social ride away from Plenty Gorge Park. Previously we have had very well-attended trips to Djuwang Baring (Creswick), Red Hill, La Larr Ba Gauwa MTB Park (Harcourt) and Smiths Gully.
Not only are these events fun, with many of us discovering these places for the first time, but it’s a great way to network with our MTB community colleagues, cross promote each other’s Clubs, and discuss issues we have in common.