The Bega to the Beach bike ride ran a little differently this year to previous rides.
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Event director Richard Gallimore said measures had been taken to condense the finish of the ride by using a delayed start for the quicker entrants.
“We’re running two starts this year,” Gallimore said during the ride briefing, “all the casual riders run at 10 to five and everyone who is a bit more serious launches 10 minutes later.”
Gallimore said the ride was non-competitive so gave riders the choice to self-seed which group they should ride in, but had some simple suggestions.
“If your bike costs more than two-grand, if you’ve ever done a mountain bike race or you’re wearing lycra, you’re probably in the quicker group,” he said with a laugh.
The ride welcomed a near-record result with 147 entries to enjoy the scenic ride along some of the region’s fire trails and famous Tathra single track.
Wharf to Waves committee member Jane Courtney said she was stunned by the response overall, which was a jump of about 30 entries on last year.
“Last year we had around 120 and the year before around 130, so it’s a good growth on both of those,” Ms Courtney said.
Ms Courtney said it always came down to a flurry of last minute entries as riders checked the weather before committing.
“We had about 50 registrations online and then there has been a fantastic surge of entries in the late stages,” she said as the eager crowd descended on the Tarrraganda fireshed for the launch.
The staggered start raised a few eyebrows, but was generally received positively with two groups of about 75 riders setting off separately.
About 25km along the course at the Mogareeka bridge, many riders still had plenty of energy throwing a thumbs up, smile or wave to the camera.
But a few riders took it to another level, popping wheelies for a laugh.
Organisers thanked event sponsors with one lucky entrant taking away a brand new bike from Tathra Beach and Bike in a random draw at the finish line.
Ms Courtney said she was delighted with how the Wharf to Waves had come together, with a small army of around 120 volunteers taking part across three events.
“Everyone from the pre-school, the surf club, the community and even visitors who want to get involved and help out.”
Money raised by the event is donated to the Tathra Pre-School, the Surf Life Saving Club and community projects – including solar power.
Officials said this had been one of the biggest events in the Wharf to Waves’ 16-year history.