Eight Blue Mountains cyclists are among more than 5150 people who have registered for the Great Cycle Challenge, a national fundraiser for the Children's Medical Research Institute (CMRI).
Challenge entrants will use their own pedal power to generate sponsorship by setting themselves a personal cycling distance goal to achieve during October.
Using a mobile-based GPS device, they will be able to track their daily rides and beam the data back to their own Challenge fundraising webpage on completion so friends and family members can track their progress.
Springwood's Elliott McRobert only found out about the event a week ago through a friend's shared post on Facebook and registered straight away.
"I just finished building my own road bike, which the staff at Nick's Cycles in Springwood helped me a lot with and tested for safety, so I'll be using it for the Great Cycle Challenge," he said.
"I'll cycle around here and I'll also go riding with some mates in Sydney - my goal will be to ride 500km."
Entrant Jonathan Price from Woodford also found out about the Great Cycle Challenge on Facebook and said he goes cycling sporadically but will ramp things up in October.
"I've got a mountain bike that I ride on the Woodford to Glenbrook fire trail sometimes and a road bike that I use a bit after work along the M7 motorway," Mr Price said.
"I'm going to use this fundraising event as a way to kickstart my exercise this spring and to get back into cycling more often.
"It's going to be hard, but I've set myself the target of 1000km and a fundraising goal of $2500."
Cyclists from Valley Heights, Hazelbrook, Wentworth Falls and Blackheath have also registered.
Great Cycle Challenge manager Greg Johnson said the event is a fun way to raise money to fight children's cancers and stressed that anyone can take part.
CMRI director Professor Roger Reddel said the event began last year and has already raised $1.2 million for further research in the areas of embryonic development and birth defects, cancer, nerve cell signalling and gene therapy.
"This event has enabled CMRI researchers to make a number of vital discoveries, including a test that will help identify some of the most aggressive types of cancers.
"We are working towards a new form of treatment that is designed to target every type of cancer," he said.
Individuals and corporate teams can sign-up for the event and start fundraising or sponsor an entrant by going to www.greatcyclechallenge.com.au.
