History of the Ride
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Starting in 1992, Around the Bay in a Day has grown into Australia's largest mass participation bike ride.
Of all the years, 1993 was known as the hottest ‘Around the Bay’ on record with the mercury climbing to a torrid 32 degrees. The event numbers were restricted to 3,000 due to ferry capacity and the West Gate Bridge was so easy to ride over that some riders thought that it should be open to riders full time – we can dream!
In 1994 and 1995, the ride grew as additional ferries were added. However, although there were extra ferries, the participant numbers still outweighed the ferry capacity. So much so that pedals had to be removed on bikes so there was enough deck space on the ferries. By 2001 the ride had grown even further and a record 5,000 riders participated.
The event capacity was raised by another 2,000 riders in 2002 after securing another ferry, bringing the grand total of participants to over 7,000. The event start and finish location was relocated from JL Murphy Reserve in Port Melbourne to Catani Gardens in St Kilda . 272 teams participated, ranging in size from 4 to 120. On the international front, a huge Irish team of 43 toured especially for the event, as did others from Singapore, New Zealand and Texas.
If 1993 was considered the hottest, then the 2003 event may be considered the coldest and wettest. A number of riders were caught out after a warm morning start!
By 2006 the event was really gathering momentum with more than 14,000 bike riders across the four ride distances (42km, 100km, 210km and 250km). This was the first year that the 250km distance was offered and it was a hit with the riders.
From 2004 to 2006 the start / finish site was located within the Melbourne Docklands precinct. As this area has became increasingly developed with residential and commercial buildings, we sought a “green space” which meet the requirements of the start / finish site.
A three year partnership with the City of Melbourne has now begun, with the event being held at Alexandra Gardens. The event has also joined forces with the Jayco Herald Sun Tour to bring you the Melbourne Cycling Festival, which will involve a whole weekend's activities at the Gardens Precinct in Melbourne. The event will be held as one of Melbourne's major events sitting between the AFL Grand Final and the Spring Racing Carnival.
Here's a 1min clip previewing highlights of the Portfolio Partners Around the Bay in a Day 2007.
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