Ride routes 18th – 24th July

Melbourne’s Bourke St during peak times

Sitting here trying to think about something positive to write about in relation to cycling. We have a lot to be thankful for here in WA and with group riding and cafe’s open, we can almost feel like we are back to normal. While we look suspiciously across the border, tut-tut at Victoria and compare Australia to the Spice Girls (Victoria ruined it), we seem confident that we in WA have everything under control. Marko has done very well on controlling the borders but we still have cases coming in from overseas. The current outbreak in Victoria, which is now spreading to NSW, started from bad hygiene controls between security and hotel quarantines. We have that same risk here along with the stream of AFL players and freight carriers that have exemptions allowing them into the state. My fear is that our complacency will bite us hard when an outbreak does appear. The lack of social distancing at Northbridge, at the netball last night and the expected 30,000 people at a footy game this weekend would be catastrophic with a single asymptomatic case within it.
I really struggled mentally when we were on full lock down, as riding solo is not my thing (could be why I built a club). I also realise that my “struggles” are a tad insensitive to those that are facing much worse hardships during this time. There are many that are still out of work and with the looming end of JobKeeper coming up fast, may not fully know what they will be doing next. Maybe this is also reflected by the number of posts on Facebook marketplace selling bikes and bike parts.
So, this is a lot of doom and gloom for a state that is really looking at the sunnyside at the moment. However, there are things that we can be doing that don’t involve becoming a hermit whilst waiting for the worst to come. Primarily this involves looking out for each other. I am sure that there are people that you know that may be struggling more than you at the moment. Reach out to them. You’ve probably got them on Facebook already, so it doesn’t take much to get in contact. It’s not about financially supporting someone, but rather see how they are. RUok isn’t just one day a year, so ask the question. Invite them out for a ride, if they are a cyclist, or a coffee if they’re not. If you see someone with a flat, check to see that they have everything they need. Ironically it’s the same human connections that get us into trouble with a pandemic that will also get us through this. Just a little more socially distant.

The Rules – just a reminder that it isn’t business as usual.

  • Social distancing still applies. This means no handshakes, hugging, high fives, down low too slow, or general touching is allowed. Please refrain from touching other peoples bikes, and allow space for people to gather before the ride.
  • The start locations in the carpark for Saturday will change slightly. See below for more detail and a new map, but basically, we need to ensure we don’t exceed the 100 person limit, by separating into two distinct groups.
  • No spitting, snotting or sneezing within the group. If you need to, move to the back of the group, but please look behind you to make sure that it is clear of traffic. That is all traffic, not just bikes. We don’t want some dash-cam footage of someone blowing their nose on a car the first day back.
  • No “hand of god”. Like most thing in life, any interaction requires two-way consent between adults. If someone is struggling and you want to push them, you both have to be comfortable with being touched. I’m not going to speculate on the risks involved with hand to jersey contact, but before you push someone, ask them first. If they are not comfortable with any contact, then don’t do it.
  • The post ride coffee is a long standing tradition with cycling and the hospitality industry is suffering so we need to give our support. However, we also need to moderate our social behaviour to ensure we minimise the risk of spreading infection. This not only includes maintaining appropriate social distancing, but also NOT bringing bottles, helmets and gloves inside and making use of the hand washing/sanitizing stations. Enjoy your coffee and social interaction, but make sure you do it responsibly.
  • Personal hygiene becomes very important in the spread of the virus so make sure that you either wash your hands whenever you can or carry a small container of hand sanitiser. Limit your exposure to common surfaces (chairs, tables) and don’t be sharing items.
Looking fresh on the start-line

ToMR EOI – Expressions of interest are still open for the Tour of Margaret River. We are particularly interested in any women wishing to represent the club. If you are interested, have a read of the previous post and register yourself so we can start sorting out teams. We are also interested in anyone that is happy to volunteer for this event. The course this year has no point-to-point stages, so there will be no shuttling of cars. However, volunteers will still be required to setup tents, stock eskies and generally help out the riders however, they can.

SPR Watertower Challenge – It’s back. The WaterTower Challenge is set to run in September this year after a couple of years hiatus. Choose from the Metric (100km) or Imperial (160km) challenge. Ride against the clock in group of 3 around the suburbs of Perth. Find WaterTowers that you never knew existed and visit suburbs you don’t usually ride through. Check out the event page on Facebook, organise some mates and pencil in the 20th September.

Collie to Donnybrook – This iconic WA race has now opened it’s register and is accepting entries for the race on the 15th August. This is a handicap event which means that the slower riders get a headstart on the faster riders, so if things pan out right, it can be anyone’s race. Entries will be capped at 220 riders and close on the 9th August and can be found here.

Our commitment to Core Values – We are a diverse club that made a point early on of committing to a number of core values to which we have built everything upon. These are – Safe, Inclusive, Organised & Social. It is under these values that we want all club interaction to occur, whether on the road or in cyberspace. Please read the previous post so you understand what we as a club, expect from you as members.

Where do i need to stand again?

Saturday Start Locations – In order to adhere to the new gathering regulations, we need to slightly change the meeting points of the groups. There is a 100 person gathering limit and when all groups are combined, we often exceed that when everyone is waiting for the start. There was a discussion about different start times for different groups, but what we settled on was moving half the groups to different sides of the carpark. This is not ideal as there are usually more cars using the eastern most parks, but we will just have to work around that for now. We understand that the COVID risk isn’t high, but it is more about how the club is viewed from outside. So, please congregate in the assigned locations, so we can continue to hold group rides in the future.

From the Ride Coordinator – Well the guys at the BOM have changed their minds so many times this week around granting us good weather for the ride, I’m just hopefully that the morning will be clear bright and sunny. Funny thing about this route is that those crazy people who decide to do the EBR will be doing a large part of it again – but in reverse! Whatever you do this Saturday morning, make it a good one.

Saturday 18th July

Sunday 19th July

Monday 20th July

Tuesday 21st July

  • Ride starts under the Narrows (cityside) at 5:30am
  • Ride starts Frasers ave at 5:45am
    • Development group – interval training kings park

Wednesday 22nd July

Thursday 23rd July

Friday 24th July