FAQs

Location: Aughtie Walk, Albert Park

Around the Bay 20km start time – 8:50am – 9:30am (rolling wave)

Around the Bay 50km start time – 7:15am – 8:00am (rolling wave)

Around the Bay 100km start time  – 6:20am – 7:05am (rolling wave)

Around the Bay 200km start time – 8:10am – 8:40am (rolling wave)

Around the Bay Classic 210km start time – 5:40am – 6:10am (rolling wave)

Around the Bay 300km start time – 5:15am – 5:30am (rolling wave)

We’ve made these changes to help improve the rider experience across the whole course. We’re confident that one of our six ride options starting and finishing in Albert Park will provide the challenge, fun and riding experience that you’re looking for this year.

You want your ride to go as smoothly as possible, so check the weather forecast and prepare your gear the night before. You’ll need the following items to take part in the United Energy Around the Bay: 

United Energy Around the Bay travels on sealed roads and is best suited to a hybrid or road bike. However, we love all bikes, and you are encouraged to use the type of bike that you are most comfortable and familiar with.

Standard human powered bicycles are permitted on all ride options. Ebikes are welcome on the event, subject to our ebike policy.

Unicycles, scooters, motorised bicycles (other than e-bikes), child seats, tagalongs and trailers are not permitted on the 100km, 200km, 210km and 300km Ride Options

You can update your ticket preferences by logging into Register Now and following the prompts to access and edit your registration.

You can also contact us directly to update your ticket preferences.

To change your ride option please give us a call on 1800 639 634 or contact us via our website. There may be additional costs associated with changing your ride distance. 

• Downgrading ride to a shorter distance – riders will only receive a refund if downgrading more than 30 days before the event.
• Upgrading ride to longer distance – riders will be required to pay the difference between prices. 

To transfer your ride entry please give us a call on 1800 639 634 or contact us via our website. You can also arrange the transfer in person during kit collection.

You can transfer:

• To another rider 

A bonus event jersey is included with all entries to United Energy Around the Bay before the early bird deadline. Please note, the bonus jersey offer is not available for kids taking advantage of the free ticket option.

Classic jersey

Please use the women’s classic jersey sizing chart or men’s classic jersey sizing chart to confirm your size before purchasing an entry.

300km finishers jersey

Please use the men’s premium fit jersey sizing chart or women’s premium fit jersey sizing chart to confirm your jersey size before purchasing an entry.

You can choose to collect your pack in the lead-up to the event. Rider pack collection will be run out of the Bicycle Network Melbourne office for two weeks before event day. Exact times will be confirmed closed to the event.

To swap your jersey for the correct size, please bring your event jersey to Bicycle Network’s Melbourne office during rider pack collection times. Please note, jersey swaps are subject to sizing availability.

Where: Bicycle Network Melbourne office, Level 4 246 Bourke Street Melbourne 3000

When: Jersey swap times will be confirmed closer to the event.

Yes – please ensure that you have the rider ID and full name of the person that you’re collecting the rider pack for.

Included in your rider pack is:

• Your event jersey/rider shirt (early bird only)
• Ride guide
• Rider number plate (for event timing)
• Wrist band (indicating start wave and lunch)
• Cable ties to attach your number plate to your bike
• Sponsor collateral
• Purchased merchandise

You must correctly attach your number plate and wrist band. The wrist band is essential for lunch collection/snacks and identifying start waves. The number plate has a timing tag attached to the back of it.

You will have a timing tag attached to the back of your rider number plate. This will record times crossing the start line, the ferry points and the finish to give an accurate active riding time. If you do not cross the start or finish mat you will not receive a time.

Please ensure you correctly attach your rider number plate. Do not wrap your number plate around the head stem of your bike because this will cause the timing chip to not work.

There is an optional free valet service for 200km+ riders passing through either Sorrento or Queenscliff. 

If using the valet service you can pack an A4 sized plastic satchel to carry items you may want when you arrive at the rest stop. This may include fresh riding kit, extra nutrition or spare tubes. You will also receive a second satchel to return anything back to the finish. Previous riders have used this return service to transport spare tubes they don’t need or warm layers.

The valet service can be organised at Bicycle Network during pack collection times. Please bring any items you would like to pack and we’ll provide the A4 plastic satchel to be packed and left with the team.

To use the free valet service, simply add it during your registration. Valet bags are available for collection from and can be dropped off off to Bicycle Network during rider pack collection times.

Bicycle Network works hard to have your valet bags back at Albert Park by 3:30pm, however sometimes it can be later than this and we appreciate your patience.

Alternatively, all items can be collected from our Bicycle Network office from the Wednesday after the ride, during normal office hours.

Items not collected within two weeks of the event will be disposed of thoughtfully.

The following rides include lunch and a snack.

• Around the Bay 100km
• Around the Bay 200km
• Around the Bay Classic (210km)
• Around the Bay 300km

Lunch pack includes: Multigrain sandwich, banana & sweet cake

Please note that the lunch is not intended to provide full nutrition for these ride distances. Riders are expected to adequately cater for their nutritional requirements while undertaking their chosen ride distance.

If you are participating in the 20km and 50km rides you will be greeted with a BBQ lunch and snack at the finish site.

There will be five lunch options available:

• Meat
• Vegetarian
• Meat gluten free
• Vegetarian gluten free
• Vegan

If you are participating in the 20km and 50km rides you will be greeted with a BBQ lunch and snack at the finish line

Queenscliff

• Around the Bay Classic (210km Anti-Clockwise)
• Around the Bay 300km

Sorrento

• Around the Bay 200km

Mordialloc

• Around the Bay 100km

Finish line 

• Around the Bay 50km
• Around the Bay 20km

If you are participating in the Classic and 300km rides please make yourself familiar with the ferry loading process.

Ferry loading process:

1. You must collect your Ferry Sticker from the ferry allocation area. No sticker, no ferry boarding. Different colours co-ordinate with different departure times.
2. Listen for updates over the PA system “Riders with a blue sticker, please make your way to the ferry loading area
3. Promptly move to the standby area / ferry loading area
4. If you miss boarding the ferry when your sticker colour is announced, you will not simply be able to board the next ferry. Priority will be given to riders whose sticker colour coordinates with the departure time.
5. Please follow instructions from the United Energy Around the Bay volunteers at the standby area if you miss your ferry.
6. We estimate only 20-80 standby riders will be able to board each ferry after the allocated riders have boarded.

300km riders will get priority access to the ferry – keep an eye out for the dedicated 300km lane and present your sticker to take advantage.

All riders must have their ticket on them and be ready to board the ferry 15 minutes before the departure time.

• Around the Bay Classic (210km) – The 12:00pm ferry is your cut-off time. An average riding speed of less than 20km/h may not make the official cut-off times. If you’ll struggle to maintain this speed we recommend you consider moving down a distance.
• Around the Bay 300km – The 11:00am ferry is your cut-off time. An average riding speed of less than 25km/h may not make the official cut-off times. If you’ll struggle to maintain this speed we recommend you consider moving down a distance.