The challenge has always aimed to test riders and human powered vehicles in a broad range of events to work out the best overall and races have included time trials, 1 hour circuit races, off road races, criterium races, twin slalom and shopping race with the overall winners the best in the whole range of events.
The Challenge event started in Canberra, and it predates OzHPV.
The Open trophy dates from 1990 when the challenge was part of the Canberra Pedal Power bike week.
OzHpv was founded to spread the load of organising the challenge and to spread HPV activities in Australia.