Which XC club in Melbourne?

S

Shelley Sola

Cannon Fodder
Hi all.
I started racing XC back in the late '90s and have been a member of the Fat Tyre Flyers ever since.
With a couple of kids and a lot of extra kilos I hardly race anymore, but keep my licence up to date just because. Well, in fact it may be because I am really proud of how low the number on my MTBA licence is and I dare not let it lapse!
So it's renewal time, and I thought that rather than just tick the same club affiliation I should actually check that they're still active and my $20 club fee (is it still that, I never look?) is actually going to a club, not just an ex-treasurer's bank account...

Is the FTF XC club still active? - website having vanished suggests not. I don't really mind funding the downhillers, which I guess is what I've been doing for a few years now, but I'm a hardtail XC girl from way back.
I tried hitting up all the old clubs websites, but none seem to have news from any thing after 2012 or so.
I'm so out of touch, anyone still racing XC in Melbourne or did the cyclocross juggernaut catch everyone?

In a nutshell, which XC club should I nominate for my MTBA licence renewal?
 
The Duckmeister

The Duckmeister

Has a juicy midrange
I'd naturally say Red Hill Riders because I'm a member there. However, although there is a XC aspect, the club is a bit more gravity-enduro focused, in large part to the nature of the trails we have. The trails we have a still fairly new in a legal sense, so we don't yet have any in-house racing scene, but that will change with time.

Other clubs in the Melbourne area are Lysterfield District Trail Riders, or if the other side of town is more convenient, Geelong MTB Club are very strong in XC racing and put on a lot of good events.
 
C

casnell

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Shelley Sola said:
Hi all.
I started racing XC back in the late '90s and have been a member of the Fat Tyre Flyers ever since.
With a couple of kids and a lot of extra kilos I hardly race anymore, but keep my licence up to date just because. Well, in fact it may be because I am really proud of how low the number on my MTBA licence is and I dare not let it lapse!
So it's renewal time, and I thought that rather than just tick the same club affiliation I should actually check that they're still active and my $20 club fee (is it still that, I never look?) is actually going to a club, not just an ex-treasurer's bank account...

Is the FTF XC club still active? - website having vanished suggests not. I don't really mind funding the downhillers, which I guess is what I've been doing for a few years now, but I'm a hardtail XC girl from way back.
I tried hitting up all the old clubs websites, but none seem to have news from any thing after 2012 or so.
I'm so out of touch, anyone still racing XC in Melbourne or did the cyclocross juggernaut catch everyone?

In a nutshell, which XC club should I nominate for my MTBA licence renewal?
Click to expand...
Where do you live?
LDTR, Warrandyte MTB club, Forrest, Gippsland , Red Hill riders are all active
 
K

kbekus

Likes Dirt
as others have said, depends where you live and what trails you consider local. Plenty Gorge has a new club for the Northeners, You Yangs, Geelong or Ballarat for the Westies, Lysterfield or Red Hill for the East and South East. Get back into it :) Drag your children along.... soon they'll be dragging you along (hey Moorey?).
 
redbruce

redbruce

Eats Squid
Shelley Sola said:
Hi all.
I started racing XC back in the late '90s and have been a member of the Fat Tyre Flyers ever since.
With a couple of kids and a lot of extra kilos I hardly race anymore, but keep my licence up to date just because. Well, in fact it may be because I am really proud of how low the number on my MTBA licence is and I dare not let it lapse!
So it's renewal time, and I thought that rather than just tick the same club affiliation I should actually check that they're still active and my $20 club fee (is it still that, I never look?) is actually going to a club, not just an ex-treasurer's bank account...

Is the FTF XC club still active? - website having vanished suggests not. I don't really mind funding the downhillers, which I guess is what I've been doing for a few years now, but I'm a hardtail XC girl from way back.
I tried hitting up all the old clubs websites, but none seem to have news from any thing after 2012 or so.
I'm so out of touch, anyone still racing XC in Melbourne or did the cyclocross juggernaut catch everyone?

In a nutshell, which XC club should I nominate for my MTBA licence renewal?
Click to expand...
If you have kids pick a club that has an active program for kids development and racing.

Warrandyte MTBC are very strong in that area, there are others around town as well so go with the nearest to you.
 
Last edited:
V

Victripper

Squid
As everyone has said pick somewhere local where you want to ride.

Personally at this stage I haven't included my kids in the club I am with as my wife wants them doing other things but we get out seperate for now. If they show they really want to do more then I will look at that when the time comes
 
S

Shelley Sola

Cannon Fodder
Thanks everyone!
I hadn't considered local to be a strong drawcard, as I don't really ride much anymore, other than with the kids, so was more just looking for my bit of club membership money to go somewhere it was needed and would be well used.
Having said that though, I am west side, so GMBC, Woodend, Bendigo, Castlemaine were looking good.
I've seen some great photos from the Plenty Gorge crew and it looks like some good trail building and enthusiasm is going on there. Great stuff.
Nice too to see Astroboy Racer's face pop up in the MTB Melbourne page.
I think Geelong have won me over with their Dirt Squirts junior program. If the kids are busy in a coaching session then I'm free to ride some trails, right?!
We'll be down in Dromana next weekend for the start of the Cycling Victoria Schools series, so I'm guessing that's the Red Hill crew's home turf. Will be fun to go somewhere new after all this time.

thanks again everyone, and happy trails.
 
T

trav

Likes Dirt
Shelley Sola said:
Thanks everyone!
I hadn't considered local to be a strong drawcard, as I don't really ride much anymore, other than with the kids, so was more just looking for my bit of club membership money to go somewhere it was needed and would be well used.
Having said that though, I am west side, so GMBC, Woodend, Bendigo, Castlemaine were looking good.
I've seen some great photos from the Plenty Gorge crew and it looks like some good trail building and enthusiasm is going on there. Great stuff.
Nice too to see Astroboy Racer's face pop up in the MTB Melbourne page.
I think Geelong have won me over with their Dirt Squirts junior program. If the kids are busy in a coaching session then I'm free to ride some trails, right?!
We'll be down in Dromana next weekend for the start of the Cycling Victoria Schools series, so I'm guessing that's the Red Hill crew's home turf. Will be fun to go somewhere new after all this time.

thanks again everyone, and happy trails.
Click to expand...
If your out west Shelly and would like to see your membership money actually go on the ground where you and your kids will ride , then you cant look past You Yangs MTB Inc.

You Yangs as a club are the sole contributor(YES the only club that puts money into the trails) to the trail net work at the You Yangs. We are in the final stages of planning with Parks for a junior only area with 3 stacked trail loop.
 
Timmy!!!

Timmy!!!

Likes Dirt
And even if you don't join You Yangs MTB Inc, you can always make a donation to the trails through them. That way you will still be contributing directly to the trails. YYMTB members put a LOT(!) of time and effort in to the trails. Your money will not be wasted.
 
gcouyant

gcouyant

Farkin Advertiser
Shelley Sola said:
Thanks everyone!
I hadn't considered local to be a strong drawcard, as I don't really ride much anymore, other than with the kids, so was more just looking for my bit of club membership money to go somewhere it was needed and would be well used.
Click to expand...
How did you go with your search Shelley Sola? Keen to hear your thoughts on clubs out that side of town. More along the lines of those that have strong MTB development programs and core MTB values.

You can email me directly if you prefer - gc@isi-carriers.com
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top