Rochester Secondary College students are gearing up for a 300 kilometre bike ride after overcoming a flood and a theft in the lead up.
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Acting principal Chris Sanders said fourteen year 10 and 11 students would cycle the Great Vic Bike Ride, pedaling bikes stolen from the school in June 2023 but later recovered.
"It was shattering when our staff member went out and got the shock that the bikes had gone... it was pretty devastating," Mr Sanders said.
Thirty Fluid brand mountain bikes donated by Variety Victoria to the flood-hit school were stolen, with police tracking down 18 of them.
Mr Sanders has taken a big picture approach to the theft and the ride.
"We really would not have be given this opportunity [to do the ride] unless the floods happened," he said.
"So its sort of a nice outcome that we get to do this."
Students have been preparing for the ride, which has multiple days of more than 80 kilometres in the saddle, Mr Sanders said.
"We've been going for a few rides in our class time as well just to try and build up that endurance, so we're ready to go," he said.
Students start at Orbost in Gippsland and ride to Buchan in the state's east on day one, Lakes Entrance on day two, then Paynesville, before finishing the four day journey at Sale. They will camp along the way in tents provided by Bicycle Network.
In a generous twist, Mr Sanders said Variety Victoria had also replaced the stolen bikes that were not found.
"So that was pretty massive of them," he said.
"And we're just really grateful that we've got the opportunity to do the ride."
The students set out on Great Vic Bike Ride on Saturday, November 25.
