''If something happens to me on the road, where does that leave my kids?'' the father of three boys said.

The 44-year-old triathlete may be able to swim four kilometres, ride 180 kilometres and back it up with a marathon but he is smart enough to know he is not invincible.

He believes most drivers would give cyclists a metre of space if they saw cyclists as people who were husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters.

''They would understand if there was that personal awareness. If I said quite calmly 'Look mate, you could leave my three kids orphaned.''

Mr Baker and three dozen others from PricewaterhouseCoopers will take part in Amy's Big Canberra Bike Ride on Sunday, departing from Federation Mall at 8.30am.

About 10 are new cyclists, hoping the road is safe enough for them.

Chief executive of the Amy Gillett Foundation, Tracey Gaudry, said the ride would showcase some great routes for inexperienced cyclists.

''There is an amazing network of off-road sealed shared paths leading in from all suburbs to the city, around the lake and other major centres.

''The 20-kilometre loop (as part of the Big Bike Ride) takes in much of the shared paths around Lake Burley Griffin, and the 35-kilometre ride utilises shared paths en route to Mount Stromlo.''