All posts by elPrez

Southern Districts Race Report

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sorry, this one slipped past the email the other day and i forgot to post it.  dan’s race report from last sunday’s southern districts race at pickering brook – peter.

Joe, Matt and myself met at Coode St and rolled out with the SPR hills ride regulars to get a tow out to the hills as they were also climbing Welshpool Rd first up. We picked up Brendan around Roe Hwy and we arrived at the start in Pickerbrook nice and early, a welcome change, not so nice were the yokels who enjoyed driving past us way too close, made me wish I was wearing some brown Ag2r knicks.

When we got there we realised that It was really cold in the shade and for better or worse it was decided that standing in the sun would be as good as a warm up. Brendan, Shane and me signed up for B grade.

There were 16 starters in B grade. We rolled out fairly sedately and headed around the course for our first of six laps rather conservatively. The course starts with a downhill into a corner, continues on and then rises gently for ~1km, there is a sharp downhill and a steep rise that you can get 80% up on momentum, then another gentle rise, a bit of a drop, before the incline out of Repatriation Rd onto Pickering Brook Rd, finishing again with a downhill. For the next few laps there were a few surges by the same three or so guys, but not too much distance was ever created.

Come the last lap most of the starters were still present, maybe three had left, including one guy who had his Mavic R-Sys (“Exploding Wagon Wheels”) pick up on a rear wheel bearing I think. Blake Howard and a guy from Riders Choice got a gap on the downhill at the start of the last lap and that gap was being maintained on the first climb. I checked with Brendan if he thought they would stay away, he seemed to think not, which put me at ease. Slowly, after the short downhill, we started to make time on the two. When we got close enough Theo Yates and Tony Anderson from Arbitrage got across and we picked up the Rider’s Choice guy. As we were approaching Pickering Brook Rd there were three off the front (Theo, Tony and Blake) and Shane was doing a big effort to reel them in, I was on Shane’s wheel. I called out some encouragement to Shane and he checked to see that I was on his wheel and then he gave it some schtick. This created a small gap behind me and he was able to bridge up over ~0.5-1km to the front three just as Theo gave it a kick. I just missed getting on his wheel and had to try and drag him for the line, but I finished about a bike length back in second. A huge thanks goes to Shane who smashed it to get me up to the front group, it was really appreciated:) 

A big thanks to all the competitors who were there as it was a very sociable race and Southern Districts for putting some races on. I would encourage more SPR crew to come down for the next race, the course is certainly not as hard as any of the hills on a Sunday ride.

-Hughesy

Quiz Night Fund Raiser for Lisa: Irish Club, Subi: Wed 7th July

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Fellow Cyclists ..

We’re looking to hold a quiz night to help raise funds for Lisa’s participation in the support (test) track events for the Commonwealth Games in India  at the end of July.

For a mere $10 per person, you can come and test your (lack of) general knowledge at the Irish Club in Subi.

Please leave a comment if you think you would be up for coming along  and showing everyone else just how clever you’re not. 

More details will follow in due course.

Cheers lots

Lennie

ride routes 5th, 6th & 7th june

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well winter is upon us and it is now pretty much always single digit temperatures overnight.  this makes the morning rides a lot harder to get out of bed for, but just think of how much fun you are missing out on by not coming out for a ride with us.  they are predicting a fairly dry winter, so all you need to do is rug up to get out the door and i am sure that we can get you warmed up pretty quickly.

member benefits – i spend the morning canvassing some bike shops the other week and found a mixed response to our club.  some shops were happy to be involved with us and this can be seen by the new deals that we have in the member benefits section.  however, some shops were not happy that we use the internet to buy stuff and clearly didn’t see the opportunity i was presenting them with.  i will be trying to chase up a few more member benefits and this does not have to be just bike parts/services.  if you have a business that could benefit in being promoted through the club, let me know.

races – the menzies-kalgoorlie is on this weekend and we have a couple of riders heading across for that.  good luck.  next week is round 4 of the mtb xc series down in collie on the sunday, while the state individual time trial championships is on saturday afternoon.  this is a great opportunity for anyone that wants to benchmark themselves against other riders in our group.  you don’t need a fancy time trial bike, just a recreational licence at a minimum.  the course is not long and you can challenge your peers for bragging rights at the coffee shop.

ride routes – a predicted strong easterly this saturday so we will take advantage of it by sending most of the groups down benara road.  the fast group will have to battle for their tailwind as they will cop a long section of cross-winds before they turn for home.  sunday sees a tour of john forrest national park and mundaring weir while monday, being a public holiday, has the standard loop.

saturday 5th june – all rides start at coode st carpark at 7:00am

development group – spr saturday 35.48km (novice shelley)

transitional – spr saturday 39.04km (benara rd)

main 1 & 2 – spr saturday 50.98km (benara rd)

fast – spr saturday 54.03km (maddington & welshpool)

sunday 6th june – all rides start at coode st carpark at 7:00am

main – spr sunday 67.96km (greenmount & zig-zig)

fast – spr sunday 95.04km (greenmount & parkerville & mundaring weir)

monday 7th june – ride starts at coode st carpark at 7:00am

main – spr public holiday 59.35km (shelley & freo)

member benefits – update

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there has been an update to the member benefits page recently.  on top of the helmet deal with TBE and the bike servicing through Yas’ Bike Clinic, another couple of shops have come on board to offer our clubs some special deals.

as we are now at the start of winter some people may get the urge to not want to ride when it is cold.  to keep up your fitness and avoid the mid-winter flabbiness, you can ride in the comfort of your own home with an indoor trainer.  Canning Bridge Cycles is located just over the bridge in applecross and has a deal for any club member.  just turn up with your membership card and you can get 25% off the rrp of any Tacx or JetBlack brand trainer.  this includes any model in the range and is not limited to floor stock. 

spin with fynn

now where else could you use such a training device???  well on wednesday evening at 6:30 the club holds a spin session under the narrows in south perth.  all you need to bring is your bike and trainer and get ready for an hour of bad jokes, sledging, city views and half naked men….on bikes.  if the weather is fine we are on the grass, if it is wet we hide under the bridge.  ryan takes us through a session of different intervals from high cadence to heavy gears.  there is an optional run after the session for those that wish to.  for more info, drop us an email.

the folks at Glen Parker Cycles South have offered our club a couple of different deals.  firstly, there is a deal on Bont shoes.  these are australian made shoes that have made a big impact in the pro peloton and there are a number of protour teams that are now sporting them.  as usual, show your membership card and you can get 30% off the rrp of any of the Bontshoes (excluding custom).  there is a range of three road models from $199rrp to $549rrp and they also do triathlon, mtb and special tt shoes.

the second deal that Glen Parker Cycles South have offered the club could be the one that may give you the biggest improvement on the bike.  the right size bike can make all the difference between an enjoyable ride or a painful one.  however, a correctly fitted bike can make a big improvement in power output and endurance which may be the difference between winning and losing.  whether it is the final sprint to coffee or the breakaway during a race, it is crucial that the bike is set up for your functionality and issues.  Stuart at Glen Parker Cycles South is offering club members an in-depth bike fit for the discounted price of $150 (usually $250).  this process takes from 2 – 4 hours and covers everything from cleat position to handlebar width.  due to the time needed to perform the setup, you must contact Stuart directly to arrange an appointment.

so there you have it.  three more reasons to become a member of the club.  looking at all the discounts and taking an average cross-section of products, you can potentially save up to $500 off the rrp.  as a recreational licence through the club only costs $77 the outlay is minimal to get both insurance coverage and a great deal on bike stuff.

check the member benefits page for more info and contact details for the shops.  to become a member of south perth cycle club check out the membership page.

peter.

giro tipping comp – final

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well the giro has been run and won by birillo with a couple of other italians rounding out the podium.  the aussies scored well taking all the minor jerseys as well as three stage wins.

as for the tipping comp, the lead in the general classification yo-yo’ed every couple of stages as the giro threw up a number of surprises.  the mountains points went down to the very last day as there was a tie heading into the time trial and the sprinters points was pretty close too.  there were a few lucky tipsters that grabbed a stage win after it had jackpotted for a couple of stages, so had that category pretty much sewn up.

the final leaderboard can be found here.

  General Classification Team Name Time Gap Winnings
1 3 days 15:36:01 Team Rob.a.bank    $     60.00
2 3 days 15:37:45 Team Liquigus 0:01:44  $     21.00
3 3 days 15:41:22 Team White on White 0:05:21  $     12.00

 

  Sprinters Points Team Name Winnings
1 252 pts Team Liquigus  $     45.00
2 205 pts Cameltoe Test Team  $     18.00
3 201 pts Team White on White  $     10.00

 

  Mountain Points Team Name Winnings
1 42 pts Team Liquigus  $     45.00
2 39 pts BigChainRing  $     18.00
3 37 pts Team Cougar  $     10.00

 

  Team Name Stage Wins Winnings
1 BigChainRing 28.3  $     30.00
2 Team Liquigus 27.4  $     15.00
3 Team Rob.a.bank 24.7  $     10.00

 

so that is the winnings.  unfortunatley i have been pretty slack in collecting the entry fees so i will need that now so i can pay out the winners.  after deducting any winnings (also from the last tipping comp) the following people still owe money.

Brendan Nichol  $      10.00
Daryl Cartner  $        2.50
Dave Shailer  $      10.00
Declan Coughlan  $        5.00
Gregor Urquhart  $      10.00
Jarrad Lumbewe  $        7.50
Jen Siah  $      10.00
Jordan Brock  $      10.00
Josh Camp  $      10.00
Lisa Wood  $        7.00
Michael Roper  $      10.00
Michael Wlasenko  $      10.00
Mike Tan  $      10.00
Morrison McQueen  $      10.00
Paul Owen  $      10.00
Peter Mah  $      20.00
Rob Ramsden  $      10.00
Ryan Fynn  $      10.00
Scott Littlefair  $      10.00
Tracy Hagen  $      10.00

this is to pay the following people their winnings minus entry

Gus Russo  $    121.50
Jonny Keyes  $      65.50
Kim Thomson  $        8.00
Shane Gorman  $      48.00
Zak Campbell  $      22.00

thanks for playing and keep an eye out for the tour de france tipping comp.  it will be run under the same format and as always, the more players the more you are playing for.

ride routes 29th & 30th may

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social day – thanks to all those that helped out in organising the social day.  especially kate, lisa and lorriane for the food preparation.  i have been meaning to put up post with pictures but just haven’t got around to it yet.  everyone that attended seemed to enjoy the day and the entertainment.  i think i need to get a clown bike so i can get around the office quicker.

races – mtb – wembley cycles 6hr on sunday, road – menzies crit and road race on the following long weekend, time trial – the state time trial championships the weekend after.

ride routes – due to the poor turn out last saturday 🙂 i have posted the same ride routes again.  the 11 brave/silly people that rode last week in the torrential rain did a lap of the river instead.  this week they are predicting a nicer day so we should have enough to split.

saturday 29th may- all rides start at coode st carpark at 7:00am

development group – spr saturday 35.48km (novice shelley)

transitional – spr saturday 39.11km (canning vale)

main 1 & 2 – spr saturday 50.72km (rebold hill & cott)

fast – spr saturday 51.36km (sth lake)

sunday 30th may- all rides start at coode st carpark at 7:00am

main – spr sunday 61.14km (welshpool & weir rd) ***following the fast group at the start***

fast – spr sunday 101.86km (welshpool & mundaring & kalamunda)

tuesday and thursday training rides

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as the club develops we are finding that the training rides have needed to develop with it.  as the seasons change we are also finding we need to adapt a little more. 

as such the tuesday and thursday development group (novice) training rides have moved their starting point to under the narrows at 6:00am.  there may be other groups starting there as well, but if you see a big group of testosteroned filled angry looking riders, there is a pretty good chance that it is not our group.  look for the smaller group with a lot less testosterone.  the reason for the location change is that heading into winter, it is just too damn dark inside kings park.  there is little street lighting and the ones that they have on fraisers ave only seem to be on in the evening.  that coupled with the amount of branches etc that can be blown onto the road at night makes for an unsafe riding environment.  the group will be doing laps around the outside of kings park instead where it is double lane and well lit.

the main and fast groups on tuesday and thursday are also in need of a change.  these are the ones that start at 5:30 and will remain at this time.  at the moment, the thursday group works, because people know what to expect and deal with it accordingly.  the main group that follows the fast group should also head the same way through cott so that they can sweep up any of the riders that may fall off the back.  basically there doesn’t seem to be a transitional group that leaves from there now.  most of the riders have progressed to the main 2 group if not the main 1 group.  as such, the fast group will be fast, and the second group will be main 2 speed.  this allows any main 1 riders an opportunity to test themselves a bit with the faster group, but can be picked up if they get dropped.

tuesday, i want to run under the same format.  when we first started the tuesday ride, it was aimed towards the intermediate/main group.  nice and easy and just giving them a chance to get a weekday ride in.  we started with one or two riders and progressed from there (a couple of lonely rides by myself).  however, since then, it has grown quite a lot and as such a lot of the fast group riders now use that as an extra ride during the week.  i asked some people the last few rides whether we should split the group or not.  the consensus was not to split as it seemed to be going ok.  however, most of the people i asked were going ok.  it was the others that were spat out the back after the regroup point at mosman park that i am concerned about.  last tuesday i think we had about 8 or so off the back by the time we hit raffles.  that is pretty much a group in itself.

so, as i said, i would like to run the tuesday the same as the thursday.  both groups do the same course through mosman and peppy grove and the main starts 30 sec after the fast group.  expect the fast group to be fast and as such, this may mean that the main group is much bigger than the original 8 or so.  the group in general has been getting faster and faster.  we kept putting rules in place that kept getting broken.  first it was no attacks, then it was attack on mosman hill then regroup.  then it was no roll throughs, soon it became a standard to roll through on burke drive.  i have been getting comments over the last few weeks/months about the pace and lack of control, so lets just split the ride and see how we go.

you are on your own tomorrow as i am out with a cold, so decide whether you will split this week or give it a week.  feedback would be appreciated via the comments.

peter

dardanup open – race pack

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attached below is the race pack for those doing the dardanup open.

it shows which of the spr riders will be competing in the different divisions, the race times, course distance, map and directions to get there.  we will have the spr tent set up so there will be a meeting point and somewhere for any spectators to sit while we are racing.  refreshments will be on hand after the event for any south perth riders.

SPR-dardanup-racepack

fund raiser for bec

as you may or may not be aware bec halliday is heading over to india with a track team for the commonwealth games test event in july.

in order to help with funds for the trip, she is holding a movie fundraiser on the sunday of the long weekend for sex & the city 2.

she doesn’t expect the boys to come but their partners or our female riders may be interested.

click on the poster for more info and drop her an email to put your name down.

Rebecca.halliday@injuryconnect.com.au

ride routes 15th & 16th may

races – dardanup open, pmbc xc series round 3, cyclo-sportif york, hopefully we get some race reports from these events…unlike the collie race.  at the dardanup race we have 24 south perth riders out of a total of 97 so we make up a quarter of the entire field.  this is a great way to get exposure for our club regardless of the race result.   there is also a participation ride on if any partners want to come down and have a ride as well.  entry can be on the day.

as far as clubs go, we have a very good relationship with south west, so i want to continue to support their events whenever we can.  they will be holding the state time trial event in june.  as it is a time trial you don’t have to worry about the whole pack thing.  if you want to take that step and have a go at racing, then this is a great opportunity for any of our riders.  keep an eye out for more info as it comes to hand.

social day – the social day/my birthday is on next weekend.  saturday 22nd may at 12 noon.  see here for more info. this is an opportunity for your family to meet the people you ride with.  please make sure that you rsvp as we need to organise the catering and entertainment for the kids.

giro tipping comp – we have over 30 teams in the giro tipping comp.  check out the tipping home page to see how everyone is going.  if you missed out this time, don’t worry as we will be running a comp for the tour and the vuelta as they come around too.

ride routes – a mixed bag this weekend, but as usual, something for everyone.  the latest report is saying that there will be no more rain till tuesday, so we should be expecting a dry start.  however, it must be a clear night as saturday morning will be only 5 deg, so rug up.  sounds like a good morning for the spr jacket.

saturday 15th may- all rides start at coode st carpark at 7:00am

development group – spr saturday 35.48km (novice shelley)

transitional – spr saturday 40.77km (risley & leach & cott)

main 1 & 2 – spr saturday 50.04km (hale & ridge hill)

fast – spr saturday 55.76km (shelley & mosman park)

sunday 16th may- all rides start at coode st carpark at 7:00am

main – spr sunday 82.79km (brookton & weir rd)

fast – spr sunday 92.56km (carradine & peet)