Ride Routes 24 – 30th December

Thank you to everyone who made it out last Saturday for our Christmas Ride. It was a most excellent morning, and very to good to recognise some amazing club members. I will write up the awards next week.

This week we have another guest post for our very own Claire Tyrrell. Most of you will recall SPR’s Adam Ralph’s Everesting efforts back in 2020… well, Jack Thompson takes this to another level. Seriously.

Reminder to all SPR club members, don’t forget to sign up for the SPR Xmas 500 – there are prizes to be had just for doing what you would be doing anyway right… festive kms. If you’ve missed the details, get in touch on xmas500@southperthrouleurs.com.au.

Daniel

Jack cycles far, and high

Ultra-cyclist Jack Thompson is calling on Perth cyclists to join him as he completes his toughest cycling achievement yet.  

Claire Tyrrell

It is a generally accepted truth that no matter how good you are, there is always someone better. In cycling this would roughly translate to the idea that despite your mammoth efforts on the bike, there is always someone out there riding further and harder than you. 

However, this may not ring true for Jack Thompson. 

The Perth ultra-cyclist has clocked up an incredible 29,078 kilometres this year alone, over 1,425 hours. 

But the most impressive thing about Jack’s pedal strokes in 2022 is the sheer volume of elevation he has accumulated – 982,746 metres as of December 20. 

And of course, he won’t stop there. 

Jack set himself the task of completing one million metres of elevation, as well as 52 Everesting efforts over the course of the year. Most of us have heard of Everesting, but to break it down, Jack has climbed 8,848 metres or more in one ride on one hill at least once each week during the past 12 months. He’s carried out the task mostly on local roads in Spain, as well as France, the United Kingdom and America. 

But that wasn’t enough for the keen cyclist, as he explained to me from his new home of Girona. 

“[At the start of the year] I thought, ‘maybe I’ll Everest once a week for a year’ and then I thought ‘that would still leave me with six days doing nothing’ each week, so I thought ‘why don’t I target one million metres, which is 20,000 metres a week’,” he said. 

Achieving this lofty goal would give Jack two Guinness World Records – his first achieved last year for his fastest ever completion of the Tour de France course (10 days). 

What goes up must come down – Jack on a descent during an Everest

The why

A spiel about Jack’s feats would not be complete without delving into the reasons he chooses to push himself to extremes day-in-day-out. 

In a nutshell, the ultra-cyclist is no stranger to mental anguish. 

Growing up with obsessive compulsive disorder, Jack has experienced bouts of depression and drug addiction, before the call to the bike became too strong. He quit his job as a project manager in 2015 to pursue a full-time career in ultra-endurance cycling, riding tens and thousands of kilometres each year. As he explained in 2019, cycling provides the euphoria he feels everyone is chasing and keeps him on a straight path. 

When asked about his million metre goal, he said it aligned with his penchant for routine.  

“I really like routine and structure, and every day I know exactly what I have to do,” he said. 

“It was a bit of a test for me, because I have done nothing that lasts a year before – so much can happen in a year, and I like the idea of setting myself a challenge that’s really difficult.” 

Jack also raises money for charities close to his heart through his bike riding, including Kids Helpline, StrongMinds, Outride and Youth Focus. 

The event

Jack has flown to his hometown of Perth on the cusp of 2023 to complete his challenge at Reabold Hill in City Beach. He is calling on Perth cyclists to join him as he conquers the millionth metre. 

Join Jack at Wembley Cycles at 8.30am on Thursday December 29, for a coffee and a leisurely ride out to Reabold Hill – just five repeats of the climb will get him to the million mark.

Youth Focus will receive a $5,000 donation from Jack, plus any other funds raised on the day will go toward the charity’s Hawaiian Ride for Youth. 

Register for the event via the Facebook event or by emailing john@wembleycycles.com. 

Donations are welcome but not mandatory. 

Not all of Jack’s Everests were completed on Tarmac
Tour Madeloc in France – where Jack completed his final Everest of 2022

 

  

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

Sorry, no can do this week. It’s Christmas, Festive kms will have to do – and there are plenty of options… 😎💚

 

From the Ride Coordinator — Well this weekend is significant for two reasons. 1. It’s Christmas on Sunday, and 2. The Festive 500 starts on Friday. Some added spice this year with the SPR Xmas 500 Challenge – with prizes up for grabs. Forecast for Saturday is good, a bit cooler, with not much wind. Perfect for those extra k’s. Lots of talk already about people doing the awesome foursome on Saturday; Night Owl, Earlybird, Main Ride, and Bin Chickens extra lap. How badly do you want it???

On Sunday we have Mr Bonners Christmas Cheer very social ride. If you’ve never done it you’re missing out.

There will likely be *lots* of extra rides over the Christmas / New Year period – keep an eye out on the SPR Facebook Group.

Saturday 24th December

Sunday 25th December – Christmas Day

  • Rides start at Coode St carpark at 6:00am (‼️SUMMER TIME‼️)
    • Short – <not Christmas Day>
    • Long – <not Christmas Day>
  • Rides start at Coode st carpark at 6:00am (‼️SUMMER TIME‼️)
    • Development group – <not Christmas Day>
    • Short Hills (Social) – <not Christmas Day>
  • All rides start at Coode st carpark at 7:00am

Monday 26th December – Boxing Day (Christmas Day Public Holiday)

Tuesday 27th December – Boxing Day Public Holiday

Wednesday 28th December

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

Thursday 29th December

Friday 30th December