i was reflecting the other day that it wasn’t even 3  months ago there was a massive debate and media focus on bikes riding single file.  there were groups trying to get signatures to petition the government to force people to ride single file on the roads.  mainstream media had hold of it and were interviewing people on both sides to throw more fuel on the debate as nothing creates a buzz like two sides fighting.  now, it is almost gone.  we hardly see anything on social media and mainstream dropped bikes for plastic bags in their fight for ratings.  i am sure that it will come up again as we rotate through the 6 month cycle of someone with a loud enough voice getting upset about something. however, as i have said a number of times, it is not worth getting involved or worse, dragged into a debate on socials.  why??? because it a stupid debate.  why is it stupid???  because laws are changed to protect a vulnerable party from being hurt not because one party feels like they are being inconvenienced.  the law has already been changed when they brought in the 1m rule.  and the reason is that it is not the actions of the cyclists that are getting them killed, it is the actions of the motorists.  yes, it may be frustrating to try to get around a group of riders, but the laws have been made to stop drivers hitting and potentially killing a rider, not to save a driver 30 sec as they wait for a safe place to overtake.  the reason i was reflecting on this was during the thursday ride as we were passing though east freo there was a car caught behind the group on preston point road.  a few years ago, when they resurfaced the road, they made it narrower, removed the shoulder and put in lots of traffic islands and traffic calming devices.  now there is a 2.5km stretch where cars cannot overtake a group at all.  even if we rode single file, there is not enough room for a car to negotiate between the riders and traffic islands without either breaking the law or potentially connecting with a rider.  at the time, we petitioned the local council, but were told that it was not a designated bike route so our concerns essentially didn’t matter.  even though that stretch of road is where the majority of cycling groups ride.  luckily for us on the group ride, we were close to the petra st roundabout, where that stretch of road falls under the control of a different council.  the roads are wider, with a shoulder and less traffic islands.  the car was easily able to overtake while the group continued riding 2 abreast.

ride leader sponsor – The ride leader sponsor for October is Free Energy HR, owned by SPR founding member and ride leader Rob Ramsden. Free Energy HR delivers transformational executive & organisational coaching, team & leadership development as well as organisational culture and engagement programs.

ToMR 2018 – The final payment for ToMR is done! Check your emails for the latest details on TTT sessions.

The Beverley 2018 –After what has been a slow grind for entries, registration has been extended and now CLOSE TUESDAY 9TH OCTOBER. Get in now right HERE.
Also, a mandatory Volunteer meeting for those on duty for Race Day. It’s on this Saturday at Dome, post Main rides – check your emails. Thanks to those of you that have offered up time to assist.

Beverley Heroic – Over 13-14th October, The Heroic rides are where this wonderful Beverley weekend started. The rides roll over a choice of 50 or 100 mile courses through the backroads of the beautiful Wheatbelt in spring time. The weekend also hosts WA CX, racing Saturday afternoon post “The Beverley”, and a Family Town Ride later in the evening under lights. There are accommodation and camping options in town – make a weekend of it. More details HERE.

ride leader training –the ride leader program that we have developed has given our club an extra dimension of organisation and stability.  it has been recognised by other clubs for the positive impact that it brings to club training rides and as such has been adopted outside of spr.  if you want to be involved and give something back to the club, then check the previous post about the current expression of interest in the next training block. the more leaders we have, the less frequently those leaders will be rostered on.  you also get a cool jersey.

entertainment books – we will again be selling entertainment books this year through the club.  the digital version means you don’t have to carry around a bulky book anymore. check out the links on the previous post to find out more.

saturday start locations – we have revamped the group start locations on saturday morning.  please have a look at the map so you know where your group will congregate.  this makes it easier for ride leaders to give you a briefing before the ride starts.  see the previous post for more details.

spr juniors – school holidays are on, so that means a lot of junior sport is on break.  take this opportunity to get the kids out on the bike and join our juniors ride.  this is for kids 10-15 yrs old and must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.  the route is listed below and involves laps in kings park.  it is usually between 25-30kms by the time you get back to the carpark but we will do as many loops as the kids can.

from the ride coordinator –The days are getting longer and hotter, don’t forget your sunscreen. (ed. both clear and dark glasses are needed on the earlybird now)

saturday 6th october

ride starts under the narrows (cityside) at 5:30am

early lap – earlybird 40.93km spr special

all rides start at coode st carpark at 7:00am

juniors (10 – 15 yrs with parent) – kings park juniors 23.72km spr saturday

development group –  novice shelley 36.06km spr saturday

transitional 1/2 – trans shelley 40.59km spr saturday

fast/main – south lake 51.99km spr saturday

sunday 7th october

ride starts under the narrows (cityside) at 5:30am

early lap – earlybird 40.93km spr special

all rides start at coode st carpark at 7:00am

development group – coffee ride

short – wlsh weir 62.23km spr sunday

long – wlsh weir kal 101.71km spr sunday

monday 8th october

ride starts under the narrows (sth perth side) at 5:30am

south stock 33.76km spr monday

tuesday 9th october

ride starts under the narrows (cityside) at 5:30am

spr tuesday 36.37km (river ride)

ride starts frasers ave at 5:45am

development group – interval training kings park

wednesday 10th october

ride starts raffles bike path at 5:30am

interval training – stock road repeats

thursday 11th october

ride starts under the narrows (cityside) at 5:30am

see previous post for ride groups

spr thursday 37.26km (cott & freo)

ride starts frasers ave at 5:45am

development group – interval training kings park

friday 12th october

ride starts under the narrows (sth perth side) at 5:30am

spr friday 42.01km (shelley)

friday training/recovery ride

sorry, not much time to write anything today.  in between meetings in brisbane and flying out this afternoon.  this blog may not even get to facebook till late this evening as by the time i get home etc, it is likely to be around 9pm.  but when you do get it,  read below and find out what is going on in the club.

ride leader sponsor – The ride leader sponsor for October is Free Energy HR, owned by SPR founding member and ride leader Rob Ramsden. Free Energy HR delivers transformational executive & organisational coaching, team & leadership development as well as organisational culture and engagement programs.

ToMR 2018 – The SPR ToMR squad returns to TTT sessions this Saturday. The final payment for ToMR is due this weekend and the item active in the SPR Shop soon! Check your emails for the latest details.

The Beverley 2018 –Volunteer positions are now covered. Thanks to those of you that stepped up to assist after el Prez’s blog post last week. Despite being largely a two man show (kudos Mr Vesparazzi!), volunteers is what makes this beast logistically possible.
Also, registration is open and CLOSE THURSDAY 4TH OCTOBER. Get in now right HERE.

Beverley Heroic – Over 13-14th October, The Heroic rides are where this wonderful Beverley weekend started. The rides roll over a choice of 50 or 100 mile courses through the backroads of the beautiful Wheatbelt in spring time. The weekend also hosts WA CX, racing Saturday afternoon post “The Beverley”, and a Family Town Ride later in the evening under lights. There are accommodation and camping options in town – make a weekend of it. More details HERE.

ride leader training –the ride leader program that we have developed has given our club an extra dimension of organisation and stability.  it has been recognised by other clubs for the positive impact that it brings to club training rides and as such has been adopted outside of spr.  if you want to be involved and give something back to the club, then check the previous post about the current expression of interest in the next training block. the more leaders we have, the less frequently those leaders will be rostered on.  you also get a cool jersey.

entertainment books – we will again be selling entertainment books this year through the club.  the digital version means you don’t have to carry around a bulky book anymore. check out the links on the previous post to find out more.

saturday start locations – we have revamped the group start locations on saturday morning.  please have a look at the map so you know where your group will congregate.  this makes it easier for ride leaders to give you a briefing before the ride starts.  see the previous post for more details.

spr juniors – school holidays are on, so that means a lot of junior sport is on break.  take this opportunity to get the kids out on the bike and join our juniors ride.  this is for kids 10-15 yrs old and must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.  the route is listed below and involves laps in kings park.  it is usually between 25-30kms by the time you get back to the carpark but we will do as many loops as the kids can.

from the ride coordinator –Rohan Dennis, World Champion, that was worth staying up late for.

saturday 29th september

ride starts under the narrows (cityside) at 5:30am

early lap – earlybird 40.93km spr special

all rides start at coode st carpark at 7:00am

juniors (10 – 15 yrs with parent) – kings park juniors 23.72km spr saturday

development group –  novice shelley 36.06km spr saturday

transitional 1/2 – spr retro roll 41.60km

fast/main – morley drive 50.77km spr saturday

tomr ttt teams – see email

sunday 30th september

ride starts under the narrows (cityside) at 5:30am

early lap – earlybird 40.93km spr special

all rides start at coode st carpark at 7:00am

development group – coffee ride

short – khna weir 72.23km spr sunday

long – khna trnr obs 101.76km spr sunday

monday 1st october

ride starts under the narrows (sth perth side) at 5:30am

south stock 33.76km spr monday

tuesday 2nd october

ride starts under the narrows (cityside) at 5:30am

spr tuesday 36.37km (river ride)

ride starts frasers ave at 5:45am

development group – interval training kings park

wednesday 3rd october

ride starts raffles bike path at 5:30am

interval training – stock road repeats

thursday 4th october

ride starts under the narrows (cityside) at 5:30am

see previous post for ride groups

spr thursday 37.26km (cott & freo)

ride starts frasers ave at 5:45am

development group – interval training kings park

friday 5th october

ride starts under the narrows (sth perth side) at 5:30am

spr friday 42.01km (shelley)

friday training/recovery ride

practical goal setting.  it is good to have goals and it is good to have ambition, but sometimes life gets in the way and those goals need to be reassessed.  my prep for the worlds was not ideal as motivation over the winter months was hard to come by, but i knew that i could easily survive the course.  flights, accommodation, and race entry all paid for meant that i had pretty much committed no matter what.  two weeks out from departure and i get sick.  a week off work and two rounds of antibiotics certainly put a dampener on what was meant to be an awesome trip.  but i arrived, and thanks to the organisation of people like ballam and vanessa, made it to the unofficial spr club house.  the first ride was not what you could call a good omen.  felt bad the whole time, got dropped on the hills by everyone and it took me about 2 hours to recover afterwards to the point of semi-normality.  i started to make plans for race day, and unlike others that were looking at attack points and feedzones, i was looking at shortcuts so i could bail if i needed.  a bit of sideline support during the week for those spr riders doing the time trial certainly showcased some inspiration efforts with nabi taking the silver medal in her age group and deb doing likewise.  a couple of days of weather delay and suddenly we were at race day.  i planned for the entire 127kms and took food and drink to suit.  the feedzones were substandard for a world championship event as they were only handing out cups of water unless you provided your own support person.  for me it didn’t matter as i knew i would have time to stop and refuel.  i felt okay on the startline, but that was because my heartrate was low.  once the gun went, the pace kicked in and i was very quickly out the back.  anything that involved an effort wasn’t going to be sustainable, and on a course with 2000m of climbing, this could be a problem.  i watched my age group head up the road, and did a bit of solo riding to the base of the first climb.  by the time i got there, the next group had caught me and suddenly i was climbing with a different coloured race number.  there was lots of support from within that group as a number of spr riders had qualified, but even other aussies offered words of encouragement.  as long as i kept a steady pace, i could continue to ride.  i set my tempo and followed the course, other groups passed me but i felt that at this pace i would be okay.  as soon as the road went up, i would fall off the back of the group, but there was usually someone else to drag me along the flats.  at about the 80km mark i saw a canadian dome kit struggling with a tyre change on the side of the road.  corrie had hit a pothole and was in the process of getting the tyre back on the rim.  it took a bit of coaxing, but we got it all pumped up and ready to go.  when making sure the chain was back on we saw that the rear was also flat.  the tube i had as spare didn’t have a long enough valve so we were kind of stuck.  a couple of old italian guys offered support but as neither of us spoke italian, it was a bit obscure.  we flagged down a number of vehicles, including some official cars, but no-one had a spare tube.  during this time more and more riders came past and it was clear that the corrie’s race was over.  her bike was put in the back of a support van while she got a ride in a police car.  i soldiered on and past the final feed station where toby and a few others were.  i restocked and grabbed a coke and headed off for the final 35kms.  i formed a little trio with sam bolton from perth and jill from the uk and we made our way back to varese.  the final few k’s were all uphill just to stick the knife in, but we got there eventually.  officially i came in 330th out of 330 in my age group, and 7th last male.  not the best result, but considering i was planning an early exit, my goal of just finishing was achieved.

ride leader sponsor – there is no ride leader sponsor for september.  if you would like to promote your business through our website, please contact the club via email and we can send you details about what is involved.  thank-you to all the business’ that have supported the club over the past few years.

ToMR 2018 – The SPR ToMR squad has been announced and planning well underway. The ToMR Squad will have a Saturday TTT session at the same time and meeting place as Main rides, as per the email sent earlier in the week. Make sure you advise Race@SPR if you are unable to attend.

The Beverley 2018 – The annual call out for volunteers has been announced for The Beverley. SPR runs the Saturday Handicap race, and then assist with volunteer manning for the Sunday Heroic Rides.
The running of this event is dependant on the SPR Community contributing and putting back into the Club. Getting involved is a blast – ask the volunteers from previous years.
We require around 24 people to make this event run. ToMR Squad members – you are expected to volunteer for one of the two days!
Refer to the PREVIOUS POST  and get your email responses to register your interest

entertainment books – we will again be selling entertainment books this year through the club.  the digital version means you don’t have to carry around a bulky book anymore. check out the links on the previous post to find out more.

saturday start locations – we have revamped the group start locations on saturday morning.  please have a look at the map so you know where your group will congregate.  this makes it easier for ride leaders to give you a briefing before the ride starts.  see the previous post for more details.

spr juniors – we have started our saturday juniors rides and we will be ridng again this week as long as the weather holds out.  this is for kids 10-15 yrs old and must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.  the route is listed below and involves laps in kings park.  it will be between 25-30kms by the time you get back to the carpark, so ensure your kids can cope with that.

from the ride coordinator – We are light on for ride leaders at the moment, the next ride leader course will be coming up soon, would you be a good ride leader? Give it some thought.

saturday 8th september

ride starts under the narrows (cityside) at 5:30am

early lap – earlybird 40.93km spr special

all rides start at coode st carpark at 7:00am

juniors (10 – 15 yrs with parent) – kings park juniors 23.72km spr saturday

development group –  novice shelley 36.06km spr saturday

transitional 1/2 – trans reabold 38.69km spr saturday

fast/main – ewen st 50.26km spr saturday

tomr ttt training – shelley

sunday 9th september

ride starts under the narrows (cityside) at 5:30am

early lap – earlybird 40.93km spr special

all rides start at coode st carpark at 7:00am

development group – coffee ride

short – khna weir 72.23km spr sunday

long – can mills peet obs 90.30km spr sunday

monday 10th september

ride starts under the narrows (sth perth side) at 5:30am

south stock 33.76km spr monday

tuesday 11th september

ride starts under the narrows (cityside) at 5:30am

spr tuesday 36.37km (river ride)

ride starts frasers ave at 5:45am

development group – interval training kings park

wednesday 12th september

ride starts raffles bike path at 5:30am

interval training – stock road repeats

thursday 13th september

ride starts under the narrows (cityside) at 5:30am

see previous post for ride groups

spr thursday 37.26km (cott & freo)

ride starts frasers ave at 5:45am

development group – interval training kings park

friday 14th september

ride starts under the narrows (sth perth side) at 5:30am

spr friday 42.01km (shelley)

friday training/recovery ride

so despite the hashtag to make you all feel better in perth, there is a large contingent of spr riders in italy this week for the uwct masters championships.  starting in varese, the main race takes in the lakes district which boasts some of the most magnificent scenery for riding.  not the monster climbs of the alps, but still some nice switchback action. everywhere you go there is spectacular scenery that makes every effort worthwhile.  forested climbs, old buildings, lakeside villages and courteous drivers punctuate the course.  unfortunately i am still suffering from  a cold and not enjoying it as much as i should be.  the time trial is on today so hopefully we will see a few good spr results.

ride leader sponsor – there is no ride leader sponsor for september.  if you would like to promote your business through our website, please contact the club via email and we can send you details about what is involved.  thank-you to all the business’ that have supported the club over the past few years.

bike parking on saturday – My dear club mates and customers….
When you come for coffee on Saturday morning can you please please please not put your bikes on the Basilica cafe across the plaza. They (and their security company) complain constantly about bikes resting on their building.
I do my best to shield you from their antagonism, but, I need your help. Please feel free to rest your bikes on my cafe wall wherever they fit. Dome loves bikes – and we will do our best to accommodate you – even when you’re sweaty and gross and pay with money covered in gel goo and perspiration! Ive heard recently that some of our custom bike racks are dying, and Im investigating replacements as we speak. Thanks everyone – please keep coming – but please help me keep the peace with the neighbours. – Love Toby (Dome)

ToMR 2018 – We have managed to secure five slots with ToMR organiser in the racing program – 2 Women’s and 3 Men’s teams. And from those nominees we will be selecting our final teams.  check out the previous post for the nominees names.

The Beverley 2018 – SPR’s Race event The Beverley, run along with the oddly retro but truly passionate Mr Vesperazzi over The Beverley Heroic weekend, is returning! Race day is slated for Saturday 13th October again as a 114km out-and-back handicap race. Starting and finishing in the beautiful Wheatbelt town of Beverley, this one is special.
Originally known as The Rover Road Race from Beverley to Perth, it started life back in October 1897. The event returns for a 3rd year under the custodianship of SPR – a stunning legacy to have the chance to honour. Check out these treasures here, here and here.  Registrations will be open soon. There is a call out for volunteers about to be made for both the Saturday Handicap Race and the Sunday Beverley Heroic events. Email race@southperthrouleurs.com.au if you’d like to be involved. If you are in the ToMR squad, you are expected to be there for one of them. More detailed Volunteer duties to come next week!

entertainment books – we will again be selling entertainment books this year through the club.  the digital versions actually come online now and last years don’t finish till the end of june allowing you twice as many offers for 3 months.  check out the links on the previous post to find out more.

saturday start locations – we have revamped the group start locations on saturday morning.  please have a look at the map so you know where your group will congregate.  this makes it easier for ride leaders to give you a briefing before the ride starts.  see the previous post for more details.

spr juniors – no juniors this satuday as i am away in italy. we have started our saturday juniors rides and we will be ridng again this week as long as the weather holds out.  this is for kids 10-15 yrs old and must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.  the route is listed below and involves laps in kings park.  it will be between 25-30kms by the time you get back to the carpark, so ensure your kids can cope with that.

from the ride coordinator – #notitaly, so stay safe in perth.

saturday 1st september

ride starts under the narrows (cityside) 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

transitional 1/2 – trans benara 39.90km spr saturday

fast/main – benara rd 50.76km spr saturday

sunday 2nd september

ride starts under the narrows (cityside) at 5:30am

early lap – earlybird 40.93km spr special

all rides start at coode st carpark at 7:00am

development group – coffee ride

short – goose kal 63.41km spr sunday

long – darl weir 100.09km spr sunday

monday 3rd september

ride starts under the narrows (sth perth side) at 5:30am

south stock 33.76km spr monday

tuesday 4th september

ride starts under the narrows (cityside) at 5:30am

spr tuesday 36.37km (river ride)

ride starts frasers ave at 5:45am

development group – interval training kings park

wednesday 5th september

ride starts raffles bike path at 5:30am

interval training – stock road repeats

thursday 6th september

ride starts under the narrows (cityside) at 5:30am

see previous post for ride groups

spr thursday 37.26km (cott & freo)

ride starts frasers ave at 5:45am

development group – interval training kings park

friday 7th september

ride starts under the narrows (sth perth side) at 5:30am

spr friday 42.01km (shelley)

friday training/recovery ride

as we enter the last week of winter we also seem to hit that second round of the colds and flu that plague us during the season.  i, among many, have had days off work but worse than that has been the days off the bike.  not the best lead up to an international event.  a week of couch time and day-time tv has certainly dulled my senses. hopefully the italian sunshine will burn the rest of the sickness away. i know i said that there will be no more european holiday photos, but they just keep coming through on facebook.

ride leader sponsor – the ride leader sponsor for august is Chaotic Energy. they are an exercise and rehabilitation centre with a difference. the general exercise membership gives you access to state of the art equipment (including a number of wahoo kickr’s for those rainy days) and includes personalised gym programming and ongoing support to achieve your goals. the calm and professional atmosphere has specifically been created to enable you to get the most out of your training.

bike parking on saturday – My dear club mates and customers….
When you come for coffee on Saturday morning can you please please please not put your bikes on the Basilica cafe across the plaza. They (and their security company) complain constantly about bikes resting on their building.
I do my best to shield you from their antagonism, but, I need your help. Please feel free to rest your bikes on my cafe wall wherever they fit. Dome loves bikes – and we will do our best to accommodate you – even when you’re sweaty and gross and pay with money covered in gel goo and perspiration! Ive heard recently that some of our custom bike racks are dying, and Im investigating replacements as we speak. Thanks everyone – please keep coming – but please help me keep the peace with the neighbours. – Love Toby (Dome)

ToMR 2018 – Nominations are well and truly closed, cash has been sought from the pockets atop those hardened legs. Yep – ToMR is coming. The SPRouleur Squad will be announced in tomorrow’s post. Standby!

The Beverley 2018 – SPR’s Race event The Beverley, run along with the oddly retro but truly passionate Mr Vesperazzi over The Beverley Heroic weekend, is returning! Race day is slated for Saturday 13th October again as a 114km out-and-back handicap race. Starting and finishing in the beautiful Wheatbelt town of Beverley, this one is special.
Originally known as The Rover Road Race from Beverley to Perth, it started life back in October 1897. The event returns for a 3rd year under the custodianship of SPR – a stunning legacy to have the chance to honour. Check out these treasures here, here and here.  Registrations will be open soon. There is a call out for volunteers about to be made for both the Saturday Handicap Race and the Sunday Beverley Heroic events. Email race@southperthrouleurs.com.au if you’d like to be involved. If you are in the ToMR squad, you are expected to be there for one of them. More detailed Volunteer duties to come next week!

entertainment books – we will again be selling entertainment books this year through the club.  the digital versions actually come online now and last years don’t finish till the end of june allowing you twice as many offers for 3 months.  check out the links on the previous post to find out more.

saturday start locations – we have revamped the group start locations on saturday morning.  please have a look at the map so you know where your group will congregate.  this makes it easier for ride leaders to give you a briefing before the ride starts.  see the previous post for more details.

spr juniors – we have started our saturday juniors rides and we will be ridng again this week as long as the weather holds out.  this is for kids 10-15 yrs old and must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.  the route is listed below and involves laps in kings park.  it will be between 25-30kms by the time you get back to the carpark, so ensure your kids can cope with that.

from the ride coordinator –The City to Surf is on this Sunday, be aware of the road closures, as this may affect your cycling plans / options.

saturday 25th august

ride starts under the narrows (cityside) at 5:30am

early lap – earlybird 40.93km spr special

all rides start at coode st carpark at 7:00am

juniors (10 – 15 yrs with parent) – kings park juniors 23.72km spr saturday

development group –  novice shelley 36.06km spr saturday

transitional 1/2 – trans mosman 40.39km spr saturday

fast/main – karrinyup 52.14km spr saturday

sunday 26th august

ride starts under the narrows (cityside) at 5:30am

early lap – earlybird 40.93km spr special

all rides start at coode st carpark at 7:00am

development group – coffee ride

short – wlsh weir 62.23km spr sunday

long – wlsh obs kal 90.32km spr sunday

monday 27th august

ride starts under the narrows (sth perth side) at 5:30am

south stock 33.76km spr monday

tuesday 28th august

ride starts under the narrows (cityside) at 5:30am

spr tuesday 36.37km (river ride)

ride starts frasers ave at 5:45am

development group – interval training kings park

wednesday 29th august

ride starts raffles bike path at 5:30am

interval training – stock road repeats

thursday 30th august

ride starts under the narrows (cityside) at 5:30am

see previous post for ride groups

spr thursday 37.26km (cott & freo)

ride starts frasers ave at 5:45am

development group – interval training kings park

friday 31st august

ride starts under the narrows (sth perth side) at 5:30am

spr friday 42.01km (shelley)

friday training/recovery ride

so there was a discussion i was involved in the other day around what would make cycling more popular.  people often bring up the netherlands example and how they converted a car-centric city into one with a bike focus.  these are all wonderful things that happened back in the 70’s before politicians were afraid of “popular” opinion via social media.  for perth, however, i think that there is a pathway in which people become cyclists.  now, i am not just talking about people that ride bikes, but rather those that believe that their lifestyle revolves around bike riding.  it doesn’t have to be racing, but those that do what we as a club do on the weekend.  anecdotally, people usually make a decision to ride a bike for some reason (weight loss, fitness, knee problems).  from there they start to think about maybe doing an event (the old great perth or freeway ride).  to achieve that they start to consider commuting a few days a week, or join a club or group.  after a while they are hooked and start spending most of their paypacket on bike gear.  so how do we encourage any of these parts to increase popularity.  the previous state government put out a long term bike plan a year or so ago.  it that was the plan for a bridge linking mosman with pt walter with dalkeith.  as this would be a bike and pedestrian only bridge, it would effectively cut the travel time from any of those suburbs to the city by half.  so really, once the trip on a bike at a leisurely pace becomes faster than a car, people will see it as a viable alternative.  this also applies to the major bike paths along the freeway.  most have not been made as a major bicycle corridor as the public still see riding as a fringe activity.  skinny paths that are poorly maintained and intersected by roads.  all of these things make commuting more difficult.  make it easier and more people on bikes means less cars on the road equals less congestion.

ride leader sponsor – the ride leader sponsor for august is Chaotic Energy. they are an exercise and rehabilitation centre with a difference. the general exercise membership gives you access to state of the art equipment (including a number of wahoo kickr’s for those rainy days) and includes personalised gym programming and ongoing support to achieve your goals. the calm and professional atmosphere has specifically been created to enable you to get the most out of your training.

bike parking on saturday – My dear club mates and customers….
When you come for coffee on Saturday morning can you please please please not put your bikes on the Basilica cafe across the plaza. They (and their security company) complain constantly about bikes resting on their building.
I do my best to shield you from their antagonism, but, I need your help. Please feel free to rest your bikes on my cafe wall wherever they fit. Dome loves bikes – and we will do our best to accommodate you – even when you’re sweaty and gross and pay with money covered in gel goo and perspiration! Ive heard recently that some of our custom bike racks are dying, and Im investigating replacements as we speak. Thanks everyone – please keep coming – but please help me keep the peace with the neighbours. – Love Toby (Dome)

entertainment books – we will again be selling entertainment books this year through the club.  the digital versions actually come online now and last years don’t finish till the end of june allowing you twice as many offers for 3 months.  check out the links on the previous post to find out more.

saturday start locations – we have revamped the group start locations on saturday morning.  please have a look at the map so you know where your group will congregate.  this makes it easier for ride leaders to give you a briefing before the ride starts.  see the previous post for more details.

spr juniors – we have started our saturday juniors rides and we will be ridng again this week as long as the weather holds out.  this is for kids 10-15 yrs old and must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.  the route is listed below and involves laps in kings park.  it will be between 25-30kms by the time you get back to the carpark, so ensure your kids can cope with that.

from the ride coordinator – Good luck to all the SPR crazies racing the Collie – Donnybrook.

saturday 18th august

ride starts under the narrows (cityside) at 5:30am

early lap – earlybird 40.93km spr special

all rides start at coode st carpark at 7:00am

juniors (10 – 15 yrs with parent) – kings park juniors 23.72km spr saturday

development group –  novice shelley 36.06km spr saturday

transitional 1/2 – trans rebold 38.69km spr saturday

fast/main – alexander drive 50.46km spr saturday

sunday 19th august

ride starts under the narrows (cityside) at 5:30am

early lap – earlybird 40.93km spr special

all rides start at coode st carpark at 7:00am

development group – coffee ride

short – brktn weir 82.89km spr sunday

long – cann dam 100.13km spr sunday

monday 20th august

ride starts under the narrows (sth perth side) at 5:30am

south stock 33.76km spr monday

tuesday 21st august

ride starts under the narrows (cityside) at 5:30am

spr tuesday 36.37km (river ride)

ride starts frasers ave at 5:45am

development group – interval training kings park

wednesday 22nd august

ride starts raffles bike path at 5:30am

interval training – stock road repeats

thursday 23rd august

ride starts under the narrows (cityside) at 5:30am

see previous post for ride groups

spr thursday 37.26km (cott & freo)

ride starts frasers ave at 5:45am

development group – interval training kings park

friday 24th august

ride starts under the narrows (sth perth side) at 5:30am

spr friday 42.01km (shelley)

friday training/recovery ride