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:

mpio.plentygorgemtb@gmail.com

 

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.

Our next away ride will be at Warburton in September

 

Tuesday night ride (TNR)

The Tuesday night social ride is for those riders looking for a bit more of an adventure.  Usually at a faster pace than the (more) social weekend outings, we still stop to chat - just not normally for as long, or as often.

The starting point for these rides rotates through three venues:

• Queens Gardens

• The Tank - Goldsworthy Lane

• Norge - Middle Gorge Car Park

They all feature a 6:45pm departure time. The route is not usually predetermined and  may change without notice – such as when we arrive at an intersection and the ride  leader decides to take that route on the spot. We normally finish riding by 9:00pm, with  a post-ride cold drink having become something of a fixture. BYO (responsibly please) or  add something to the portable fridge to share.

Where to next?

Trail maintenance

In cooperation with Parks Victoria, the Club has permission to complete trail  maintenance on the three trail loops in the proposed formalisation area. Typically, this  involves removing vegetation that has overgrown onto trails or where fallen limbs are  close to the edge of the track and dangerous to passing riders or inhibiting sight lines  around corners.

Our next Club maintenance event will be advised once we’ve locked it in – more detail  to follow, typically we meet at either the Tank car park or Yellow Gum car park and walk  to the trail needing maintenance.

A separate email will be sent with details.

Bring along gloves, safety eyewear, long pants, etc – rakes would be handy!  Instructions on work to be done will be given on the morning.

Club Members should be registered with Parks Connect, PV’s Park Volunteer portal – just your name, address, contact details, etc, etc…

https://www.parkconnect.vic.gov.au/Account/Login/Register

Once registered, you can select Plenty Gorge MTB Club as your volunteer club – the  Club needs to apply for trail maintenance (PV volunteer work) each time and then  complete a post work ‘report’ including those persons attending – it’s all about  documenting the volunteer hours.

You should also have a Working With Children Check registration. This is the norm these  days with any club and activities where children are involved.

https://www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au/

We will obtain some portable safety signage and markers to alert Park users when we  are out working on the trail.

Communication

The Club has a Facebook page (Plenty Gorge MTB) which has two groups associated with it:

• Plenty Gorge Mountain Bike Riders (public)

• Plenty Gorge MTB Committee (Committee only)

Most communication will be to Members via email through the TidyHQ web portal  provided by AusCycling.

Our website has had a refresh and is now accessible through AusCycling links, thanks  to some talented new Committee members.

And as always, please communicate with the Committee in person during a ride, email  plentygorgemtb@gmail.com or get in touch via Messenger – we’re looking for your  feedback and ideas!

Thank you!

Emerson Thistlethwaite

Vice-President

On behalf of the PGMTB Committee