Any cycling group usually has one goal in common, no matter where in the world they ride. Establishing an identity usually via the kit they wear. Cycling has always been a little different to other sports in the sense that there is more of an individualistic aspect to it compared to the mainstream Aussie sports that most of us grew up with. However, most people still have that desire to feel like they belong to something and that is why the Act, Belong, Commit campaign has been running for so long.
Act Belong Commit is an evidence-based health promotion campaign designed to encourage people to take action to improve and protect their mental health and wellbeing. We know that staying active, connecting with others and doing something meaningful are powerfully protective and provide the foundations for mental health and wellbeing.
Jumping on the bike is the first step as it gets you out and about and any experienced cyclist know how refreshing it is to get out and clear our mind. Engaging with other riders through training rides and social coffees helps with the feeling of belonging. And joining the club and being an active member shows that you are committed to it.
Early on in the clubs life we quickly established an identity with the regular club training rides. A name and corresponding kit were the natural next progression as it helped people (and us) identify who we were. Green became our thing. Not because we identified with any of the social justice aspects of it, but rather at the time, very few other groups used green in their kit. It seemed to stick and we ran with it.
You can see from the attached picture that the kit has certainly developed over the years. In the clubs infancy we were just trying to scrape together what we could and asked any members if they could help subsidise the kit by sponsoring different panels. If you were around in those days, you will certainly remember the tape measure down the inside of the leg as we received some “tongue in cheek” support from a couple of urologists. The tag line was “no problem too small”
A change came in 2013 when we moved from Cannibal to Champion Systems as a supplier. Bigger company, more choices, different system for ordering. This was when the kit world started to change how they operated. Jumping back to Cannibal in 2015 we also made a major change to the look of the kit. The club had grown to the point that it was self-sustaining from a financial sense and therefore we didn’t require kit sponsorship as an income stream. It simplified things and allowed us to design a kit that could stay the same for a number of years. This meant no logo changes from our side and not forcing people to buy new kit every year just to get the new design.
A move to Mayeur in 2020 allowed us a more direct line to a supplier as they were already within the club and that is who we have been with since, through two iterations of jersey designs.
As I mentioned last week, we are in the process of updating the club logo and font as we were looking at a refresh as part of the rebuild this year. We thought that it was also a good time to go back out to market to see what other kit suppliers were now established. So if you are involved with any kit supplier or know any personally, feel free to forward this to them. Details below –
SPR is seeking a kit supply partner for our club apparel. We’re inviting experienced cycling clothing suppliers to submit an Expression of Interest outlining their capability, pricing, and service offering.
If your company can deliver high-quality kit, reliable production cycles, and a great member experience, we’d love to hear from you. Once an EOI is received, suppliers will be sent a detailed outline of what we are looking for.
EOIs close: 31 August 2026
For full details and requirements, contact: kit@southperthrouleurs.com.au
Event Information
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
- Backroads Gravel Multiple Distances (8 Aug)
- WCMCC Chidlow B Road Race (16 Aug)
- X-Speed Round 3 Road Race (22 Aug)
- WCMCC Herne Hill Road Race (23 Aug)
- ATTA The Panther (30 Aug)
- WCMCC Rockingham Crit (13 Sep)
Juniors
Unfortunately the weather forecast looks pretty wet and it will not be possible to run an enjoyable and safe session with our juniors this coming Saturday. We will meet again next week hoping for a better weather.
Events coming up:
Bike It To Ballidu on 27/9: if you will be going to the gravel event in September, please sign up choosing “SPR team” as your team. The event has several options including short distances for the juniors (11.7km is the shortest ride you can participate in). Check here: https://ballidugravel.com.au/rides/
From the Ride Coordinator
Consistent communication (e.g. highlighting potholes) during the ride helps with group coordination and contributes to the safety of the group. Where two groups get caught together at a junction let the front group pull ahead and resist the temptation to jump across. This preserves the group size that was initiated at the start of the ride and reduces the chance of a larger group forming, which is difficult for other road users to navigate around.
From the President
If you remember a few weeks back we talked about trying to re-establish the café culture around our training rides. As such we are now listing the cafés that we intend to use as the social meeting point after each of the rides. These have been selected purely on convenience due to their proximity to the finish of the ride and have no connection to the club. If you have time, feel free to stop for a coffee and chat as it is a good way to build those social connections.
Saturday 8th August
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 Reverse River 40.58km SPR Saturday
Fast & Main: Alexander Drive 50.47km SPR Saturday
Coffee – Dome Westralia Plaza, Perth City
(*) 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 9th August
Rides start at Coode St carpark at 7:00am
Social River Loop – approx. 50km
Short Hills (Social): Les Obs 67.37km SPR Sunday
Short Hills: Les Obs 67.37km SPR Sunday
Long Hills: Welsh Obs Zig Zag 87.92km SPR Sunday
Coffee – SnL,Victoria Park
Monday 10th August
Ride starts under the Narrows (South Perth side) at 5:30am
Currently no ride scheduled – stay tuned for a new Monday ride
Tuesday 11th August
Ride starts under the Narrows (City side) at 5:30am
Two groups – solid roll through vs relaxed pace
SPR Tuesday 36.37km (river ride)
Coffee – Steamlab, Applecross
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
Coffee – Koorak, Kings Park
Wednesday 12th August
Ride starts under the Narrows (South Perth side) at 5:30am
No drop recovery ride
SPR Wednesday 35.3km (2023 Edition)
Coffee – Little Horn, Applecross
Thursday 13th August
Ride starts under the Narrows (City side) at 5:30am
Three groups fast paced roll-throughs
SPR Thursday 37.26km (cott & freo)
Coffee – Atomic Espresso, South Perth
Friday 14th August
Ride starts under the Narrows (South Perth side) at 5:30am
SPR Friday Alternate 38.43km (Shelley)
Coffee – Hoopla, Kensington