Around the Bay: routes and how to prepare
- Distance
- 226 km
- Climbing
- 855 m
- Highest point
- 104 m
- Categorised climbs
- 3 · up to 7 %
- Shape
- Loop
Measured on the course you ride in Cycloscape. The organiser's own figures are below.
Elevation profile
1–104 m · 3 categorised climbsAround the Bay is Bicycle Network's big Melbourne ride around Port Phillip. The next edition is on Sunday 24 October 2027, with five options from Lap the Track to the Classic 220 km. The Classic, 100 km and 50 km start at Albert Park in Melbourne; the 135 km starts on the Geelong waterfront.
Around the Bay at a glance
- Where
- Melbourne, Australia
- Official website
- bicyclenetwork.com.au ↗
- Next edition
- 24 October 2027
- Routes
- The Classic: 220 km · 135 km (from Geelong): 135 km · 100 km: 100 km · 50 km: 50 km
- Terrain
- Rolling to flat
- Facts checked
- 4 November 2026, against the sources below
Full preparation and course training require Event Coach Pro.
Ride the real course on your trainer. The route of Around the Bay, 216 km, as a 3D world, with your trainer following its gradients — any day, and as part of your Event Coach plan. Part of Cycloscape Pro.
The routes
Around the Bay offers 4 routes.
| Route | Distance | Climbing |
|---|---|---|
| The Classic | 220 km | — |
| 135 km (from Geelong) | 135 km | — |
| 100 km | 100 km | — |
| 50 km | 50 km | — |
What the course asks of you
The roads around the bay are mostly flat or gently rolling, so the Classic is a test of distance and wind rather than climbing: the bay is open to the weather, and a headwind on the long coastal stretches changes the day completely.
Riders must be 15 or over for the 200 km-plus ride. Build up to long days in the saddle, practise riding in a group, and plan your food for eight or more hours.
How to prepare
The general shape of a good preparation, which Event Coach turns into a plan for your fitness, time and date:
- Train sustained endurance and tempo: long efforts at a steady, comfortably hard pace are what a flat day like Around the Bay asks.
- Build the long ride towards 220 km: on the flat there is no climb to rest on the way down, you pedal all the time.
- Ride in a group in training and learn to share the work: on flat roads, the wind and the wheel in front decide the day.
Pacing mistakes to avoid
The mistakes that cost riders the most on a day like this:
- Riding the first hour of Around the Bay too hard because the speed feels free in a big group.
- Spending time on the front alone into the wind, when a wheel would carry you for a fraction of the effort.
- Eating too little: on a flat day you never stop pedalling, and the energy runs out without warning.
Prepare Around the Bay with Cycloscape
Tell Event Coach you are doing Around the Bay, your route and what you want from the day, and it builds your preparation towards 24 October 2027: structured workouts held by your trainer in ERG, Race Pacing for how to spend your effort, and Performance Lab to see whether the work is landing. Full preparation and course training require Event Coach Pro.
Frequently asked
When is Around the Bay 2027?
On Sunday, 24 October 2027, according to the organiser.
How long are the routes of Around the Bay?
The Classic: 220 km; 135 km (from Geelong): 135 km; 100 km: 100 km; 50 km: 50 km. The 2027 options as the organiser lists them (plus a Family Ride and Lap the Track).
Can I ride the course of Around the Bay in Cycloscape?
Yes, inside Event Coach with Cycloscape Pro: once you start your preparation, the course is ridden on your trainer as part of the plan.