THE Great Vic Bike Ride sets off on Saturday 25 November, and one little participant is proving you don\u2019t even need to pedal to take part.<\/p>\n
Three-year-old Olivia, and her bike-riding mum Bonnie McBeath, who will tow her in a small trailer, are tackling the nine-day scenic cycling challenge, which runs between Orbost and Wonthaggi in Gippsland.<\/p>\n
\u201cCycling is part of my daily life, and I started looking at holiday options that would be fun for my daughter and for me, and the Great Vic Bike Ride came to mind,\u201d Ms McBeath said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe ride is all coordinated and organised, so she and I can enjoy.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Gippsland Lakes are beautiful so I\u2019m looking forward to getting up close to Paynesville, and seeing it all at a slightly slower pace.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll be able to find many playgrounds for Olivia along the way.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms McBeath said her daughter feels at home on the back of the bike and had her first cycling outing at six months old.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe go most places on the bike, so she\u2019s very used to it,\u201d she said. \u201cIf I don\u2019t have to, I don\u2019t take the car.<\/p>\n
\u201cOlivia likes to go and get a coffee, so we are often out on the bike in search of a cafe, which is pretty cute.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a really fun way for the pair of us to get out and about. We go off on all sorts of adventures… and anywhere we can ride, we do.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur training rides all take place around Ballarat. I pack a lunchbox for my babe and we set off far and wide in search of a playground.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bicycle Network general manager of events Caitlin Borchers said getting involved in the Great Vic Bike Ride is a way to have a fun and active holiday, with some challenge thrown in.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ll join new and old friends riding through Victoria\u2019s beautiful countryside,\u201d she said. \u201cThree thousand riders from Victoria, interstate and overseas are expected to join this year\u2019s Great Vic.<\/p>\n
\u201cGippsland has some of the best bike riding in Australia; gentle gradients, quiet country backroads and scenery to die for, making it ideal for bike riders of all levels.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
THE Great Vic Bike Ride sets off on Saturday 25 November, and one little participant is proving you don\u2019t even need to pedal to take part. Three-year-old Olivia, and her bike-riding mum Bonnie McBeath, who will tow her in a small trailer, are tackling the nine-day scenic cycling challenge, which runs between Orbost and Wonthaggi […]<\/p>\n