RIDING a pushbike for 24 hours - virtually non-top for more than 600km. It sounds daunting.
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For business banking manager Tavis Baker that is the easy part. He has already successfully negotiated what he considered the greater challenge - raising more than $5000 for the Royal Children's Hospital Good Friday Appeal.
The Courier spoke with Mr Baker before he started his 'round the clock ride on Thursday. At that stage he had already raised $6400.
The rest of his mission - riding more than 100 laps of Lake Wendouree with only a five minute break every four hours for a feed and a drink - should be relatively straight forward, or so he says.
"I think riding 600km is actually easier than the fundraising," Mr Baker insists. "At least it's more straight forward.
"Last year I set a target of $2000 because you just don't know what response you will get. When I got to $10,000 that was amazing.
"This year's goal ($5000) was one I thought would be comfortably achieved and anything over that was a bonus. A customer gave me a cheque for $500 which hasn't been added yet so I'm looking for it to be over $7000."
Mr Baker said the ride was about drawing attention to his fundraising efforts. That said, he was hopeful the odd rider would join him for a lap or two over the course of the 24 hour ride.
"For most of those who have donated, it's not about supporting me riding. It's about the cause, really," he says.
"I think the idea came from watching the telethon as a kid. I've had it pretty easy in terms of health but two of my wife's nephews have used the Royal Childrens Hospital, as have a couple of my colleagues' children.
"The start point for the ride is the Botanical Gardens Entrance, Lake Wendouree, at 6pm. It will conclude at 6pm on Good Friday at whatever point he reaches.
"I've checked the weather and it looks okay," he says. "It might get down to about six degrees overnight but it won't be wet at least. It might just be the wind."
