Epic north-east Victorian ride to skip Strathbogie Shire

THE Great Victorian Bike Ride will traverse north-east Victoria this year, but riders will skip over the Strathbogie Shire. Seven towns – Wodonga, Myrtleford, Wangaratta, Mansfield, Alexandra, Marysville and Healesville – will host an estimated 3000 camping cyclists overnight over nine days, from November 23 to December 1. Bicycle Network CEO Alison McCormack said: “We’re sorry we could not include Strathbogie Shire in our north-east route in 2024." "The 2024 Great Vic Bike Ride is celebrating 40 years and will trace the original route of our first ride in 1984,” she said. “Every year the route changes and I’m sure the Strathbogie Shire will feature in a future Great Vic Bike Ride. “The Strathbogie Ranges have some of the best biking roads in the state. "It would be fantastic to have the residents of Strathbogie join us... and see how it compares." Beginning in Wodonga, riders will stay the night before journeying 67km to Myrtleford. From there, riders will head 52km to Wangaratta, where they will spend two nights, with the following day an 81km Wangaratta loop ride. Cyclists will then tackle their longest ride, 110km, from Wangaratta to Mansfield, before enjoying a rest day in Mansfield. All rested up, the group will take a 70km ride to Alexandra, followed by 73km to Marysville, before a cruisy final ride of 34km to Healesville. MsMcCormack told The Wangaratta Chronicle that each rider spends an average of $35 a day on the Great Vic, injecting more than $100,000 each day into the region. "Three out of four riders also tell us that they are likely to come back to towns again within 12 months after first visiting on the ride,” she said.