the days are starting to get shorter, but they are also getting nicer. the early morning rides over the passed few weeks have been stunning and just the right temperature for riding. i remember when i was in uni in ballarat, that easter marked the turning point in the weather. it was fine until easter break, then when you returned, it was arm warmers and vests. luckily perth is not as hostile as victoria, but the weather is cooling, so make sure you are prepared. it always makes me smile when on that first cold morning, those people that have only taken up cycling in summer get a massive shock to the system. layers. dress in layers.
ride leader sponsor – our ride leaders for march are proudly sponsored by ilberys lawyers. providing a range of legal services, ilberys lawyers also handle personal injury cases such as when you have a bike accident involving a third party. if you are in need of any legal advice their contact details are on the previous post.
tips and tricks – so there you are. sitting under a tree with a flat tyre. the group is waiting and getting impatient as it is taking you too long. what do you need to do, or what could have you done to speed the process up. we firstly, practice at home. make sure you know how to get a tube out. make sure you know how a quick release works and how to get your wheel off without getting grease everywhere. make sure you know how your gas bottle works as they all work differently. buy a spare gas bottle and have a practice at home. better you waste one at home than waste everyone’s time out on the road.
so first things first. if it is the rear wheel, put your bike in the hardest gear on the back. loosen off the brakes and undo the quick release. the wheel should basically fall out, but you may need to give it a smack. by putting it in the hardest gear, it is less likely to get tangled in the chain when you take it off. lie the bike down on the non-drive side. do not and i repeat DO NOT, place you bike upside down on the asphalt. this wrecks three of the contact points that you have with your bike, the saddle and both brake hoods.
unscrew the valve lock and release any air still in the tube. starting directly opposite from the valve, insert 1 tyre lever between the tyre and rim and pry up. the end of the tyre lever should have a hook on it that you hook around the spoke to hold it in place. insert another tyre lever a few cm’s along and pry up. remove the second lever and repeat a bit further along. you only need to take off 1 side of the tyre and it is best if it is the side opposite the gears, its cleaner. pull the tube out and throw away in disgust (in to your back pocket). check the inside of the tyre for any glass, slivers of steel, etc protruding through the tyre which will give you an instant 2nd puncture. unroll the new tube and put a little air in to give it shape (use either a pump or your mouth). insert the valve and then the rest of the tube. starting at the valve, push the tyre back onto the rim. head in both directions so that you finish up opposite the valve. the last bit may be hard, but try not to use your tyre levers as this may give you a pinch flat. check around the rim to make sure the tube is not caught between the rim and tyre. inflate. make sure you readjust your brakes when you put the wheel back in. done, in 4 min flat so your riding buddies don’t get upset with you. if it happens more than once during a ride, make sure you have a mobile to call a taxi.
do you even brake, bro? – following on from our tips and tricks, rob has some very important advice about using your brakes…or not. please make sure that you have a read of the previous post as you don’t want to be responsible for the crash that happens behind you where you come off unscathed.
state politics – so most of us need to vote on saturday in the state election. generally, cycling does not feature very highly on the agenda for either of the major parties and only as a passing fancy for the minor ones. this year, however, there has been an 
increase in the amount of promises made in regards to cycling budget. as you always expect with politicians promises, a grain (or shipload) of salt should be liberally sprinkled on each. however, westcycle have put together an unbiased view on just what each party is offering. have a look at each picture and at least you can try to make an informed vote. holding the parties to their promises, would be a different matter.
jens voigt ride and dinner – mr shut up legs himself is in town next week and there are a couple of opportunities for people to meet him. there is a dinner featuring jens, jack bobridge and travis meyer, where you get to hear from their experiences in the pro peloton. there are also a couple of rides that you can book to go on, where you can rub shoulders with the great man himself (jens, not heiko). both the dinner and rides are on wednesday 15th march. the dinner is $120pp and the rides are $75pp. click on the following links for more details – dinner, 5:45am ride, 8:15am ride.
club agm – please pencil in the 25th march for our club agm and breakfast. we will be voting on our 2017 committee as well as opening it up for any discussion that members want to have. please see the previous post for more information.
saturday start locations – we have revamped the group start locations on saturday morning. please have a look at the map so you know where your group will congregate. this makes it easier for ride leaders to give you a briefing before the ride starts. see the previous post for more details.
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hursday training ride – this week we implemented a new system of splitting the thursday group ride to keep the size manageable. we think that we have come up with a good way of splitting the groups, but we need you to be honest about your own abilities. have a look at the strava segment for the ride so you know where you sit. there is nothing to stop you stepping up to challenge yourself, but this will at least provide a guide as to how much more challenging it will be.
ride routes – sorry if it looks like we are doing the same rides over and over again. it has go to do with the wind direction, which over summer, is often easterlys. this weekend it is predicted to be 30km/hr ese winds, so you really don’t want to be doing the final 10k’s into that.
saturday 11th march
ride starts under the narrows (cityside) at 5:30am
early lap – earlybird 40.93km spr special
all rides start at coode st carpark at 7:00am
development group – novice shelley 36.06km spr saturday
transitional – trans shelley 40.59km spr saturday
fast & main groups – south st 51.23km spr saturday
sunday 12th march
ride starts under the narrows (cityside) at 5:30am
early lap – earlybird 40.93km spr special
all rides start at coode st carpark at 7:00am
development group – coffee ride
short – brktn weir 82.89km spr sunday
long – carr peet obs 97.72km spr sunday
monday 13th march
ride starts under the narrows (sth perth side) at 5:30am
south stock 33.76km spr monday
tuesday 14th march
ride starts under the narrows (cityside) at 5:30am
spr tuesday 36.37km (river ride)
ride starts frasers ave at 5:45am
development group – interval training kings park
wednesday 15th march
ride starts raffles bike path at 5:30am
interval training – stock road repeats
thursday 16th march
ride starts under the narrows (cityside) at 5:30arm
spr thursday 37.26km (cott & freo)
ride starts frasers ave at 5:45am
development group – interval training kings park
friday 17th march
ride starts under the narrows (sth perth side) at 5:30am