Three sisters, three generations of enthusiasts over the years, and close to 50 Great Vic bike rides. That’s the story of Noelene, Leslie and Rhonda who Ride On spoke with at the start of the 2024 Great Vic at Albury in late November.
For four decades, the Great Victorian Bike Ride has been an enduring celebration of cycling, camaraderie, and community spirit. With over 200,000 riders, millions of kilometres traversed, and memories that will last lifetimes, it has become a cornerstone of Australian cycling culture. Known affectionately as the “Great Vic,” the nine-day rolling festival has brought together riders of all ages and abilities to explore Victoria’s breathtaking landscapes.
The 2024 event, beginning in Albury and winding through Victoria’s scenic regional countryside, marked a milestone – the 40th Great Vic. It also marked the end of an era, as Bicycle Network announced it would be the final ride in its four-decade format. Rising costs and logistical challenges have made the nine-day festival unsustainable, but the legacy of the Great Vic promises to live on in a new form.
“This is my 20th,” Noelene proudly told us on the eve of the start of the 2024 event. “They were in a row, but I was injured last year and missed that one, then came back for this one.”
“I’ve done 16,” said Leslie, “and I’ve done 11” added Rhonda.
Explaining how she rode her first Great Vic when her adult daughter was still in school, Noelene said the annual event had become part of life.
“I really just got addicted to the fact that it’s a week in another world,” she said. “The event takes you out of your normal life, and puts everybody on the same level no matter where you’ve come from … you don’t have to think about a thing, not even where you’re riding. You just follow the arrows and then at each destination, you stick your plate out and everything is there for you. Coming from running a household, and whatever you do in your daily life, this is just wonderful.”
“I do prepare for it, I do some training. We don’t fly through it by any means, we just take our time and enjoy it. There’s no point getting to the next town at the crack of dawn. We pace the ride out and meet up at the rest stops if one is ahead or behind.
Highlights over the years
“Personally, I’ve bought my three daughters at different times, I’ve bought my mother along, my father-in-law bought friends, got my sisters involved, and my husband … it’s just the whole thing,”
“I love the logistics of it, the whole thing and how it’s organised each year, it’s always a very well-run event.”
“But it isn’t just the riding though,” Leslie added. “It’s a real accomplishment to deal with the elements. Last year we rode in the rain for five days. I’ve never set my tent up and pulled it down in the rain like that …it was just raining constantly. But you get through it to the finish and you’re really satisfied.”
“Everyone is happy, no one whinges, they just get on with it,” Noelene continued. “Even when it’s raining you just do what you have to do and get on with it. I love watching all the school kids and how they amuse themselves without technology. They’re just having good old fun, I think that’s wonderful.”
Closing comments? In perfect unison, the sisters said “Keep it going!”
“I suppose we are a little bit curious about why this is the last GreatVic,” Noelene said. “Is it a shortage of volunteers, is it sponsorship, is it the numbers of riders or the costs of putting on events these days? I know they are asking for feedback. We’d love to see it keep going.”