The Official Home of the Warby Ghost Riders
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The Official Home of the Warby Ghost Riders
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"If you think you can't then you won't !"Upcoming Rides for September & October Sat Sep 4th - Belgrave to Jells Park Social Ride
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You might also be interested to know that our 2011 European ride is now full. Although the initial spaces are now all taken I am taking names for a supplementary list in case anyone on the original list is unable to take part.
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They were ancient, worn out and decrepit - and some of the bikes were just as bad - a return to our cycling dreamtime on the Retro Ride of July 3rd |
Although the weather was a little less than perfect, the rain did hold off for most of the ride. With an hilarious collection of old bikes and weird clothing it was certainly good fun to discard the modern trappings and return to an older and simpler time. In fact the ride was such good fun that I would love to see it repeated as an Annual Charity Fundraiser. We might schedule it for a warmer time of the year however. Thanks to all those who participated and helped raise some funds for the Children's Hospital.
Our climb to the summit of Mt St Leonard was achieved in almost perfect walking conditions. This is a challenging climb of approx 1000 vertical metres from the Donnellys Weir car park to the towering summit. I suspect there will be a few tired calves among those who participated. This was the first time I had personally completed this walk and I would rate it very highly. The views from the lookout tower at the top are spectacular and clearly reward the considerable effort it takes to get there. We now have only two remaining training walks before we depart for the Andes. The next one is scheduled for the weekend of 10th/11th of July.
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Some of our climbers gathered at the summit of Mt St Leonard - Sat 19th June (not shown are Rick and Anne Coxhill). |
With a bumper peloton of 26 riders and fantastic winter sun all day we all enjoyed an almost perfect ride. For many of the participants it was the first time they had completed this circuit and I think the unanimous opinion was that it was a wonderful way to spend a public holiday. Thanks to Ross for acting as our guide to bring us safely through the labyrinth of bike paths and thanks to everyone who turned out and ensured such an enjoyable day in the saddle. If only all rides could go as well as this one !
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Some of the Queen Betty's Birthday Celebrants gathered at the end of the ride |
In August 2009 19 Ghostriders and partners flew to Munich to undertake our first European ride. This ride was nicknamed the "Budapest or Bust" ride as it took us 800 km along the Danube from Passau in Germany all the way through to Budapest in Hungary. Along the way we passed through some of the most delightful cycling scenery you could ever imagine. You can find a detailed account of this ride elsewhere on this website.
Following the great success of the 2009 European Ride I have been busy refining plans for a return to Europe ride to be held in Aug/Sep of 2011. This ride will be longer than the first ride by a few days and will start much higher up the Danube in Bavaria. We will be following the Danube all the way down to Vienna over an 18 day period, after which riders will have the option to transfer to Prague to complete a 7 day ride along the Elbe river from Prague to Dresden. The amazing thing is that, although, this trip is longer than the previous ride, the cost will actually be LESS ! The total cost for the core component of the trip (including bikes, panniers, maps, all accommodation, most meals, etc, etc) is only $3090. If you want more information, give me a call on 5968 3307. If you need any convincing as to how much fun this trip will be just ask any of those who completed the 2009 ride. As with all previous trips the European ride is only open to Ghostriders, partners and friends. It will not be open to the general public. UPDATE - This trip is now functionally full with all 16 original spaces now filled. I am still taking names for the supplementary list in case any of the original people are unable to complete the trip for any reason.
Some of the web site readers may not have realised that a lot of the content (including ride stories) that used to be included on the web site is now only available through the newsletter. Of course, like everything else we do, the newsletter is completely FREE - all you have to do is send your email address to ghostriders@netspace.net.au and request you be put on the mail list.
Alternatively you can download many of the most recent newsletters by clicking HERE.
For the past few weeks I have been rediscovering just how much fun walking can be. Not only have we been conducting the training walks for the forthcoming South America trip buit I also been doing my own daily walk around the parks and forests of Emerald. I have developed a daily walk of about 6.5 km which takes in some of the best scenery in the district and also has enough hills to get your heart working well. I would love to invite others to share this walk with me. My initial plan is to conduct a group walk each Tuesday morning, starting from my place at 10.00 am sharp. The walk takes about 75 mins so we will be finished by 11.30am . Anyone is invited - they don't have to be a cyclist but they will need sensible clothing and good walking shoes.
On the first Tuesday of each month we leave aside the walking shoes and have an energetic mountain bike ride instead. Why not start a new healthy habit? If you want any more information just ring me on 5968 3307.
On Sunday May 23rd our South America Team members ventured over the Dividing Range to climb Cathedral Mountain. The weather was perfect and we all had a great day, honing our climbing skills and getting to know each other better. The South America Challenge is now less than 4 months till departure. Our next planned training exercise is planned for Sun 20th June when we will pit our skills against Mt St Leonards on another challenging hill climb. As usual all Ghostriders and their friends are invited to join us on the day.
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South America Team Members Gathered at the Summit to enjoy the views - May 23rd |
An observant member of our group pointed out to me that there were a few other of our regular riders who have somehow slipped past our radar and have never been officially welcomed into the group. The riders concerned are Geoff James, David and Karen Brown. I have now retrospectively allocated numbers 96, 97 and 98 respectively. These will be officially recognised at the earliest opportunity. If you are aware of any others who have been overlooked, then please let me know. It looks like the elusive "NUMBER 100" is not far away.
The Warbies celebrated yet another new initiative with our first ever Breakfast Ride held on Thursday 29th April. I was a little apprehensive that I might be the only one brave enough to set the alarm for such an early start but I needn't have worried as we had no less than 14 participants turn out to share breakfast together at the new Carriage Cafe near Wandin. The weather was also very considerate in holding back the rain so that we could enjoy a dry ride together. It was a very happy bunch that settled down to a long hot breakfast after the ride. This was also our last chance to farewell Glenda before she sets off on her Nallarbor Adventure and also Bob Andrews before het sets off to the Northern Territory on an extended trek. Both will be away till late June. All agreed that we should repeat the breakfast ride a couple of times each year.
Once again the weather was kind to us and gave us excellent riding conditions all day. For some of our team it was the first tim ethey had experienced this trail and I think they were surprised just how good it is. With its fine smooth surface it really is conducive to pleasant riding and the views from the top of the Hoddle Range are absolutely superb. I am sure that this ride will remain an Anzac Day tradition for many years into the future.
I have just returned from our Annual Pilgrimmage to ride the Wangaratta to Bright Rail Trail. We were blessed with probably the best conditions we have ever had for this ride and I am sure that everyone who made the effort to join us was rewarded with a fantastic weekend of cycling and fellowship. On Sunday morning we even had the rare experience of sharing some fast team cycling along the road from Bright to Myrtleford. For some of our newer riders it was probably their first experience of close team riding and I am sure they will want to experience it again.
In spite of a few minor mishaps, including two punctures and a fire in our booked restaurant, the Ghostriders rose to the challenge and emerged triumphant. Thanks so much to all those who came along and helped make this ride such a success.
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The peloton gets ready to hit the trail - Saturday 17th April at Wangaratta |
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Gathered for a drinks break before the climb to Beechworth |
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The regular Thursday peloton is forming - 8th April 2010 |
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A peloton of Biblical Proportions - Launching Place 8th April 2010 Read about it here |
I would like to all those who turned up to take part in the filming of the "On Your Bike" TV show - we could not have done it without your cooperation and enthusiasm. Filming took place on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and was completed on Sunday in Warburton. It is now in the hands of the editors. We have been promised a copy of the finished product and it may go to air sometime in the second half of the year. As soon as I have a copy of the show we will have a screening at my place. It really was quite an experience and something that we will all remember for a long time.
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The Ghostriders prepare for the big "Battle Scene" on the Warby Trail - Feb 28th during the filming for the upcoming TV spectacular - this is looking like it will be bigger than "Dad's Army". |
Question: What do the places Kunming, Kathmandu, Delhi, Bangkok, Munich, Dali, Li Jiang, Jaipur, Yangshuo, Vienna, Budapest, Guilin, Paris, London, Agora, Hong Kong, Dubai, Pokhara, Wangaratta and Warburton all have in common ?
Answer: They have all been visited by the Ghostriders in the past 4 years !
Over the past few weeks I have been busy researching places and details for our next Overseas Adventure Challenges. At the current time there are several possibilities that I am actiovely pursuing. These include
(a) A return to the Himalayas in Nepal for a challenging trek (probably in the Everest Region)
(b) A return to Yunnan Province in South West China to revisit our Tiger Leaping Gorge rides of 2006 and 2007.
(c) A brand new ride to the so called "Shangri La" region of Outer Tibet to complete a ride in an area seldom reached by westerners. Spectacular mountain scenery and breathtaking landscapes.
Watch out for details as they are available.
In September 2009 the Ghostriders sent a team of 19 riders to Europe to complete a 800 km ride along the Danube river from Germany through Austria and Slovakia to Hungary. I am happy to say that we all completed the ride without a single mishap - not even as much as a puncture ! We were also blessed with amazing weather - fine warm and sunny every day. During the ride I was informed that the Ghostriders group was actually the largest cycling group of the entire season - no wonder they looked after us so well. The generous and delicious food servings ensured that we did not lose any weight during the ride.
One aspect of the trip that I found so interesting was the transition in socio-economic conditions as we progressed further and further east. In Germany and Austria we were surrounded by apparent prosperity with absolutely "story book" houses and villages. As we moved into the old soviet block countries the atmosphere became more and more austere and depressed. In the smaller towns you could really feel that the old communist ethos was still present. Especially poignant was the fact that the elaborate border checkpoints are now falling into ruin. It was a strange feeling being able to ride across numerous national borders with no passport checks of any kind.
I was also thrilled for those members of our group who were not experienced cyclists. It was terrific to see the way they thoroughly enjoyed themselves every day. It will be an achievement they can remember for the rest of their lives. Some pictures have been posted HERE along with the full official diary of the ride.
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| Some of our riders gathered in Esztergom (Hungary) before the final 90 km section to Budapest |
You can see a lot more pictures of our Danube ride by clicking here.
Now that the European Challenge has been completed we now move on to our 7th Overseas Adventure Challenge - The Peru Adventure of 2010. We still have vacancies in this trip so if you want an experience to remember you should contact me now for more information and for an application form.
Our 2009 Himalayan Adventure is now a part of history. I doubt that anyone who participated in this amazing challenge will ever run out of stories to tell. How could we ever forget the thrill of climbing on the narrow ice ledges with a blizzard blowing and lightning cracking all around us ? Not to mention the death defying sheer drops that awaited us if we made a single false step ! I cannot imagine any way that you could feel more alive than when you are really put to the test. What a privelege we had of being able to explore such an amazing part of our planet and to meet so many fantastic people along the way.
Plans are now finalised for our next overseas adventure challenge. This will take place in September 2010 and will see us high in the Andes of South America for a combination cycling and trekking adventure. It will be our longest and most ambitious trip yet and will be an adventure to remember for the rest of your life. This trip is now closed.
All overseas adventures are open to men and women who are fit and active with well developed senses of adventure and good sense of humour. You do not have to be an experienced cyclist but you will need to be prepared to complete a realistic training program to adequately prepare for the challenges ahead.
You can either stay at home and think of a hundred reasons why you can't go, or else you can take a step at fulfilling some of your dreams. Once the decision is made, the details have a way of taking care of themselves.
If you would like to read the story of the the 2006 ride then click HERE.
The story of the 2007 adventure can be found HERE
The story of the 2008 trip can be found HERE
The story of our 2009 trip can be found HERE
I can also arrange to meet with your cycling group to give them more information on these trips. Ring me on 03 5968 3307 for details.
In the interests of keeping this page to a manageable size I have archived some ride stories to another page. If you've got some time to spare you can read dozens of previous adventures by clicking here.This site is sponsored and maintained by Crossbow Computers - suppliers of all your computer hardware and software needs (established 1988) E-mail messages should be sent to Dennis.
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(Please note that most ride stories are now published in the FREE weekly newsletter - why not subscribe now ?)
08/04 In Which You Could See us from the Moon
17/12 In Which Seventeen Soggy Santas Spread Some Smiles
03/12 In Which the Wind Sucks
31/10 The Sixth Annual Lungbuster
22/10 In Which Unity Reigns Supreme
15/10 In Which Even Noah Stayed Home
08/10 In Which the Peloton is Splintered
For all previous weekday ride stories click HERE
Lots of other weekend stories can be found HERE
Click HERE for 2006 China Ride
Click HERE for 2007 China Ride
Click HERE for 2008 China Ride
Click HERE for our 2009 Himalayan Challenge and pictures
Click HERE for the 2009 Danube Ride Story
The Ghostriders will be heading off in a few days to South America on our longest and most ambitious challenge yet. .
The Ghostriders will be returning to Europe in Aug/Sep of 2011 to complete another ride along the Danube, this time starting from Ulm and finishing in Vienna. It will also be combined with a secondary ride from Prague to Dresden along the Elbe river. All original spaces for this trip are now filled but I have started a supplementary list.
Did you know that we also have an e-mail mailing list? If you would like to be informed/reminded of future cycling events by e-mail just drop a request to me at the following address ghostriders@netspace.net.au You can also download previous newsletters here