But around the High Country towns of Bright and Beechworth in mountainous northeast Victoria, cycling has been embraced in recent years, with a rail trail, mountain-bike tracks and several road routes making this one of the most welcoming cycling regions in the country.
In Manzanita and Seabold, trails, mountain views and a nearby golf course are draws for homebuyers.
Despite the hard work that goes into maintaining the trails, mountain biking in the Wood River Valley is not entirely about suffering.
Amenities include a restaurant, free boating in canoes and kayaks, forested hiking and mountain bike trails (mountain bikes provided) and in-room massage.
Or try out a range of winter activities – hiking the many trails, mountain biking, ice skating, fishing, picnicking and, of course, skiing and tobogganing the timeworn runs.
Panorama links hotels, condos, town homes, inns, horse trails, hiking trails, mountain bike trails, hot pools, cold pools and white-water adventure in a C$250 million enterprise barely thinkable from the tentative scene of 20 years ago.
The community group had hoped to turn the B-listed house and the 143 acres that surround it into a facility that would include nature trails, mountain biking, a tourism hub, community allotments, retail craft space and a tea room.
On a few hundred wooded acres criss-crossed with trails, mountain streams, and a swimming pond or two, our family settles with like-minded friends and companions.
Off-road terrain can range from dirt tracks, hiking trails, fire trails, mountain bike trails, to paths made by animals such as deer, goats, or sheep.
There's an abundance of hiking trails, mountain-biking routes, cafés and bars to keep you entertained.
