Despite the wintry weather the recreation riding group’s program continues unabated. Fortunately the weather conditions have not been bad enough for any cancellations. Provided the appropriate apparel is worn it is not really a problem (see our winter cycling tips).
Although last Sunday the strong windy conditions caused riders to be on the alert for the rogue gust that can catch the unsuspecting cyclist out. In addition the road litter caused by the strong winds meant riders had to be more vigilant than normal. In all seven riders rode the two Warragul ‘loops’, which were interspersed with the usual coffee break. However after observing the diet of two of the riders, (a chicko roll for one and an egg & bacon sandwich for the other) the coffee break degenerated into brunch. Carolyn Turner and Phil Drummond gave it away at the half way mark (that was far enough), Craig Stuchbery then joined in having had to fix a puncture before getting started. Ian de Bruyne was resplendent on his new beaut bike, Bruce Campbell hung in the full distance whilst Peter Crump and Roy Hammond did an extra 12 ks, in checking out a possible route for the Commonwealth Games warm up day recreational bike ride which is coming up on November 20th.
The next ride departs the velodrome on Saturday July 30th at 1.30pm and will be followed up with a ride on Sunday 7th August commencing from the vicinity of the Longwarry Hotel.
Earlier this month the Warragul Cycling Club held their annual meeting and the following annual report for the Ride-It group was presented.
On August 2nd 2004 a public meeting was held in the Old Shire Hall, Queen Street, Warragul for the purpose of forming a Recreation Riding Group. Over 30 people attended and as a consequence the Ride-It group was formed. Over the next few weeks various administrative matters were sorted out and the inaugural ride of the group took place on October 3rd 2004.Since that date the group has gone from strength to strength and the membership has steadily increased to almost 60 members. The Ride-It group has been an outstanding success with rides being conducted on at least a fortnightly basis from October last year through to the present. A sub committee was formed and subsequently various activities were allocated to members of this committee to spread the work load. There are now nine members who meet on a bi monthly basis to organise the various activities of the group. They are Roy Hammond (Chairperson), Monique Hanley (Liaison Officer), Craig Stuchbery (Ride Program), Carolyn Turner (Publicity), Coralie Tyrrell ( Membership), Michael Stirling (Education) Steve Jackson, Wilf Tampaline, & Bruce Horskins. A program was developed for a three month period the basis of which was a ride on every second Sunday morning and with one additional ride on a Saturday afternoon once a month. This format has proved satisfactory. Initially the rides all started and finished at the velodrome but as the program developed, rides starting at points outside of Warragul were introduced. These also have proved popular. Also now included in the quarterly program is a bike trail ride in Melbourne.
The group is still in the early stages of our establishment with many projects and ideas on the agenda for the future. These include subscriptions, day permits, first aid, uniforms, event management plans, two towns trail, weekend rides and the Commonwealth Games warm up day. A big vote of thanks goes from the Ride–It Group to the Warragul Cycling Club for their assistance in the establishment of the group. In particular to Justen O’Connor who has been very supportive of the whole concept and has encouraged us at every opportunity and has provided fantastic support especially through the WEB page of the cycling club. Also we are indebted to Monique Hanley for her efforts as liaison officer for the cycle club. She was a tower of strength in the initial stages, guiding us in the right direction. Her endeavour in coming from Melbourne to attend our sub-committee meetings was also a fantastic effort. The Ride-It group can face the future with confidence. The sub-committee are very enthusiastic and the ride program gets better and more diverse every quarter. Recreational bike riding is still gaining momentum and the Ride-It group’s goal for the coming year is to see the membership reach 100.
