It’s a 542km bicycle ride with stunning scenery, 1000 friendly riders and a great way to keep fit.

It’s the Cycle Queensland 2012 bike ride from Gayndah to Noosa.

Organised by Bicycle Queensland, and aimed to inspire more people to ride bikes more often, the nine-day cycling adventure passes through towns such as Hervey Bay, Tiaro and Gympie.

One person who has been inspired by the Cycle Queensland rides is Samford Village retiree Carmel McGrath.

She is set to participate in her fifth Cycle Queensland ride.

“I absolutely love it. I love the scenery and fresh air,” Mrs McGrath said.

“It’s not a race or anything, so you have plenty of time to just relax and smell the roses.”

Riders can expect to ride a distance of 60km to 100km each day, with a number of hills thrown in along the way.

“There are certainly hills included in the route,” Mrs McGrath said.

“It is a little bit of a challenge, and you feel very tired by the end of the day.

“However, it keeps me very fit. I’m in my 60s now and when I ride my bike I feel as if I’m 17 again.”

In the middle of the nine days, there is a rest day in Hervey Bay where participants can relax and have a look around the area.

Mrs McGrath said the small country towns love to see the riders passing through, as their small businesses attract the horde of riders buying cakes, coffee and small snacks.

“We’ve even had a guard of honour passing through a town,” she recalls. “It feels as if we’re in the Tour de France.”

Mrs McGrath loves to ride her bike at least four days a week around the Samford area, and would like to see better cycling circuits around the Samford to Dayboro regions.

“We would like safer circuits so we can let our kids ride their bikes and enjoy it as much as I do,” she said.

To first-time riders thinking of doing the Cycle Queensland ride, Mrs McGrath has one simple answer: “Do it!”

“You won’t regret it at all. This is my fifth year and I’m sure there’ll be plenty more,” she said.

The Cycle Queensland ride begins in Gayndah on 8 September. For  more information on how to enter visit http://www.bq.org.au/. Entries close 10 August.