Ride For Change 2027 (May 3rd - 9th) Introducing the brand new challenge "Ride For Change - Unpaved". Cycling 1000km in 7 days from Sydney to Melbourne with a new sidekick - the opportunity for people to swap out the usual smooth roads for a gravel adventure. Both this new Unpaved Challenge and the Road Classic have one goal in mind, to raise $150,000 for Gateway Children’s Fund.
Regardless of which crew you’re in…it’s gonna be a push. But we think that’s what makes it exciting.
It takes a lot to pull off an epic adventure like this (think training rain, hail or shine and hustling for those fundraising dollars), but if you’re keen to ride with us and to make a real difference in kid’s lives we’re committed to getting you across the line. Here’s a little more info about the ride.
The Classic
This is our traditional ride. Tackling the fully paved roads, offering a smooth experience with only minor interruptions from the occasional pothole.
This route is super accessible to the wider cycling community. It’s perfect for social riders, people new to long-distance events, and competitive riders who just love to ride. Make no mistake, 1000km is no walk in the park but with good company and good vibes it’s exactly the kind of challenge that shows you what you’re capable of.
Challenge: 100% paved surfaces, featuring beautifully maintained regional and scenic back roads.
Ability Level: Intermediate. This ride is designed to push your limits, helping you conquer new heights and distances.
Unpaved Challenge
This is our brand-new, gravel option! Forget the smooth stuff, this is all about getting off-road, tackling unpaved back roads, fire trails, and rugged paths.
For the seasoned cyclist. You’ll need top-notch fitness, great technical skills, and be ok with getting dirty. It’s for those who want a serious physical and technical test and a truly unforgettable, remote adventure.
Challenge: Mostly gravel, dirt, and a bit of the usual paved surface.
Ability Level: Advanced. Prepare for a challenging test of your bike handling skills and physical endurance.
COST - The cost for the ride is $3000. This will cover your ride kits, accommodation, food, transport, discounts from sponsors and full support pre-ride and on-ride.
FUNDRAISING - Each rider commits to raising a minimum of $3000 with all funds going to the Gateway Children’s Fund. We’ll have a bunch of resources to help you along the way with this, so don’t let it intimidate you. Once you’ve been accepted as a rider we’ll set you up a Raisly page where you can build your profile and start getting the fundraising going.
GROUP RIDES - Once a month, we’ll have an all-in group ride. It’s expected that you get to as many of these as possible. We’ll practice pack dynamics, get to know each other (and how others ride) and the lead riders will be able to watch how you ride and give tips to make your time on Ride For Change as comfortable and injury-free as possible.
PELOTON SESSIONS - There are 4 peloton sessions (information sessions) across the year. Some of these will be after one of the scheduled group rides and will give you all the information you’ll need along the way, as you need it. This includes nutrition and hydration expectations, what you’ll need on the ride, fundraising tips, available physio and training options, and more.
TRAINING - Beyond the group rides and peloton sessions there is an expectation that each rider trains throughout the year and leading into the ride so that they head into this as prepared as possible. It’s a big ride, and every hour put into the legs will help you get over the line. We have set up on our website a ‘Ride Hub’ where riders can log in and access heaps of info including benchmarks (where you should be up to in your training at certain points), training plans, ride dates and other resources to support your training.
There are two different teams riding two different distances that you can sign up to be part of - 700km and 1300km. The plan is to leave from the same location and arrive at the same accommodation each day so that we can keep the two teams as cohesive as possible. The last day for both distances is a 60km ride so the remaining six days will average 110km (for 700km) and 210km (for 1300km). We’re open to anyone applying for either distance but as a general rule if you’re a brand new cyclist the 700km is the ride for you and if you’re more of a seasoned cyclist looking for a challenge then the 1300km could be your sweet spot.
You’ll be on the bike anywhere between 5 and 8hrs per day but rest assured we have an incredible Support Team whose sole job is to help you win. They cover all the on-ride support as well as the sometimes unseen and in-between moments including sorting out your meals, cooking, ensuring that you are well fed, laundry, myo and physio to keep your body in check, as well as anything else needed.
The Process
If you’re keen to join the team, it’s as simple as the following:
1. APPLY
Fill out the application form below and we’ll get in touch.
2. PAY
Once accepted (woohoo!), we will require your deposit of $250. This will kick start the process of getting you a Rider Hub login, Raisly profile, as well as a sick Ride For Change tee…the real reason we’re all here.
Feel free to reach out if you have any questions, we’d love to chat with you.
