Ride routes 3rd – 9th April

So. Definitely the beginning of a new era. If you have a look at the photo of the new committee, it is most definitely a feature that @elprez is absent.

I said this last Saturday at our AGM, but it is worth repeating here. It was not for the sake of raw ambition for the role of president that I have taken it on, but I most definitely believe in SPR and what it represents collectively for us as members. Cycling has been a significant part of my life since I seriously took it up as a sport around 2008 – I can’t tell you the precise date as I did not have a Garmin at that time (my earliest ride on Strava is 2010). What I can tell you is that my first SPR ride was a Thursday morning fast ride from which I was dropped in Dalkeith – and for which Peter had the group wait for me to get back on as he knew it was my first ride. I’ve done a few rides since then, and Peter and I have become good friends since that time.

But more that physical health and fitness, SPR has been an essential part of my mental health. There is something about the single-minded focus of holding a wheel that, even in the most stressful of times, allows me to take some space from all of the other things that at times crowd my life. And those that pay attention will have noticed, I rarely ride solo as I enjoy too much the company of friends. It will be different things for many of you, but I know that SPR has been successful for the fact that many others appreciate what we do as a club.

Thank you Peter. I would also add my thanks to Rob, Nancy and Teneal who have also stepped off the committee at the AGM last week. Your contributions are appreciated.

One of the things that we have discussed at committee is how we go forward with the weekly blog.

Clearly, we will continue to publish the blog each Thursday 🙂

Equally, for those of you that know the ebb and flow of my life, it would be inviting disappointment for me personally to attempt to emulate the discipline and reliability of Peter’s consistent production of weekly blog posts. I’m not completely inexperienced – having written several ride reports (as they used to be called – for proof, see here and here) among other things – but Peter is completely out of my league. More on that later.

Enjoy the long weekend, and see you on the bike.

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

As we progress through WA’s phased approach to reopening, how the club interacts within itself and the wider community will also change.
Rightly or wrongly, the lack of community transmission in the state has meant that a lot of the social distancing rules have disappeared. As such we want to streamline what the requirements are from a club perspective. Basically there are 3 main things we want people to keep in mind.

  • The virus can spread via human contact, so minimise the amount of touching between people and each others bikes/helmets etc.
  • 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.
  • 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.

SafeWA registration – As the state opens up to more interstate travelers, the risk of community spread could possibly increase. Contact tracing is an important way to contain the virus in case it finds it’s way into the community. If you want to sit down for a coffee you must register your details at that premises. There are 2 ways to do this, register on a paper form, or scan a QR code on an app.
So, how do i get the app? Download the WA Government free app – SafeWA and sign up as an individual.
– Android users click here
– Apple phone users click here
We have had it pretty good in WA so far. Lets make sure that we can open up safely.

AusCycling Memberships – As of November last year, Cycling Australia ceased to exist and AusCycling was formed to combine multiple disciplines of cycling together. To be part of the national organisation, our club has joined Auscycling and memberships and renewals are now available though it. As such we have updated the memberships page to reflect the membership types and approximate costs. There are now 4 types of licence – Lifestyle, Race off-road, Race all discipline & Non riding. On top of this there is also a Club Add-On where you can join SPR if you are a member of another club, like Peel or RCCC. This is similar to our Extraordinary membership (which still exists for other orgs) but has been formalised a bit.

EDIT: There has been a bit of confusion around the clubs relationship with Westcycle as some people have opted for a Westcycle licence and have linked to SPR as their club. Our club is affiliated with the national body which is AusCycling, but we do have a tenuous link back to the state body which is Westcycle. We are currently working out what that means for members in regards to the rights that they have within the club (voting, committee positions, etc). Until we clarify that, just be assured that your insurance is still valid and you are still free to ride with the club.

Life Members for 2021 – At our AGM last Saturday I announced on behalf of the 2020 Committee the admission of Peter, Julian and Rob as life members of the club. It seems fitting that the very first life member is @elprez. For those who missed this auspicious occasion, have a read of this post.

Thursday Group 3 & 4 – The last few weeks we have been formalising and supporting the group 3 and 4 rides on Thursday. SPR Thursday has a reputation of being a hard and fast ride and the size of the first group today was a good indication of it’s popularity. However, we also want to provide an opportunity for people to develop and progress through the ranks, so to speak. As such the group 3 and 4 rides on Thursday now have ride leaders assigned to them to help guide people. The expected average speeds for the groups are 34k/hr and 30 k/hr or less average, respectively, so you can make a call as to which will suit you best. Organically developing rides to provide for what the needs of the group is what has contributed to the growth of the club. This is just another step along that path.

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 facilitate any expected changes to gathering rules, the Saturday start location were modified when group riding resumed in 2020. We still want to maintain the separation between groups as much as possible and as such will continue to start the fast and main 1 on one side of the carpark with main 2-3, trannies & novice on the other. If you are new to our Saturday group rides, click on the photo to see where each group needs to congregate.

From the Ride Coordinator – It’s a great time of the year for cycling. Mornings are a little cooler and you get some of the best sun rises on the EBR rides, some just take your breath away. With the Easter break giving us a couple of extra cycling days, for those that are not going away, it looks like it’s going to be a great opportunity to get out on your bike with lots of choices. Good Friday we are spoiled with choice with either of the EBR, VP or public holiday ride to choose from and again on Monday with EBR and/or the Public holiday ride. In between we have our normal Saturday and Sunday schedule. Whatever cycling you do over the long weekend, make it a good one and look after tour safety. Happy Easter everyone.

(Please note the Saturday Hills ride option will not be run this month due to the VP ride and the long weekend)

Saturday 3rd April

Sunday 4th April

Monday 5th April – Easter Monday

Tuesday 6th April

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

Wednesday 7th April

Thursday 8th April

Friday 9th April