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 (3)
Darren Room was our go to person for all things train related. What he didn't know about our public transport system wasn't worth knowing.
This ride will take us from Laverton Station to Graduate House where Darren was a life member.
We are aiming to get to Graduate House by 11:45, where Norm Appleby, another club legend, will be joining us for lunch.
Bring along any photos that you may have of Darren.
RSVP early as Graduate House requires booking, When RSVPing you be asked if you aren't doing both the ride and lunch (either is good).
Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42515294
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
Spare tube and a puncture kit
MYKI card, ATM card/cash, basic tools, rain gear, food/snacks, etc
WATER
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 your app for any changes the day before a 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.
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.
- Vera
- Walter M
- Frank K.
- 6 attendees
A King's Birthday long weekend tour for three days through the warmer, drier lands of the box-ironbark forests in north-central Victoria. We will commence from Seymour, and return here at the end, enabling riders to choose to take the train* or come up by car. The first day includes Tahbilk Winery, Kirwan's Bridge (but we do not cross it) and Longleat Winery, before camping at Murchison Riverside Caravan Park. The second day is a gold-era trek, visiting Rushworth, the Balaclava Hills mine at Whroo, then traversing the extensive box-ironbark forest through towards Heathcote. Camping will be at Dargile Campground in the forest, with a good shelter, fireplace and toilets. Next morning we can do morning coffee in Heathcote, which has two very good bakeries. We then take a back-road to Tooborac with its popular hotel-brewery, then it is a sealed road to the conclusion at Seymour.
Each night is probably going to be camp-cooked dinner. At Murchison we can cook dinner in a good camp-kitchen. The nearest hotel at Murchison is a long (3km) ride away at Murchison East. The second night will be more of a bush-camp, with a fireplace and shelter.
* Sat. am trains depart Southern Cross at 7:07am and 7:16am, arriving at Seymour at 8:24 and 8:38 respectively. Trains after that arrive at midday onwards.
Mon. return trains have three departing between 2:57 and 3:57pm. Next trains are 6:37pm onwards.
Route for the tour.
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
Functioning headlight & tail light
Spare tube and a puncture kit
MYKI card, ATM card/cash, basic tools, rain gear, food/snacks, etc
WATER
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 your app for any changes the day before a 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.
- Pete S.
- Margaret S.
- Gary B.
- 16 attendees
A base-camp ride, staying in excellent group accommodation done last Queen's Birthday. It was a ride worth repeating. A September weekend this year.
This will be a late-winter long weekend tour, staying in accommodation at Avenel. We will tour some of the Goulburn Valley wineries, possibly do a loop tour to Hughes Creek, and travel along Upton Rd to Euroa. Distances will be medium, about 50-60km each day, but wine-tasting and short daylight hours may make a slightly speedier riding pace necessary.
Note: this ride will be conducted in line with the MBTC Ride Leader Guidelines which can be found here. In particular we will be 'traveling at the pace of the slowest rider' ie. regrouping at junctions and appropriate times. We do not leave riders behind.
Ride routes may be modified subject to feedback and possibilities. These are routes from 2022.
The initial route plan is here:
Saturday loop tour to Tahbilk: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/39189634
Sunday loop tour: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/39058663
Monday loop tour: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/39189935
The accommodation is still to be confirmed, but is delightful for winter. It will require a prior commitment paying monies beforehand for about 50% of the cost. The accommodation cost is $140 per room per night, with rooms only available for two, or a couple as double & single. Most rooms are double, some are twin, all with en-suite. A HUGE living space and smallish kitchen (for 20).
Video of the weekend last year is here.
RIDE REGISTRATION FORM
This is to be completed by the day before the ride and can be found at:
www.mbtc.org.au/registration-forms-rider, preferably when you RSVP.
Etiquette: Social pace. We wait for each other to regroup at key navigational points. No one is left behind with a puncture. On the day, if you cannot make the ride please change your RSVP. Recommend bring pump, tools, spare tube, money, phone with my number in it if we get separated, MYKI, and a bike lock. This is an accommodated tour so only light loads need be carried; extra clothing, lunch & snacks, rain gear and personal items. Check your app on the day for any changes. Do bring lights in case we get delayed.
Our club policy is that visitors may do three riding days with us before making the decision to join our club for an annual fee of $25. You can join Melbourne Bicycle Touring Club Inc. at http://www.mbtc.org.au/membership/
Benefits include other rides not listed on Meetup, special event meetings, social events, RWGPS club subscription, etc.
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.
- Pete S.
- John W.
- Margaret S.
- 25 attendees
Past events (674)
- RuBen
- Jeff S.
- Kevin F.
- 3 attendees
