THIS year's Great Victorian Bike Ride is set to pump more than $200,000 into the Bendigo economy.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The iconic event, which involves nine days of cycling through locations in Victoria, will this year take place in the central Victorian goldfields.
It will start at Ballarat on November 28 and take in Avoca, Dunolly, Inglewood, Castlemaine, Bendigo and Heathcote.
General manager of the event Darren Allen said day six of the cycle, December 3, involved a "rest day" in Bendigo, meaning riders could spend the day as they wished.
He said previous events indicated the average rider spent $70 on rest days, and with more than 3500 people partaking in last year's event, Bendigo could expect to see more than $200,000 trickle into the city.
He said he recommended businesses think strategically about how they could capitalise on the tourists' visit.
"What we really recommend is that they put forward an offer to the riders - something to entice them to come to their shop," he said.
"It can really benefit the city."
Mr Allen and his team spent this week visiting Bendigo and surrounding towns, including Castlemaine, Inglewood and Heathcote, meeting with local business owners to inform them of how they could get involved in the cycle.
Event co-ordinator Jess Klar said people were keen to participate.
"The engagement has been very positive - we've been speaking to a lot of people about opportunities to get involved," she said.
"It's the biggest event of its kind so we do bring several thousand riders to the area and it's what we call a self-sufficient event."
Mr Allen said the ride hadn't taken place in Bendigo for many years, and cyclists were excited to visit the historic city.
"We survey our riders - they were keen to come to Bendigo," he said.
"It's a popular cycling city, it's a popular tourism city. We reckon it'll be popular."
To learn more about the Great Victorian Bike Ride or register your business with the event, visit www.greatvic.com.au