TRANSPORT UPDATE, 8am Saturday 2 December
Here's the details for today's transport from Maffra:
Private pick up
Pick up location: Edwards Street
Please pull over on the road, not the grass because their is a chance you could get bogged.
For those travelling home independantly, please take the time to stop in at Glengarry or Trafalgar to support the local community. They've done lots of preparation in anticipation of our arrival and we're disappointed we can't visit and thank them in person.
Free shuttle to Trafalgar long term carpark
Time: Shuttle service will begin at 10am from outside the catering tent
With Trafalgar only an hour drive away, we would prefer to transport people without their luggage/bikes. This will allow us to move more people, quickly.
Luggage and bikes can be left in the stands, waiting for you to return and pick up.
However, if absolutely necessary, we can accommodate bikes and luggage.
Transport to South Cross Station
Time: Buses will begin loading at 11am outside the catering tent. All riders requiring this transport will need to arrange a ticket from the catering marquee from 9am, if not previously arranged.
WARBYs will be available to help get your bike sorted for transport.
Please be patient - once the bus is full, it will depart and loading for the next bus will begin.
Regional transport
Due to operational constraints, unfortunately regional transport will occur on Sunday 3 December. We expect to transport riders at 9am from outside the catering tent. Stay tuned for updates.
If you prefer and at no additional cost, we can organise to transport riders to Southern Cross.
The campsite will remain open along with full support from the Bicycle Network team.
Bicycle Network would really like to thank every rider remaining at the campsite for their patience, support and understanding.
Bike boxes
Bike boxes will be available from the catering tent at 10am.
Long term car park
The long term car park is now open. We have facilities available if cars get bogged. Once again, we ask for your patience as we help move cars one at a time.
Maffra campsite
The campsite will continue to run as normal with breakfast, lunch and dinner occuring in the catering marquee.
The footy club will also be open today for shelter.
Mobile charging will happen in the footy club today at the cost of a gold coin donation.
As we start to shrink in size, please be aware that there may be some heavy vehicle movement on site as we begin to downsize.
Our team will be here until every rider and volunteer is on their way home. We're working very hard to ensure that today runs as smoothly as possible. Please chat to the team if you have any questions.
WEATHER UPDATE, 7:15pm Friday
Out of concern for the wellbeing of our riders, volunteers and the wider team, we’ve had to make the heart-wrenching decision to not ride to Glengarry or Trafalgar.
Maffra will be the final campsite of the RACV Great Vic this year.
We understand that many people will be extremely disappointed – we are too. But there was a combination of factors that we simply couldn’t ignore.
Severe weather warnings across the state has meant that Victoria Police has been recalled from the event to Melbourne. This is combined with the prediction of severe weather in the region.
We are committed to ensuring that every rider who remains at the Maffra campsite gets home safely, quickly and enjoys the remainder of their time with us.
On Saturday, the RACV Great Vic campsite in Maffra will run as normal but no more riding will take place. Breakfast, lunch and dinner will be served for riders who want to stay, along with full support from the Bicycle Network team.
There are four options for getting riders home from Maffra tomorrow:
- Private pick-up – the private pick up location is Edwards Street for riders/schools who choose to organise their own transport.
- Vline – for anyone who wishes to take vline services back to Melbourne, we will organise bike transport for you. It’s worth noting that vline services have also been impacted by the inclement weather and are limited.
- Bus to South Cross Station – buses will be available for riders, the details and times will be available tomorrow morning on this website
- Bus to long-term car park Trafalgar – we will shuttle riders throughout the day to the long-term car park in Trafalgar
For riders who need transport, please nominate your preferred option with the team at catering so that we can ensure that no one gets left behind. Transport options will be open again at 9am.
The decision to stop riding was not an easy. We appreciate your understanding and patience as we organise to get everyone home.
If you have any questions, please chat to Bicycle Network.
Riders at the Maffra campsite will receive an update at 10am tomorrow via all communications channels and in person where we can.
CAMPSITE UPDATE, 2:15pm, Friday
It's business as usual at the Maffra campsite and on the RACV Great Vic. This means that no private vehicles (for private pick-up) can access the campsite at any stage today/tonight.
Given the high volume of bike and pedestrian traffic as well as heavy vehicles, any private pick-up must occur at the corner of Edwards Street and George Street.
Please avoid Maffra-Newry Road.
WEATHER UPDATE, 12:30pm Friday
The rain is holding off for riders who are arriving at a dry campsite in Maffra, giving them plenty of time to set up tents. As expected, the heaviest of the rain will reach the campsite between 2-5pm.
Bicycle Network would like to thank our riders for their behaviour on the road today and their high spirits.
Please be patient as we work through the plans for tomorrow. Rider, volunteer and the wider team's safety remains our priority. We'll update everyone at tonight's rider briefing at 7pm.
WEATHER UPDATE, 8pm
The weather situation for tomorrow is still as expected. There will be rain (possibly up to 20mm+ across the day) and it looks like it’s going to reach the campsite around 2pm.
When it comes to our events, we make evidence-based decisions that looks after not only our riders but our event team. The safety of our riders, volunteers and team is paramount. We will continue to monitor the conditions and work closely local authorities and stakeholders with the best information available.
We’d like to reiterate that tomorrow’s weather is nothing that we haven’t faced before on an RACV Great Vic. From rain to heat, we’re taking every precaution and we’ve got the best team and plan in place to support you on your ride.
Here’s a couple things we need you to remember:
- Please leave the campsite before 8am tomorrow
- All riders must have a working set of front and rear lights
- Ride to the conditions – take extra care and communicate clearly with those around you
- The Maffra campsite will be wet, so please be patient as our team works hard to set it up
- Drink plenty of water, remembering to fill up your drink bottles at every rest stop.
When it comes to riding on Saturday, we’ll issue an update once we receive the best possible information tomorrow. Expect to hear more from us on this website in the early afternoon.
You’re riding along some stunning roads and through some lovely towns tomorrow. Enjoy the ride and we’ll see you in Maffra where we’ll update you again for the next day.
WEATHER UPDATE, 2:30pm
We're continuing to monitor the weather situation extremely closely.
After checking the forecast for Friday 1 December from various sources, there's a high chance of rain tomorrow across the day in this region. However, the current forecast indicates that tomorrow's route will miss the bulk of the storm.
According to BOM, the weather will still be warm, min 18, max 33.
We're asking riders to get out on the route before 8am to beat the rain and heat. Please make sure that you're prepared for all weather conditions.
We'll provide more information at the 7pm rider briefing and ongoing updates to this website.
WEATHER UPDATE, 11am
We’re aware of the weather forecast for rain over the coming days and expect that there will be some impact to normal operations at the RACV Great Victorian Bike Ride.
We’re currently working with our stakeholders and will know more this afternoon. We will update riders on any possible changes to our plans then.
The well-being of riders and event team remains our number one priority, so operational changes may be required to minimise any increased risk.
Please stay tuned to Bicycle Network's Facebook page and Twitter account @Bicycle_Network for updates as they happen.