By JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
PEOPLE once rode bikes almost solely to get somewhere – kids to school, the rare employee to work, racers to the finish line and anyone else because cars were unavailable.
Fast forward and cycling has today become a common pastime and a passion for many, with the bike now a recreational vehicle more than ever.
One group that was part of the cycling sea change is Geelong Touring Cyclists, or Geelong Bicycle Riders’ Association, as it was initially known.
Founding member Greg Allerton, who also runs Geelong West’s Bicycle Factory, said it was the first non-competitive cycling club to form in the city.
“It arose out of the Geelong Bike Plan in the late 1970s, with four aspects of education, engineering, enforcement and encouragement.
“Part of the encouragement was to establish a recreational cycling club. We had 25 riders on a 17km family ride to Marcus Hill on the Bellarine Peninsula as the club’s first event.”
Greg said the idea grew in popularity, boosted by advertising funded through the bike plan.
“It’s been going 33 years now and we have about 80 members. It has really filled a void.”
Greg said the club had changed a couple of time over the years as membership and its demographics varied.
“We have a lot of retired people as members at the moment, so many of the rides we organise cater for them. Some want a faster pace, some want an easier pace.
“We’ve added Tuesday and Thursday rides to our usual weekend rides because people are keen and free during the week.
“The rides the club organises tend to reflect the membership and its capabilities. We don’t have a lot of family members at the moment, so we do less bike path type rides.
“The medium rides of 50km and hard rides of 100km tend to be well supported at the moment.”
“GTC has organised an annual Geelong Otway Challenge for 20 years, raising more than $115,000 for Heartbeat, to help heart research.”
Greg stressed that the rides were not races but some members had become interested in the Audax format, offering more-challenging riding over longer distances with time limits.
“We try to be flexible to cater for a range of skills and capabilities. People get hooked on certain formats and as they get more experienced they tend to seek new challenges.
“There’s been greater interest in camping rides recently. A group did an Easter Otways camping bike tour, carrying all their gear, camping overnight as they took in Colac, Forrest, Apollo Bay and back to Geelong.
“Another five members did a Nullarbor ride last August, with car support, that took 31 days of riding and three or four rest days, with the longest day covering 140km.
“Another member, who also did the Nullarbor, has done a ride up the east coast from Geelong to Brisbane, so he’s doing the coast road in stages.”
Greg said the club offered companionship on rides, with group encouragement to overcome headwinds or hills.
“It’s great to have a few to ride with, it makes it a bit easier and there’s added safety with a group. If mechanical issues arise, others can help.
“Cycling is an unbelievable activity for people of all ages, and Geelong is a fantastic place for cycling.
“There’s so much variety of terrain, it has one of the better climates for riding, the roads are good, and we know all the good places are to ride.
“And we always stop for coffee and cake,” Greg smiled.
Greg said more information about information on Geelong Touring Cyclists was available by phoning him on 5222 1363.
