Café Culture. One of the cornerstones of the club is “social” and for us, this sits neatly in with the other three; “inclusive”, “safe” & “organised”. Being inclusive means that it should be more than just a ride and allowing time to get to know each other properly. Being organised means you know where you are going to be social. And safety come from people being accustomed to how other individuals ride and knowing them well.
SPR has always had a good coffee culture over the weekend with the regular stop at Dome on Saturday and multiple different cafés in Vic Park on Sunday. The weekday rides, in the past, also had a good café culture. Tuesday and Thursday at Atomic and Wednesday at Little Horn. Friday, however, became spark for what I will now refer to as “the troubles” in 2025. Part of that culture was hijacked for purely commercial reasons, but only to a selected group of people. It started with free coffee, moved to free kit and ended with a division in the club.
After that, the weekday post ride coffee seemed to disappear. Some people were uncomfortable socialising with certain others and just kept away. The rides turned into rides only with people dispersing as soon as it was over. Small groups of friends would still meet afterwards, but the sense of community was definitely not what it used to be.
I have said before that this is a rebuild and I am back on deck as President to help SPR build back up to the strength it used to be. Establishing a supporting community is key to the success of the club and looking back at what we used to do in the early years, the social aspect was what helped form good bonds. During the first year or so of the clubs formation we used to have quarterly breakfasts at my house. Everyone would put their bikes in my garage and partake in coffee and food etc. This was fine when there was only about 30 riders and eventually stopped when I had 80 bikes in my garage.
So, how do we kick-start a café culture for our weekday rides? Well, this is where it links back to being organised. As I said before, we know there are smaller groups having their own coffee and we are not trying to stop that happening. But you are welcome to join us at the more “official” café stops to help people form those bonds that make riding together more pleasurable. As such we will list out where the coffee stops will be after the weekly rides and anyone is welcome to join us. These recommendations are also not set in stone, if they don’t work, we can change them.
- Monday – Currently no ride
- Tuesday – Steamlab (Applecross)
- Wednesday – Little Horn (Applecross)
- Thursday – Atomic (South Perth)
- Friday – Mary St Bakery (Perth City)
- Saturday – Dome Westralia (Perth City)
- Sunday – SnL (Vic Park)
We are aware that not everyone is considered a “retired gentleman” and can’t always stop for coffee during the week. But we are hoping that being organised and pre-listing where we will stop means that people will at least know where we will be afterwards. If you come on any of our rides, we hope that you can join us as we want them to be more than just another group ride.
Kit Sale
One of the things I have wanted to do with the rebuild is to give the branding a refresh which includes the font, logo and therefore kit design. As part of this we will also do an EOI to kit manufacturers to see what other brands are out there as there are some new names in the mix. This doesn’t mean that we won’t continue with Mayeur in the future, but just want to take the opportunity to understand the state of play in the kit world.
As part of Mayeur’s support to SPR, they ordered excess stock to be able to cover any unforeseen changes to orders or to assist in the crash replacement service. As we are looking at a refresh, they are currently liquidating their current stock at heavily discounted prices. There are limited numbers of limited sizes, but if there is something in your size, you can pick up a bargain.
- Jerseys from $35
- Bibs from $55
- Speedsuits are $95
- Socks are $2.50.
- Postage $10 flat rate
The EOI process, selection of kit supplier and manufacturer of kit will all take time so we are not expecting the new kit to be out for quite a few months. Take this opportunity to get some good quality kit at a bargain price.
Head to the webshop at this link. All items are postage only.
Event Information
TdF Activities for SPR members
The Tour de France is being celebrated by South Perth Rouleurs through Alliance Française de Perth, inspired by different regions of the cycling calendar. The Grand Départ last Saturday included all things Spanish with cocktails, wine, food and a live cross to Tom McCracken, commentator in Barcelona. It was inspiring and very worthwhile.
The final event is Friday 24th July 2026 6.00-8.30pm Alps Stage 19, Gap → Alpe d’Huez with regional presentation, drinks and tasting. Jethro Gammie‑Nagle, Tour Australian Cycling Commentator & Sports MC leads the discussion of the most memorable and defining moments with a live cross to Tom McCracken. The evening finishes with a live broadcast of the Tour.
Location: 75 Broadway, Nedlands WA
Cost: $63pp with discount code TDF2026; dietary needs recorded at registration.
More details and booking: https://www.afperth.com.au/event-rsvp/tour-de-france-2026-stage-3/
2026 and 2027 international trips –
SPR is again looking to organise trips overseas after the success of ones to the Italian & Swiss Alps 2025 and The Grand Alps France 2024.
Please complete this brief EOI for either or both tours
Note: no SPR member nor the club benefit from the organising of these trips – it is intended to extend the cycling experience with fellow cyclists
Tour de Cowaramup 18th Oct –
The Tour de Cowaramup charity road bike event is on again this year on Sunday 18 th October. Three distances 60km (piccolo), 85km (medio) and 130km (gran) with funds going to assist men suffering from Prostate Cancer.
Start/ finish: Juniper Estate
Register for normal entry $125 until 30th September, then late registration $145-$180. If no SPR team already established when you go to register, please set up a SPR team based on the distance eg SPR-Gran, SPR-Medio or SPR-Piccolo so others can join you.
We have booked accommodation for three nights at the Leeuwin Apartments as per last year; in Friday 16th October out Monday 19th October 2026. This is now currently full with those who have already put in an EOI. However, in case there is a cancellation or enough new interest, we could book another apartment but would need to know soon via this EOI. Note shorter stays cost the same price. Please contact Carol or Danielle via comdev@southperthrouleurs.com.au for more info.
Canola classic 2026
It has been a few years since SPR formally promoted the Canola Classic and with declining mass road cycling events, participation is key to keeping Western Australia’s cycling community vibrant.
Set in the picturesque Shire of York on Sunday 23 August, cycle routes of 93km (1200m climbing) or 52km (600m climbing) take you from the York township through boundless blooming yellow canola fields of the Avon Valley. Registration costs $145 and $130 + booking fee ~$5 respectively; more information on the ride routes.
York is ~1hr drive from Perth so you can drive up in the morning or stay overnight. Contact Carol at mailto:admin@southperthrouleurs.com.au if you want additional information. So why not support this ride with other SPR members – you can ride or just come up for the weekend to enjoy with wonderful scenery.
Upcoming Racing
- X-Speed Junior Road Series 2 (25 July)
- ATTA TTT at Casuarina (25 July)
- WCMCC Road Race at Casuarina (25 July)
- ATTA Champion Lakes (2 Aug)
Juniors
No Juniors this week as Giovanni is sick and the next round of the Junior Road Series is on.
Events coming up:
25/7/2026 – WA Junior Road State Series – Round 2 https://entryboss.cc/races/31183
From the Ride Coordinator
What you can expect from your ride leader and what does your ride leader expect from you!
When you roll up on a Saturday morning, look in your designated marshalling zone, for your ride leaders (RL). They should be wearing their white jerseys. Your RL should introduce themselves, confirm the ride route and give a ride briefing. Please be courteous by giving them your full attention as the briefing can cover regroup points, safety tips, tricky lane changes and occasional route diversions. If you have any feedback you can chat with your RL at post-ride coffee.
If you need to catch up on some missed rides due to the weather, give the Wednesday EBR a go. It’s suitable for riders M1 to M3 level. Save time for coffee too!
Saturday 25th July
Ride starts under the Narrows (City side) at 5:30am
Early lap – earlybird 40.93km spr special
All rides start at Coode St carpark at 7:00am
Development group (*) – novice shelley 36.06km spr saturday
Transition: Trans North Lake & Shelley 40.50km SPR Saturday
Fast & Main: South St 51.23km SPR Saturday
(*) Please note that our Ride Leaders will adjust the composition and route for Development, Transition and Main 4 to suit people and conditions on the day.
Sunday 26th July
Rides start at Coode St carpark at 7:00am
Social River Loop – approx. 50km
Short Hills (Social): Goose Zigzag 65.12km SPR Sunday
Short Hills: Goose Zigzag 65.12km SPR Sunday
Long Hills: zania darl mund dodd obs 111.68km spr sunday
Monday 27th July
Ride starts under the Narrows (South Perth side) at 5:30am
Currently no ride scheduled – stay tuned for a new Monday ride
Tuesday 28th July
Ride starts under the Narrows (City side) at 5:30am
Two groups – solid roll through vs relaxed pace
SPR Tuesday 36.37km (river ride)
Ride starts at 6:30am at Koorak Kings Park Cafe Car Park
Main 4/Transitional/Novice
Kings Park laps at own pace, coffee at 7:30am
Wednesday 29th July
Ride starts under the Narrows (South Perth side) at 5:30am
No drop recovery ride
SPR Wednesday 35.3km (2023 Edition)
Thursday 30th July
Ride starts under the Narrows (City side) at 5:30am
Three groups fast paced roll-throughs
SPR Thursday 37.26km (cott & freo)
Friday 31st July
Ride starts under the Narrows (South Perth side) at 5:30am