All posts by Daniel Harvey

Ride Routes 12 – 18th June

Leave a comment

So I don’t know about all of you reading this, but whilst I am not a sugar cube – dissolving at the first drop of water I come into contact with – the wet weather certainly affects my riding.

I don’t like to leave for a ride in heavy rain, and on weeks like the last couple, this does make it difficult to get enough training kilometres into my week, especially with a few work constraints coming into play.

And if it wasn’t wet, it was cold. I like the cold, but it is not every day that we have “10 degrees, feels like 3 degrees” reports from my Weather App.

Welcome to winter.

If you are looking for cycling opportunities, whether it is a fondo or racing, there is plenty on. Many SPR riders were racing last weekend in the Goldfields Cyclassic or the Margaret River XCO, and this weekend Midland Cycle Club are running one of their classic races, the Midland 100. And in the WestCycle WA State Fondo Series there is Round 1 Swan Valley this Sunday. Entries have closed for the fondo, but the Midland 100 is open until midday tomorrow (Friday).

One more reminder, we are keen to close out our TOMR 2021 teams in the near future, so if you are interested, please get in touch via the Race Subcommittee (Steve) or Women’s Interests Subcommittee (Amanda). And keep your eye out for a survey next week.

Let me finish with some footage from the Goldfields Cyclassic last weekend. This is SPR’s Kate Bonner leading out the finish for Darcie Richards for the Velofit Australia Racing Team, complete with commentary.

Enjoy.

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.

There are not many tickets (sorry, this is what we could arrange), but there are about a dozen still available!

Read me and get your ticket here.

From the Ride Coordinator – Well it is winter now and we know we get most of our precious rainfall in the next 3 months but I just hope that those sunny “windows” appear on Saturday and Sunday mornings instead of mid week. So last weekend we were lucky, this weekend is looking a little “iffy” (yes that’s a bureau of meteorology technical term) but I am ever hopeful of getting the rides in that we have planned after a what has been a wet and windy week.

Recently we’ve had a spate of rides heading through our northern suburbs with favorable wind conditions for those rides but this week we will put “The South” back into South Perth Rouleurs by sticking close to our namesake and enjoying the Canning Vale and Welshpool route. Please do yourself a favour and have a quick glance at the route so you know where you are going. Feedback from some groups last week was that a few took a wrong turn so for your own peace of mind and the safety of there group, please make sure you know where you’re going. Garmin doesn’t always get it right! Whatever cycling you do, enjoy it and look out for each other.

Saturday 12th June

Sunday 13th June

Monday 14th June

Tuesday 15th June

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

Wednesday 16th June

Thursday 17th June

Friday 18th June

Ride Routes 5th – 11th June

Leave a comment

Today, we have another wonderful SEVEN story to share with you. This one comes from Nicki du Plessis, and is an inspirational read. Enjoy!

As you may have heard or read by now, SEVEN is a very special event. Not only does it offer many of the challenges any all-round cyclist can hope for, it also offers breathtaking vantage points and majestic views that stretch for miles. As I have often quipped to anyone that will listen, if offers very vivid glimpses of utopia – picturesque landscapes that one can only dream of.

Anyway, as I have probably used up all the poetic licence any cyclist worth their VO2 max can bear, SEVEN offers a range of challenges across 3 unique courses fondly referred to as THREE (approx. 50km and 1100m climb), FIVE (approx. 85km and 1700m climb) and SEVEN (approx. 124km and 3800m climb).

I entered THREE for the first time in 2020 without much training beforehand, and managed to finish the almost 52km route, including 1,020m elevation, in 4hrs and 7 minutes. I must admit it included several walking breaks, pushing my MTB up those pesky hills, but at least it gave me the opportunity to take in my surroundings, commiserate with other riders who were struggling with me and appreciate what preparation I will need if I wanted to attempt SEVEN one day…in the distant future…

This year I decided to enter THREE again with a mindset of not walking at all. In February, I started training cycling coach, Sarah Hunter, from Hunter PT, and together we worked on improving my power and making me stronger through a variety of indoor and outdoor, road and MTB cycling workouts.  My husband (Herman) and I also visited Nannup a number of times in the lead up to the event to complete training rides on parts of the actual course – this was invaluable as I felt well prepared, not just physically but mentally too.

When race day finally arrived, we were greeted by a beautiful day – not too hot or too cold – just right as Goldilocks would say.  As I had set myself the target of completing the event in under 4 hours I was somewhat disappointed when I reached the first hill and got off the bike to walk the last little effort – did I mention that I do take a while to warm up – that’s my excuse anyway!

Once the first serious ascent was out of the way I felt more relaxed and comfortable, and tried to make up for lost time by completing the descents as quickly as possible by relying on my Scott Spark’s trusty full suspension and just going for it – with a slight degree of caution of course!

When I reached the 32km mark, I was slightly disappointed when I cycled over Reveley bridge which signalled that I had exited the forest plantations and was now on my way back to Nannup. The worst of the hill climbing was behind me although I still encountered a few little short, shart “surprises” along the way – but as I was heading home I was focussed on completing the race in under 4 hours.

When I reached the single track, I realised I had clear air ahead of me and just tried to smash it out as fast as I could in order to reach the finish line.  I am happy to report I finished in 3 hours and 17 minutes and 3rd female in my age group.

Next year I will be attempting FIVE, the 85km route, and who knows what 2023 holds… perhaps I will be ready to tackle SEVEN, after all as a Dad told his little girl when she asked how many hills were left, “it’s all downhill; except for the uphill bits!”

Photo credit: Race finish photo by Daniela Tommasi Photography.

Swan Valley Fondo – The Swan Valley Fondo is back as part of the WestCycle WA series, and coming up on Sunday 13 June 2021.

Gather a few like-minded cyclists and create a team or just jump in yourself.

Read the full post here, and reach out to Carol on the Community Development email address (comdev@southperthrouleurs.com.au) if you have any questions.

Kit Order Closing Soon – The current order is closing soon – midnight on 7 June to be specific.

Check out all of our kit, including the new range of socks, with a special mention to the SPR Chicks socks.

And for those of you waiting on an order delivery, you should have received an email letting you know that orders have arrived and are available for pickup at R&D Speedshop (unless you had it posted, of course).

From the Ride Coordinator – Chapeau to those 8-9 brave souls who ventured out into the weather last Saturday for the main ride (you know who you are 👏👏 ) You were probably still cleaning the gunk off the bike by the time the second front hit on Sunday but that doesn’t take away from your adventurous spirit.

This week it’s looking a lot better so hoping those that are yet to brave a chilly morning or anyone spending too much time as part of the couch peloton for the Giro/Dauphine double, can come riding with us this week.

I looked back on when we last scheduled this ride (Alexander Drive) and it was end of June 2020 as we were climbing out of the national lock down and getting back to our “COVID normal”. Whilst lots has changed in the world since then, it appears 12 months on, we are still literally a breath away from lockdowns and/or potential worsening health so we should appreciate the opportunity to ride when we can.

Speaking of such, this weekend the club is providing a plethora of choices to ride starting with the monthly Saturday Hills ride (note start at 6.30 from the car park) and finishing with the long weekend public holiday ride on Monday. It’s a great state we live in, so let’s ride to celebrate it. Whatever ride you choose to do this weekend make sure it’s a safe one, enjoy it and be thankful we can share it with others.

Saturday 5th June

Sunday 6th June

Monday 7th June

Tuesday 8th June

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

Wednesday 9th June

Thursday 10th June

Friday 11th June

Ride Routes 8th – 14th May

Leave a comment

It seems like we’ve been here before. Take 2: Transitioning out of lockdown the repeat edition. But you won’t hear me complaining, I am just glad to be able to ride this weekend, mask not required. Benara Road anyone??!!

In reading through the Premier’s announcement, and the details of the significant easing of restrictions, the part that stood out for me most was this: “People will be able to have up to 100 people in their homes, up from 30.” I don’t know about anyone else, but I’ve rarely if ever had 30 people over, let alone 100 – even when SPR Breakfasts were held at Peter’s house I don’t think we got to 100 bikes in Peter’s garage 🙂

A couple of things to mention; first up, we would love for you to join us for our Giro D’Italia Dinner. We’ve sold nearly half of the tickets, so plenty of space for you to come along, but keep in mind that Cafe Bella Rosa has a hard limit on space so we cannot increase the number of tickets once they have sold out.

Secondly, congratulations to everyone who raced in the 78th Tom Lowry Memorial Road Race held Saturday just gone by Collie Cycle Club. We had a huge turnout from the club, with 36 riders from the club racing across the grades. We achieved podiums in Women’s A Grade (congratulations Teneal Attard and Sarah Fowler!), Women’s B Grade (congratulations Larissa Boon and Di McAuliffe!), Men’s D (Darren Wallis!) and Men’s A (Mat Wardynec making the extended podium!) with strong performances across the board.

Check out the full results here and here. And there are some amazing photos here thanks to PB Photography.

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:

  • Whilst we are during the transition out of lockdown, masks are required indoors and outdoors if you cannot social distance.
  • 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.S

From the Ride Coordinator – Now that those strong winds we’ve experienced across the Summer and early Autumn are abating, it opens up a few more of our ride options to choose from – or you might think? It’s often an interesting jigsaw to pull apart and put back together for the chosen route every week. There’s many variables to consider, including member preference, when was stage last time we rode the route, wind, weather conditions, sun in your eyes etc etc. Right now though, our biggest challenge to a lot of our routes are road works. I mentioned it a few weeks ago when we had the unexpected closure of Thomas street and the safety concerns that such an event can have on the ride. Well this week’s route is another of those that is impacted by road works. This time it’s the corner of Coode and Whatley due to the metro net construction around Bayswater Station. So as you crest the brow of the hill on Coode keep an eye out for any disruption or congestion ahead caused by the work that is going on because this can be a fast little stretch heading towards the Whatley intersection. Hopefully there are no issues  but at the moment, it might be better to “expect the unexpected” again and play it a little cautious around there. We hope to see everyone back safe for coffee.

Saturday 8th May

Sunday 9th May

Monday 10th May

Tuesday 11th May

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

Wednesday 12th May

Thursday 13th May

Friday 14th May

Ride Routes 1st – 7th May

The Premier has tonight announced what is hopefully the final transition out of lockdown. This is good news, as is the report that there has been no community transmission.

This means that we can ride. And we can have coffee afterward. Very good news.

There are a few things to keep in mind though, please. Bring a mask – we are required to wear masks indoors and if we can’t social distance outdoors for the next week. Social distancing may be necessary at Coode Street for the start of the ride and at least some of the time at Dome for coffee (required indoors but not outdoors in the alfresco area).

Toby has confirmed that Dome will be open.

It’s been a hard week for CBD hospitality businesses, and Dome has been no exception, so come along and make sure Saturday morning bucks the trend 🙂

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. Keep in mind that with the transitional arrangements, if you can’t adequately social distance you will need to wear your mask as we gather before the ride starts.

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:

  • Whilst we are during the transition out of lockdown, masks are required indoors and outdoors if you cannot social distance.
  • 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.S

From the Ride Coordinator – Just a short note for me this week as the conditions should be similar to last week (albeit a little cooler) so we will run the same routes as we were going to do last weekend.

Couple of things to note:

  1. It is the first Saturday in the month so we will be running the short hills on Saturday option that we missed last month due to Easter. Ride leaves Coode Street 30 mins earlier at 6.30am.
  2. Last weeks note about the intersection of Scarbs Beach and Loftus is worth another mention. This routes goes straight across onto London Street, it does not turn left onto Scarbs Beach. Please familiarise yourself with the route so you know what to do there and avoid any confusion which can lead to accidents.

We often take it all for granted (given what happened last weekend) so please enjoy your riding when you can. Whatever you choose to do, do it safely.

Saturday 1st May

Sunday 2nd May

Monday 3rd May

Tuesday 4th May

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

Wednesday 5th May

Thursday 6th May

Friday 7th May

Resuming Group Rides during Interim Restrictions

The government released the formal (legal) direction regarding this week late yesterday, and the Committee has given it a careful read. There seems to be some confusion, but our read is that the 20-person gathering limit does not apply for sporting activities – provided that we do not have spectators.

On this basis, we will proceed with group rides this week.

The Committee will continue to monitor the situation and should advice change to the contrary we will advise as soon as possible. In the interim, stay safe and keep an eye out for further updates.

Important: Please ensure that you bring a mask to the ride to wear whilst waiting at the start and finish of the ride.

See you out on the bike.

Daniel

For those interested in a little light (!) reading:

  1. Announcement – End of lockdown in Perth and Peel
  2. The formal bit – Safe transition for Western Australia Directions (No 2)

Ride routes 17th – 23rd April

We had our first committee meeting tonight (so this blog is a little behind schedule). I am pleased to announce the new roles that committee members have taken on.

May I introduce:

  • Membership & Communications – Claire Tyrrell
  • Community Development – Carol Dowse
  • Women’s Interests – Amanda Nabi
  • Race – Steve Burns
  • Ride Coordinator – Greg Jones
  • Training & Development – Dean Roser
  • Kit – Andrew Ballam
  • General – Tom Goerke

I would also like to put out a call for subcommittee members for:

  • Community Development Subcommittee
  • Women’s Interests Subcommittee
  • Race Subcommittee
  • Kit Subcommittee
  • Ride Leader Subcommittee

This is a great opportunity for members to get more involved in SPR. Not only do you have the opportunity to contribute to the life of the club, but you have a forum to input into and influence the direction of these aspects of SPR.

If you are interested, please contact us via Messenger on our Facebook page or email admin@southperthrouleurs.com.au.

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 business as usual.

As we progress through WA’s phased approach to reopening, how the club interacts within itself and the wider community will also change.
Rightly or wrongly, the lack of community transmission in the state has meant that a lot of the social distancing rules have disappeared. As such we want to streamline what the requirements are from a club perspective. Basically there are 3 main things we want people to keep in mind.

  • 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 – As the state opens up to more interstate travelers, the risk of community spread could possibly increase. Contact tracing is an important way to contain the virus in case it finds it’s way into the community. 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
We have had it pretty good in WA so far. Lets make sure that we can open up safely.

AusCycling Memberships – As of November last year, Cycling Australia ceased to exist and AusCycling was formed to combine multiple disciplines of cycling together. To be part of the national organisation, our club has joined Auscycling and memberships and renewals are now available though it. As such we have updated the memberships page to reflect the membership types and approximate costs. There are now 4 types of licence – Lifestyle, Race off-road, Race all discipline & Non riding. On top of this there is also a Club Add-On where you can join SPR if you are a member of another club, like Peel or RCCC. This is similar to our Extraordinary membership (which still exists for other orgs) but has been formalised a bit.

EDIT: There has been a bit of confusion around the clubs relationship with Westcycle as some people have opted for a Westcycle licence and have linked to SPR as their club. Our club is affiliated with the national body which is AusCycling, but we do have a tenuous link back to the state body which is Westcycle. We are currently working out what that means for members in regards to the rights that they have within the club (voting, committee positions, etc). Until we clarify that, just be assured that your insurance is still valid and you are still free to ride with the club.

Community Cycling Survey 2021 – The WA government (the Office of the Auditor General) is conducting a survey to help inform a current audit on cycling in the Perth area. It focuses on 2 key areas: (a) the bicycle network, and (b) state and local government work to promote cycling as a safe and viable mode of transport.

The survey is particularly interested in the cities of Perth, Cockburn, Bayswater and Kalamunda but invites contributions more broadly.

It will only take about 15 minutes to complete, so check it out. You have until 4 pm on 19 April 2021.

https://audit.wa.gov.au/auditing-in-wa/have-your-say/

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.

Where do i need to stand again?

Saturday Start Locations – In order to facilitate any expected changes to gathering rules, the Saturday start location were modified when group riding resumed in 2020. We still want to maintain the separation between groups as much as possible and as such will continue to start the fast and main 1 on one side of the carpark with main 2-3, trannies & novice on the other. If you are new to our Saturday group rides, click on the photo to see where each group needs to congregate.

From the Ride Coordinator – What a difference a week makes to the weather forecast. Unfortunately last weekend proved to be challenging for riders with a strong easterly on Saturday and a wash out Sunday. Because of this we will push “repeat” for the choice of Hills rides with the Zig Zag again on the menu. Whilst the easterly will be with us again on Saturday, it shouldn’t be nearly as strong so Morley Drive will be the choice. Expect numbers will be up this week as it looks like it’s going to be great riding conditions. If you choose to ride with us this weekend, make it a good one and enjoy your cycling.

Saturday 17th April

Sunday 18th April

Monday 19th April

Tuesday 20th April

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

Wednesday 21st April

Thursday 22nd April

Friday 23rd April

Ride routes 3rd – 9th April

So. Definitely the beginning of a new era. If you have a look at the photo of the new committee, it is most definitely a feature that @elprez is absent.

I said this last Saturday at our AGM, but it is worth repeating here. It was not for the sake of raw ambition for the role of president that I have taken it on, but I most definitely believe in SPR and what it represents collectively for us as members. Cycling has been a significant part of my life since I seriously took it up as a sport around 2008 – I can’t tell you the precise date as I did not have a Garmin at that time (my earliest ride on Strava is 2010). What I can tell you is that my first SPR ride was a Thursday morning fast ride from which I was dropped in Dalkeith – and for which Peter had the group wait for me to get back on as he knew it was my first ride. I’ve done a few rides since then, and Peter and I have become good friends since that time.

But more that physical health and fitness, SPR has been an essential part of my mental health. There is something about the single-minded focus of holding a wheel that, even in the most stressful of times, allows me to take some space from all of the other things that at times crowd my life. And those that pay attention will have noticed, I rarely ride solo as I enjoy too much the company of friends. It will be different things for many of you, but I know that SPR has been successful for the fact that many others appreciate what we do as a club.

Thank you Peter. I would also add my thanks to Rob, Nancy and Teneal who have also stepped off the committee at the AGM last week. Your contributions are appreciated.

One of the things that we have discussed at committee is how we go forward with the weekly blog.

Clearly, we will continue to publish the blog each Thursday 🙂

Equally, for those of you that know the ebb and flow of my life, it would be inviting disappointment for me personally to attempt to emulate the discipline and reliability of Peter’s consistent production of weekly blog posts. I’m not completely inexperienced – having written several ride reports (as they used to be called – for proof, see here and here) among other things – but Peter is completely out of my league. More on that later.

Enjoy the long weekend, and see you on the bike.

The Rules – just a reminder that it isn’t business as usual.

As we progress through WA’s phased approach to reopening, how the club interacts within itself and the wider community will also change.
Rightly or wrongly, the lack of community transmission in the state has meant that a lot of the social distancing rules have disappeared. As such we want to streamline what the requirements are from a club perspective. Basically there are 3 main things we want people to keep in mind.

  • 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 – As the state opens up to more interstate travelers, the risk of community spread could possibly increase. Contact tracing is an important way to contain the virus in case it finds it’s way into the community. 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
We have had it pretty good in WA so far. Lets make sure that we can open up safely.

AusCycling Memberships – As of November last year, Cycling Australia ceased to exist and AusCycling was formed to combine multiple disciplines of cycling together. To be part of the national organisation, our club has joined Auscycling and memberships and renewals are now available though it. As such we have updated the memberships page to reflect the membership types and approximate costs. There are now 4 types of licence – Lifestyle, Race off-road, Race all discipline & Non riding. On top of this there is also a Club Add-On where you can join SPR if you are a member of another club, like Peel or RCCC. This is similar to our Extraordinary membership (which still exists for other orgs) but has been formalised a bit.

EDIT: There has been a bit of confusion around the clubs relationship with Westcycle as some people have opted for a Westcycle licence and have linked to SPR as their club. Our club is affiliated with the national body which is AusCycling, but we do have a tenuous link back to the state body which is Westcycle. We are currently working out what that means for members in regards to the rights that they have within the club (voting, committee positions, etc). Until we clarify that, just be assured that your insurance is still valid and you are still free to ride with the club.

Life Members for 2021 – At our AGM last Saturday I announced on behalf of the 2020 Committee the admission of Peter, Julian and Rob as life members of the club. It seems fitting that the very first life member is @elprez. For those who missed this auspicious occasion, have a read of this post.

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.

Where do i need to stand again?

Saturday Start Locations – In order to facilitate any expected changes to gathering rules, the Saturday start location were modified when group riding resumed in 2020. We still want to maintain the separation between groups as much as possible and as such will continue to start the fast and main 1 on one side of the carpark with main 2-3, trannies & novice on the other. If you are new to our Saturday group rides, click on the photo to see where each group needs to congregate.

From the Ride Coordinator – It’s a great time of the year for cycling. Mornings are a little cooler and you get some of the best sun rises on the EBR rides, some just take your breath away. With the Easter break giving us a couple of extra cycling days, for those that are not going away, it looks like it’s going to be a great opportunity to get out on your bike with lots of choices. Good Friday we are spoiled with choice with either of the EBR, VP or public holiday ride to choose from and again on Monday with EBR and/or the Public holiday ride. In between we have our normal Saturday and Sunday schedule. Whatever cycling you do over the long weekend, make it a good one and look after tour safety. Happy Easter everyone.

(Please note the Saturday Hills ride option will not be run this month due to the VP ride and the long weekend)

Saturday 3rd April

Sunday 4th April

Monday 5th April – Easter Monday

Tuesday 6th April

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

Wednesday 7th April

Thursday 8th April

Friday 9th April

SPR Life Members for 2021

At our AGM last Saturday I announced on behalf of the 2020 Committee the admission of Peter, Julian and Rob as life members of the club. It seems fitting that the very first life member is @elprez. For those who missed this auspicious occasion, have a read below of their citations.

Peter Mah

Peter was the inaugural President of the South Perth Rouleurs in 2009, and has been has been instrumental in the life and ethos of the club since that time. He was key in setting the original direction and has provided consistent, strong and visionary leadership in the role of President from inception through to his retirement from the Committee in 2021. In many ways, Peter’s involvement personally has provided the “face” of SPR in the eyes of both club members and the public. Peter was actively involved in the running of events, from the Water Tower Challenge (an innovation of the club and Peter in particular) through to the conduct of the “Tech Park Criteriums” that were a feature of the summer racing scene for a number of years. Notably, Peter has authored the club’s “ride routes blog” released every Thursday evening for many years, something that has become so much a part of the culture of the club that people get worried if the blog post runs late. Not to mention that over that time, Peter has also ridden 145,000 km. Peter was admitted as a Life Member of the South Perth Cycle Club in 2021.

Julian Johnson

Julian was an inaugural member of the South Perth Rouleurs in 2009 and Vice President from 2010. He has played a key role in the leadership of the club from that time until his retirement from the Committee in 2020. Julian has provided a steady hand and reliable advice to the club over that time. Throughout his tenure, Julian has been a consistent contributor to the club’s regular rides, always prepared to put up his hand and take responsibility for leading rides or taking steps to ensure that rides are safe and enjoyable. In addition to his contributions on and off the bike, during his time with SPR Julian has ridden 140,000 km, many of these in the Perth hills, his favourite. In recognition of this love, Julian was instrumental in starting the club’s Vice Presidents Ride which runs at Easter. Julian is known for his love of zinc and his willingness to wear maximally mismatching kit. Julian was admitted as a Life Member of the South Perth Cycle Club in 2021.

Rob Ramsden

Rob was an inaugural member of the South Perth Rouleurs in 2009, a member of the Committee 2012 through 2013, and then again from 2016 through 2020 taking on the Training and Development role. In particular, Rob was responsible for bringing his “day job” expertise to the club in the development and execution of the club’s Ride Leader Program. This program is an innovation of SPR that seeks to enable the club to put on regular group rides for which safety and organisation are highlights. The program enables the club to train ride leaders, and then promote and recognise them as a key part of club life. Rob was both the author and the driver behind this program, which has been hugely successful and is today a key part of the life, ethos and culture of the South Perth Rouleurs. Other notable contributions include work on the organising committee for the club’s 10-year anniversary as well as volunteering & marshalling for many of the club’s races & events. Rob has been a regular rider with club and a regular Ride Leader himself – though it is recognised by most that he is allergic to any form of inclement weather. Rob was admitted as a Life Member of the South Perth Cycle Club in 2021.

Our commitment to core values

As a committee, we are proud of the community that South Perth Rouleurs embodies. It is something that we have been intentional about from the beginning, and it is something that we know from listening to club members is important to many, if not all, of you.

It is for this reason that I am writing on behalf of the committee now. In our role as leaders within the SPR community, we felt it was worth re-visiting our values and the guidelines that we have put in place to help our community operate in a way that is consistent with those values.

The club has four core values: Safe. Inclusive. Organised. Social.

One of things we discovered over time, particularly as social media increased in popularity, was that it was important to write down clear expectations of behaviour. In 2016, we put together our Community Guidelines to help with this process of communication.

I encourage everyone to (re-)read these guidelines if you have any doubts as to the type of behaviour expected within our online communities and in-person on our rides.

In particular, I would like to highlight inclusivity and our guidelines that ask everyone to avoid portraying any person in a negative light based on their age, colour, gender, national origin, physical or mental disability, race, religion or sexual preference.

Recently, there have been several instances where we have observed casual racism occurring within our social media conversations on official SPR sites/groups. If you are not aware of what this looks like, please take some time to read about this form of racism; perhaps here or here or here.

Some would say that reference to “casual” racism is unhelpful because the term diminishes the importance of describing the actions as racism. I have used the term here as it does emphasise the fact that this form of racism occurs in everyday conversation and is not overt, often occurring as a joke or off-hand comment. It is often not intentional.

None of this changes the fact that it represents a form of racism – something that is clear when the comments are examined in terms of the perception by others and their impact on the individuals/groups targeted by the comments – and as such, is something that we do not want within the SPR community.

In some of the recent examples, this has been clear when other members have pushed back individually against comments made – something I think that represents healthy dialogue and for which I am thankful. We have also spoken personally with the people involved – we feel it is important to both hear everyone’s point of view but also communicate clearly the club’s expectations on these important issues. The committee also felt it appropriate to comment specifically and publicly through this blog post.

We ask that everyone contribute, whether online or on the bike, toward ensuring that SPR is inclusive and welcoming to all.

Please keep in mind that we are explicitly not singling anyone out in making these comments, and ask that no one else does either. We explicitly want our community to be an inclusive one that allows everyone the space to participate and the space to collectively learn and improve together.

On behalf of the SPR Committee.

Daniel Harvey

Club committees, AGMs and getting involved

Hey. I’d planned on doing this post to stimulate discussion around involvement at the AGM and in the SPR Committee for the upcoming year. I thought I’d missed the boat, but some discussion online encouraged me to finish it off and put it up. And this is 2019 – social media will mean everyone will have read it by 11am.

I want to put the invitation out again for people to put their hand up and get involved in the running of the club. The AGM is tomorrow.

I have several slants on this:

  1. We have nominations, as it stands now, for most of the positions, and in particular, the key positions. This means that if you step up, you are NOT taking on something huge without support. The club has a solid foundation, but also space for your ideas and contributions.
  2. Having said that, we do not have nominations for every possible position on the committee. This means that as it stands, if you nominate, you will be welcomed and there is space and room for your input, hard work and contributions.
  3. Not having all positions filled, as it stands now, also means that the AGM is not likely to need votes as popularity contests to choose the star team from dozens of nominations. That would be nice (maybe) but for community clubs like ours this is often not the case – for varying reasons, but often because people are generally happy and don’t want to presume to take over or change what is working.
  4. The final slant I’ll mention is one that elPrez mentions specifically. Even for positions where we have nominations (existing members such as elPrez or myself – and I am seeking to continue on the committee), the positions are open to a vote. If members of our community want to see change, they (you) have a voice, a vote and a responsibility to show up at the AGM and make that voice heard.

So feel free to nominate. You are invited. You will be welcome. And even for the fact that we have some things in our club sorted and with some history (did anyone say 10 years?!), we want and need new ideas, new contributors and new leaders. Change is inevitable.

And let me say one last thing, which is a big one for me personally. As a committee we have to be able to work together, but if you see things differently (or think you do) to me (or anyone else on the committee) do not let that discourage your getting involved. I strongly believe that diversity of opinion and thought can be constructive and is essential to growth and progress. And I think that in most cases, SPR does that really well.

So what’s involved you ask?

The key parts of being on the committee:

  1. Meet. A committee meeting of 1.5 hours every 6-8 weeks. We’re working hard to run these meetings effectively so we get things done but don’t waste people’s time. And still manage to get up a 4:30am the following morning to get a ride in (OK, 5 for people who live closer to South Perth than I do :)).
  2. Slack. Be a part of the SPR Committee Slack. For those that don’t know, Slack is like Facebook Groups and we have “Slack channels” for most aspects of club life e.g. #club_rides (if we have a win or a problem on a morning ride, you will hear about it here first, almost guaranteed). This enables committee members to be involved, make decisions, etc online between meetings. And when you’re at work you can set it to silent (or not – your choice on managing boundaries).
  3. Contribute. We are looking for people that are prepared to contribute. Events, races and programs don’t happen by themselves – you get the idea. And this stuff is fulfilling – we have lots of achievements that SPR as a club has achieved, but also things that individuals have contributed to – think Tour of Margaret River, The Beverley, Ride Leader Program, hundreds of people wanting to show up on group rides, club coaches, club mentors, social events, club kit. We have an honour roll of contributions for which people have worked hard and for which they are and should be proud.
  4. Communicate. Everyone has a life, a family, a training program and a job (that order right?). And these things can go in waves. We all get that. A key for us is to try to communicate about what we can and can’t do. Some things take longer than we want or intend – this is true for all of us (me definitely!) – our objective is to aim to communicate expectations and boundaries clearly. Just part of being an effective (100% volunteer) team.
  5. Question. Most of the great things SPR has achieved happen because someone asks a really good “what if?” or “how can we do this better?” question. Things like: How safe are our rides? What can be improved? How can we better support women taking up riding? Racing? How can our group rides meet members needs better? How can we support and encourage more racing? (If people are keen but unsure) What does it mean to have “racing teams” associated with the club? How can we get the best out of that whilst keeping a level playing field? How can we communicate more effectively?

Now. People often want to help and will “dip the toe” in small roles before stepping into bigger roles once they are comfortable. Have we got a subcommittee for you. These vary from year-to-year, may meet more or less frequently than the committee and are topic-focussed. Examples include Social, Kit, Race and Training and Development.

Each of these are typically a smaller and more focussed version of the committee. The beauty of this can being that you get to be involved in a way that you get to set the boundaries and parameters. If you are keen on one particular aspect of SPR club life, putting your hand up for a subcommittee could be the thing.

So please. If you have ideas or interest – speak up.

Official nominations are through an email to elPrez – admin@southperthrouleurs.com.au.

And you’re invited to ask any of the committee members questions. I personally can be reached at treasurer@southperthrouleurs.com.au or just message me on social media.

See you on the bike.

Daniel