A FATHER-son team from Safety Beach is gearing up for the adventure of a lifetime as they prepare to take part in this year’s Great Vic Bike Ride in the state’s west.
David Di Nino and his 16-year-old son Marco have been training for months for the five-day event which will see thousands of cyclists traverse some of Victoria’s most picturesque landscapes from 24-28 November.
“We’re mostly recreational riders. I participated in the 2005 Great Vic Bike ride. Marco is a keen mountain biker and has participated in the Aus Cycling Victorian School Mountain Bike races,” David said. “He’s also competed in a human powered vehicle race… we love a bit of variety and will give anything a go.” “This is the first time we’ll be doing the Great Vic together. This year’s ride goes along the Great Ocean Rd and is one of the most popular routes for the Great Vic riders”.
This year’s event will take riders from Mortlake to Camperdown, covering 364kms. David said they were training by doing rides on weekends, usually from Safety beach to Sorrento or Portsea and back. Marco also rides at school as part of the Dromana Secondary College mountain biking program. “Outside of that we also do leisurely rides along the beach or hit the mountain bike trails on Arthurs Seat for a bit more of an adrenaline rush,” he said.
David last competed in the Great Vic Bike Ride 20 years ago from Swan Hill to Heidelberg, which was a nine-day event covering 570kms. There were also 8000 participants – the biggest in the event’s 40-year history. “They were giving away a free bike with the entry back then, so I did the ride on the free bike,” he said. “Not sure if it’s nostalgic or crazy, but this year I’ll be riding the same bike from 20 years ago. It still works and runs great. “To support me, we found one of the original free bikes from the 2004 Great Vic on Facebook marketplace for Marco to ride as well.”
David humoured that he hoped “the old legs hold up well” for this year, adding it will be the longest distance Marco has ridden but as a teen “he has boundless energy”.
First published in the Mornington News – 7 October 2025
