Ride Routes 26th November – 2nd December

This evenings guest post is a serious highlight for me, quite literally bringing a tear to my eye reading through.

You will all remember the agonising accident which occurred on Short Hills back in April. I visited Jay in hospital at the time, and the club put together a hamper. I commented at the time that my favourite item was the Sick Puppy Beer – turns out it makes a special appearance in Jay’s recovery. Read on 😎

Life sometimes brings us awful events. I would never wish them on anyone. But I do know that how we respond as individuals (Jay’s story for example) and as a community (kudos SPR) demonstrates the strength, beauty and resilience that lies within.

Read Jay’s story below.

Daniel

Accident to Recovery

“You flew so high – did a massive forward flip”, “Don’t look at your bike – you don’t want to”, I heard awakening from my bitumen slumber. “3x Cervical and 4x Thoracic vertebrae with compression fractures, 3 left Vertebrochodral ribs fractured. A hard collar neck and back brace for 3months” said the doctor in a way that could not be argued. Soon came a hospital visit from Daniel Harvey bearing a hamper and best wishes from the club. He gives it to me, and I wonder if he knows I am not a paid-up member of the club. It didn’t seem to matter, but I ought to promise to join the club in case he already knows. Besides, the importance of insurance was never clearer. The hamper included delicacies and edibles, a copy of Bicycling Australia, and a WA brewed Sick Puppy Retriever Golden Ale beer. Reading the magazine from my hospital bed, my priorities became clear: Get a bike, get an indoor trainer and find a race worthy challenge.

A week out of hospital and I had my replacement bike, blind to the reality that it would be months before I could ride it. It was old and had aerodynamics of a brick, but envelope calculations convinced me a componentry swap would make it a lightweight gem. As for the aerodynamics, I’d just have to get better at sucking other people’s wheels. When expressions of interest were called for the Tour of Margaret River I knew the event would be the perfect goal. Far enough away to make a viable recovery, and big enough to be meaningful. I was ready to start training – or so I told myself. Reality kicked in when my Physio dressed me down about how my body was unready, and I had caused tears to the muscles in my knee. I had to wait. When I resumed on the trainer, 70km into my first century I learned my neck was not going to let me at the last 20ml of my drink bottle. I had lost 60W from my FTP and was concerned I wasn’t getting it back. Eventually it came though, helped by the ToMR training sessions at Kings Park where I’d give it all to hang on to Mike Harper’s and David Mennary’s wheels. The Maccas, beers and chocolate had to go. I was going to get serious.

November arrived and I made it to the ToMR event with my awesome teammates. At the start of Stage 2 I lined up next to Daniel Harvey and pronounced that Dan Davey and I were going to make a break for it halfway through the stage. Our club president didn’t have the heart to tell me that I had no chance, that people don’t break away on that stage. So entertained by my own naivety I soon discovered the hill we were attacking on only rose by 11m. While it was a buzz to look back and see Dan and I clear of the pack, it was short lived. The ridiculousness of the attempt was highlighted by the fact that far faster riders than ourselves had gone through the course that day, but we had the Strava KOM trophy. Success did come later in the ToMR when on the ‘Queen’ stage I notched up third place. Some tactical riding near the finish involving six riders including Doug Pavlovic and Mark Sinclair from SPR M5 decided the outcome. The podium was a satisfying moment, but to me it was beaten by one other. From receiving the SPR hamper in hospital to where I was now, I had saved up that Sick Puppy Retriever Golden Ale. It was saved for when I completed the ToMR and to me it symbolised that I had recovered successfully and received some great support from the club.

Thank you SPR.

Jay

The Hamper
The Podium
The Sick Puppy Beer

 

Tickets available here!

 

SPR Social & Race Award Nominations 2022 — Each year SPR recognises riders and volunteers for their achievements and contributions to all things cycling.

Please give a few minutes to nominate these individuals in a quick survey via this link. There is a prize of nutritional goodies for cyclists for one lucky responder so don’t delay.

The awards will be presented at our Annual Christmas Ride to be held on Saturday 17 December 2022 at Dome after the ride. Come along for the ride in Christmas dress – there is a prize for the best dressed bike and/or cyclist.

Any queries, get in touch with Carol at comdev@southperthrouleurs.com.

 

Racing this weekend – If you want to race, or get in on the action watching others race, read on.

1. 4Five+ Twilight Series – Round 2

2. PDCC 22-23 Summer Criterium Race 2 (State Round #1) @ HMAS Stirling

Announcement: We’ve needed to delay the Watertower Challenge until next year. Stayed tuned.

 

From the Ride Coordinator — Summer is sort-of, almost, nearly, really here (I think). To kind-of celebrate, we’re heading out to “TV Stations” on Saturday, which we last rode in January. It’s a little bit lumpy – good to stretch the legs, but there should be a tailwind to bring us home.

Sunday’s short hills, Lesmurdine & Observatory, doesn’t have a water refill point in the hills, so remember to carry enough to cover 64km with 700+m of climbing. While on statistics, at 86km, long hills this week is our shortest long course, but with 1219m vertical, it’s the most climbing per km of all our hills courses.

Please note that the 10am Wednesday Transitional rides will resume on 8 March 2023, and the Sunday 7am coffee ride and Social Hills will move to 6am starting from 5 December. Enjoy the rides and stay safe.

Remember the Sunday Long and Short hills rides start at 6am, Social Hills starts at 7am.

Saturday 26th November

Sunday 27th November

Monday 28th November

Tuesday 29th November

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

Wednesday 30th November

  • Ride starts Raffles bike path at 5:30am
  • Rides start at Coode St carpark at 10:00am
    • Midweek Transitional – <returns March 2023>

Thursday 1st December

Friday 2nd December