Abbott to launch charity Pollie Pedal bike ride in Tasmania

Prime ministerial duties are again expected to interrupt one of Tony Abbott's favourite community events.

The prime minister will launch the 600km charity Pollie Pedal, which in 2015 is raising money for Carers Australia, on Friday in northern Tasmania.

Mr Abbott, a keen cyclist, co-founded the event in 1998 and has been a committed participant.

But there's a question mark over how much of this year's journey the PM will cycle, as he's expected in Melbourne on Friday to attend the funeral of former prime minister Malcolm Fraser. And with the NSW election on Saturday, a trip back to his home state is not off the cards.

Last year he could not join the ride until the final few days as he travelled to the Netherlands as part of Australia's response to the downing of flight MH17.

About 50 cyclists, including Tasmanian politicians, are expected to be part of the Pollie Pedal, which sets off from the Burnie waterfront.