leadership. over a year ago, i lost the love for cycling. i was sick of training and sick of trying. at the time i thought that i just needed to ride for fun and physically that is all i did.  mentally and emotionally, however,  i also disengaged but probably didn’t realise at the time, what effect that had on my interactions within the club.

there were a lot of times last year when strong leadership within the club would have contributed positively towards a better outcome and i wasn’t there.  for that i apologise. i left a lot of things up to the committee and, although they are more than capable of delivering, support from my corner was limited.  for that i apologise. the clubs presence within the wider arena of cycling within wa and with me often being the “face” of spr at meetings was almost non-existent. for that i apologise. i have had some personal issues with some others within the cycling community and as such, have taken a very “trumpistic” nationalism view and often ignored other entities within cycling. for that i apologise.  there was some change within cycling in wa and the clubs have now fallen under the westcycle banner.  at the time i wasn’t paying attention and now we find ourselves pulled in many directions with issues around auscycle.  although i couldn’t have changed a lot, i still apologise for not being actively engaged.

so, where does that leave us? we will be having an agm in march and as per our constitution, all positions, including the presidency are vacated. i am intending on standing again, but i suppose that is up to the membership as to whether i continue as president. i do, however, commit to being much more active and engaged as i believe that a lack of strong leadership causes organisations to quickly disintegrate. the club has changed significantly over the last 10 years and we have built something that has the potential to remain strong for many years to come. i now realise that the role of president is not just a position in name only, but is a vehicle for directing the club.  just what direction that is depends on how much effort is placed behind it.

come and try – this weekend at the Peel crit at the motoplex, there will be a “come and try” ride for any women that wants to see what crit racing is about.  The session will be with experienced riders to guide you around and provide feedback. follow the calendar link below to get more info on the event and times for each session.

crit racing – there is racing available throughout summer – pretty much every weekend. this sunday is round 2 of the interclub criterium series hosted by Peel. an updated program with links to the events HERE.  for a bit more info on why crit racing could be for you, check out the previous post.

spr race mentors – the race mentors will be your go to for questions, queries and advice so you can dip your toe with some support. if you think you want to be a race mentor to help those that are curious about racing, then you can sign up to help out.  check out the previous post for more information.

spr kit supplier – as outlined in the previous post, the kit sub-committee conducted a review of our current supply and design for club kit.  a number of different manufacturers were invited to submit a proposal and we are pleased to announce that we are moving forward with Mayeur. we are currently in the design process and hope to get it finalised soon with orders opening soon after.  there will be a sizing kit available at a local bike shop and orders will be via an online portal.

mercantile lane closure – some of you may remember that the pedestrian bridge over mercantile lane fell down last year.  this is the back lane that we take to get from mounts bay rd to st georges terrace.  as of 20th dec it will be closed again to facilitate the rebuilding of that foot bridge.  no idea how long it will be down for, so you will need to take the next road (william st) to hook back around to the cafe after the ride.

sunday start locations – as numbers increase over summer, we are looking at how we can manage the groups on a sunday morning.  as such we are implementing a start location system to give us an idea of how big the groups are.  we can then split them before they leave the carpark to ensure that the groups are a safe size on the road.  see the previous blog post about where to meet and the new start time.

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.

spr juniors – juniors, juniors, juniors. my boys were a bit dissappointed last week as they were the only two that turned up to the juniors ride.  they had to drown their sorrows in pancakes and bacon at the coffee shop afterwards.  yes school has started, but make sure that the kids ride is part of your weekly routine.

from the ride coordinator – Back (by popular demand) this week for both Saturday and Sunday is a reprise of 3 of our newest ride routes and the return of an old favourite. Got some great feedback from both transition and main groups that they really liked the North Lake/Shelley and Stock Shelley routes. Last time we did it, we also had quite a few people who missed out as they were visiting Radelaide for the TDU. So with the sort of wind conditions shifting from North West to South West, we can’t miss the opportunity for the “holy grail” of having the wind behind us most of the ride, so we are going for it ! (Lets hope Mother Nature is also a cyclist !). Similarly on Sunday our most difficult to pronounce as well as newest long hills ride is also coming back for another show after rave reviews last time. Enjoy your riding !

saturday 15th february

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

juniors – kings park juniors 23.72km spr saturday

development group –  novice shelley 36.06km spr saturday

transitional 1/2 – trans nth lake & shelley 40.50km spr saturday

fast/main – stock & shelley 49.56km spr saturday

sunday 16th february

rides start at coode st carpark at 6:00am

note: sunday rides start at 6:00am from nov to feb

development group – coffee ride

short – wlsh weir 62.23km spr sunday

long – zamia darl mund dodd obs 111.68km spr sunday

monday 17th february

ride starts under the narrows (sth perth side) at 5:30am

south stock 33.76km spr monday

tuesday 18th february

ride starts under the narrows (cityside) at 5:30am

spr tuesday 36.37km (river ride)

wednesday 19th february

ride starts raffles bike path at 5:30am

interval training – stock road repeats

thursday 20th february

ride starts under the narrows (cityside) at 5:30am

see previous post for ride groups

spr thursday 37.26km (cott & freo)

ride starts frasers ave at 5:45am

development group – interval training kings park

friday 21st february

ride starts under the narrows (sth perth side) at 5:30am

spr friday 42.01km (shelley)

friday training/recovery ride