Pedal Preparation – Gearing Up For the Great Victorian Bike Ride 2017
If you’ve been looking for a way to turn your love of cycling or your love of camping into a fun summer holiday, then look no further because the Great Victorian Bike Ride is the perfect event for you.
Since it’s start in 1984, the ride has been attracting amateur and expert cyclists alike and offers something for everyone. The Great Victorian Bike Ride is the ultimately cycling holiday, with about five hours of riding per day and stops in small Victorian towns that allow you to explore, shop and relax when the day’s ride is done. The ride also offers extensive support for riders along the way, whether you need a morale boost or bike servicing and repairs.
The Great Victorian Bike Ride has three components: ride, party and camp.
These three components work together to create an experience tailored to those that love cycling, exploring the country around them or even just having a good time with others who enjoy the same activities.
Ride
Each year the ride charts a new course, so repeat participants can have a new experience every year with a new part of rural Victoria to explore. This year, event organisers have gotten access to Wilsons Prom and the rest of the ride will continue through the Gippsland Region.
The 34th annual Great Victorian Bike Ride will kick off on Saturday, November 25th at Wilsons Prom and finish Sunday, December 3rd in Trafalgar. The entire ride comes in at a total of 539 km, with daily rides ranging from 50 km to 109 km. However, for those that think nine days of cycling might be a bit too much for them, there are also three and five day ride options.
The three day ride covers just the final weekend of the course, from Bairnsdale on the 30th of November to Trafalgar on the 3rd of December. The five day ride covers the first five days of the course, from Wilsons Prom to Bairnsdale.
Some highlights of this year’s Gippsland course include 90 Mile Beach, Lake Glenmaggie, a host of quaint Victorian towns, and of course the scenic Wilsons Prom.
Party
After the daily display of athleticism is done, the Great Victorian Bike Ride prides itself on having a bit of night time fun. There is a lineup of live music, food vendors, bars, an outdoor cinema, afternoon tours, pub trivia, and yoga and stretching sessions. The wide array of activities to enjoy after the day’s ride make the event a true holiday experience.
Camp
Each night of the ride you will set up camp in a different location.
Access to the general campsite is included with your ticket. With this option, you bring your own tent and set it up each night and pack it back up and load it onto the truck each morning.
For an additional fee you can have the event provide a dome tent for you or a more luxurious standing room tent. If you aren’t much of a camper, you can pay for an accommodation package which will provide accommodation in each town as well as some additional boutique services.
Tips for preparation
To get you ready for the 2017 Great Victorian Bike Ride, there are a number of training rides scheduled starting in July. There are monthly rides in August, September and October as well as a number of women only training sessions throughout the month of July.
Entries for this year’s race are now open and Early Bird prices are available until August 11th. Don’t miss out on your chance to experience cycling, and Victoria, like never before!
Article from E Hudes
