FAQs

Start times: 

Location: Aughtie Walk, Albert Park

• 300km – 5:15am
• 250km – 5:30am
• 210km (anti clockwise) – 5.45am
• 200km (Sorrento return) – 6:30am
• 100km – 7.00am 
• 50km – 7.30am
• 20km – 8:15am

Location: Rippleside Park, Geelong

• 135km – 6:45am

Location: The Esplanade, Sorrento (Ferry Terminal) 

• 100km Sorrento – 8am 

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: 

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. There is a $10 event transfer fee. 

You can transfer:

• To another rider 

To update your preferences please contact us.

No, your entry fee supports Bicycle Network in improving the conditions for all bike riders. To support The Smith Family help disadvantaged Australian children to realise their potential through education you need to fundraise.

Fundraising

Riders can opt to collect their 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 .

Where:

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

When:

Date: 23 September – 26 September | Time: 9:00am – 5:00pm 

Date: 30 September – 2 October | 9:00am – 5:00pm 

Date: 3 October | Time: 9:00am – 7:00pm 

Date: 4 October | Time: 9:00am – 5:00pm 

Date: 5 October | Time: 10:00am – 2:00pm

Postage:

If you paid for postage before Wednesday 31 July, you can expect to receive your rider pack in the mail from the Friday 13 September. A “posted” ticket must be selected when purchasing a ticket, it can not be added on at a later date. 

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

All riders must correctly attach their number plate and wrist band.

The wrist band is essential for lunch collection/snacks and identifying start waves.

Please do not wrap your number plate around your head stem as the timing chip will not work.

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

A bonus event jersey is included with all entries to United Energy Around the Bay before the early bird deadline (Friday 26 July). Please note, the bonus jersey offer is not available for kids taking advantage of the free ticket option.

Early bird jersey

Use the standard jersey sizing chart to confirm your jersey size before purchasing an entry.

300km riders

Use the elite fit jersey sizing chart to confirm your jersey size before purchasing an entry.

To swap your jersey for the correct size, please bring your event jersey to Bicycle Network HQ during rider pack collection times.

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

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

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

Riders using the valet service can pack an A4 sized plastic satchel to carry items they may want when they arrive at the rest stop. This may include a fresh kit, extra nutrition or spare tubes. Riders with valet 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.

200km+ riders will receive a valet bag in their rider pack (no need to book it in). Please ensure packed valet bags are dropped off to Bicycle Network during rider pack collect times.

After the ride on Sunday 6 October, valet satchels will be available from the bag drop area from approximately 3:30pm at the United Energy Around the Bay Finish Festival in Melbourne. Please note that there may be a period of time between when riders finish and the valet bags becoming available.

The following rides include lunch and a snack.

• 250km
• 210km
• 200km
• 135km
• 100km

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 or 50km ride you will receive enjoy a BBQ and snack at the finish site.

There will be three lunch options available: meat, vegetarian and vegetarian gluten free. 

If you are participating in the 20km or 50km ride you will enjoy a BBQ and snack at the finish site. 

Queenscliff

• 250km
• 210km Anti-Clockwise

Sorrento

• 200km Sorrento Return

Frankston

• 135km Geelong – Melbourne

Finish line

• 100km Frankston Return and 100km Sorrento to Melbourne
• 50km
• 20km

If you are participating in the 135km, 200km, 210 Anti, 250km 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.

This year 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 load the ferry 15 minutes before the departure time.

2019 ferry departure times