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The population of Dunolly more than trebled on Monday when thousands of cyclists descended on the sleepy Central Goldfields town for the third day of the Great Victorian Bike Ride.
On a windy day in which the mercury rose beyond 32 degrees, the more than 3500 riders arrived into the town – which numbered 908 at the last official count – throughout the afternoon.
They came in search of refreshment and entertainment and, at the local lawn bowls, Neil Ritchie said his social cycling club, the Sneaky Butchers, had found both.
“Dunolly has really put it on for us, we’ve done everything: swam at the pool, watched music in the shade, there are even people going round with trays of food…
“But the best thing is that they’re selling stubbies at 1950s prices!”
With the two pubs in town now closed, the Dunolly Bowling Club was the venue of choice for the 18-plus crowd who were looking to quench a well-earned thirst.
For the 1200 school-aged participants along for the ride, milkshakes, cold watermelon and an afternoon at the pool were high on the agenda.
Grade 9 Torquay students Scarlett von Brandenstein and Jess Dunmore said the hot conditions made for the first real challenge of a ride that had been “pretty easy so far”.
The two are part of a group of 15 students and three teachers from Surf Coast Secondary taking part in the 540-kilometre ride, but both said it wasn’t necessarily a love of cycling which motivated them.
"The best thing about it is definitely the camping," Jess said.
"To be honest, I'm kinda doing it for the camping … and hanging out with friends.
“It’s just a really fun thing to do.”
For others, the ride was a chance to catch up with school mates from years gone by.
Syd Boydell and Ian Beford, now in their late 60s, hadn’t seen each other since their university days in Melbourne.
They were joined by Beford’s wife Judy and David Nilbert from Heathcotte – whom they had just met.
"That's why you do a ride like this, to meet people you've never met before in towns you've never been to before," Beford said.
And while it was a social occasion for many, for others, the nine-day ride is a way of life.
Seventy-year-old James Cuneen did the first Great Victorian Bike ride in 1984 and has done “in excess of 30 since then”.
“It’s come a long way since then… there are showers now,” he said
The evening was capped off with bush dancing at the Town Hall.
The ride finishes this Sunday in Bendigo.
For others the long ride is a way of life.
Seventy-year-old James Cuneen did the first Great Victorian Bike ride in 1984 and has done “in excess of 30 since then”.
“It’s come a long way since then… there are showers now,” he said.