All posts by claire

Ride Routes 12 – 18th October

[ Gran Fondo Worlds write-up this week by Claire. Keep your eye out for a Gravel Worlds update soon. Not to mention Peel Classic. Also new gravel ride announced below. Finally, we’re short one M2/M1.4 rider for TOMR – get in touch. Daniel ]

Denmark 2024: Gran Fondo Worlds — They say it’s about the journey more than the destination, and in my case this rings true for the 2024 Gran Fondo World Championships. 

My journey to get to the start line this September in Aalborg, Denmark started in September 2023 at Amy’s Gran Fondo in Lorne. I trained my hardest while battling chronic back pain. I was happy with my efforts on the day but was well off qualifying – 7th of just 14 in my age group. 

For those unfamiliar with the gran fondo worlds process, your aim is to get into the top 25 per cent of your age group to qualify. 

Amy’s was the earliest race in the series so I had another chance – the Tour de Brisbane in April. This race was far more suited to my style of riding, and by that time I had less back pain (it was still there, but had drastically reduced since Amy’s). 

The punchy, twisty, rolling course included the infamous Mt Coot Tha, a long and steep climb up to the TV stations just out of Brisbane. Luckily for me, by the time I hit that section of the course I was far enough ahead in my age group to stay in the top 25 per cent. 

I was full of emotions as I crossed the line and realised I’d made it into the top quarter of my age group. I was going to Denmark! 

The awesome thing was I could share it with my friends too: Andrew Lilley (my coach and confidant), Rebecca Kelly (my best mate and all round legend), Greg Murray, Lily Handoyo, Yael Gardner had all qualified at Brisbane with me. 

The subsequent four months included as much training as I could squeeze in my hectic lifestyle, which let’s face it, wasn’t enough. 

The rain didn’t help – after a long dry summer it bucketed down in Perth, forcing me onto Zwift, which I like all riders have a love hate relationship with. 

I made it to the start line in one piece, but deep down knew I hadn’t done nearly enough preparation to get through the 152km course at any kind of competitive pace. 

It didn’t matter – I was happy to be there. 

My age group (35-39) started with the young guns (19-34) so the pace was hot from the outset – I held on to the madness for 40 minutes, or roughly 24km, before I popped. And when I say popped, I completely popped. The remainder of the day encompassed getting caught by groups in other age groups, hanging on for a bit, then dropping off the back. 

I rode most of the course largely alone. 

It was beautiful though and I was very happy to have the opportunity to race my bike in another country. The encouragement from cycling-mad locals on every corner helped immensely. 

I finished with a time of 5h12m42s, averaging 29.34km/h and placing 43 of 45 starters in my age group. This is much slower than I would have liked, but the smiling face of Andrew Lilley when I rolled in to the finish made me forget all that.  

He’d finished the race much earlier than me, with a cracking time of 3h57m (averaging 38.65km/h!), and had time to shower, buy me a sandwich and meet me at the finish line. He’ll never know how much it meant to me to have his support, through the entire worlds journey (Editors note: Unless of course he reads the SPR blog).  

Congrats to my fellow SPR members who smashed the world champs: 

  • Lily Handoyo, 
  • Yael Gardner (medio fondo)
  • Andrew Lilley
  • Raymond Smith
  • Lauren Humphreys
  • Belinda Alcock 

I sincerely apologise if I’ve forgotten anyone. More info on who competed and the results can be found here: https://www.sportstiming.dk/event/13162/participants

Cycling really does take us on some incredible journeys! 

Claire

Gravel Ride Restarting — Join us for our first trial gravel ride on Sunday 20 October! We’ll meet at the Bellevue RSL at 5:45 am for a 6:00 am start. This ride is perfect for experienced riders, and the pace will be a steady minimum Main 1. Our initial route is designed to gauge interest in forming a regular gravel riding group. The route details is here.

As we see more riders joining, we’ll plan additional routes and gradually increase the distance. This is a great opportunity to enjoy some gravel trails and meet fellow cycling enthusiasts. We hope to see you there!

Racing this weekend – If you want to race, or get in on the action watching others race, read on.

1. WCMCC Chidlow – Age Group Championships

2. MCC Midland Traders 100 (27/Oct)

The summer crit calendar has been announced!

Summer Crit Calendar
Summer Crit Calendar

Juniors Ride — This Saturday, we will focus on endurance training and take advantage of the pleasant weather forecasted for the weekend. The ride will start from our usual spot in Shelley and head to the Heathcote Reserve in Applecross following this route: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/256338775

We will take a break at the reserve for a drink before returning the same route. The entire ride is approximately 23 km and should take around 1.5 hours including the stop.

The meeting point is here https://maps.app.goo.gl/dPMmqNw1fLCo715r6 at 10.30am.

See you there!

From the Ride Coordinator — The next few weeks will see our new ride leaders take their observed ride leads. Please welcome them!

Here’s some refresher tips for riding in formation:

  • Riders should pair off 2 by 2
  • Try to maintain about a 30-50cm distance from the rear wheel of the rider in front of you
  • Keep your handlebars level with those of the rider next to you
  • Ride at an even steady pace
  • Close up gaps between riders as quickly and smoothly as possible
  • When possible ride one metre clear from the gutters and parked cars

(Kudos to you if you recognise the source!)

Please note, the development group currently runs 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month.

Saturday 12th October

Sunday 13th October

Monday 14th October

Tuesday 15th October

Wednesday 16th October

Thursday 17th October

Friday 18th October

Ride Routes 24 – 30th December

Thank you to everyone who made it out last Saturday for our Christmas Ride. It was a most excellent morning, and very to good to recognise some amazing club members. I will write up the awards next week.

This week we have another guest post for our very own Claire Tyrrell. Most of you will recall SPR’s Adam Ralph’s Everesting efforts back in 2020… well, Jack Thompson takes this to another level. Seriously.

Reminder to all SPR club members, don’t forget to sign up for the SPR Xmas 500 – there are prizes to be had just for doing what you would be doing anyway right… festive kms. If you’ve missed the details, get in touch on xmas500@southperthrouleurs.com.au.

Daniel

Jack cycles far, and high

Ultra-cyclist Jack Thompson is calling on Perth cyclists to join him as he completes his toughest cycling achievement yet.  

Claire Tyrrell

It is a generally accepted truth that no matter how good you are, there is always someone better. In cycling this would roughly translate to the idea that despite your mammoth efforts on the bike, there is always someone out there riding further and harder than you. 

However, this may not ring true for Jack Thompson. 

The Perth ultra-cyclist has clocked up an incredible 29,078 kilometres this year alone, over 1,425 hours. 

But the most impressive thing about Jack’s pedal strokes in 2022 is the sheer volume of elevation he has accumulated – 982,746 metres as of December 20. 

And of course, he won’t stop there. 

Jack set himself the task of completing one million metres of elevation, as well as 52 Everesting efforts over the course of the year. Most of us have heard of Everesting, but to break it down, Jack has climbed 8,848 metres or more in one ride on one hill at least once each week during the past 12 months. He’s carried out the task mostly on local roads in Spain, as well as France, the United Kingdom and America. 

But that wasn’t enough for the keen cyclist, as he explained to me from his new home of Girona. 

“[At the start of the year] I thought, ‘maybe I’ll Everest once a week for a year’ and then I thought ‘that would still leave me with six days doing nothing’ each week, so I thought ‘why don’t I target one million metres, which is 20,000 metres a week’,” he said. 

Achieving this lofty goal would give Jack two Guinness World Records – his first achieved last year for his fastest ever completion of the Tour de France course (10 days). 

What goes up must come down – Jack on a descent during an Everest

The why

A spiel about Jack’s feats would not be complete without delving into the reasons he chooses to push himself to extremes day-in-day-out. 

In a nutshell, the ultra-cyclist is no stranger to mental anguish. 

Growing up with obsessive compulsive disorder, Jack has experienced bouts of depression and drug addiction, before the call to the bike became too strong. He quit his job as a project manager in 2015 to pursue a full-time career in ultra-endurance cycling, riding tens and thousands of kilometres each year. As he explained in 2019, cycling provides the euphoria he feels everyone is chasing and keeps him on a straight path. 

When asked about his million metre goal, he said it aligned with his penchant for routine.  

“I really like routine and structure, and every day I know exactly what I have to do,” he said. 

“It was a bit of a test for me, because I have done nothing that lasts a year before – so much can happen in a year, and I like the idea of setting myself a challenge that’s really difficult.” 

Jack also raises money for charities close to his heart through his bike riding, including Kids Helpline, StrongMinds, Outride and Youth Focus. 

The event

Jack has flown to his hometown of Perth on the cusp of 2023 to complete his challenge at Reabold Hill in City Beach. He is calling on Perth cyclists to join him as he conquers the millionth metre. 

Join Jack at Wembley Cycles at 8.30am on Thursday December 29, for a coffee and a leisurely ride out to Reabold Hill – just five repeats of the climb will get him to the million mark.

Youth Focus will receive a $5,000 donation from Jack, plus any other funds raised on the day will go toward the charity’s Hawaiian Ride for Youth. 

Register for the event via the Facebook event or by emailing john@wembleycycles.com. 

Donations are welcome but not mandatory. 

Not all of Jack’s Everests were completed on Tarmac
Tour Madeloc in France – where Jack completed his final Everest of 2022

 

  

Racing this weekend – If you want to race, or get in on the action watching others race, read on.

Sorry, no can do this week. It’s Christmas, Festive kms will have to do – and there are plenty of options… 😎💚

 

From the Ride Coordinator — Well this weekend is significant for two reasons. 1. It’s Christmas on Sunday, and 2. The Festive 500 starts on Friday. Some added spice this year with the SPR Xmas 500 Challenge – with prizes up for grabs. Forecast for Saturday is good, a bit cooler, with not much wind. Perfect for those extra k’s. Lots of talk already about people doing the awesome foursome on Saturday; Night Owl, Earlybird, Main Ride, and Bin Chickens extra lap. How badly do you want it???

On Sunday we have Mr Bonners Christmas Cheer very social ride. If you’ve never done it you’re missing out.

There will likely be *lots* of extra rides over the Christmas / New Year period – keep an eye out on the SPR Facebook Group.

Saturday 24th December

Sunday 25th December – Christmas Day

  • Rides start at Coode St carpark at 6:00am (‼️SUMMER TIME‼️)
    • Short – <not Christmas Day>
    • Long – <not Christmas Day>
  • Rides start at Coode st carpark at 6:00am (‼️SUMMER TIME‼️)
    • Development group – <not Christmas Day>
    • Short Hills (Social) – <not Christmas Day>
  • All rides start at Coode st carpark at 7:00am

Monday 26th December – Boxing Day (Christmas Day Public Holiday)

Tuesday 27th December – Boxing Day Public Holiday

Wednesday 28th December

  • Ride starts Raffles bike path at 5:30am
  • Rides start at Coode St carpark at 10:00am
    • Midweek Transitional – <returns March 2023>

Thursday 29th December

Friday 30th December

Ride Routes 7 – 13th August

Cycling is a huge part of Sam Walkers’s life, and she’s giving back to the club by being on the committee.

Here, we find out a bit more about Sam.

Name: Sam Walker
Position: Club Secretary

1. What bike do you ride?

2019 Cervelo S3 but I do like getting on my 2015 Liv Envie every now and then.

2. What brought you to cycling and to SPR? 

Liam and I had just returned from living in Kalgoorlie after 2.5 years, so we were looking to do something together and get some fitness back. A Google search of cycle clubs in our area led me to SPR in Nov 2012 and the rest is history.

3. How long have you been with the club? 

Since Nov 2012. But officially a member from 2013, I think.

4. What is your most memorable experience on the bike? 

Oh wow… far too many, but stepping on to the podium in third place for the TT at the 2018 Masters Champs was pretty special.

Also riding in the SPR women’s team with Annemiek van Vleuten the same year.

5. Why did you choose to be on the SPR committee and what do you hope to achieve as part of your role? 

Previously I was working FIFO so I wasn’t able to commit time to the club, but I’m currently studying full time and based in Perth so it was a good opportunity to join the committee this year. I’ve been a member for a number of years and think the club does a lot for its members and knowing how much work others have done in the past to ensure the club continues to run and provide for its members, it seemed only fair to jump in and help out and not leave it to the same people year after year.

6. Can you tell me a bit about your life off the bike? 

I’m studying my MBA full time and previous to that, worked FIFO as a commercial manager for a gold mining company. I’d been doing that for the last 6ish years.

I live with my husband Liam, who also rides. I also enjoy hanging with friends, eating good food and wine and travelling overseas when we’re not locked down.

From the Ride Coordinator – Well we were hoping for the best last weekend but actually got a pretty raw deal from the girls and boys at the BOM. Chapeau to those hearty souls who got out for the main and gravel rides last weekend in that weather (yes believe it or not there were some who ventured out). This Saturday looks OK – at least for the morning so we might get a ride AND a coffee in before it turns.

So this weekend’s main ride route has been the most affected by road works over the last 18 months which was about the last time we scheduled it on. Initially there were changes to lanes and a new roundabout along Belmont Avenue, then road resurfacing along its namesake, followed by a new bridge over the Roe highway on Kalamunda road and finally more road resurfacing along Midland Road. It’s had more work done on it than a Hollywood actor/actress!! Whilst there’s a few witches hats dotted along its length, we think it’s time to put Abernethy Rd back in circulation. If you haven’t ridden it before, please do yourself a favour a take a look at the ride route following the link below.

Saturday 7th August

Sunday 8th August

Monday 9th August

Tuesday 10th August

  • Ride starts under the Narrows (cityside) at 5:30am
  • Ride starts Frasers ave at 5:45am
    • Development group – interval training kings park

Wednesday 11th August

Thursday 12th August

Friday 13th August

Ride Routes 17th – 23rd July

A loyal club member and regular rider, Shirley Vine stepped into the role of club treasurer last year.

Here, she answers some questions about herself.

Name: Shirley Vine
Position: Club Treasurer

1. What bike do you ride?

I ride a purple Giant Liv with matching purple bar tape. When my friend purchased a bike shop, I wanted to be her first customer and she gave me a terrific deal as it was a demo bike.

2. What brought you to cycling and to SPR? 

I’ve been cycling my whole life. My three brothers and I always had bikes. We even brought our ‘tracker’ bikes with us when we emigrated from England in 1973. I have always ridden to school, ridden to work and competed in triathlons for many years. I was a long distance runner prior to taking up triathlons. After completing the Ironman, I joined SPR. My husband kept encouraging me to join as he signed up straight away when we moved to Perth. 

I started in Development and was only a Saturday morning rider for ages. After my first Monday ladies recovery ride, I was motivated to start riding more regularly to improve my cycling skills.

Now I am a main 2 rider and try hard in main 1.4 when not ride leading. SPR has become my cycling family.

3. How long have you been with the club? 

I joined SPR around 2013.

4. What is your most memorable experience on the bike? 

I’ve got so many it’s hard to narrow it down. I love being a ride leader, have competed in lots of races and events, criteriums, road races, gran fondos, Three Dams, Five dams, events in Brisbane, Darwin and am signed up for my 2nd Tour of Margaret River this year. I have no short twitch fibres in my muscles so prefer long distance events. I am learning how to ride faster and after feasting on this year’s Tour de France am more motivated than ever.

If I have to pick one memorable experience, I’d like to look back on my first criterium, an SPR event at Technology Park. I was beside myself with fear and trepidation. Cathi Dixon was the nominated mentor and I was dropped at the start line because I couldn’t clip in quickly enough. In my mind I was telling myself not to worry I would catch them, they would see and I got lapped twice haha. Cathi was teaching me what to do at each corner and because I was dropped I had her all to myself at the back. How funny it was. If you just keep turning up you improve and get stronger from every ride. I have overcome so much fear, I can even ride in the dark and can’t count the fun and enjoyment I have experienced finishing so many races and events, let alone the wonderful friends I have made.

5. Why did you choose to be on the SPR committee and what do you hope to achieve as part of your role? 

I have worked as a volunteer in many and varied organisations including on the committees for years and years. I was the treasurer at the Belmont RSL prior to joining the SPR committee where I learned the MYOB system of finance operations. I loved it. So I thought I would learn the Xero system by volunteering for SPR as its treasurer.

My aspirations were to improve my finance skills. I really like it and enjoy being part of running our organisation.

6. Can you tell me a bit about your life off the bike? 

Off the bike I am many things. I am married to Iain, (husband of the year). We are currently on our second honeymoon in quarantine. We have a son, Finley, his lovely wife Kimi and our 2 grandies Luna & Roland.

I work as the property department manager and in-house counsel for Retirees WA and oversee the management of 18 retirement villages stretching from Geraldton to Busselton. I am the Vice Chair on the East Perth Community Group and a volunteer rep with Lifeline. The community visitor scheme works to eradicate loneliness in the community. I was visiting Ruby, a 90 year old lady who had no family and she requested a visitor who likes to play scrabble and keep score. I was visiting her weekly for a couple of years, but she recently passed away so I am having back to back scrabble tournaments with Iain ha ha. Guess who wins?

SPR Women’s Health Talk & Afternoon Tea – Female cyclists can often encounter health issues that require careful monitoring or maintenance. Come join Dr Rachel McCormick and PhD Scholar Serene Lee to discuss these issues and how they can be managed to lessen the impact they can have on your cycling and health.

The club will be putting on afternoon tea!

Now fully subscribed – thanks everyone for supporting the club – but for more information see the full post here.

SPR Tour de France Dinner – The SPR Committee is pleased to announce that we are this year again holding our Tour de France dinner. This year at Chez Pierre.

Sorry, sold out. And with the recent lockdown, this has been re-scheduled to . Thursday 5th August (after the Tour has finished but the best we could do!). Enjoy the night!

From the Ride Coordinator – There is a saying “A week is a long time in politics”. In football terms it’s “lets take it a week at a time”. In this pandemic environment it looks as though lots can change rapidly between weekend rides so let’s just “live in the moment” and appreciate that this weekend we are able to ride in groups and share a coffee at the end. When you overlay the fact that the rubbish weather we have been experiencing may just stay away long enough to enjoy our main ride, then let’s hope we see many people out for the ride.

As for the route, well the light winds predicted mean we can pretty much choose any route and it won’t be wind affected too much so we will head south again this weekend on one of our more popular summer rides – South St.

Hoping we see you out there because you never know what will happen in a weeks time.

Saturday 17th July

Sunday 18th July

Monday 19th July

Tuesday 20th July

  • Ride starts under the Narrows (cityside) at 5:30am
  • Ride starts Frasers ave at 5:45am
    • Development group – interval training kings park

Wednesday 21st July

Thursday 22nd July

Friday 23rd July

Our ‘Ben Ben’ (à la Ride Routes 10 – 16th July)

I am sure I was not the only one who became emotional as Ben O’Connor stormed to victory on stage nine of the Tour de France. 

As the 25-year-old Freo product broke away from Columbian Sergio Higuita up the Col des Saisies, an immense pride permeated through the WA cycling community. 

This was after he’d dropped climbing great Nairo Quintana and Canadian Michael Woods, not to mention the entire peloton and the maillot jaune. 

Sleep could wait – this kid was making history. 

When commentator Robbie McEwan read out SPR member Cathi Dixon’s poem about the young-gun, my pride was amplified – go ‘Ben Ben!’. 

I interviewed Ben for The West (or here) in 2019, and he told me: “When you are young you know if you are going to be good at something and with riding I knew”. 

Out of context, such a statement could be construed as arrogant, but Ben was far from it. 

He knew his strengths and he set his sights on becoming a GC contender in the Grand Tours. 

He has performed well in the past, riding into the top 10 of the Giro – but never until now has he garnered so much attention. 

The young rider’s face was splashed across mainstream media following his win – finally Australia was paying attention to this beautiful sport. 

Even our Premier congratulated him at his daily COVID presser – a refreshing reprieve from the dispiriting public address. 

Has cycling finally made it into the hearts and minds of mainstream Australians? 

Maybe drivers will even start treating us better on the roads.

Time will tell, but I certainly hope so. 

SPR Women’s Health Talk & Afternoon Tea – Female cyclists can often encounter health issues that require careful monitoring or maintenance.  Come join Dr Rachel McCormick and PhD Scholar Serene Lee to discuss these issues and how they can be managed to lessen the impact they can have on your cycling and health. 

The club will be putting on afternoon tea!

Now fully subscribed – thanks everyone for supporting the club – but for more information see the full post here.

SPR Tour de France Dinner – The SPR Committee is pleased to announce that we are this year again holding our Tour de France dinner. This year at Chez Pierre.

Sorry, sold out. And with the recent lockdown, this has been re-scheduled to . Thursday 5th August (after the Tour has finished but the best we could do!). Enjoy the night!

From the Ride Coordinator – So for my fellow couch peletonians – what a week it’s been at the TdF. Despite the lockdown easing, the weather gods have smiled on us couchies watching Le Tour as it’s been too wet to ride in the mornings (Those on Zwift are the exception). And what inspiration have we seen from our local lads – Turbo and Beno. There’s enough inspiration there to do 2 rides on a Saturday. (Oh wait some amongst us already do!). Anyway, now it’s our turn to get out there this weekend and we hope those weather gods look after us by clearing the rain early enough for our Saturday ride and closing the window late on Sunday. Cross your fingers it happens. Whatever cycling you can fit in this weekend, please make sure you look after yourselves and your fellow riders.

Saturday 10th July

Sunday 11th July

Monday 12th July

Tuesday 13th July

  • Ride starts under the Narrows (cityside) at 5:30am
  • Ride starts Frasers ave at 5:45am
    • Development group – interval training kings park

Wednesday 14th July

Thursday 15th July

Friday 16th July

Ride Routes 26th June – 2nd July

A man who hardly needs an introduction – a true mainstay of SPR – Dean Roser. A super smooth ride leader and a friendly face I never get tired of seeing. Dean – aka “silver fox” is a true club favourite.

Here, I ask about the man behind the Bianchi.

Name: Dean Roser
Position: Training and Development

1. What bike do you ride?

It depends, either the Focus Izalco Max for the road or the Cervelo Aspero for the gravel. But my true love is my Bianchi Oltre, you can’t beat Italian passion. And no, I don’t need a MTB, my wife might have something to say if I brought home another bike.

2. What brought you to cycling and to SPR? 

Cycling has always been something that I enjoyed, but wasn’t a priority for a long time. Perhaps it was a midlife crisis that brought me back to cycling :-). Why SPR, the Sunday hills ride of course. There hasn’t been many of those that I have missed. Though now that I have the gravel bike, the hills are dirtier, partly because I keep falling off.

3. How long have you been with the club? 

I started doing the hills rides in around 2012 which then increased to the Tuesday and Thursday rides as well. I joined the club in around 2013 or 2014. I can’t remember, early onset dementia.

4. What is your most memorable experience on the bike? 

There are just so many, mainly because just being on the bike is always a pleasure when you’re out and about with your mates. Though getting the gravel bike I felt like I was 12 again, that was exciting, I still have the grin.

5. Why did you choose to be on the SPR committee and what do you hope to achieve as part of your role? 

Being on the committee is just a small way of trying to give back to the club.

6. Can you tell me a bit about your life off the bike? 

If I’m not riding, then I’m taking pictures of birds and flowers, or I’m gardening, or making things for the home or playing with the dogs. We have two French Bulldogs, they are good apartment living dogs apparently. I suppose I go to work occasionally, it just gets in the way of riding my bike.

SPR Tour de France Dinner – The SPR Committee is pleased to announce that we are this year again holding our Tour de France dinner. This year at Chez Pierre.

Sorry, sold out. Enjoy the night!

From the Ride Coordinator – OK, how cold was it this week!! Those brave souls heading out on one of our mid week rides would know exactly how cold it can get riding here in Perth in the winter. And those overnight temps don’t look like improving too much for our main ride with current forecast sitting around 5 as the minimum Friday going into Saturday so make sure you rug up if you’re doing the ride Saturday. This weeks ride route takes us through Subi, so watch out for the road works and the heavier traffic around the Hay St/Rockeby rd intersection so please be patient if their is some slowing there.

Unfortunately Sunday looks to be similar to last weekend with a wet day forecast. And that might be just as well too with the start of Le Tour for the next 3 weeks and the grand depart for the #couchpeleton also scheduled on for a Saturday evening start. Whatever riding you do, enjoy it and look after each other. Especiallyif you are sitting on the couch watching the TV. 😁

Saturday 26th June

Sunday 27th June

Monday 28th June

Tuesday 29th June

  • Ride starts under the Narrows (cityside) at 5:30am
  • Ride starts Frasers ave at 5:45am
    • Development group – interval training kings park

Wednesday 30th June

Thursday 1st July

Friday 2nd July

Ride Routes 19 – 25th June

Carol Dowse may be new to the SPR committee but she is in no way new to the club. 

Carol has been running the development group for many years and has helped countless people get into cycling. 

Here, she answers some questions about what motivates her to ride and to be part of the committee. 

Name: Carol Dowse
Position: Community Development
Bike: Focus (importantly, black and pink…)

1. What brought you to cycling and to SPR? 

It was the only way I got to see my husband – OK so there was the I need get away from the kids thing and hear the quiet outdoors.

2. How long have you been with the club? 

From the beginning of time – I have the jersey to prove it.

3. What is your most memorable experience on the bike? 

The first time I cracked 60kph barrier – I think this is the last speed barrier I will be breaking in my lifetime. Memorable.

4. Why did you choose to be on the SPR committee and what do you hope to achieve as part of your role? 

Time to give back to the club; I am very grateful to the many people who have helped me, past and present with all aspects of cycling. My goal as a committee member therefore is to motivate and support people new to cycling to participate in events both cycling and social. We have a very talented committee deeply committed to inclusiveness that supports this aim.

5. Can you tell me a bit about your life off the bike? 

Recently semi-retired and it is just wonderful – it is all it is cracked up to be. Three kids who promote safe driving around cyclists to their friends.. I’m a proud mum. Oh .. and if you can’t put it into a spreadsheet I won’t understand it!

SPR Tour de France Dinner – The SPR Committee is pleased to announce that we are this year again holding our Tour de France dinner. This year at Chez Pierre.

Read more and get in on the lucky last ticket here.

From the Ride Coordinator – So looks as though this weekend will be the tale of two very different days. Saturday morning is forecast to be a cracker but it looks like Sunday is a day for daredevil riding if you want a hills ride with the weather closing in overnight.

This winter we have been relatively lucky with the weather for our main ride on Saturday and we welcome all who want to join us again this weekend. Big numbers overall can lead to big numbers in specific groups. That’s been especially noted in our Main 2 group of late which seems to have swelled in the early winter rides. The ideal group size to ride with varies, but anything bigger than 20 in a group will slow the group down (splits at lights etc) and can lead to frustrations. Generally we like it to be around 15. To alleviate this, if numbers are large again this week we will look to split M2 in more than just the 2 large groups we have been running with. If this upsets your view of your ride with Main 2 then we do things for the safety and enjoyment of all the riders and large groups are just to unwieldy to manage on the road. So it would be appreciated if you could expect that things may be a little different and work with those ride leaders who are trying to manage the change. They are human too and are volunteering their time to try to make your ride more safe and enjoyable.

Saturday 19th June

Sunday 20th June

Monday 21st June

Tuesday 22nd June

  • Ride starts under the Narrows (cityside) at 5:30am
  • Ride starts Frasers ave at 5:45am
    • Development group – interval training kings park

Wednesday 23rd June

Thursday 24th June

Friday 25th June

Ride Routes 29th May – 4th June

For this week’s blog, we thought we would do something a little different. In an effort for you to get to know your new club president better, Claire Tyrrell has posed a series of questions. 

Stay tuned for more profiles of fellow committee members and other SPR riders. 

Name: Daniel Harvey
Position: Club President
Bike: Giant TCR

1. What brought you to cycling and to SPR? 

In my thirties, I found I needed to do more consistent work to stay fit and healthy. I had started doing multisport races with friends (Anaconda anyone?), but wanted something regular to work on fitness. I’m a bit of an extrovert by nature and found (find) group riding to be just the thing.

2. How long have you been with the club? 

Since the beginning 🙂 

I started riding on a shop ride that was the precursor to SPR. I think it was Jonny and Lennie that first introduced me (I’d been riding a Sunday ride with them for a year or so at that time).

3. What is your most memorable experience on the bike? 

Hard to pinpoint a most memorable experience, but highlights would include the early Cyclo Sportif’s that I participated in with the club as well as my first Tour of Margaret River.

4. Why did you choose to become president and what do you hope to achieve during your tenure? 

I’ve always been a believer in community, and I know what the SPR community has added to my life over the years, particularly in difficult times.

Taking on the president role is really just an opportunity to contribute in a new and slightly different way. SPR has done amazing things in its ten year history so far, but I know there are opportunities for my contribution to make a difference. For example, as the club membership has grown, we have attracted new and different members, and it is important to make sure the club continues to meet members needs as the membership changes and evolves. Safe and fun group rides are central to what draws lots (most?) of our members, but there are lots of things connected to that that I would like to see done well.

5. Can you tell me a bit about your life off the bike? 

I am married, and with my wife Ainsley have three now adult children. I work in IT, running a local SME with several partners out of West Perth. We’ve been around for just on 20 years, so we’re doing something right. I love technology and still find immense satisfaction from the work I do.

We just moved house (now in Bayswater – not that I’ve ever lived in South Perth!) and are slowly working through the remaining boxes and finding places for everything.

SPR Chicks Social Ride & Coffee – Don’t forget our SPR Chicks ride tomorrow!

Social ride starting at the Narrows Bridge (city side) and ending in Kings Park at Fraser’s restaurant for coffee. This is an approx 25km distance, 25km/hr easy pace, no drop ride. End of ride coffee is the key priority ☕️😊

This is an easy pace ride, conversational pace .. no puffing required 😆! A ride leader will give a short briefing to each group before we set off. 

Details on Facebook here.

Saturday Start Locations – As announced last week, we are moving back to the older and more condensed layout in the carpark at Coode Street for the start of the ride.

This makes communication and organisation that little bit easier.


The Rules – just a reminder that it isn’t quite business as usual – As the past week’s lockdown has shown us, it is definitely not business as usual just yet. Please keep in mind our social distancing and personal hygiene:

  • The virus can spread via human contact, so minimise the amount of touching between people and each others bikes/helmets etc.
  • No spitting, snotting or sneezing within the group. If you need to, move to the back of the group, but please look behind you to make sure that it is clear of traffic. That is all traffic, not just bikes. We don’t want some dash-cam footage of someone blowing their nose on a car.
  • Personal hygiene becomes very important in the spread of the virus so make sure that you either wash your hands whenever you can or carry a small container of hand sanitiser. Limit your exposure to common surfaces (chairs, tables) and don’t be sharing items.

SafeWA registration – Remember that for many locations and venues contact registration is mandatory. If you want to sit down for a coffee you must register your details at that premises. There are 2 ways to do this, register on a paper form, or scan a QR code on an app.
So, how do I get the app? Download the WA Government free app – SafeWA and sign up as an individual.
– Android users click here
– Apple phone users click here

Thursday Group 3 & 4 – The last few weeks we have been formalising and supporting the group 3 and 4 rides on Thursday. SPR Thursday has a reputation of being a hard and fast ride and the size of the first group today was a good indication of it’s popularity. However, we also want to provide an opportunity for people to develop and progress through the ranks, so to speak. As such the group 3 and 4 rides on Thursday now have ride leaders assigned to them to help guide people. The expected average speeds for the groups are 34k/hr and 30 k/hr or less average, respectively, so you can make a call as to which will suit you best. Organically developing rides to provide for what the needs of the group is what has contributed to the growth of the club. This is just another step along that path.

Our commitment to Core Values – We are a diverse club that made a point early on of committing to a number of core values to which we have built everything upon. These are – Safe, Inclusive, Organised & Social. It is under these values that we want all club interaction to occur, whether on the road or in cyberspace. Please read the previous post so you understand what we as a club, expect from you as members.

From the Ride Coordinator – Hope everybody enjoyed Ewen Street hill last weekend.  We also enjoyed pretty good riding conditions on Saturday morning as the threatening skies never really caused us problems for our main ride. Alas, this weekend, unfortunately it looks like those same conditions that hit us on Saturday afternoon are forecast to come in from Friday afternoon so I think our run of great riding conditions are going to come to an end this weekend.

But of course there are still some of us that don’t mind riding in conditions that are akin to a Belgium winters morning, so for all of you out there, this Saturday’s ride route is one of those that likes to take the quieter, perhaps more safe, roads on what is likely to be a wet morning. We’ve decided to schedule up Cresswell for all who are keen to ride. If you do ride, be extra careful if it’s wet. At least the coffee will taste extra special back at the Dome when you finish.

Saturday 29th May

Sunday 30th May

Monday 31st May

Tuesday 1st June

  • Ride starts under the Narrows (cityside) at 5:30am
  • Ride starts Frasers ave at 5:45am
    • Development group – interval training kings park

Wednesday 2nd June

Thursday 3rd June

Friday 4th June

Ride Routes 22nd – 28th May

If you stayed on for coffee after any SPR ride in recent months, you would have heard whispers of SEVEN. 

“What size tyres are you running? How heavy is your bike? Will you ride a cyclocross bike or a mountain-bike?” 

The anticipation was palpable.

On Sunday, the day finally came – and there was no talk of tyres or frames. We just rode our bikes.

A 45+ SPR contingent took part in the Seven, Five and Three rides – and every single one of them did the club proud. 

It was the third time I’d embarked on this epic event (though the second year I opted for Five), and it was as spectacular as ever. Weather conditions were ideal for a day out on the bike, and that’s all I tried to see it as. 

Yes, I climbed more than 3000 metres and pedalled across 125km of gravel roads, spending about 7h30m on my bicycle, but at the end of the day I was doing what I loved. 

I met some awesome, like-minded people and caught up with some old faces, I had emotional ups and downs (including two crashes), but I was happy to be out there. 

My happiness was amplified as I rolled into the finish, to see that SPR’s Kate Bonner had claimed third woman overall, Vanessa Johnson came third in her division and Deb Kempe took out first female 60+. 

Michael Bonner had an awesome ride to achieve first male 60+ and Kate Nelligan got first in her age group in Five. 

Sharing in the triumphs and tribulations of my green comrades was something special – and it was great to see how many members signed up to Seven as the event grows. 

I covered the very first Seven in 2018, when the event attracted about 250 riders – compared to an impressive 1000 plus on Sunday. 

It seems the gravel adventure will continue to grow, with rumours that accommodation for next year’s event has sold out already. 

I certainly plan to take part in next year’s Seven. Who’s with me?

Tour of Margaret River Information Session – After the ride this Saturday we are holding the first of our information sessions regarding the Tour of Margaret River 2021.

The club is seeking expressions from riders at all levels. And don’t worry if you haven’t raced before – it does not matter how fast you go!

If you are interested, curious, or just have questions, drop past Dome at 9am, and talk to Steve or one of the Committee.

And as always, contact admin@southperthrouleurs.com.au to express your interest in the event.

Giro D’Italia Dinner – SPR members enjoyed a night out at East Victoria Park’s Bella Rosa café for this year’s Giro d’talia night. 

Forty of us packed the function rooms and chatted all things life and cycling, on the rest day of the Italian grand tour. 

An Italian dress theme was encouraged, and Shirley Vine stood out from the crowd in her pink attire. 

Stay tuned for the next social event during the Tour de France. 

Saturday Start Locations – As announced last week, we are moving back to the older and more condensed layout in the carpark at Coode Street for the start of the ride.

This makes communication and organisation that little bit easier.

Bike Maintenance Session – Check out this post for an invite to SPR women who want to learn the basics when it comes to fixing and maintaining their road bike.


The Rules – just a reminder that it isn’t quite business as usual – As the past week’s lockdown has shown us, it is definitely not business as usual just yet. Please keep in mind our social distancing and personal hygiene:

  • The virus can spread via human contact, so minimise the amount of touching between people and each others bikes/helmets etc.
  • No spitting, snotting or sneezing within the group. If you need to, move to the back of the group, but please look behind you to make sure that it is clear of traffic. That is all traffic, not just bikes. We don’t want some dash-cam footage of someone blowing their nose on a car.
  • Personal hygiene becomes very important in the spread of the virus so make sure that you either wash your hands whenever you can or carry a small container of hand sanitiser. Limit your exposure to common surfaces (chairs, tables) and don’t be sharing items.

SafeWA registration – Remember that for many locations and venues contact registration is mandatory. If you want to sit down for a coffee you must register your details at that premises. There are 2 ways to do this, register on a paper form, or scan a QR code on an app.
So, how do I get the app? Download the WA Government free app – SafeWA and sign up as an individual.
– Android users click here
– Apple phone users click here

Thursday Group 3 & 4 – The last few weeks we have been formalising and supporting the group 3 and 4 rides on Thursday. SPR Thursday has a reputation of being a hard and fast ride and the size of the first group today was a good indication of it’s popularity. However, we also want to provide an opportunity for people to develop and progress through the ranks, so to speak. As such the group 3 and 4 rides on Thursday now have ride leaders assigned to them to help guide people. The expected average speeds for the groups are 34k/hr and 30 k/hr or less average, respectively, so you can make a call as to which will suit you best. Organically developing rides to provide for what the needs of the group is what has contributed to the growth of the club. This is just another step along that path.

Our commitment to Core Values – We are a diverse club that made a point early on of committing to a number of core values to which we have built everything upon. These are – Safe, Inclusive, Organised & Social. It is under these values that we want all club interaction to occur, whether on the road or in cyberspace. Please read the previous post so you understand what we as a club, expect from you as members.

From the Ride Coordinator – OK. Have the ladies and gentlemen at the BOM got the forecast right? Your immediate reaction is likely to be “well probably not” but some early modelling on a Thursday afternoon suggests we might be able to slip in a ride in the morning before the rain sets in. Cross your fingers that they are right this time around.

If they do get it right then those that go out will attempt  one of the most feared rides in our repertoire – Ewen St aka “Spewin Ewen” – nicknamed for the amount of effort that you might put in or perhaps how you feel at the top. I’m not sure it deserves such a fearsome reputation. It’s a cracker of a hill don’t get me wrong – but the elevation across the ride isn’t our worst. Perhaps I just haven’t tried hard enough to enter the red zone? If you haven’t done it before, come see for yourself and you be the judge. The view from the top looking back is good, but it’s the downhill on the other side that’s better 😀. If you choose to ride, make it safe and enjoyable. Hope to see you for coffee if the rain holds off.

Saturday 22nd May

Sunday 23rd May

Monday 24th May

Tuesday 25th May

  • Ride starts under the Narrows (cityside) at 5:30am
  • Ride starts Frasers ave at 5:45am
    • Development group – interval training kings park

Wednesday 26th May

Thursday 27th May

Friday 28th May

Ride Routes 15th – 21st May

If you only do one road race this year, the Tour of Margaret River should be it.

The event, entering its 13th year, captures everything I love about road riding.

You work in teams of six, so there’s no room for selfish riders or too much ego, among some of WA’s most picturesque roads around Nannup and Balingup. The event changes slightly in format each year, but in 2020 featured three team time trails and two road races over three days.

Before you switch off and think the event is just for elite riders – think again.

TOMR caters for riders at every level, from those dipping their toe into the world of racing to professionals.

And that’s the beauty of it – it’s a chance for Perth’s cycling community to converge, to share a laugh on and off the bike away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Organisers Rebecca Cotton and Brendon Morrison and their army of volunteers do an amazing job of drawing support for the event – in the past it has attracted global cycling superstars Annemiek van Vleuten and Marrianne Vos.

Personally, I have ridden this event three times, and each experience was markedly different. In 2017, I rode it with the club – with Rebecca Kelly, Kate Bonner, Kathryn Dines, Ali Ramm and Leigh Outschoorn. We worked well together to finish second in our division – being pipped by Veris by just seconds in the final team time trial.

For me, the camaraderie of the club was a highlight. Cold cokes under the SPR tent, the volunteers in green and my ever-smiling SPR buddies – it’s a blast!

This year’s tour is from 5-7 November, with provisional stages already released.

The club is seeking expressions from riders at all levels. And don’t worry if you haven’t raced before – it does not matter how fast you go!

Contact admin@southperthrouleurs.com.au to express your interest in the event. We will be posting more, and aiming for an information session soon, but we would love to hear from you.

Last chance to take us up on an invitation to join us for our Giro D’Italia Dinner. Last chance because the dinner is next week, and also because we have sold nearly all of the tickets, so if you’re interested … get in quick!

Saturday Start Locations – As announced last week, we are moving back to the older and more condensed layout in the carpark at Coode Street for the start of the ride.

This makes communication and organisation that little bit easier.

Bike Maintenance Session – Check out this post for an invite to SPR women who want to learn the basics when it comes to fixing and maintaining their road bike.


The Rules – just a reminder that it isn’t quite business as usual – As the past week’s lockdown has shown us, it is definitely not business as usual just yet. Please keep in mind our social distancing and personal hygiene:

  • The virus can spread via human contact, so minimise the amount of touching between people and each others bikes/helmets etc.
  • No spitting, snotting or sneezing within the group. If you need to, move to the back of the group, but please look behind you to make sure that it is clear of traffic. That is all traffic, not just bikes. We don’t want some dash-cam footage of someone blowing their nose on a car.
  • Personal hygiene becomes very important in the spread of the virus so make sure that you either wash your hands whenever you can or carry a small container of hand sanitiser. Limit your exposure to common surfaces (chairs, tables) and don’t be sharing items.

SafeWA registration – Remember that for many locations and venues contact registration is mandatory. If you want to sit down for a coffee you must register your details at that premises. There are 2 ways to do this, register on a paper form, or scan a QR code on an app.
So, how do I get the app? Download the WA Government free app – SafeWA and sign up as an individual.
– Android users click here
– Apple phone users click here

Thursday Group 3 & 4 – The last few weeks we have been formalising and supporting the group 3 and 4 rides on Thursday. SPR Thursday has a reputation of being a hard and fast ride and the size of the first group today was a good indication of it’s popularity. However, we also want to provide an opportunity for people to develop and progress through the ranks, so to speak. As such the group 3 and 4 rides on Thursday now have ride leaders assigned to them to help guide people. The expected average speeds for the groups are 34k/hr and 30 k/hr or less average, respectively, so you can make a call as to which will suit you best. Organically developing rides to provide for what the needs of the group is what has contributed to the growth of the club. This is just another step along that path.

Our commitment to Core Values – We are a diverse club that made a point early on of committing to a number of core values to which we have built everything upon. These are – Safe, Inclusive, Organised & Social. It is under these values that we want all club interaction to occur, whether on the road or in cyberspace. Please read the previous post so you understand what we as a club, expect from you as members.

From the Ride Coordinator – So many of the regular riders with SPR will be heading down Nannup way this weekend for the epic gravel/off road event SeVen. If ever you wanted to set yourself a challenge, it is this event with the signature event covering 125kms, over 3000 meters of elevation and 10 categorized climbs over the distance. Phew, I’m exhausted just thinking about it as I’m typing. Of course there are options for shorter courses but whatever the choice it’s a real achievement to finish. So to all the SPR members who are attempting it this weekend (& there are quite a few), good luck to you all and we hope to see you riding back in our groups next week 👍🏻

For those wanting a good hit out around Perth this Saturday morning, whilst not quite as epic, we still have a little challenging ride up Hale and Ridgehill Rds for you with a tail wind finish along Guildford Rd. Remember to familiarize yourself with the route. All it takes is a click on the link below and a quick scan of the route to put you in the picture and maximize your own safety by knowing the route. Please don’t put your own safety in other peoples hands by hoping the rider next to you knows where they are going because you don’t. As ride leaders we see near misses happening all the time and all we are trying to do is make sure you have an enjoyable and safe ride. Something that’s a bit difficult if you’re skidding along the road surface because you’ve clipped a wheel or someone has cut you off. So familiarize yourself with the route and we can enjoy a coffee together at Dome afterwards.

Saturday 15th May

Sunday 16th May

Monday 17th May

Tuesday 18th May

  • Ride starts under the Narrows (cityside) at 5:30am
  • Ride starts Frasers ave at 5:45am
    • Development group – interval training kings park

Wednesday 19th May

Thursday 20th May

Friday 21th May