Home |
About Us |
Contact Us |
Join Us |
Darebin Bicycle User Group is one of Melbourne's largest and most active cycling groups.
Sunday Ride Report:
Plenty River Ride
Sunday 21st September, 2003
Experience of a new BUG member - by Doug Morffew
Sunday morning, I woke in anticipation of getting back on my bike
after several months of neglect, avoidance, excuses. But the first sound
I heard was a howling wind and thought I was about to find yet another
excuse. Fortunately the ride starting time was a civilized 10.15am,
at Alphington Station, enabling me to assess the potential weather more
closely as well as enjoy an adequate breakfast beforehand. As it turned
out the wind settled, predicted early showers didn't find us and conditions
were generally favourable.
Approximately 20 people of a wide age range took part, most of who had a chance to meet and chat on the train ride out to Greensborough. A few had already ridden the whole distance from home - training for the "Around the Bay in a Day" - and joined us before we set off along a pleasant meandering path, following the Plenty River in a very scenic stretch for several kilometres at a leisurely pace.
Ride coordinator Sean shared his bird-spotting skills along the way (even if our chatter and squeaky brakes had scared off the feathery natives by the time we focused our attention). A restored stone-buttress bridge with impressive steel girders, the first ever built on this part of the river, was a resting point at one end of our journey. Back up the river a BYO picnic lunch was enjoyed at a shady bend near a historic information board acknowledging the aboriginal community who had once inhabited the region. Also there, we were met by Kevin and Alice Ley from the "Friends of Plenty River," who shared their encouraging story of an active group of residents who work with the council to keep the weeds at bay and gradually revegetate the banks with native flora.
After a total of only 12 or so kilometres and a couple
of hours of easy-paced cycling we were back in Greensborough for a coffee-stop
before most returned by train. Having enjoyed rediscovering my pedals
and feeling more in need of a stretch, I joined the small group, led
by Norbit and Kathy, cycling back though Macleod, past Latrobe University
to pick up the Darebin Bike Path for the final home run. Just under
30km total for the day was a comfortable distance to get me back in
the saddle. I look forward to my next ride.