The Murrindindi Cycle Club was formed in October 2009. Cycle Sport Victoria contacted a local resident regarding interest. Subsequently an expression of interest was put to the community and it became apparent that there were thirty five plus prospective members. A meeting was convened on the 7th of September 2009 and a committee formed to establish the club as an incorporated body.
The club was officially incorporated and commenced operations on October 14th 2009. A statement of purpose was put in place, committee members ratified, and membership fees set. A website and an e-mail address were established and a club uniform began its development. The club is affiliated with MTBA (Mountain Bike Australia) which is the governing body for mountain biking in Australia. Via this affiliation the club members have access to cheap insurance, race permits and trail advocacy.
The club started with thirty five members and has since grown to more than seventy.
The clubs Facebook page has over three hundred members and is constantly growing.
The club is active in maintenance of local trails and has purchased from its funds chainsaws, lawn mowers and whipper snippers. Working bees on trails are arranged on a regular basis and are well attended. The club also acts as a consultant to Lake Mountain and DWELP in their trail designs and has members who work for these organisations who have specialist expertise in trail design, construction and maintenance.
Social rides happen three to four times a week with regular mountain bike rides on Tuesday nights, road rides on Wednesday night and another more casual road ride on Thursday nights. Weekend rides and one off destination style rides are a regular occurrence and all rides are posted on the clubs Facebook page and/or emailed to members.
In addition to the social rides and competitions the club is active in promoting cycling as a fun and healthy activity for non-member cyclists as well. In the past we have supported the Alexandra Secondary College which runs a junior development program called “Berms”. Members of the club mentored a number of these young riders and held maintenance clinics for them in order that they might learn to look after their bikes themselves.
The club has been involved in the Eildon Strategy Plan with a focus on the Eildon Mountain Bike trails situated on GMW land to the North of Eildon. Representatives of the club have held several meetings with the shire over the past four years. The club has recently entered an official expression of interest on the land parcel containing the trails and is awaiting the outcome. The club has recently signed a long term agreement with Goulburn Murray Water to allow formalisation of a MTB park. Some 900 volunteer hours have already been invested in this work (as at October 2019) with a view to having the trails officially open for the 2019-2020 Summer period.
Murrindindi Cycle Club 