A man is missing after going on a mountain bike ride north-east of Melbourne.

The 47-year-old Montmorency man left his car at the general store in Kangaroo Ground yesterday before beginning a planned five-hour trip.

The alarm was raised when he failed to return home early yesterday evening.

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Police and emergency services began a search last night after the man failed to return, and resumed this morning with the help of the air wing.

They are focusing their search around Glenburn, the last place the man’s mobile phone was traced to.

Family and friends of the man are also searching the area.

The general store’s owner, Tamara Kelso, said the area was known for its off-road bike trails, but it was not known which trail the man took off on.

She said he was a regular rider in the area and other riders have joined the search.

“You’d face a lot of different things, I mean you’re going through the bush so you’d have kangaroos and deer, a lot of wildlife coming out at you,” she said.

“Obviously that doesn’t happen all the time but it can happen.”