Big group on Sat – didn’t do a head count but 20 plus for sure, with several new riders and a gratefully accepted offer from Megs to come along and share the load. A real family affair with her dad riding as a T regular and bro on a mtb joining in – she’s obviously after a discounted Club family membership rate.
Easy pace down Canning to see who was who on the ride, settling the group into pairs before the left turn into Esplanade and heading towards Mt Henry. No traffic around which makes everything really easy. Group chatting stopped at around 29 kph so held the speed at that into Leech Hwy. Skipped the bike path and stayed on the Hwy into Shelley – and that’s where the fun and errors started as we attempted the first call for a roll-through. Maybe would have been more successful if I had instigated a better pre-ride briefing, but the first attempt was pretty shabby with the usual errors of overlapping wheels, gaps forming, little communication, riders on the outside line wandering out into the centre of the road whilst other rode off the front; & even a couple of the more experienced riders committed felonious activities . Fortunately its a quiet road and apart from a couple of close calls and panicked braking, we got away without losing flesh, blood or paintwork . At the end of Shelly , time for a group ’discussion’ : Meg & I did the double act explaining what should and shouldn’t happen in a group ride, which seemed to work as the next roll through heading out to Bannister was so much smoother – and safer.
Several in the group were struggling a little on the way into Nicholson ; thanks Mike for staying back to look after them, before we decided to formally split the ride along Albany Hwy with Meg leading out the faster riders and Mike & myself protecting the back markers. It worked well and no ugly traffic or ute issues. Sad to say I missed out on the Meg vs Bro sprint challenge that was promised along Riverside Drive – I reckon that experience and cunning on a road bike will beat brawn on an Mtb most days of the week: judging by Megs quiet smile at the coffee shop , I think I’m right.