Although we didn’t need to be reminded, our buddies at Midland Cycle Club have added “Hilly” to the name of the Midland 100. The race will be held in and around “death valley” near Gidgeganup THIS SUNDAY 10th of April. It is the second race in the 2016 SPR road race club champs.

Although “hilly” and “death valley” usually scare people off, this is a great race on some of the best roads for bike racing around Perth. It is the longest race of the year, which is perfect for everyone who trained up for either UWCT or the dams ride. Saying that, probably not the best race to step up a grade!

More info can be found at the facebook page and entries are here. Entries close on Tuesday night at midnight.

SPR tries to cater for all types of bike riders, but we have a strong desire to support those who want to race, especially on the road.

The SPR Road Race Championships aims to celebrate and acknowledge consistency and excellence over the road race season. The format will be similar to last year and the soon to be completed 15/16 Crit Champs, with a few minor changes.

The races included in this years (and pretty much all subsequent years) SPR Road Race Championship will be:

• Pemberton Classic Road Race (6/3/16)
• Midland 100 (10/4/16)
• Tom Lowry Memorial Road Race (7/5/16)
• Pickering Brook Series Road Races (22/5/16, 19/6/16, 28/8/16)
•  Pinjarra Classic (18/9/16)
• State Champs/ Wellington Dam Classic (25/9/16)

Races may be included or removed at the discretion of the APRC.

Similar to the crit champs, total points will be determined by the best 5 performances across the entire season. That way if you are ill, traveling, working or just missed the break, it won’t count for the total.

The points structure will also change slightly. We intend to reward those club members who step up and race in higher grades wearing our white and green.

A grade – 1st through 15th place will be awarded 30 through 16 points.

B grade – 1st through 10th place will be awarded 15 through 6 points.

C grade – 1st through 5th place will be awarded 5 through 1 point(s)

Therefore, if you come 4th in A grade, B grade or C grade you will get 27, 12 or 2 points respectively.

Again, there will be two competitions for both men and women. One for the best club member overall and another for racers who race in club kit. This is somewhat of an honesty system. If the APRC emails you asking if you were wearing club kit, a simple yes/no is all that is needed.

As another summer comes to and end it takes the crit season with it. But don’t be disappointed because here come the road races!

Held every year on the March long weekend, The Pemberton Classic always starts the Open road racing season with a bang. And, just like last year, the PC will be the first race of the SPR Club Road Race Championships.

The criterium is held on Saturday afternoon. It is a pretty tough course up and down the main street of town. It’s a great circuit for the road racers and it is usually a “survival of the fittest” situation.

Sunday’s Road Race has a little bit of everything, including the famous Pump Hill. Make sure you stay left on the way into the finish so you don’t get DQed (like half of B grade in 2015).

Entries close Midnight Tuesday and can be found here. General info, including tips on accommodation for the long weekend is on the PC website.

Renae’s race is one of the most important events for SPR. Not only is it one of our own Tech Park crit races, it is a showcase of all that is great about women’s bike racing in Perth. The men’s races are the warm up for the big event – Renae’s Race – for the A grade women.

The races are Saturday 20/2/16 afternoon at Tech Park in Bentley.

There is prize money for the podium across all women’s grades.

It is part of the SPR 2015/16 club crit champs, so get your SPR kit on and have a go!

Entries can be found here and close THIS THURSDAY NIGHT.

What could be better than racing your bike before sitting down with friends and family to enjoy Australia Day! The annual Australia Day Criteriums are on again this Tuesday 26th Jan at Tech Park.

As usual, there are grades for people of all abilities and the results are part of the club criterium championship.

Entries ARE NOT AVAILABLE ON THE DAY! You must register prior via this link by Sunday night!

More info, including race times can be found on the Facebook page

This Saturday afternoon is the second crit of the SmashFest series, jointly run by SPR and RCCC! The combination of the Bentley Tech Park Course and beginner focused lower grades are perfect for SPR members who want to try racing. Even if you are just curious, come down, sit on the grass under a tree and watch some fantastic racing in action! You can enter on the day up to 15 minutes before your race. More info on the facebook page.

2016 race and recreational licenses are now on sale via the Cycling WA website. Not only does joining SPR as a member help us keep providing riding, racing and social events for our members and the Perth cycling community, it provides you a comprehensive insurance package and entry into many races and events throughout the whole year. If you are already a member, join again before your license expires on 31 Dec 2015. More information on SPR membership and the online registration can be found here.

The 2015/16 Club Criterium Championship leaderboard is up and running. The competition is wide open and rewards participation and consistent performances over all 7 crits hosted by SPR at Tech Park. For the rules and scoring, see this blog post .

The Smashfest is back! Every year, SPR teams with Roues Chaudes CC, Finbar and Watt Nutrition to bring criterium racing to the Tech Park Crit course in Bentley. This year is extra special as the 4 races as part of Smashfest will be the first races of the SPR Criterium Championship. This award will be run similar to the SPR Road Race Champsionships. More details will come soon but don’t wait for this, just sign up!

Although the name sound intimidating, the Smashfest crits are a great way to start racing your bike. There are multiple grades that cater for all abilities. The course is centrally located on Brodie-Hall Drive in Bentley. The course can be a bit technical at high speeds but it allows great racing from beginner to Pro tour level!

At this stage there are 4 races scheduled:

1st: THIS SATURDAY 21st Nov

2nd: Saturday 5th of Dec

3rd: Saturday 9th Jan

4th: Saturday 16th Jan

The grades are A through D for both men and women with  a mixed E grade for juniors.

More info can be found at the Facebook event page here.

Time is running out to sign up for one of the SPR teams for the Satalyst Tour of Margaret River. The club has arranged an event package that includes race entry, transport and accommodation. Any club member who is up for the challenge of the tour can sign up, but do remember that it will be several days of hard racing.

More information about the TOMR can be found here and more info about the event package provided by the club can be found here.

Entries close Midnight Tuesday 29th of September. Entry is through the SPR shop.

As part of the preparation process and to help with selection of teams, the APRC will be running a dedicated TOMR training session on the public holiday Monday 28th September. SPR VP and TOMR stalwart, Julian Johnson will take the troops for a session instead of the normal public holiday ride. What will it be? Hill repeats to get ready for the ITT? Maybe sprint training for the road race stages? Only Mr Johnson knows!

7am start at Coode St. If you have signed up, consider it essential! If you haven’t quite decided, come along on Monday to get excited!