when we ran our survey last year, there was a section right at the end to allow anyone to give some written feedback.  all the feedback was anonymous, so we couldn’t respond individually.  therefore it has all been aggregated into one document and i have replied to each one.  if you did give any feedback, search below to find the response.

it did take a long time to write all the responses, so there may be a bit of duplication in the answers.  if i have offended anyone with my responses (and i did get the committee to check them all first), then i apologise, but still stand by my response.

there are 51 pieces of feedback and each has a response, so grab a cup of coffee and start reading.  none of the feedback was edited, so spelling mistakes, grammar and crazy stuff was left in (except swear words).  there are a couple of common themes and these will be discussed at the next committee meeting.  any feedback on the responses to the feedback can be added to the comments or emailed to the club.

Is there are any other general comments that you would like to make in regards to the club on what the club can do differently, please feel free to express yourself below!

1. Organise a course for ride leaders.

• we are working on this. it has been on a number of committee member’s work lists for a while.  we recognise that there is a need there and are working towards getting it resolved.

 

2. Have contact pages for members to contact other members for team events, such as the Watertower Challenge

• we do have everyone’s contact details, but due to privacy concerns, we restrict who has access to this. there are a number of other forums that can be utilised to achieve the same result.  the blog forum or the 3 facebook pages that SPR have would be a good start.

 

3. It’s hard to be all things to all riders but I really, really appreciate the diversity of opportunity in the club and the organisation that goes in behind the scenes and in the rides. Excellent job, and made easier if everybody chips in a bit but without the expectation that all members have to be at all things.

• thanks for the feedback.

 

4. I’ve not been riding so much this year but it’s great that the club is there doing its routine rides – so I have no excuse!

• we are there every week, so whenever you are ready to join us, there will be a ride.

 

5. Some talk on a number of Saturday rides about having SPR kit only groups. May seem a little exclusive, but in my experience the riders who frequently cause issues on Main 1 rides (not calling, not holding lines, not checking over shoulder, etc.) are those not in SPR kit. By having invested in membership then another $200+ on the kit, people generally take pride in their conduct on the rides as a representative of the club.

• this matter has been discussed quite a few times within the committee. the end result is that we are an inclusive club and will continue to be so.  instead of excluding people, we should encourage them to adopt the culture that we have established within the club.  if riders continue to be dangerous, or do not accept criticism well, then let a committee member know and we can deal with it.  first stop should be that everyone is responsible for how all riders are acting within the group.  if you see something that makes the group uncomfortable, then speak up then and there rather than waiting for the coffee shop.

 

6. It would be in the clubs best interest to try and distance itself from the minority if wanna be pro riders who are in m1 and above and don’t follow ride leaders direction, respect others, etc. if i wanted that kind of ride I would join ( some other ride) shop ride

• as mentioned in the comment above, if you see behaviours that are considered dangerous to the overall safety of the group, speak up then and there.

 

7. Smaller main one groups please. (20-25 max) even if that means 4 groups in summer. Keep up the great work!!

• we have been working on splitting the main 1 group even more. lately there have been 3 groups on a saturday.  however, people still head off with the first group even if they have been split into the second or third.  often the third group has about 12 riders and the first has 35.  a bit of peer pressure needs to be applied when people go to jump groups in the carpark.  we split it for safety, not because we think that you are a slower/faster rider.

 

8. I think an almost ‘pass grade’ should be offered to those moving up from Development through Trannies to Main 4, then 3 & onto 2, to ensure road rules, group riding skills, close proximity are adhered to for everyone’s safety

• it would be great if we could test people for both skills and fitness so we know just where they will fit into our system. unfortunately, this is a very hard thing to grade and an even harder thing to enforce.  if anything, the club could develop a guide to what skills are seen as required and what level of fitness is needed to ride within each group.

 

9. In awe of the commitment shown by el prez and the committee. Bask in the glory, team spr – you are exceptional people!

• why thank-you. *blushes.

 

10. Please consider an afternoon ride session during the week as all the weekly rides are so early! Other than that, happy to be a member of this club.

• an afternoon ride would be great and I know that there are a number of people that would be interested in this. however, what we have found in the past is that if we try to force anything (time, day, etc) it doesn’t have any longevity.  these types of rides need to grow organically.  the way to do this is find a few people that can agree on a time and day (use the blog forum/facebook) an go for a ride.  do it often enough and other will hear about is and join you.  once it is established, then we can list it as a club ride.  you don’t have to wait for the committee to organise something if you see a need within the club.  we are all volunteers with jobs and families and these often dictate how much time we can commit to other activities.

 

11. Road rule education. Some members lack basic road rules. If we can up skill people’s knowledge it will make them better road users on the bike and in the car.

• the funny thing is, the majority of people that ride with us have licences to drive cars. the same road rules apply to bike riders, so people should actually know the rules.  what I think people often lack, is a spatial awareness when they are riding in a group.  there are other road users out there with us.  please make the effort to be aware what your impact is on their day.  frustrated drivers take risks and it is usually a risk that we bear, not them.

 

12. The club is continuing to grow due to its great ethos, however there seems to now be a lot of ‘ring-ins’ on some training rides that are degrading the group.

• this can be a problem for us, especially as a lot of these riders do not read the blog, but rather hear about the ride from their mates. on a positive note, people are hearing about our rides and wanting to come out on them.  however, the negative is what you have mentioned.  usually after an incident we have addressed the ride prior to starting to reiterate what is expected on a spr training ride.   as mentioned previously, if you see any behaviour that does not align to what our expectations are, then say something then and there.  even if you get a dirty look in return, it may be enough to make them think before they do it again.

 

13. The very old chestnut of guys treating training rides as a race. I’ve had limited opportunity to ride this year. But, I find myself being more vocal about what’s acceptable behaviour on a group ride. The inclusive nature of the club is also a handicap, the mid week rides can get non member parasites that ride like f…wits and make us look bad as a collective.  For our “brand “, which is huge in WA cycling circles we need serious discussion regarding poor group ride etiquette.  As the club has matured, so to must our values and response to poor behaviour.

• much the same as the comments above. be vocal, make people aware of what is expected.  at the end of the day it is for our own safety.

 

14. I think the website is the real portal to sharing the culture and club activity. I’ve looked at a lot club websites and SPR’s is one of the better ones but I think it could be improved. Better and clearer links to routes/maps. Perhaps link the routes to the Strava so we can see the elevation and other info more readily. Many of the events/results and photos etc are also out of date or have taken very long to update. But like I said, it’s one of the better ones – good job Jordan!

• there are a number of things that need to be updated and refreshed on the website. again, it is up to the volunteers to action this, so it becomes a game of priorities amongst family, work, training & club.  we use the garmin website as the map builder as it connects a lot better with the garmin devices when you want to upload.  we originally used mapmyride, but a very bad mapping experience through whiteman park forced the change.

 

15. SPR/Peter Mah, does allot for cycling advocacy. Caters for those of all levels.  Hard to soldier all the groups effectively but the correct message is always getting put out there.

• thank-you. trying to keep everyone happy is never going to happen.  we at least try to keep everyone satisfied.

 

16. I noted Peter Mah’s comments on the blog this week regarding the lack of disciplined riding on an Thurs EBR ride. I believe that as the club has grown to 450 + members the standard of riding has deteriorated. This appears to be because there is no real accreditation system for new members except for the Novice /Development group. Other riders simply bomb into a group of their own choosing and can make it dangerous for other rides. I have witnessed this as a regular ride leader in Transition and M3 group particularly. Hope this helps.

• as mentioned above. if you see any behaviour that does not align to what our expectations are, then say something then and there. even if you get a dirty look in return, it may be enough to make them think before they do it again.

 

17. Distractions of life often get in the way. Am making a concerted effort to rebuild fitness, endurance and motivation this next year.

• it is often a struggle to keep riding all year around. often you need to refocus and maybe take a step back to remember why you enjoy riding in the first place.  a good social bond is often what keeps you going when things get rough.  even if you don’t ride, come down to the coffee shop and catch up with everyone.  that connection maybe all you need to get back on the bike.  regardless, we will still be there when you decide to return.

 

18. Explore opportunity for a clubhouse/donga. maybe where the container coffee shop was, south of narrows bridge, next to where the jet-skiis play. Or closer to current meeting spot, if that can be arranged.

• facilities are something that almost every club in wa is lacking. there are numerous projects going on to try to get better infrastructure for us to race and train on.  this is usually in the form of a crit circuit as it provides a safe non-car environment. from a clubhouse perspective, I suppose the question is really “what would we do with a clubhouse?”  generally we have too many people to fit in a donga, and the Dome currently provides what we need from a catering point of view.  although the idea of a clubhouse is great, to make it work we probably need something the size of Dome on the foreshore in south perth.  any rich benefactors out there???

 

19. We have a fantastic club and Pete you are an absolute legend. I think perhaps we could get more into developing juniors.     It would be good to have an introduction to cycling development course to give kids confidence and raise road awareness etc. Make it fun and let them meet other kids.    Then to build on that with some junior coaching and encouragement to develop.

• juniors is on the plan for this year. we are hoping to have a holiday session running by mid-year to encourage kids to get on the bike.  hopefully this translates into more kids and a separate group on a saturday morning.

 

20. Does the club only sponsor riders who race? I believe there are more riders who don’t race but are wearing a SPR jersey to participate in event like Sportif. It will be good if the club can sponsor/subsidized such event other than only race event.

• spr doesn’t really sponsor any riders. we have offered support to certain riders that have had huge financial commitments to represent spr, but these are usually one off’s and not a regular sponsorship arrangement.  as a club we often organise the logistics for events like the tour of margs or kalgoorlie as these represent a large number of riders that will be racing in spr colours.  it is certainly easier than 30 individuals making their own arrangements.  none of those events offer any form of subsidy for the race entry though.  as for the sportif races, at swan valley in 2015 we had a number of riders in multiple teams.  we provided a bakery breakfast for everyone and paid for a photographer to come and take pictures of the event.  these have been available for you to download from the website since last year.

 

21. Perhaps guide speed for rides and then keep to them. I have tried a couple of group rides and find the speed can vary allot. I don’t ride with the club anymore because of this reason.

• speed within a group can vary dramatically from week to week depending on the course, weather and the riders involved. we publish, on our traning page,  a guide of what we think these groups should average, but it is really a rule of thumb.  for example, main 3 says that you should average 30km/hr for the ride.  we don’t expect that the group will stick strictly to this number, but rather ensure that all riders are taken care of.  if the group as a whole can go faster, then go faster.  if it is starting to break apart, then it needs to back off a bit.  again, it is being spatially aware of what is going on with the people around you.  if you are finding it too easy, then either get on the front to work into the wind, or drop to the back and help struggling riders get back on.  group riding is about riding in a group, so you need to understand the group dynamics, not just the individuals.

 

22. A great club, well run, and one that I am proud to be a member of

• glad that you are part of it.

 

23. You guys are the best:)

• we try our best.

 

24. the m i like it easier to leave a note asking members  , if they are free to going during  week  free to ride in my area stirling as i work at night and are free later in the day

• okay, I guess that we can say that via the blog and facebook pages, you can get in contact with other riders to see if they are available to ride when we don’t have a scheduled ride.  most of our rides cater for those that work during the week but have the weekend off.  we recognise that not everyone fits into that category, but we can’t provide a ride if there is not a recognised need. 

 

25. its just about perfect

• i am sure that it is not, but we do a lot of work to keep it running. I guess that the uwct training ride is a good example of that. we are up to iteration 3 to try to cater for the majority of people that are coming out on this ride.  even then I know (via strava) that we are leaving people behind (something our regular rides don’t do).  trying to be as inclusive as possible makes our job logistically hard, but we try.

 

26. Keep up the good work – the best club in Perth

• i think that we have the benefit of being a fairly young club and have managed to see what has worked at other clubs and what hasn’t. our growth focus has been around providing training rides and having a strong online presence. if anyone is looking for a ride, they generally use the web as a first port of call.  we are often on the first page of the search results.  and re recognise that not everyone wants to race, so we need to provide what people want.  in this case organised training rides and a social atmosphere.

 

27. Have found the womens programs and development programs to be excellent. Love the SPR chicks fb page. A great way to connect with riders and get to know people. Great club – well done to the committee!

• there has been a focus women members as we recognise that less than a quarter of our membership is female.  there has been a lot of great work done this past few years in getting more women to come out riding with us. and the spr chicks facebook page is just one way that we have been able to encourage women to take a further interest.  the free beginner sessions that have been run are also a great way to get women to take that first step.  our committees development officer, leigh, recognises that it took her quite a while to build up the courage to come riding the first time.  she has been using this as a focus when determining the best way to encourage more women to ride.

 

28. Members make themselves visible I bet most people wouldnt know who is who. If they sit at the same table each week how do u know what we want. Volunteers for races (it the thought that counts) to be given vouchers and if such as Kalgoorlie that the volunteers costs are completely covered. spr is seemly one of the biggest clubs but how many races does it organise for the year( 4)if so why did they buy the computer chips? Currently our members race at others clubs peel puts on 38 club races and midland is another big one it feels wrong when you are signing on and they ask what our is doing.

• i am guessing that this is in reference to committee members as opposed to just any member. i suppose most people will sit with the same people every week, but that shouldn’t stop anyone coming to see a committee member if they have an issue. we have a very open door policy, so if you have an issue go talk to someone or send the club an email.  don’t wait for someone to come to you. 
• as for volunteers, we recognise that the ride leaders are an important part of keeping the club operating to the standards that we want to set. therefore we reward those that give up their time and their training to look after a group. with events like kalgoorlie and tour of margs, it is a big ask for someone to take time off work and head away for a few days without even riding their bike.  as such we generally pay for those peoples accommodation during the trip.  if you are referring to volunteers that help out at races, then that is just done because you want to keep the club operating and putting on events.  should we have to “pay” people to come down and help setup tents???  especially if they are heading down to race a bit later in the day anyway. so then what about me???  a typical crit event for me involves the following – print out paperwork and get equipment ready (2 hrs), go buy extra drinks for sale (1hr) pack car with tents etc (2hrs), get to race at least an hour early then stay behind to pack up (7hrs), get home and unpack the car (2hrs), go through paperwork, cash box, finishline video and results (2hrs).  there are things we do to keep the club running and provide services for our members,  things that we do because we are a non-profit volunteer organisation.  things that you should do not because you are getting rewarded financially, but because you think that it is the right thing to do to help the club.  after all, you are part of the club or you are not.
• as for the computer chips, that was a cost neutral exercise. you may notice that you get charged an extra $5 for chip hire when you race.  this all goes back to the clubs to cover the annual hire fee.  we split the cost between 4 different clubs and we all share the usage of the system.  it is not just for our races, but also midland, rccc and northern beaches.
• yes we only put a handful of races on each year, and yes they are mostly crits (7 crits this summer). one of the reasons that peel and midland put on so many races is that both those clubs have over 100 years of history behind them and have built up expertise in running regular races.  we have been here since 2008.  there is nothing stopping us building up that expertise and you are quite welcome to put up your hand and volunteer to learn how to negotiate the council/traffic management/police approval network that is all part of the logistics of running a race.  as pointed out above, putting on just the crits takes a lot of time and after a while, people burn out and don’t want to do it anymore.  I could not imagine putting on 38 events throughout the year.  especially since there are only 52 weekends, when do I get to race myself, or even spend time with the family.  we also recognise that over half our membership does not have a race licence, so that is why we put on events like the watertower challenge to cater for the non-competitive riders.  if it is so wrong that we don’t have more races, what are you doing about it as you are the club, not just the committee members.

 

29. Cheers team. You guys do a great job and probably don’t get thanked enough, so thanks.

• no, no.  thank-you for being part of it.

 

30. Greater adherence to road rules as a group and as individuals – it is regularly (always) said on the blog / webpage, but regularly disregarded on the road. Otherwise – congratulations to the President, office bearers and all committee members on continuing fine efforts to run a great club. THANKS!

• as mentioned above, don’t wait for the ride to finish and find a committee member. be vocal during the ride.  if people are not adhering to road rules then let them know straight away.  running red lights, going the wrong way through roundabouts, crossing to the wrong side of the road.  all these things we know are wrong, so let them know straight away.

 

31. Safety is always an issue. Expectation that after lights, round abouts, single lanes (eg pul hol ride) the group slow till all on would reduce the “need” for people to ride dangerously eg run red lights. Weekday groups are often fast. Hard to get started again after lay off… In summer multiple groups would be good.

• there is an expectation that after the group gets split at the lights that the front half should slow to allow the rest back on. however, depending on the group, this is not always the case during the entire ride.  it is usually expected that the last 10-15kms of a main 1 ride the pace would ramp up for the final push into town.  people need different things in their training so that is why we have so many groups on a saturday. some people cannot stick with the fast group, but still want to have a solid ride in main 1.  if the groups speed towards the end of the ride is too fast, then there are other options coming along the road to sweep you up.  as you have indicated by putting inverted commas around the word “need”, it is up to people to curb their own dangerous behaviour.  if the light is red, then you stop.  if you get split from the group, then you ride with the rest of the split.  if you are just hanging on the back you can’t complain about the pace if there are slower groups behind that you can be riding with.  usually splits that happen in the first half of the ride come back together as they are called.  towards the end, make sure you have good position.  there are no prizes or podium girls waiting at the coffee shop. what are you risking your own safety for???
• lately there have been multiple groups on the thursday earlybird ride. with the numbers getting large over summer there has been a fast and two or sometimes 3 main groups to follow.  there is no guarantee that the 3^rd main group is necessarily slower than the 1^st.  if you are after a main 3 pace group, then it is something that needs to be organised.  we can advertise it as much as we want, but if there is no ground swell of people that will regularly ride in that group, then it doesn’t last.  if you get together a bunch of mates to add to the existing rides, then we can easily add another group to the weekday rides.

 

32. Keep on doing what you’re doing

• will do.

 

33. A Cyclocross race/program will really suit SPR. Inclusive, family orientated, close to the city and fun. The cross scene throughout Australia is dominated by road clubs apart from WA, in WA it is run by a hand full of (mainly) MTB riders that just love racing cross. Be great to see a road club get behind and help develop it in WA

• 2016 is predicted to be the year of cyclo-cross. there is already a calendar released and there are 8 rounds of races, plus a super cx event at the end of april. there are lots of people in the club that already race and you don’t need a special cx bike, just a mtb.  there are kids events as well and my boys had a go last year.  the club has already been in contact with the cyclo-cross organisers and we will assist them where we can.  you can race on either a mtba or ca licence and the events are relatively cheap.  plus there are beer hand-ups during the race (not for the kids).  if anything, it gives you a reason to buy another bike…

 

34. Would like to see a stronger emphasis on racing. More posting of pics and race reports might let others know what’s going on. An SPR sponsored race might be a start.

• spr in conjunction with rccc are putting on 7 criteriums this season, so we are sponsoring racing. if you are talking about road racing, then this is a lot more difficult both logistically and from an approvals perspective.  we would eventually like to head down that path, but we will need a lot more support from within the club to achieve it.  that may mean that you do not get to race because you are manning a rego desk or the like.
• race reports are something that we used to do a lot more of. i would like to see them make another appearance as i think that other members like to hear what is going on.  it can also inspire people to take that next step if they see that someone else they are riding with on saturday is also racing.

 

35. Well done. Keep going

• thanks.

 

36. You’re doing a great job guys keep it up! I do find that often the ride leaders don’t feel empowered enough to speak up and keep the group together… I think a training course for them would be ideal.

• we are working on this. it has been on a number of committee member’s work lists for a while.  we recognise that there is a need there and are working towards getting it resolved.

 

37. I’ve noticed that the club has taken on supporting women to join SPR. That is really nice except, I have noticed they have now created their own seperate Facebook page. I know that the guys try not to exclude the girls from anything, but the girls are beginning to run their own club, within the club. This includes race events away. Kind of like a womens only Fernwood gym. Perhaps that is just a failure of the guys to self organise events for blokes only, or alternatively we are being more inclusive of keeping everyone in all club websites, events, rides.    As I said I’ve started to notice a separate group forming, that doesn’t share within the whole of SPR.

• as mentioned in previous comments above, we have less than a 25% female membership. providing a forum for women to communicate and ask questions without feeling like they are going to get sledged for asking a stupid question is important for building up confidence. it is a generalisation, but women often like to understand everything about an issue before they commit. men tend to jump in a make it up as they go.  I don’t think that having a separate facebook page is a threat to anyone’s manhood and I don’t think that there needs to be a “men’s only” facebook page to counter it.  the women’s only rides we do once a month are an open opportunity for women to get used to setting the pace and organising the group.  this is important if they are going to take that next step into racing where they will often be in smaller groups and have to organise themselves. 

 

38. Sorry when it comes to giving a score I couldn’t workout if 1 was best and nine was worst. So I rated things 1 as low and 9 as high. Maybe next time it needs spelling out.

• will do. next survey we will be specific on what is required. 

 

39. How do we get SPR riders to wear their kit for all group rides that are on the SPR website. We are inclusive and we should be – but there is something about the club’s status and the associated statement that goes missing.  We want people to join and progress to purchasing the kit.  I think also that the feeling of belonging and inclusiveness is reinforced.  Maybe we start running ‘kit only rides’ to start the ball rolling (eg Saturday M1 split – first group is SPR kit only).  I think some general discussion around behaviours and expectations would also not go astray (possibly another survey :-))

• i understand the frustration as it is usually seen that “the others” are the reason for most issues that we have in the group. the issue of other kits on our club rides has been discussed at the committee level a number of times from various standpoints.  what we generally come back to is that one of our cornerstones for the club is being “inclusive”.  this means that we don’t discriminate based on what people are wearing.  we did split the group a few years ago based on what kit people were wearing, but even then people still went with the first group. when we first started selling kit, the novelty of being in a new kit for a new club was all it took to get people to buy.  now, being in the spr kit is commonplace, so people now rock up in pedal mafia or rapha or ataquer to show a point of difference.  people like to stand out in a crowd and this is just human nature. there were lots of discussions when we decided to make the kit for members only. this has not adversely affected our memberships or kit sales but at the time we were afraid of losing people if we forced anything.  we need to make the spr kit relevant again without people being forced into wearing it.  i think that there is a lot more discussion to be had on this point.

 

40. Formally split groups that are too big before the ride starts. Most riders know what their ability is and weather they need to go with the faster or slower group. Thanks to the committee for their hard work. It is very much appreciated.

• we have been caught out by this before and now try to split ahead of time. a good example of this is the public holiday ride which now splits similar to the saturday rides to minimise our impact on the road.  however, if you have ever seen me split the main 1 group on saturday and seen how many people still leave with the first group no matter what i say.  we almost need to have 12 in the first group (expecting 30 to leave) and then split it out evenly after that.  no matter how we phrase it, people always think that the first group will be faster and they do not like to be referred to as slow.

 

41. * Also wanted to say I like the Saturday group ride format with 7 am start and ~50 km rides. You don’t have to get up too early and you have plenty of energy left for the rest of the day. * Green is a cool colour.    * SPR is the only group ride that’s not a sausage fest.    * SPR is the only group ride where people swear in Chinese.

• the 7am format works best when combining it with the earlybird.  100kms before breakfast and all in a group riding environment.  this is also why we do not change the start times during summer.  if we bring the 7am ride earlier, everything needs to come earlier.  it is easier that everyone knows it will be 7am all year around.  green, chinese sausage. love it.  I will have to work on my chinese swear words.  my dad speaks both mandarin and cantonese, so I am sure I can get some hints.

 

42. More support for training rides for developing riders

• there has been a lot of work done this past year on development rides. both leigh and carol run a number of rides all through the week targeting different level riders.  tuesday and thursday in kings park, wedensday up stock road and friday along shelley are weekday rides that are especially for the developing rider.

 

43. I think more could be done on inclusion of new riders. There are a number of regular, experienced and connected riders at the club that could be used to ensure a bit more inclusion. The club can appear like a series of cliques which is unfortunate. From a safety point of view things are pretty good, however I bit more discipline in the ride leaders wouldn’t go amiss; some rides can be a bit chaotic- reinforcement of some group riding principles might be needed.

• once upon a time, the quarterly breakfasts used to be held at my house. lorraine would do the catering and all the bikes would fit in my garage.  back then we pretty much knew everyone by name.  the club has grown significantly since then and as it grows, the culture can change with it.  gone are the days when i knew everyone as there are lots of people that i probably won’t have the opportunity to ride with.  this however, doesn’t mean that i can’t ride with them but it is all a matter of balance.  I had been spending quite a few rides with the development group on wednesday morning, as stock road was a good place for me to do my intervals.  through this, i got to know the names of a few people that I wouldn’t have otherwise.  however, this is not going to be for everyone, and everyone may get something different out of the club depending on their own needs.  there is nothing stopping any of you from sitting down at the “fast group” table after the saturday ride and asking them their advice about things.  as you have said, there is a lot of experience that you can tap into, but it works both ways.

 

44. Seems to be a lot of presumptive questions & answers? Also seems to be a lot of questions about ladies & women. Is there a problem? I wouldn’t have thought so?

• there is no problem. as previously mentioned, the club has less than 25% female membership and we would like to grow that as much as possible. cycling is clearly a male dominated sport, but what we offer allows an easy pathway into getting more women riding.  otherwise it could end up a green, chinese sausage ride (see feedback #41 comments above).

 

45. I would vollunteer to lead a M2-4 group if training was offered. I would love to be a part of some organised races – like a regular Saturday hit out.  I feel this is necessary to provide the motivation to train, learn race craft and target the more serious races.  Eg I would like to participate in TOMR however don’t feel I have the experience needed.

• ride leader training has been discussed numerous times above, so I won’t go into that. racing is often just a matter of giving it a go.  it is surprising how many times i hear people say that they are not ready to race, but every week smash everyone on the group rides.  we target a number of races during the year (pickering brook series) and this means that there will be a large number of spr riders in attendance.  use this opportunity to take that next step and pin on a number.  talk to any of the other riders that you know are racing and they can give you an idea about what grade to enter.  we did have a “race buddy” program running for a while, but it seemed to fade out a bit.  that was the intent, allow people to leverage off other more experienced riders so that you don’t feel isolated heading to your first race.  as for the tour of margs, for some of the women, they had only started racing at the start of the year and they had a really good time and gained a lot of experience.

 

46. Some different scheduled rides – a summer time evening ride, like the older Wed night, single speed group ride, weekend or overnighter ride as examples.

• open to ideas. we can easily do a one off ride and expect that there will be quite a few people that would want to attend.  regular rides often mean a change in people’s schedule, so it is hard to keep the momentum up.  if you have any ideas, feel free to email them through and we can work on something.  I like the idea of an overnighter ride.  all ride somewhere for a few hours.  stay overnight and have a good group meal.  get a support car to bring bags.  ride back to perth the next day. 

 

47. Im really impressed by how well the club is run and the numbers of riders every weekend. Well done

• we tried to keep it organised and predictable.

 

48. Would be good to see/hear of more of the long term and/or fast riders getting involved with other Saturday morning riders, they sit with themselves and talk amongst themselves without much interaction with the “general” population, understand not everyone is interested in meeting more people but it might be more inclusive for others who are trying to become a part of the club. Looking forward to more SPR run racing AND TIME TRIALS please.  Women’s riding at the club has come a long way, keep it going. Keep in mind we are still in the minority and rides esp Sunday are a “boys club”. Perhaps 1 – 3 girls in a group of up to 20. Also, if there are rest breaks remember we can’t pee anywhere that you lot can 🙂

• as discussed above, as the club has grown cliques will always form as like-minded people will always group together. there is nothing wrong with you plonking yourself down at the “fast group” table and striking up a conversation with someone.  they all started somewhere and so they may be able to give you advice.  not everyone is comfortable just mingling with a random group, so it really takes an effort to do. 
• races have been discussed above. we are happy for people to put up there hand to help out.  time trials are so well run by the atta guys that it is hard to fathom matching what they do.  their races are so accessible to any rider, well organised and they also provide fruit cake.  hard to compete with that.
• the long sunday hills ride has always had trouble attracting a large percentage of female riders. maybe people presume that it is hard and they don’t want to be left behind, or hold up the group.  more and more women have been heading out on that ride, though, so attitudes are changing.  we are aware of the rest breaks and that is also the reason why we don’t often do the hadrill road route as there are no facilities at the top of the hill for any one. most of the routes would pass a servo along the way, so if you need to stop make people aware and it can be organised.

 

49. EBRs tend to be seen as a fast ride for fast riders only; Race mentoring is a good idea but needs more development; SPR has a general external reputation of rides not being particularly well managed, ie from a safety perspective. In practice it’s not so bad but there are often examples of poor practice.

• the ebr rides should be generally around the main 1 pace. this covers the majority of the riders that will do both the ebr and main ride on saturday. it would be rare (but not impossible) that a main 3 rider would be contemplating the saturday double.  this is not to say that there cannot be a second group on any of the earlybird rides.  however, you need to get a group together and get a regular attendance before we can make it a sanctioned ride.  things often change and what was a popular or good idea once, may fade out in the future.  the tuesday earlybird used to be so big that we needed to split it multiple times.  now it is much smaller and the thursday ride is the one to be on.
• race mentoring does need a bit more development. it has been discussed above.
• i get worried when iI hear the we have a reputation out in the cycling community for being unsafe or poorly managed. we have a lot more systems and structure in place than almost any other ride in perth.  everyone knows in advance what the ride routes are and we provide leaders for the less experienced groups.  yes we have accidents, but we also have 8 – 9 groups heading out on a saturday morning.  just the sheer numbers means that statistically we are going to have more accidents. being inclusive also means that we will provide rides for those that aren’t as experienced. what we do have, however, is a system that is responsible for the actions of our riders.  if you go on a random coffee ride and someone is acting up, who do you talk to about it???  safety is a priority for us, but we also recognise that what we do carries some risk and a lot of that risk involves things that are outside of our control (vehicles, weather, other cyclists).  as mentioned many times previously, if someone’s behaviours are putting other peoples safety at risk, then speak up then and there.

 

50. Love the club. Some issues I have heard around the traps and agree with are 1) ride leaders not respected which is not safe enough and 2) the fast group sneering as you arrive at the coffee shop is palpable and there is a growing problem with Elitism 3) too many riders in main 1due to skills creep? The definition of main 1 might be rejigged to split people up better

• the ride leaders are basically giving up their time and own training to take out a group and impart some important knowledge on less experienced riders. if those riders do not take any advice on board and continue to ride in a way that we deem dangerous to others in the group, or want to give a mouthful back when they get told off for something, well they can go and ride with another club.  as long as the ride leader is being level in their approach and is trying to correct behaviour in the best interests of the groups safety, then we will totally support them in any argument.
• i am not sure that what you describe as elitism is real or just perceived. the fast riders are always going to be sitting there when the other groups arrive.  to be totally honest, I don’t think half those riders would care enough about what time anyone else gets into the coffee shop let alone spend the energy to sneer. if anyone thinks that they are mentally working out how many minutes that they beat everyone else to coffee and therefore how much better they are, then i think this may say more about people’s insecurities as opposed to any real elitism. as we have mentioned in previous comments, you are more than welcome to go and sit next to the fast group riders when you get your coffee. they do have a wealth of experience that you can leverage off and you may find that some of them will actually talk back to you. 
• main 1 is getting big. we will need to have a discussion about what to do with it. in the past, we have organised a “fast 2” group and this thinned out main 1 a bit.  however, we have had a large fast group and still need to break main 1 into 3 groups.  more discussion a the committee level is needed, but if you have any ideas, let us know.

 

51. Stock kit so we can buy on demand.

• this would be great, but there are a number of problems that we can see. firstly, it costs a lot to hold a bunch of stock.  just ask any shop owner.  we don’t really see the value in tying up funds in kit.  secondly, there is always an issue with what sizes to order and how many.  if you get it wrong and don’t order enough medium jerseys, but have lots of xl left over, you are constantly restocking some and not others.  it is a lot easier from the clubs perspective to just manufacturer what is required.  yes it takes some time, but the dates are usually published in advance, so if you don’t want your money tied up for too long, then you can order just before the final cutoff day.  that way you only need to wait the 6 weeks or so for it to be manufactured.