The event, which features both road rides and mountain biking, raises funds for the Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute in Ballarat.

Cycle Classic ambassador and mountain biking champion Phillip Orr is holding training sessions for the fat tyre mountain bike challenges, which covers 25km, 33km, 40km and 50km distances.

“The conditions of the course are fairly undulating, there is a lot of steep terrain that riders will have to tackle and there are a lot of tracks where they become quite narrow,” Orr said.

“So the idea of these training rides is just to slowly get new riders and even experienced riders more familiar with the terrain that we will be riding on.”

Orr said riders of all experience and fitness levels had attended previous training sessions, which could be easily adjusted to cater for the ability of the group. 

“I found last year after riding with the group, I could see a lot of potential improvements that could have been made just through bike setup,” Orr said. 

“So I decided one day just to stop and talk about things like tyre pressures and suspension settings… whereas more experienced riders are already going to know all about that.”

While preparation was important, especially for beginners, Orr was confident any rider could tackle the course. 

“It is a good opportunity for beginners to get familiar with what they are going to get exposed to, but while it is challenging, it’s nothing that is out of control,” he said.

The training sessions run for about 60-90 minutes and are also a good opportunity to get to know other riders in the lead up to the event.

“It’s a good challenge, a good way to push yourself and it’s not a race, it’s all about simply getting around the course, and it does feel good to complete something like that,” Orr said.  

The training rides will leave from Goves Cycles at 5.45pm on Thursdays starting from January 18.

For more information contact Phillip Orr or Arthur Shaw at Goves Cycles on 5333 7111.