Around the Bay in a Day

Finish area of the 2006 event, in Melbourne Docklands.

Around the Bay in a Day is a recreational cycling event organised by Bicycle Victoria in Victoria, Australia. Cyclists register to ride a 210 km course starting and ending in Melbourne around Port Phillip, either clockwise or anti-clockwise, catching the ferry between Queenscliff and Sorrento.^[1]

For those brave enough to tackle the 210 km, their journey begins and ends at Alexandra Gardens. Half of the riders head towards the east-side of the bay, riding to Sorrento, and the other half head west towards Queenscliff. Riders cross the bay on ferries to complete the ride.

In 2005 entrants were also offered less strenuous alternatives of a 100 km ride from Sorrento to Docklands, or a more leisurely 50 km ride to the Western suburbs and return using the West Gate Bridge in both directions.

The event was first run in 1993. In 2005 almost 11,000 people registered for the ride and raised about $300,000 for The Smith Family charity for disadvantaged children.^[2] In October 2004, over 8,600 riders took part.

Finish area of the 2009 event, in Alexandra Gardens, Melbourne.

Responding to the growing number of cyclists wanting to take part in Australia's biggest one-day challenge ride, Bicycle Victoria devised four options for the ride on 15 October 2006.

In 2006 organisers expected 9000 participants to choose from the Legend 250 km or the Challenge 210 km ride. Less experienced riders could pick the Classic, which included the West Gate Bridge, or the Bay Ride. A post ride count put the number of total entrants to more than 14,000, raising $440,000.^[3]

• The Legend starts at Docklands, heads down to Queenscliff via Geelong and the Bellarine Peninsula, crosses on the ferry to Sorrento, then back to Melbourne.

• The Challenge takes the opposite tack down to Sorrento, cross to Queenscliff on the ferry, then back to Melbourne, without the Bellarine Peninsula section.

• The Classic starts in Sorrento, heads back to Melbourne via the Mornington Peninsula.

• And the 42 km Bay Ride starts at Docklands, pedals to Williamstown, over the West Gate Bridge and back to the cycling festival.

In 2008 more than 16,000 riders participated in Round the Bay in a Day. Several riders were injured before the start of the ride when a car hit a leading rider in a group on the Nepean Highway at around 4am just south of Mt Eliza.^[4] Later on the same day, a male rider collided with a fellow rider and fell head first on to the road at Olivers Hill near Frankston.^[5] He was taken to the Alfred Hospital but later died from his injuries.^[6]

Map of the Port Phillip area

References