Report by Julian 

Firstly, an apology for not getting around to doing the ride report for last week.  A combination of school holiday leave, visiting relatives from Brisbane and abject laziness prevented me from completing this important task.  The July points table was updated on Friday and will be again, after you’ve read this missive. 

Anyway, back to this week.  The day started with Jerry, dressed in his Caisse D’epargne outfit, awaiting the arrival of someone in an FDJ outfit so he re-enact Luis-Leon Sanchez’s win over Sandy Casar in Stage 8.  Luckily for Jerry, I had recently purchased some new FDJ knicks so the battle lines were set before we’d even started.  The fact that it was very cold did nothing to dampen the spirits of the 20 odd riders that turned up.  Neither did the fact than most riders had been up rather late watching Le Tour or, in two cases drinking too much, gossiping and having pillow fights.  Peter then surprised all by arriving on time for his ride briefing.  Instructions were dispensed, the short cuts were established, not even Peter could get Lisa and Lorraine to shut up and before we knew we were on our way up Great Eastern Highway. 

Ben and I sat out front at a modest pace and were yelled at for going too quick (we were only trying to keep warm), so we slunk off down the back and left the front-running to others.  During this time Declan informed me of the new points system for the short cut group, such as first to the coffee shop and fastest table service.  I wait with great interest to get further details.  Meanwhile, Rob, Lorraine, Peter and Brendan kept the pace going until we got to Ridge Hill Road, with the only excitement being avoiding a dead cat in Maida Vale.  We broke up on Ridge Hill Road and the short-cutters turned up the zigzag.  At the bottom of the first climb we re-grouped and faced the challenge of finding privacy for toilet stops.  

The climb up to “Pas-de-la-Darlington Rd” went fairly smoothly.  Brendan, Jerry, Peter, Ben, Rob and myself got away and there were various attacks.  Just before Darlington Road Rob noticed his bars were moving and sent out a request for an Allen key at the top.  Once it was confirmed someone had the right tools, we did the honourable thing and attacked again, leaving him to struggle behind.  Brendan continued to force the pace but I got him on the last climb and took the points.  Ben, Peter and Jerry rounded out the top 5.  The re-group meant that Rob could do his repairs, whilst everyone else recovered. 

KOM 1 – 1. Julian,  2. Brendan,  3. Ben,  4. Peter,  5. Jerry 

We safely crossed Great Eastern Highway and were soon in the peaceful surrounds of John Forrest National Park.  Although this road is pretty rough, the lack of cars and nice scenery makes it an enjoyable ride.  Paul and Lisa did a bit of the work and we were soon heading for “Alpes du Parkerville” for the second climb.  Regrouping at the bottom of the climb to ensure everyone was present meant that no head start could be gained on the climb.  Brendan, Ben and I made our escape from the pack for the short sharp climb and Brendan put in a good attack near the top to claim the stage.  He was feeling quite happy with his climbing and no doubt his recent engagement propelled him as well.  Rob was also feeling good with his repairs and took 4^th spot ahead of Peter.  The re-group here was fairly short owing to everyone climbing very well. 

KOM 2 – 1. Brendan,  2. Julian,  3. Ben,  4. Rob,  5. Peter 

We passed trough Parkerville, Stoneville and Mundaring with incident, although the temperature hadn’t risen significantly.  At the start of Mundaring Weir Road we were joined by Ryan and the push was on during the downhill stage to the weir, followed by the climb to “Col du Asher Road”.  Coming out of the valley, Ben, Ryan, Brendan, Jerry, tall cyclist whose name I didn’t catch sorry, and myself got away and, once the initial steep climb was over, really lifted the pace.  Six riders going for 5 places meant that competition was hot.  Ryan took the spoils followed by Brendan and Jerry, then myself and Ben.  The re-group involved an interesting discussion about loading assorted naughty images, rather than maps, into Garmin computers to relieve the boredom of long rides.  We were also looking forward to the coffee shop, if only for the chance to warm up with a hot drink. 

KOM 3 – 1. Ryan,  2. Brendan,  3. Jerry,  4. Julian,  5. Ben 

The final climb – “Mont 50 km/h Road Sign” – started with me making a break for it but quickly being reeled in by Ryan.  I was surprised no else had followed so Ryan and I settled into a good pace up the climb.  The only harrowing moment came when a car came flying around the corner towards us on the other wrong side of the road and hopefully he slowed down before passing the others.  As expected Ryan took the points but I did jokingly suggest that he should only get half of them considering he missed the two climbs.  The rest of the group followed in and with such a cold morning, no fast times were recorded.  We took over our usual spot outside of the café and discussions mainly involved why SBS 2 can be picked up in South Perth and not Scarborough. 

KOM 4 – 1. Ryan,  2. Julian,  3. Ben,  4. Jerry,  5. Brendan 

The descent back home was uneventful although we lost Paul and Rob in Wattle Grove when Paul answered his phone.  We managed to get through Leach Highway lights without stopping but were then held up by two trains.  I peeled off at George St lights on Berwick St to go home at George St and nearly took Jason with me.  There was quite a head of steam up on the pack so it will be interesting to hear how the final sprint went.  All in all a great Sunday ride, 106 km by the time I arrived home.  Thanks everyone for the company.

The Paparazzi photos as follows: 

Report by Julian 

The wet weather no doubt kept many people away this morning and we presumed Captain Peter had not finished construction of his pirate ship.  Nevertheless 13 of us turned up for the ride and there were a few positive comments about no rain on the radar.  The roads were damp as we made our way out along Welshpool Road but the rain stayed away and just before the climb the sun managed to peek through the clouds.  Spirits were lifted as we attacked the first hill.  Hunter and Brendan made a couple of early moves, then Brendan declared his climbing day over about 400 m into the first ascent and dropped back.  I was feeling quite good and made good progress to the top, then turned around to watch the battles for points.  Hunter held off Brendan for second, with Rhys and Mark D rounding out the top five.  

KOM 1 – 1. Julian,  2. Hunter,  3. Brendan,  4. Rhys,  5. Mark D 

One of the newer Sunday riders Bill had the day’s first puncture, in his rear tube, on the climb and this resulted in the re-group being longer than expected.  Once this was sorted we headed off to Carmel, taking care on the damp roads but at least avoiding rain.  The first split of the day occurred when we hit Mundaring Weir Rd.  A group of 4 took a left turn to coffee (which I’m sure they really earned!!), whilst the rest of us started the climb to Asher Road.  I opened up a break on Hunter early and maintained this.  The rest of the group made good time and we shortly met again at the top. 

KOM 2 – 1. Julian,  2. Hunter,  3. Rhys,  4. Mike,  5. Claire 

We cruised down to the dam and readied ourselves for the next climb and had started to wind up when the call of “flat” went out.  Bill had managed to puncture his front tube, so we stuck together whilst this was repaired.  The climb to Mundaring began again at the roundabout near the pub and featured a great duel between Hunter and Mike, with Mike claiming 2^nd behind me.  Claire also climbed strongly to take home 4^th and Rhys took 5^th.  

KOM 3 – 1. Julian,  2. Mike,  3. Hunter,  4. Claire,  5. Rhys 

The trip through Glen Forrest and Darlington was pretty cruisy.  It turned out that most of us has done the ride in the other direction so there was some hesitation at intersections but we managed to negotiate the correct route.  As an aside, the Ryecroft Road repairs have been completed, even though we didn’t go that way.  When we hit Ridgehill Road Hunter and Ben made a break, but with no points on offer, no else followed.  Given the length of this ride, it may be worth adding in another climb at this stage. 

At Kalamunda Road, Hunter and Claire departed for home leaving 7 of us to tackle the last hill.  Simon and Nicole only just missed out on points and we were all glad to reach the safety of the coffee shop.  Even more pleasing was that we arrived dry, without a hint of rain on the whole ride.  

KOM 4 – 1. Julian,  2. Brendan,  3. Rhys,  4. Mike,  5. Bill 

I had to get back early today so didn’t stay for coffee so the report will end here.  Also, next week I won’t be riding so if anyone tackles the Sunday ride in preference to the Cyclo Sportif, can they please keep a tally of points and send them through.

Report by Julian 

Another very cold start this week, but this didn’t deter the 22 riders that turned up.  The hour ticked past 7 and Lorraine made a quick call to see if Peter was on his way but when Lorraine rang off with the saying ‘have a good sleep in’ we knew we’d be one short today.  The trip down Albany Highway was quite cold and those who took turns on the front were all eager to get the back as quickly as possible as it seemed to be a couple of degrees warmer.  By the time we hit Mills Rd Mark D, fresh back from China, made the comment that he wished it was summer and that we were riding into a ferocious easterly, such was the cold. 

Starting the Kahuna ascent, a group of seven made a break and one by one this was whittled down.  About half way up the hill the temperature rose by at least 5°C, which certainly surprised us all and Ben and I made the most of the warmth by getting a good break.  At the ex-Koala Park Ben made his final break and went on the claim the 10 points.  Behind me, Adrian, Oliver and Ian rounded out the places, followed by the remaining group.  The re-group was fairly short as everyone made very good time up the hill and no one took the first short cut on offer. 

KOM 1 – 1. Ben,  2. Julian,  3. Adrian,  4. Oliver,  5. Ian 

We started toward the Urch road descent but stopped again as Adrian was having chain trouble.  Mark D and Hunter made good speed on the descent but once we hit Peet Road, Ben and I had a break on the field.  Behind us, the group climbed very well and again the regroup at the high school was only lengthened by Adrian with his dodgy chain. 

KOM 2 – 1. Ben,  2. Julian,  3. Oliver,  4. Ian,  5. Aaron 

The pace to Karragullen was very cvilised and there was good chatter within the pack.  The was no need for a stop at the Service Station and hardly any cars on the way up to Pickering Brook.  This, coupled with the sun finally getting some strength, led to a very enjoyable section of riding.  Mark S bade us farewell as he had to get home early and decided to take the short cut to coffee.  The rest of us turned right towards the Pickering Brook circuit and Patterson road climb.  During the circuit Adrian was very keen to find out where the next KOM was so I figured he and Aaron were keen to get more points.  I relayed this information to Ben in order so we could keep our old and watchful eyes on them.  On the second last rise the young guns made their move but were reeled in by Ben, who surprisingly kept going.  Just before the top of the rise he slowed and heading onto the last 200 m of the climb I made a move past Ben who had spent his chips early.  He confessed at the top that he was confused about the finish, hence his early burst.  The young lads came in behind us with Oliver getting fifth. 

KOM 3 – 1. Julian,  2. Ben,  3. Adrian,  4. Aaron,  5. Ian 

By this stage everyone was keen for coffee and a resounding relief was audible when it was announced that only one more hill had to be conquered.  The instructions for timing the last climb were given and we set off down the Observatory road and into Bickley valley.  Once we hit Mundaring Weir Road Rob made a quick start but was quickly reeled in.  The rest of the group started timers and settled in for the climb.  During the past few weeks I have discovered that I know within the first 500 m if a good time will be achieved and today my legs weren’t up to it.  I sat with Ben and Adrian (who was on a mission on the last climb) for just under 2 km then eased back to watch the duel from behind.  About 150 m from the end Adrian made his move and took the points.  Following me in was Mark D and Aaron and the rest of the group led by Lorraine, Anthony and Hunter in close quarters. 

KOM 4 – 1. Adrian,  2. Ben,  3. Julian,  4. Mark D,  5. Aaron 

We arrived at the cafe to find Mark S sitting at the table still waiting for his coffee!!  Russell had also joined the group as we recounted the ride and Mark regaled us with stories of the Chinese economic miracle.  Mark S departed early without his coffee arriving (It came about 2 minutes after leaving and was gratefully accepted by Karl).  Peter then arrived fresh from riding up Kalamunda Road on his mountain bike, with Ben on the front – very impressive – and we caught up with further news from the time trial championships the day before.  

The sprint down towards the Tonkin Highway lights was keenly contested between Lorraine and Mark D (I’ll call it a draw) and there was no need to re-group at the school as the 16 of us left held together well.  The next sprint towards McDonalds in East Vic Park was another keen contest.  Everyone waited for others to make the move until Rob, with his Adonis-like physique (yes Rob I said I would embellish this bit) and razor sharp reflexes took off to try and take the spoils.  However, the efforts of keeping two women happy in his house the night before took its toll and I overtook him before the lights. 

That was it for me a far as the ride goes as I took my shortcut home at George Street.  I therefore have no description of the final sprint but I’m sure it was carried out safely and Rob no doubt played a big part.

The points classification has all been updated and congratulations to the following on their perfomances over the past few months.

February – 1. Stu   2. Brendan   3. Ben

March – 1. Ryan   2. Mike   3. Stu

April – 1. Mike   2. Ben   3. Darren

May – 1. Mike   2. Julian   3. Ben

My photoshopping skills aren’t that great so no pictures of the winners in their polkadot jerseys are available!

I’ll endeavour to keep it as up to date as possible from now on.

I look forward to seeing more of you in the hills.

Julian

Report by Julian

A very cold start to Sunday morning meant that the 20 or so riders who gathered were all rugged up. Then Stu arrived in a short sleeve top and no arm-warmers, which made everyone forget how cold they were! A quick explanation of the ride route was given by Peter , after which we set off up Mill Point Road, Great Eastern Highway then on to Orrong Road. The first rays of sun hit us in Welshpool but had little impact on the shivering bodies, especially when we went past the small parkland depressions that seemed to be a couple of degrees colder than the surrounding area.

By the time we hit Welshpool Rd hill the group was sufficiently warm to attack the climb. Stu, Hunter and I made an early move but Hunter dropped back when he experienced chain trouble. Jerry and Lorraine were amongst the others making good progress and also passed Hunter, who by this stage couldn’t get his chain off the big front ring. On the last rise to the top of the climb Stu made a decisive break, helped by shedding excess weight in the form of his pump and sunglasses. Only after he claimed the points did he turn around and pick them up and the rest of us followed on to the re-group at the end of Welshpool Rd. Lorraine was very excited about her 6th place – could this be the day she’d breakthrough for here first points?

KOM 1 – 1. Stu, 2. Julian, 3. Jerry, 4. Peter, 5. Mark

We lost a couple of riders at this point but the main group headed up to Carmel on the way to the top of the observatory hill. The cloud had not lifted here so visibility was low and good ride etiquette was observed with a safe pace being maintained. One advantage of the fog was that the initial steep part of the climb was not visible so the hill did not look as daunting as usual. Despite this, John (I think) still managed a cry of disbelief when he realised we weren’t turning left. As we ascended, Stu and I made a good break and were the first to be greeted by full sun. We turned into Patterson Rd together and again Stu attacked to collect the points. We then turned to watch the others finish and saw Jerry bring home 3rd. Behind him a flash of red hair indicated Lorraine would indeed collect points as she finished with Peter. At the re-group we waited for Hunter before Jerry set off back down the hill to find him. At the same time Hunter phoned in to say he’d broken his chain and he was going to be picked up. We waited until Jerry was just out of earshot before yelling this out, ensuring a bit of extra climbing for him!

KOM 2 – 1. Stu, 2. Julian, 3. Jerry, 4. Lorraine, 5. Peter

The fog re-appeared into Pickering Brook and in the Bickley valley but had cleared by the time we hit the time-trial climb on Mundaring Weir Road. I sat on Stu and we made good pace up the first hill. When it flattened out I was keen to hang on the Stu and try to set a PB. Behind us, Brendan, Peter and Jerry were pushing Lorraine though and apparently being kept entertained by her loud breathing patterns. At the top, Stu took points and I equalled my PB time of 7.56. Brendan, Jerry and Lorraine rounded out the top 5 and the rest followed in good time. About half the group left for coffee at this point whilst the 10 or so left headed off to the zig-zag and a climb up Kalamunda Rd.

KOM 3 – 1. Stu, 2. Julian, 3. Brendan, 4. Jerry, 5. Lorraine

John and Brendan set a good pace down the hill and were first to Ridge Hill Road. The last turn on the zig-zag was covered in gravel but the advance warning to other riders was excellent and no mishaps occurred. The smooth surface of Ridge Hill Road and the sun finally providing some warmth meant that the last descent was pretty quick. By the time we got to Kalamunda Rd lights we had re-grouped for the final climb. Stu and I set off from the front and were still together as we approached the service station roundabout. Sensing a chance to steal the points I went into the big ring on the last turn and overtook Stu, then was relieved to not see a counter-attack. We all re-grouped at the coffee shop to re-live the dream and to hear exploits of the days climbs. Despite some slow coffee service for some, the enjoyment of the ride was not lost.

KOM 4 – 1. Julian, 2. Stu, 3. Lorraine, 4. Brendan, 5. Peter

There were no dramas on the way down with low 80’s the maximum speed obtained. Gregor’s arm warmers stayed close to him this week, as did the $5 he still had in his tyre. At the first McDonald’s Stu made a comment about how nice and warm he was and noted he didn’t have any arm warmers or the like to remove and carry. Peter and Brendan had a fast final sprint in Berwick St before we gathered at Bunnings and went our separate ways home.

Footnote: I didn’t note any hill climb times at coffee. If anyone set a PB can they please leave a message in the comments so it can be updated on the list.

Report by Julian

I was a tad unsure of whether I’d make it on Sunday. The thought of a 120 km round trip after the punishing Saturday ride and my neighbour’s 50th birthday that evening wasn’t inspiring me, but the “coffee shop pact” I’d made with Lorraine after the Gooseberry Hill ride meant that a sleep in wasn’t an option. Arriving at the car park I was surprised to see over 20 riders ready to tackle the day. Confidence reigned supreme as a poll indicated only Shun had brought a rain jacket. The wind was non-existent and the temperature not too cold so conditions were ideal.

The Manning Road /Albany Highway sections were unremarkable with the lead changing regularly to allow everyone to do some work on the front. The pace was maintained in the low 30s as we prepared for the Kahuna. At the start of the climb Gregor had a puncture, which he tended to with a little help, whilst the rest of us forged on. Rob made the early pace but the young group, including Sam in his shocking tights, and Adrian plus Mike, Ben and I soon put a gap between us and the rest of the field. Mike held his form to the top keeping out Ben. I made a last effort to catch Sam but was stalled by being in fits of laughter as Sam’s tights had half fallen down leaving his knicks hanging over the top. It was quite a sight. In the end, the first climb points were as follows:

KOM 1 – 1. Mike, 2. Ben, 3. Sam, 4. Julian, 5. Adrian

We then made pace down Urch Road, with John leading the way towards Peet Rd and the Roleystone High School finish. We came across a Cyclobuzz group on Peet Rd so I was unsure of actual positions but know I was holding 6th or 7th – i.e. no points. Peter and I worked together towards the roundabout and Nick came flying past thinking he was a chance for 5th. We yelled out the position and this slowed Nick up and we finished behind the front group, who shared the points:

KOM 2 – 1. Mike, 2. Craig, 3. Ben, 4. Rob, 5. Adrian

The re-group was longer than expected as we’d heard Gregor had suffered another flat. However, he bravely soldiered on, complete with a $5 note inside his tyre to protect the tube. We started off again and turned into Brookton Highway with Sam (I think – apologies if not you Sam.  Feel free to name and shame) doing his best to kill himself by ignoring the calls of ‘car right’. We need to be careful on these roads and I would encourage everyone to read the etiquette page on the web site to understand our responsibilities when we’re on the roads.

Everyone held position on the descent and by the time we hits Soldiers Rd we were all ready for the climb. A group of 6 set the pace up the hill and we started breaking up towards the top. Sam outlasted Mike to the top, followed by Ben and Craig and I passed Adrian near the end to take the 5th spot.

KOM 3 – 1. Sam, 2. Mike, 3. Ben, 4. Craig, 5. Julian

At the re-group we were all reminded that this was the last short cut point of the ride. Judd and Rachel took the option and the remaining riders headed off to Albany Highway and the next KOM at the Canning Dam turn off. This hill is the flattest on the ride so it turned into a sprint finish between about 8 riders. Nick again tried hard to get points but the placings were already filled.

KOM 4 – 1. Craig, 2. Sam, 3. Mike, 4. Adrian, 5. Rob

It was another long re-group as Ben changed a flat. Time was starting to get away so we made haste down towards the dam. This lasted all of 1 km before Lorraine had a flat, courtesy of someone who dumped a load of bricks in the middle of the road! Once the tyre was changed off we went again and made good pace again until Peter started free wheeling and his wheel hubs started screeching, which caused general alarm. However, the problem was not serious so we continued down the valley until the wooden bridge, where there was no need to answer three questions to cross it (I can’t remember who made this classic Monty Python reference at the re-group before the bridge but all the way down to it I was thinking of was my name, my quest and my favourite colour – Brilliant). The long climb up to Karragullen was hard and I generally find this climb particularly tough. I could see Ben fading a little in front of me but couldn’t catch him.

KOM 5 – 1. Mike, 2. Craig, 3. Rob, 4. Ben, 5. Julian

At the service station re-group we decided to forego coffee in Kalamunda, as a few of us had to back home. We planned to head to Pickering Brook and then directly to Welshpool Road and back for coffee at Atomic for those who could. Nick decided to breakaway just before Welshpool Road to get up the last of the hills. Although there were no points on offer he bravely stayed in front for the first hill. We then got the pack organised to haul him in until Mike mentioned that it was his birthday so we let him take the final hill, and in recognition of this made a special KOM stage for him.

KOM 6 – 1 Nick (happy birthday for Saturday)

On the Welshpool Road descent Lorraine got to Tonkin Highway first and Gregor lost an arm-warmer. We picked up solo rider near Roe Highway and Peter went into recruit mode and hopefully she will join us next weekend. The next bit of excitement was a clash of wheels in East Vic Park, which brought one rider down but no damage was done. There were more moments of madness in the final sprint down Berwick Street (again refer to etiquette web page) before the regroup in the Bunnings car park. A group of about 10 then headed to Atomic along the bike path, stopping only to assist a little kid who had a head on crash with Nick!!  It really capped off an eventful day but luckily no damage was done.

As a footnote the final points for May will be posted soon (I need to get the May 10 results) but Mike looks to have won the polkadot jersey. We’ll aim to update the KOM points more regularly now.

Also, SBS will be launching their new channel SBS2 tonight and from what I can gather from their press release they will be showing ALL of the Tour de France this year.

Report by Julian

The wake up call on Sunday was much more pleasant than Saturday as the rain had cleared and I looked forward to the hill ride along one of my favourite courses through John Forrest and Mundaring. My shoes hadn’t completely dried from the Saturday ride and, even with covers, the toes were tingling on the way to the car park. On arrival I certainly wasn’t the only one feeling the cold with an assortment of long gloves, leg warmers and jackets being donned – but happily not a raincoat was in sight.

Following a quick discussion of the route and short cuts (and waiting for Ryan) we headed out along Great Eastern Highway in the cold morning air with the sun in our faces. By the time we’d reached the bottom of Greenmount my fingers and toes had warmed sufficiently to make riding comfortable and the extra effort up the hill got the blood pumping even further. Ryan and Ben got out to an early lead and maintained it until the finish, with the rest of us following.

KOM 1 – 1. Ryan, 2. Ben, 3. Julian, 4. Jerry, 5. Danny

At the re-group point the gate into the national park was locked so we carried the bikes around the gate and set off again. The storms from the previous days had resulted in a large amount of honky nuts being dropped on the road and as such we maintained a pace in the high 20’s to avoid any incidents. We had to climb over another gate and once we were on the main park road, the surface cleared and the pace picked up. Once on Oxley Road and onto the second climb Ben took off and got an early lead before he dropped his chain and was passed by the field. Ryan got ahead and Nick and Danny followed, with Nick especially keen to get some points to prove he had ridden. I waited behind them and pounced about 200 m before the crest to claim second with Oliver coming in fifth. Both Danny and Oliver found out about the rides through the web site and it was good to see the new faces doing well. Danny was over on holiday from Melbourne and was keen to hear about the organization of the rides and the club in general. I think he was impressed.

KOM 2 – 1. Ryan, 2. Julian, 3. Nick, 4. Danny, 5. Oliver

We cruised toward Parkerville, and stopped at the local shop so Ryan could get some jubes, then turned left towards Stoneville (the new way to avoid Gt. Eastern Hwy). This was a great diversion as the road was smooth and there was no traffic, although the hill towards Mundaring was unexpected. After crossing the highway the pace quickened as we headed down to the weir and back up towards Asher Road. Ryan and Ben set the pace out of the valley but Ben soon dropped back to the bunch of 5 behind. This climb just goes on and on and the group worked well until the final push to the line. Ben made a break for second and Jerry held on for third. On the last couple of rides we’ve stopped and re-grouped here and today was no exception. So with the group refreshed we headed for the final climb of the morning.

KOM 3– 1. Ryan, 2. Ben, 3. Jerry, 4. Julian, 5. Danny

At the start of the climb I took off trying to set a fast time on the bottom of the hill but soon realised the Saturday ride had taken a bit out of me. I slowed back and Ben and Ryan came past to fight it out. I don’t think anyone set a PB today (correct me if I’m wrong) and we were all glad to get to the café.

KOM 4 – 1. Ryan, 2. Ben, 3. Julian, 4. Jerry, 5. Danny

Unfortunately I couldn’t stay today but spent more time than expected there due to a flat tyre. The group witnessed a precision change and wheel re-fit before I bade farewell.  If anything excited on the way down, then please add them to the comments section.

Report by Julian

My alarm went off at 6 am but was of no use – I’d been awake and listening to the rain on the roof since 4.30. Peter’s motivational message about working out what to wear inspired me to rise and face the day, although this was sorely tested by another downpour at home at 6.30. Undeterred I headed down to the car-park to find about 12 other hardy souls all asking the same question – what are we doing here? Just before 7, Peter turned up resplendent in tracksuit pants, windcheater and running shoes. His new bike had magically grown two extra wheels, abolished the Baum name and re-branded itself as “Toyota”. He mentioned an on-going cold, gave a stirring speech about the ride route then headed home to mind the kids. The rest of us headed out on the ride.

We had about 2 km of comfortable dry riding along Mill Point Road and Canning Highway but once we turned onto Riverside Drive the westerly wind found an extra 10 knots and down came the rain. We struggled to hold 25 km/h past the coffee shop and Lorraine and I seriously debated pulling up stumps and indeed there were a couple of withdrawals here. The rest of us struggled on and by the time we hit Winthrop Ave everyone was thoroughly drenched. By the time we hit Leederville, Lorraine had had enough and pulled out (a wise move!) to keep fresh for the race on Sunday.

The most dangerous part of the ride was negotiating roadworks in Mt Hawthorn during another downpour, with many pot holes on the road and an impatient driver in a crimson Mercedes. The rain cleared by the time we did the re-group at West Coat Highway and traveling down towards Swanbourne was uneventful apart from watching black clouds building towards Freo. Along the river section through Claremont and Dalkeith the road was strewn with debris so the pace was not on. To cap things off we were then hit with the strongest downpour of the day, which kept up almost until Mounts Bay Road.

I can’t recall a lot about the final sprint apart from we had to ride about 2 m out from the kerb to avoid all the water and that if you weren’t on the front, visibility was near zero. I think Greg managed to take the sprint. We then split to various coffee houses (and me to Netball) to discuss the ride and no doubt the words ‘character building’ ‘mental toughness’ and ‘why did we do that’ were used many times. Still, after the weeks of fine weather it was a good reminder that winter in on the way.

Ride Report by Julian

Sunday morning at 7 am we gathered at the rendezvous, only to be joined by every dog wash specialist, pet manicurist and general canine treatment person in Perth. View here all the Chesapeake Bay retriever colors available. However, the million paws walk around the river was not going to affect the 28 tyres sojourn into the hills. Jerry, Melvyn and Ryan formed a breakaway group at the start, only tackling Welshpool Road before heading home, whereas the other 11 riders headed out to Manning Road and down Albany Highway to Mills Rd for the first of two trips up the Kahuna. The lack of the usual front-runners meant that points would be easier to get for the rest of the pack

On the climb up Mills Road the group split early with Herve and another of the Subiaco guys setting a fair pace up the hill. The pace continued and at the Koala Park I overtook Herve and held it to the finish. Ben, another of the newer riders held on for third, closely followed by Mark and his un-oiled chain and then John. At the top, there were several comments about a flat tyre on the climb and Herve received a call from one of the Subi group to assist with repairs. He headed off back down the hill and the rest of the group, now down to six, headed off to Roleystone.

KOM 1 – 1 Julian, 2 Herve, 3 Ben, 4 Mark, 5 John.

The Urch Road descent was pretty quick with John, Mark and I making good time. As we hit Peet Road I’d make a break and was feeling pretty good until I heard the unmistakable screech of metal on metal and turned around to see Mark gaining fast. We stayed together until the final hill, when Mark pulled out a big attack and won by a couple of lengths. Ben, John and Mike came in next with James, on his first hills ride with the group, bringing up the rear.

KOM 2 – 1 Mark, 2 Julian, 3 Ben, 4 John, 5 Mike.

As we headed off from the high school there were slight murmurings of turning left and a short-cut to coffee, but these were quickly put to bed and we all turned right onto Brookton Highway to head down the Scarp and a climb up the other side of the Kahuna. I sat at the back of the group down the hill as we all enjoyed the descent and turning off at the bottom of Brookton Highway the 6 of us had re-grouped for the climb. Given this was my first time up the hill I was unsure of what to expect but soon found myself at the front accompanied by the sound of Mark’s chain. As the climb steepened I put in a couple of efforts and found myself in alone, then settled in to really enjoy the climb. Ben had gone past Mark and held on up the hill with Mark John and Mike to follow. We re-grouped at Kahuna and commented on how good the hill was and congratulated James on his effort in completing the climb. James was lost for words at his effort and nodded in agreement to head off to Kalamunda.

KOM 3 – 1 Julian, 2 Ben, 3 Mark 4 John, 5 Mike.

We rolled up to Pickering Brook, minus James, who had decided to take it easy, and cruised into Bickley Valley. Mark managed to lose a water bottle during on of the descents so he turned back to retrieve his bottle whilst the rest of us freshened up for the final climb. Once we hit Mundaring Weir Road I quickened the pace, hoping to get a good time before the winter conditions set in. It was good slog up the hill and I cracked a PB (just). Mark hit back from the lost baggage episode but could not quite catch Ben before the 50 km/h sign. John and Mike came in together and we all enjoyed the re-fuelling at Paris Brest.

KOM 4 – 1 Julian (7.56), 2 Ben (9.03), 3 Mark (8.33) 4 John (10.04), 5 Mike (10.06).

We met up with the Subi boys at the Café and did the descent with them. A slight head wind on the hill meant that no speed records were set, but the sprinting pace was on from Crystal Brook Road. Mark got the Tonkin Highway lights, then loyally waited for the rest of us to get through. Another couple of sprints on Welshpool Rd managed to drain all the energy out of my legs and the group started peeling off and heading home as we headed through Vic Park. All in all a very good ride and looking back we’ve had a pretty good run in May with the rides. The Sunday rides have attracted and retained a few new riders and hopefully we can continue building up the group.