Bellarine Peninsula was ablaze with lycra and cycling helmets as people of many different fitness levels got on their bikes and participated in the Around the Bay in a Day bike ride. Around the Bay is one of the world's biggest and most popular cycling participation events. And with a choice of four ride distances (250km, 210km, 100km or 50km) this year's event offered challenges for riders of all abilities.

The Body Torque team took off with 16,000 other cyclists on Sunday October 19 from our shop in Ocean Grove heading towards Melbourne for the first part of the loop ride. Not having the training I would have preferred to have under my belt I was thanking my lucky stars for being able to position myself behind some larger bodies to hide from the wind!

Who would have thought that fish and chips would have been an ideal lunch? But after a morning of hard cycling that's exactly what we did when we reached Sandringham. Our excuse? We simply told ourselves that it was a great way to load up on carbs. I don’t know whether it was the carbs or the thought of it all going straight to my hips but it definitely spurred me on to ride the second section of the ride which had some hills after the flat ride to Melbourne. After stopping on top of Mt Martha to inhale food and drinks to rehydrate our tiring bodies I was conscious of the time and making it to the ferry from Sorrento across to Queenscliff . But as it turned out we arrived at 3.20pm with heaps of time for the 4pm ferry. Unfortunately the first part of our group had caught the 3pm ferry so we knew we were going to get second digs at the BBQ waiting for us at the finish line back at Body Torque!

The great thing about Around the Bay in a Day is that it encourages people to get out on their bikes to enjoy the beautiful Bellarine Peninsula. The event sets cyclists up for a great summer season of fitness and helps others to get out on their bikes to explore the beautiful coastal scenery we are so fortunate to have on our doorstep. If you participated I hope you all enjoyed the day as much as we did. If you are new to cycling and are interested to know more come in and see us at our Ocean Grove store or take part in one of our bike skills courses for beginners. We’d love to introduce you to this social and enjoyable hobby and take you out on one of our regular group rides. Once you get the cycling bug who knows you may even want to join the Body Torque team at the Around the Bay in a Day event next year!