Dressing up as a chicken for a bike ride may just the light relief Melburnians need from the pressures of COVID-19 isolation.
Fans of the wacky annual cycling rally – Melburn Roobaix – in which entrants dress themselves or their bike in fancy dress to explore the city, feared it would be cancelled this year because of pandemic restrictions.
But the dress up day will go on – in a fashion. Instead of setting off in a swarm of cyclists in, organisers say more than 1,000 people have paid $10 each to ride on a date of their choice to explore Melbourne’s cycle paths and laneways.
COVID-19 restrictions prevent Melburnians from cycling outside their local area, and with more than one other person outside their household so the ride can be taken any time this year.
Organisers said most participants plan to ride in small groups when COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.
The rally usually attracts 2,000 entrants and the bicycles and entrants get wackier each year.
There are always plenty of people dressed in chicken or cow suits and at one of the rallies, a cyclist towed a trailer that had a barbecue on it – and would stop and cook sausages.
