Surf Coast to get bikes shifting for fifty

BICYCLE riders from across the state will put their foot to the pedal this weekend in the Surf Coast Shifty Fifty, a unique and fun 50km bike event that traverses along parts of the Surf Coast Trail network.

This Saturday, (May 13), more than 300 riders will take part in the annual bike gathering which will take off from Anglesea and head towards the Eumeralla bike trails to explore the coastal and bushland scenery of the Surf Coast.

Hosted by the Surf Coast Mountain Bike Club, in conjunction with Big Hill Events, the event will provide racers of all abilities with the opportunity to participate in a feast of bike racing in the region with no pressure on being the fastest or slowest rider.

 

Surf Coast Mountain Bike Club vice president Brett Coleman said the club looked forward to running the event for the third time and delivering riders with another fun course.

“We are very much looking forward to the event and have put plenty of work in to make everything race ready.

“In years gone by, we’ve run the event in the mornings, however with the Surf Coast Trek also on that day, we’ve pushed it back to the afternoon to have all the trails available.

“We are sure there is going to be a fantastic vibe down at the event and it will provide everyone with a great chance to catch up, mingle and explore and enjoy the Surf Coast.”

Mr Coleman said the club had changed the course from previous years and thus pushed it away from following the Surf Coast trail towards Torquay, which has resulted in some bottlenecks forming on the Surf Coast Walk trail in the past.

“This time it’ll head straight up from Inverlochy Street in Anglesea and bypass the Eumeralla scout camp and head towards the formal Eumeralla mountain bike tracks.

“The return journey will then come back along the Surf Coast trail towards Anglesea… essentially it’s reversing the bottom section of the course from previous years.

“It should improve the flow and provide riders with some fantastic views on the way back towards Anglesea.”

 

The fastest racers are encouraged to take off at 1pm, while those wanting to ride with mates and at a slower pace can start thereafter but must be off the start line by 1.20pm.

An event village will be set up in Anglesea with hot food from the Lil Dumping Van and beverages from Bells Beach Brewing.

All funds raised from the event will go back into the Surf Coast Mountain Bike Club in their bid to advocate and continuously improve trails in the area.

For more, head to https://shiftyfifty.com.au/events/surf-coast-50/