Some events and programs receive specific government and commercial sponsorship, though Bicycle Network maintains financial independence as an organisation.

This independence allows the organisation to lobby in the interests of bicycle riders without perceived external financial pressure, although this is debated by critics (see below).

Alison McCormack became the first female CEO in 2022, succeeding Craig Richards, and has campaigned for increasing the numbers of women cyclists.

[5] The formation of the Bicycle Institute of Victoria in 1974 was instigated by Brian Dixon MP, Victorian State Government Minister for Youth, Sport and Recreation.

fitness campaign, brought together a group of bicycle advocates, including Keith Dunstan, to help form the BIV.

Rupert Hamer's Government also formed the State Bicycle Committee (SBC) which was originally within the Ministry of Transport.

Founding president, Keith Dunstan, records in his memoir Confessions of a Bicycle Nut: "By the late 70s I was called a '—–– idiot' only once a month instead of every day".

The chief campaigners were Dunstan and Alan Parker, who immediately began pressuring State and local government on everything from lanes on roads to citywide planning.

[6] In 1978, the Victorian government approved a $1.6 million, five-year Geelong Bikeplan as a test case for bike planning in Victoria.

The idea was written into the Melbourne Bikeplan in the late 70s and subsequent plans developed for centres on Victoria but did not come to fruition until 1990.

He credits this to cycling gaining a name as a great health pursuit at this time and the newly invented mountain bike.

Past president of the Bicycle Institute of Victoria, Charlie Farren, concurs that the 1980s saw a tremendous boost in recreational cycling in the state.

[6] That first Great Victorian Bike Ride in 1984 was meant to be a one-off celebration of the 150th anniversary of European settlement of Victoria but it was such a hit that cyclists demanded another event the following year.

"The events that Bicycle Victoria have nurtured have put enormous numbers of Victorians on bikes and they have ended up as sympathetic car drivers", she points out.

[13][14] In 2011, Bicycle Network Victoria began a campaign - opposed by the Australian Taxation Office - to become a Health Promotion Charity.

Benefits of being a member include discounts at bike shops, crash insurance, bi-monthly membership magazine, maps, advice services and other bike-riding resources.

The Great Vic typically draws several thousand participants each year, with a record of 8,100 riders in 2004, which makes it one of the world's largest supported bike rides.

Attracting cyclists from around the globe, the 235 km circuit is so epic it is comparable to a Tour de France stage with three major climbs - Tawonga Gap, Mount Hotham and Falls Creek.

Information is provided to help workplaces build facilities and develop policies to support employees who cycle to work.

[26][27] Several other events have been run in the past, including: From 1979 the organisation was a member of the peak Australian body representing non-competitive cyclists, the Bicycle Federation of Australia, but discontinued its affiliation during 1998[citation needed].[why?]

BV also ran the Great Melbourne Bike Ride around the circuit in 1996, prior to the first Grand Prix, thus apparently conferring the support of cyclists upon the race.

Some considerate and law-abiding cyclists felt that the condemnation was unfair,[39] and were critical of public statements made by Bicycle Victoria CEO, Harry Barber.

[47] But the recommendation of the report is to call for partial relaxation only: "... in low risk environments where there are no cars, such as on paths and trails, we believe adults should be trusted to decide whether they wear a helmet or not.

Accordingly, Bicycle Network is recommending that: Australia’s MHL be relaxed with a five-year trial permitting people over the age of 17 to ride on footpaths and cycle paths without a helmet."

[citation needed] These and other issues have led critics to conclude that Bicycle Victoria was a mainstream health promotion organisation, with ties to government and major sponsors, and that it was wary of linking itself to any environmental protest or justice campaigns like those that challenge the helmet law.

[citation needed] In 2013 Bicycle Network announced that it would be entering into a partnership with Coca-Cola,[49] to run a behaviour change program to get teenagers healthy and active.