Today was our first ride for the new year. We had about 20 with Jono volunteering to help out with his Emma riding with us today.  Before we started, I thought I’d make a goal for the group for the coming year….No crashes….simple.  If we can’t be the fastest group, at least we can be the safest!  I then set out the plan for the ride – we would stick together till Reabold with a regroup along West Coast Hwy where we would go single file. This worked out pretty well and everyone came back together safely. I took up the pacemaking along the rough section after Rochdale Rd to Swanbourne into that lovely wind. I wasn’t sure if I was going a little fast or not but everyone seemed to be there when Shu had a puncture. The rest of us pulled over at the servo just after the left hand turn and I left the group in the shade while I checked out how the puncture was going. After doing a lap of the block and returning to the servo, I was told that they were on the other side of the lights. Another quick lap found them hiding in the bus stop, tire change in progress. The tire was on and when we started again, I was certain that the wind had picked up in the 5 minutes we had been held up.

We crossed Stirling Hwy where we lost a drag race at the lights to a guy on a scooter. We stuck together really well in Dalkeith, much better than a month ago and once we turned left at the tennis courts the first move was started by Michael. The group was happy with riding tempo and his lead built up to around 50 meters before 3 or 4 guys came by.

The transition from Jutland Parade to Birdwood Parade saw Jono make his move. He flew by the front half of the group and it was obvious he was going to cross the gap to the half dozen riders up the road. I jumped out o the pack about 30 meters behind him and knew I was never going to get onto his wheel but wanted to see who won the sprint to the bus stop. By this time, I could see Jono hit the front. He led Shu up the short rise and created a small gap of a few meters and it was his from there.

The group came back together along the Avenue and we rode a good steady pace along Matilda Bay and onto Mounts Bay Rd. Sorry for not knowing names, but the black n white kitted Euro styled rider on the Look and the Team Type 1 kitted rider (also known as Andrew) rode an excellent tempo into the wind along Mounts Bay Rd. It wasn’t easy and they had to dig a bit along the last little stretch past the Brewery. Well done guys.

What happened next was a group etiquette no-no. As we got onto the straight past the brewery, a few guys came past, each spread by about 5 bike lengths and went off the front of the group. I got a bit annoyed here because I had told everyone to STAY TOGETER along Mounts Bay into the wind at the beginning of the ride AND while we were waiting for the lights to turn onto Mounts Bay Road.

There wasn’t really a sprint but what had been a pro looking group of 20 riders riding in good formation soon became a straggly bunch of weekend warriors, each trying to merge a lane over to the right, spread out over 100 meters, coming into a busy, two-laned roundabout.  This made us look bad, makes it hard for cars to pass and makes every rider more vulnerable to both the cars behind us and the cars entering the roundabout. Sticking together here is important. If you would like to increase the pace a bit and get your heart rate up, then come to the front when it’s safe and take a turn into the wind for everyone else’s benefit.

Besides that, it was a much better ride. A lot of fun and well done to everyone for sticking together. If we could do it for another 300 meters, I would be a VERY happy camper.