Ride Routes 17th – 23rd February

It’s that time of year again.

We will be shortly put out the notice for the club’s annual general meeting. This has always been important in the life of SPR, for a at least two reasons. First, from the very beginning (read “in our constitution“), our club has valued the principle that the Committee serves according to the will of the members. So whilst we have Committee members, myself included, who have served for many years — it is an important part of the life of the club that all positions are vacated and filled based on a annual general meeting at which all members participate.

The second reason in to my mind is that the AGM stands as the opportunity for change and a time for new people to get involved in the formal part of the life of the club. This year we have several Committee members who have put in a number of years and have decided not to stand for Committee again. So if you interested, please reach our to myself, our Vice President, our Secretary or any Committee member to discuss.

The SPR Committee is proud of the club that is the South Perth Rouleurs, and what we collectively contribute to the cycling community. If you would like to be involved, either on the Committee or on any of our Subcommittees, now might be the perfect time.

Keep an eye out for the formal notice of the AGM coming up on 16 March 2024.

Finally, please have a read below regarding the Saturday Fast 1 / Fast 2 groups.

Daniel

Canteen 2024 — Canteen is on again 9-11 March 2024 to raise funds supporting young people impacted by cancer. The 300-400km ride from Bassendean to Busselton over 2.5 days caters to all levels of cyclist with five groups, from slower no hills to faster with hills. The organisation is superb and riders are kept safe with support vehicles front and back of each group. You start and finish in Perth…it does not get easier that that! 

More details here.

 

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

1. W.A. State Criterium Championship

2. RCCC Renae’s Race 2024 (next weekend)

 

Juniors Ride — Looking ahead to the weekend, the weather forecast looks a bit cooler with a predicted max temperature of 35 degrees. The plan is to meet slightly earlier to beat the heat, at 10am, and to engage the kids in some high-tempo cycling sessions, with the aim of sparking their interest in joining the junior race on 25/Feb near the Perth International Airport (Renae’s Race at Driver Risk Management on Gorgan Rd).

The perfect spot for these practice sessions is the Shelley and Rossmoyne area along the Canning River. We’ll convene at the “Shelley Beach Park” at 10am near the public toilets (location: link). Our itinerary includes a warm up ride to Rossmoyne, followed by some focused training:

  1. Interval Training: We’ll alternate between 20 seconds of high-intensity cycling (aiming for speeds of 25/30km/h) and 40 seconds of rest, repeating this cycle five times.
  2. Paceline Practice: Riding single file, we’ll take turns leading the pack, maintaining a speed of over 20km/h.

Afterwards, we’ll cycle back to Rossmoyne for more practice, this time focusing on rolling techniques. Finally, we’ll return to Shelley Beach Park at a relaxed/recovery pace. If necessary, we’ll split the group into two for more personalized attention.

The session will last approximately 1 hour and we will ride around 15km.

For those interested in registering for the race, here are the details: link. I recommend opting for Junior B grade, with a registration fee of only $5 for the juniors. However, please note that your child will need a full racing license, which you can check and obtain here: link. Keep in mind that in any race, junior bikes must adhere to gear limitations. For U13 (your category), the maximum allowed roll-out distance is 5.5m.
we’ve done some calculations based on different wheel sizes and tire widths to determine the optimal gear setup for compliance (see attached pic).

If your child’s bike has gears exceeding these limits, the commissaries will allow the derailleur to be blocked out using the limit screw. If you’re unsure how to do this, we’d be happy to demonstrate.

From the Ride Coordinator — The Fast1 and Fast2 Saturday groups provide the opportunity for a solid training ride, and the chance for continuous improvement. For these groups to be sustainable, we need to regularly have around 15 starters per group. We’ve noticed a drop off in size in F1, and a reluctance to move forward when calling out the first groups. People seem nervous about being in F1 or F2, probably because nobody wants to be dropped in the first 5km. We’ve had a discussion about how to address this, and decided on a six week trial of the “Fast First Fifteen”.

We call the fast/first group, and wait till we have 15-ish riders before sending them off. The group needs to look around and set a pace that works for most. It’s OK if some can only do occasional turns in front – it’s a training ride after all.

As always we welcome feedback, so feel free to speak to your ride leaders or a committee member with observations and suggestions.

Saturday looks like being a bit chilly by recent standards, with a minimum temp in the teens and a max in the 20’s. Sunday on the other hand is, well, less chilly. Take plenty of water, protect yourself from the sun and have fun.

IMPORTANT: We have changed the start time of our Sunday Hills rides back to our summer time of 6am. Take note‼️

Saturday 17th February

Sunday 18th February

Monday 19th February

Tuesday 20th February

Wednesday 21st February

Thursday 22nd February

Friday 23rd February