What we’re about
Welcome to bicycle touring!
It’s all about what the great Australian outdoors has to offer, the only thing missing is you! This is the Meetup page for Melbourne Bicycle Touring Club.
There’s nothing quite like the ‘spirit of place’ and freedom you will experience when riding a bicycle on an isolated back road through farmland, along a bush track, over a mountain range, or across a desert. The satisfaction and sense of independence is incomparable.
The Melbourne Bicycle Touring Club has been running recreational rides and tours continuously since 1973. Check out our rides program and see what’s coming up this weekend.
At MBTC we aim to give you a large variety of rides that cater for a broad variety of people, from simple sightseeing metro rides all the way up to multi week expedition touring and everything in between. Many of our rides are suitable for many different types of bikes as we often ride along bike paths and rail trails. We run social get together rides that start in the CBD and take us along a beach or river path to have either breakfast, lunch, or dinner at a nice place with some amazing people.
Our most common rides are one day urban or country tours which may start in Melbourne or at a country location. These rides may be either car or train based.
We regularly run overnight tours that will cater for people who prefer to travel light and stay in accommodation, but we also cater for the hard core tourers who prefer to load up their bikes, carry everything out to a great spot in the bush and tell stories around the campfire. We also run regular social nights at various venues near the CBD, as well as special club meetings throughout the year.
Meetup Riders are not automatically financial MBTC Club Members, but are welcome to take up full club membership by visiting www.mbtc.org.au/membership. Our club policy is that visitors may participate on three rides before making the decision to join our club for an annual fee of $25. Benefits include other club rides and activities not listed on Meetup, member-only rides, weekly club emails, social events, club meetings, Ride With GPS club subscription with premium navigation features & offline maps, etc.
For more information about MBTC please feel free to take a ride through our website www.mbtc.org.au and follow us at:
twitter
instagram
facebook page
Understandably COVID-19 is affecting how we do our rides. Our COVID-19 page ((https://www.mbtc.org.au/covid-19/) describes what you must do when riding with us.
Everyone is riding at their own risk and the club does not take responsibility for any injuries or accidents you may have on any of our rides. It is now a requirement of this group that you use a recognizable profile photo of yourself.
Upcoming events (4)
See all- Petty’s Orchard Ride, 33KMs (Intermediate)Rushall Train Station, Fitzroy North
Petty’s Orchard ride, Tour and Apple Tasting.
Depart Rushall Station 10 am.
Main Yarra Trail to Petty’s Orchard.
Lunch at Petty’s Orchard Café.Apple tasting at Heritage Vintage Orchard has been cancelled.
We could do a scenic ride up the single track to Warrandyte beach instead or just simply cycle home.Bring your bathers if it’s a nice day for a swim!
Cycle to Eltham Station, take train to Rushall.
OR cycle back on Yarra trail to Rushall Station also an option.What to bring:
Lunch can be purchased at Petty’s Orchard Café, but you can also BYO lunch and we can eat together at the café rotunda.
Check weather forecast, if the weather turns hot bring lots of water, electrolytes, hat and sun tan cream.
Drinking fountains along the trail.The route can be viewed on Ride with GPS:
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45857186RIDE REGISTRATION FORM
This will be available within a day of the ride being announced. Preferably it is to be completed when you RSVP, but no later than the day before the ride. It can be found at
https://www.mbtc.org.au/registration-forms-rider.ESSENTIAL ITEMS
Functioning headlight & tail light
Spare tube and a puncture kit
MYKI card, ATM card/cash, basic tools, rain gear, food/snacks, etcWATER
It's your responsibility to check the temperature and distance for the day and carry an appropriate amount of water. When riding outside suburbia remember that carrying too much water is better than not enough as the distances between water availability may vary greatly from the planned route due to road closures or other unforeseen circumstances.Check Meetup for any changes the day before the ride, as the ride may be cancelled in the event of extreme weather or other unforeseen circumstances.
If you cannot make it to the ride please change your RSVP to 'NO' at least one day before the ride day.
This ride is for MBTC club members, or those who have not yet done 3 days riding with us. To join our club check out https://www.mbtc.org.au/membership
When I RSVP for this event/activity I acknowledge that the activity of bicycle riding can be dangerous and that I may suffer loss or injury or death and I agree that in consideration of my participation in any event conducted by the MBTC that I will absolve from liability the MBTC, its officers, and any event organiser from all claims,
demands, or suits whether for personal injury or property loss suffered whether by negligence or breach of contract or otherwise, save for any right I may have pursuant to the Australian Consumer law. I acknowledge that photos may be taken of me during MBTC rides and social events, and that it is club practice that these photos will be published on Meetup, Facebook, and the club website. I will notify the ride leader and other riders if I wish to not be photographed. MBTC cannot guarantee that my photo will not be published and will promptly honour requests to be removed from MBTC - Summer Solstice (almost) Ruffy weekendBaracca Lane Cafe, Seymour
We will depart Baracca Lane Cafe 9-ish, giving the train people time to grab a quick coffee and something yummy at Baracca before we get on the road.
https://www.facebook.com/BaraccaLaneSeymour/
We'll depart and pass the day in a leisurely manner, there's plenty of daylight time for getting to Ruffy.
The cost of the facilities at Ruffy is $20 per night.
You will need to bring a snack for on the road for lunch on both days and plenty of drinking water.
There are no shops or drinking water taps between Seymour and Ruffy and no shops at Ruffy.
You will need to bring dinner but there is a proper kitchen with stove, microwave, fridge etc for preparation and dining room to sit and eat.
You will also need to bring brekky.
Also bring tent, sleeping bag, inflatable mat, camp pillow.
We will take the usual Hughes Creek Road route, this road offers beautiful views as well as a beautiful Hughes Creek Gorge with creek reserve.
Most of the weekends cycling will be on gravel roads.
Riders need to be aware that like all gravel roads the Hughes Creek Road requires care.
It's a pretty good road as gravel roads go, however, there are some corrugations, some cattle grids to be crossed and some erosion gutters containing loose gravel that require caution.
Please download the route on Ride With GPS so that you can ride ahead if you wish:
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/46442829
There is a train departing Southern Cross 7.07 am, arriving Seymour 8.24 and a Sprinter departing Southern Cross 7.16 am arriving 8.39.RIDE REGISTRATION FORM
This will be available within a day of the ride being announced. Preferably it is to be completed when you RSVP, but no later than the day before the ride. It can be found at
https://www.mbtc.org.au/registration-forms-rider.ESSENTIAL ITEMS
Suitable tyres for gravel riding, at least 32"
Functioning headlight & tail light
Spare tube and a puncture kit
MYKI card, basic toolsWATER
It's your responsibility to check the temperature and distance for the day and carry an appropriate amount of water. Remember that carrying too much water is better than not enough as the distances between water availability may vary greatly from the planned route due to road closures or other unforeseen circumstances.
CHANGES
Check MeetUp for any changes the day before the ride, as the ride may be cancelled in the event of extreme weather or other unforeseen circumstances.
If you cannot make it to the ride please change your RSVP to 'NO' at least one day before the ride day.This ride is for MBTC club members, or those who have not yet done 3 days riding with us. To join our club check out https://www.mbtc.org.au/membership
When I RSVP for this event/activity I acknowledge that the activity of bicycle riding can be dangerous and that I may suffer loss or injury or death and I agree that in consideration of my participation in any event conducted by the MBTC that I will absolve from liability the MBTC, its officers, and any event organiser from all claims, demands, or suits whether for personal injury or property loss suffered whether by negligence or breach of contract or otherwise, save for any right I may have pursuant to the Australian Consumer law.
I acknowledge that photos may be taken of me during MBTC rides and social events, and that it is club practice that these photos will be published on Meetup, Facebook, and the club website. I will notify the ride leader and other riders if I wish to not be photographed. MBTC cannot guarantee that my photo will not be published and will promptly honour requests to be removed from MBTC controlled sites.
