Over 300 keen cyclists are expected to line up for the major mountain biking component of this years Brindabella Challenge, the 55 Km Point to Point on Saturday December 3rd.

“Having over 300 cyclists in this one event, with well over half of these from interstate, is fantastic and shows how popular Canberra is as a destination for the mountain biking public” Canberra Off-Road Cyclists President Dr Katrina Roper said today.

“The beauty about these types of mass participation events is that an average rider can pit themselves against the best that Australia has to offer including the likes of Australian representatives and Canberra locals Niki Fisher and Dylan Cooper” Race Director Ley Kingdom said today.

“This course will be scenic, challenging but achievable. It will climb from the Cotter reserve to 1200m above sea level before returning to the Cotter. It will include some tough climbs but the second half is punctuated by some fabulous long fast descents” Ms Kingdom said.

Conditions will include a range of surfaces from smooth fire road to some rough rocky sections.

Registration for the race will open at the Cotter Reserve from 8am with the race starting at 10am. The first competitors are expected to return to the Cotter at ~ 12.30pm

“We have some of the best riding spots in the country including the phenomenal Sparrow Hill and with the government supporting our sport through events such as the Brindabella Challenge and funding the construction of Stromlo Forest Park, Canberra will continue to grow as a mountain biking Mecca” Dr Roper Said

A recent study has shown that more bikes are sold in Australia each year than cars (around 1.2 million in total) and that ~80% of bikes sold are mountain bikes.