Ride Routes 15th – 21st May

If you only do one road race this year, the Tour of Margaret River should be it.

The event, entering its 13th year, captures everything I love about road riding.

You work in teams of six, so there’s no room for selfish riders or too much ego, among some of WA’s most picturesque roads around Nannup and Balingup. The event changes slightly in format each year, but in 2020 featured three team time trails and two road races over three days.

Before you switch off and think the event is just for elite riders – think again.

TOMR caters for riders at every level, from those dipping their toe into the world of racing to professionals.

And that’s the beauty of it – it’s a chance for Perth’s cycling community to converge, to share a laugh on and off the bike away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Organisers Rebecca Cotton and Brendon Morrison and their army of volunteers do an amazing job of drawing support for the event – in the past it has attracted global cycling superstars Annemiek van Vleuten and Marrianne Vos.

Personally, I have ridden this event three times, and each experience was markedly different. In 2017, I rode it with the club – with Rebecca Kelly, Kate Bonner, Kathryn Dines, Ali Ramm and Leigh Outschoorn. We worked well together to finish second in our division – being pipped by Veris by just seconds in the final team time trial.

For me, the camaraderie of the club was a highlight. Cold cokes under the SPR tent, the volunteers in green and my ever-smiling SPR buddies – it’s a blast!

This year’s tour is from 5-7 November, with provisional stages already released.

The club is seeking expressions from riders at all levels. And don’t worry if you haven’t raced before – it does not matter how fast you go!

Contact admin@southperthrouleurs.com.au to express your interest in the event. We will be posting more, and aiming for an information session soon, but we would love to hear from you.

Last chance to take us up on an invitation to join us for our Giro D’Italia Dinner. Last chance because the dinner is next week, and also because we have sold nearly all of the tickets, so if you’re interested … get in quick!

Saturday Start Locations – As announced last week, we are moving back to the older and more condensed layout in the carpark at Coode Street for the start of the ride.

This makes communication and organisation that little bit easier.

Bike Maintenance Session – Check out this post for an invite to SPR women who want to learn the basics when it comes to fixing and maintaining their road bike.


The Rules – just a reminder that it isn’t quite business as usual – As the past week’s lockdown has shown us, it is definitely not business as usual just yet. Please keep in mind our social distancing and personal hygiene:

  • 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 – Remember that for many locations and venues contact registration is mandatory. 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

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.

From the Ride Coordinator – So many of the regular riders with SPR will be heading down Nannup way this weekend for the epic gravel/off road event SeVen. If ever you wanted to set yourself a challenge, it is this event with the signature event covering 125kms, over 3000 meters of elevation and 10 categorized climbs over the distance. Phew, I’m exhausted just thinking about it as I’m typing. Of course there are options for shorter courses but whatever the choice it’s a real achievement to finish. So to all the SPR members who are attempting it this weekend (& there are quite a few), good luck to you all and we hope to see you riding back in our groups next week 👍🏻

For those wanting a good hit out around Perth this Saturday morning, whilst not quite as epic, we still have a little challenging ride up Hale and Ridgehill Rds for you with a tail wind finish along Guildford Rd. Remember to familiarize yourself with the route. All it takes is a click on the link below and a quick scan of the route to put you in the picture and maximize your own safety by knowing the route. Please don’t put your own safety in other peoples hands by hoping the rider next to you knows where they are going because you don’t. As ride leaders we see near misses happening all the time and all we are trying to do is make sure you have an enjoyable and safe ride. Something that’s a bit difficult if you’re skidding along the road surface because you’ve clipped a wheel or someone has cut you off. So familiarize yourself with the route and we can enjoy a coffee together at Dome afterwards.

Saturday 15th May

Sunday 16th May

Monday 17th May

Tuesday 18th May

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

Wednesday 19th May

Thursday 20th May

Friday 21th May