One final ride

This year’s ride is Bicycle Network’s 40th year of the event, and sadly, its last.

Bicycle Network chief executive Alison McCormack said this year’s ride would celebrate all the must-see sights of north-east Victoria.

“With a mixture of rolling hills and valleys, it’s no surprise that Victoria’s north-east has become Australia’s most popular biking destination in recent years,” she said.

“The Great Vic Bike Ride has been exploring regional Victoria for 40 years. It’s an amazing event ... it’s an unforgettable holiday, suitable for all ages.”

Congupna couple Durham and Vicki Prewett are both members of Bicycle Network, and have taken part in many rides.

“I have been riding all my life,” Mr Prewett said.

“When I was working, I used to ride to work every day,” Mrs Prewett said.

“It would take 40 minutes the long way, and half an hour the short way. So that was about a 20km round trip to get back home.”

This ride will be Mr Prewett’s seventh Great Vic Bike Ride, and Mrs Prewett’s fifth.

“It’s a great atmosphere to ride, and they do a different route every year,” Mrs Prewett said.

“Some of the really interesting (parts) that you normally can’t ride on, like the Great Ocean Road, or this year, the Black Spur, they will close the road to traffic, so you’ve got the whole of the road going down into Healesville,” Mr Prewett said.

“It’s a beautiful, timber, shady, country windy road. You’d never ride on it if there were cars there, too dangerous.”

The couple will be going along for the full nine days, but they won’t be alone the entire time, with their daughter and son-in-law joining for the last three days.

“The big plus for us this year is our grandson is doing it for the first time. He’s only 19 months old,” Mr Prewett said.

“He’ll be there in a trailer behind (the bike), and we’ll no doubt get to do some babysitting after the ride at night-time.”

While this may be the final journey for the Great Vic Bike Ride, it definitely won’t be the Prewetts’ last.