The BBTA has been around for 25+ years! We have grown from a small club offering a few bicycle tours and rides to a 400 strong member base offering 35+ rides a month.

In August 1983 a group of keen cyclists – Peter and Christine Brandis, Peter Muhling, Ken and Lee Sampson, Hazel Lombardo, Bob McQueen and Peter Behan – saw the need for a bicycle touring group in Brisbane and started the wheels turning (excuse the pun).

‘Interested in Cycle touring’ leaflets were handed out at the Heart Foundation Cyclethon on Sunday 21 August 1983 and, under a large hand-painted sign (courtesy of Ken Sampson), about 50 names were collected from interested cyclists.

Thirty-five cyclists attended the foundation meeting on 22 August and the Brisbane Cycle Touring Association was born. The name was later changed to the Brisbane Bicycle Touring Association Inc when it became incorporated. The other suggested alternative at the time was Bicycle Touring Association of Brisbane Inc (so we could have been the BCTA or the BTAB).

At that very first meeting the Association adopted the following objectives which later became part of the constitution of the BBTA: Rides were graded Easy, Medium, Hard etc. by the ride leader. This grading takes account of factors such as distance, pace and the difficulty of the terrain. Some leaders also provide a specific pace/terrain grading code (e.g. S2), as follows:

• To promote and encourage interest in bicycle tours
• To conduct and encourage bicycle tours
• To provide and encourage instruction in all matters concerned with bicycle safety
• To act as a public voice on behalf of bicyclists and bicycle touring

The members of the first management committee of the BBTA were:

• President: Peter Brandis
• Vice President: Peter Muhling
• Treasurer: Ken Sampson
• Secretary: Hazel Lombardo

Committee members:

• Peter Behan
• Zev Ben-Avi
• Bob McQueen
• Wesley Pettett

Of the original committee only Ken and Lee Sampson remain members of the BBTA. In 1998 as part of the club’s 15th Birthday celebrations Ken and Lee were awarded life membership of the BBTA in recognition of their outstanding efforts in helping to found the club and their ongoing active involvement. Ken and Lee still lead the Queens Birthday weekend tour, alternating each year between the Bunya Mountains and O’Reilley’s – A BBTA tradition.

The first newsletter for October-December 1983 included a calendar of organised tours (rides) graded to suit different cycling abilities. Many of these rides listed below still make regular appearances on the BBTA calendar.

• Shorncliffe to Redcliffe
• Brisbane River Circuit
• Mt Mee via Samford and Dayboro
• City to Wellington Point
• City to Brookfield around the foothills of Mt Cootha
• Stradbroke Island (with the option of riding from the city)
• Around Lake Manchester

The original committee members were obviously keen cyclists – they hoped future issues of the Newsletter would be delivered by members on their bicycle!

While many things about the BBTA have stayed the same some things have changed. In 2001 the original BBTA logo was replaced with a more modern, colourful design to give the club a fresh image and appeal to a diverse range of cyclists (see pictures of logos). Like the original logo a competition was held with members given the opportunity to submit their designs.