All posts by peter

state team time trial – master’s team 01

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i went deep today.  deeper than i have ever pushed on a bike.  so deep, in fact, that there were a number of times that i just wanted to stop pedalling.  that was, of course, in between the 3 or 4 small spews that i did on the way home.  so let me back it up a bit.

state team time trial championships.  held at pinjarra on a new course that added an extra 10kms for a total of 50kms.  50kms isn’t far, we do it every saturday morning.  hell, we do close to that in almost every ride.  this year, though, that extra 10kms was almost the death of me. 

the team consisted of myself, stu g, john (gilbert) and rob.  we had ridden together before in various team events (ttt, cyclo) and i thought that we should be pretty well matched.  we all had tt bikes or bars and have all done tt’s of some form or another (tris).  and again, it is only 50kms so it should be fine.

the talk of the day was the wind.  strong north easterlys that were blowing down from the scarp and since the route was pretty much straight north, it was going to be hard on the way out.  we had 8 teams and one combo team so pretty much had more than half of the senior field.  if anything, we were well represented.  our team was off 3rd of the masters teams at 10:15 and with a predicted top of 35 deg, it was already warm by that time.

straight into the headwind, the plan was to do 15 sec turns and see how everyone goes.  the course wasn’t exactly straight north, there were a number of right left turns in it so the wind direction changed often.  as it generally wasn’t a straight headwind, this made it hard to find the “sweet-spot” when drafting behind.  that along with the sudden gusts that would push the bikes sideways, made for an interesting ride. 

we may have gone out a bit too hard and after 7kms, we lost rob.  the plan was to stick together on the way out, but he waved us on as he had pushed too deep, too early on.  besides the occasional turn, the other feature was a very slight, slow uphill section, that when combined with the headwind, made the going tough.  the roads were very open farm land so there was no protection at any time.  i was beginning to suffer before we even got to the turn around so was dreading the return trip, even with the added “benefit” of a tailwind.  the warm day had turned hot and i was suffering from the effort.  my decision to only take 1 water bottle (it’s only 50kms after all), a not very well ventilated sperm helmet and long sleeve skin suit were starting to take affect.

we hit the turn and instantly the speed was closer to 50.  ok, this is actually not much better.  the wind was in our favour, but it was not like the effort had diminished.  the next 10kms were constant turns at the front with about 30-40 sec rest in between.  i was feeling bad.  my stomach was churning and i was running out of water.  i forced myself to take a gel, and washed it down best i could.  i had unzipped my skinsuit by then, figuring that colling down was more important than aerodynamics.  we crossed the only main road on the course and this meant 15kms to go.  i was only just hanging on by now.  stu and john were doing turns and i was just trying to hold their wheels.  john had been suffering on the way out, but now he seemed to have found his second wind.  stu, as normal, was just a machine from start to finish.

10kms to go.  last years course was only 40kms, we would be finished now, if we were doing that course.  my brain was starting to wander.  i was losing concentration, which is not particularly good when you need to hold someone’s wheel.  i had already shouted out a couple of times for the guys to ease back as i was losing contact.  the team starts with 4 riders, but the time is taken on the 3rd rider to cross the line.  this was both good and bad.  good, because they couldn’t leave me behind, but bad because i could see that my riding was losing us time. 

skinsuit was fully unzipped now, gloves were off and shoved in the top, quite frankly, i didn’t care if they fell out and i lost them.  i just wanted the pain to end.  the last 5 kms, unfortunately, were not a blur, they were an endless agony that i just wanted to stop.  i wanted to stop pedalling.   i wanted a puncture so i could stop.  i wanted to crash so i could stop. i wanted it to stop.  in between the occasional vomit burp, there were the small bouts of being close to tears.  i wanted to stop, but i didn’t want to let the guys down.  a few years ago, i remember screaming at a team mate to hold the wheel in the last few kms.  i was now that team mate and i didn’t know if i could keep it up.

looking at the speedo, and we had a couple of km’s to go.  “these events are always short”, i reasoned with myself.  “i am sure that it will be 48kms and it will all be over soon.”  not so.  the guys at peel had done an excellant job of getting the course right down to the nearest metre.  combating calf cramps in the last km, we finally limped home at an average of 38km/hr.  i didn’t care about the time, the average, the competition.  i just wanted to get off the bike.

no warm down for me, it was straight back to the car and into the esky.  600ml of powerade didn’t even touch the sides, and i just sat on the grass trying to cool down.  slowly, the other groups all came in, all feeling pretty much spent.  there were bodies everywhere as people collapsed under the tent after raiding the esky.

so, it wasn’t all bad.  the open men’s team, lucked out when the decision to combine the two u19 teams together and entered them in the open.  the young kids ripped it up and the spr open team 1 came in second.  the women suffered a similar fate with u19’s taking the title, but spr teams took silver and bronze.  the masters event was taken out by a combined eddy holland/spr team with half in each kit.

well done to each of the category winners, but also well done to those that stepped up and had a crack today.  we had a few riders that were new to racing so well done to them.  also, thanks to those that stepped in at the last minute to fill in for our injured/sick riders.  it was a good showing by spr and i think we made a good impact today, even if it was by sheer numbers of participants.

the golden spokes

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Image by Richard Smith

our big bike race for the year is coming up on saturday the 5th nov and we desperately need volunteers to make this event successful.  josh has done lots of work behind the scenes to set this up and we have sponsorship money from the city of armadale so we can afford proper traffic management.  the day, however, comes down to us as a club to run the event.  we need a number of volunteers for various parts of the day from basic setup work through to driving the lead car during the event.

so we need the following bodies –

  • 7 setup labourers
  • 3 registration desk attendants
  • 3 line judges
  • 2 lap counters
  • a chaperone rider for the U13 race
  • mechanic in the spares vehicle (just wheel changes)

we also need the following things –

  • 3 lead vehicles – if anyone has a business out there that has a sponsored car and would like to drive it around the course on a saturday morning, let me know.
  • 1 spares ute – follow the “a” grade race with spare wheels in the back

now this gets us to the basic minimum to run the race.  what i am looking at is a few more things that make it a bit better than a standard race.

  • bbq cook and refreshments attendant
  • anyone with a business that wants to donate some prizes and we can promote your company
  • podium girls (yes i am serious)

if you think you can help out on the day please out your name in the comments below and let us know what you can do/provide and for how long.  as a club, we have an opportunity to make a big impression in how we run these events, so i am looking at others in the club to help out as much as possible.  if you have never raced before, then this is a good opportunity to see how it all works before dipping your toe in the water.

ride routes 15th & 16th oct

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so, a couple of weeks ago i complained that i wanted winter back as it was too cold and too wet in spring.  well now we are looking at having to race in 35 degree heat on sunday.  maybe i will keep my big mouth shut.  the weather is getting warmer so we will also get more people out on our rides.  the ride etiquette has been discussed a lot the last couple of weeks, but just remember, what others do in the group can affect you.  if you see someone doing something that you think is unsafe, then tell them, don’t just wait for a ride leader to pick them up on it.  be in charge of your own safety.

main 2 – some of you may have seen a familiar face on some recent tv ads.  well, russell is in charge of main 2 and it’s his job to look after them.  we agree.

state team time trial – we have a very good representation at this event.  hopefully we will have 8 teams competing with some people racing for the very first time.  we will take the tent down to provide some shade as they are predicting 35 deg.

spr club breakfast –  this will be held at the park next to where we start after the ride on the 22nd oct. there will be a bbq and muffins and drinks etc. see the previous post and put your name down so we can get an idea of numbers. there will be a sizing kit available for the new kit order and we will open orders after the breakfast.

ride routes – new ride route this saturday for the main/fast groups.  make sure you have a good look at where we are going as missing a turn could mean extra kms for you, or worse cause an accident in the group.  this also comes home a different way straight along stirling hwy.  we will see how it goes.

saturday 15th oct

ride starts under the narrows (cityside) at 5:30am

early lap – spr earlybird ride

all rides start at coode st carpark at 7:00am

development group – spr saturday 35.48km (novice shelley)

transitional – spr saturday 40.72km (mosman park)

fast & main groups – spr saturday 49.92km (morley drive)

sunday 16th oct

ride starts under the narrows (cityside) at 5:30am

early lap – spr earlybird ride

all rides start at coode st carpark at 7:00am

short – spr sunday 70.93km (kahuna)

long – spr sunday 87.72km (kahuna & peet & patterson)

wednesday spin – cancelled

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wednesday nights cancelled

wednesday spin will be taking a bit of a hiatus over the next few weeks.  we had a bumpy start, and then a stop which may continue for a bit.  there is also a rouge unit of monday night spinners that have been competing for spin numbers.  we will sort out what is going on and promote accordingly.  sorry for the inconvenience and we hope to get some type of session back up and running soon.

ride routes 8th & 9th oct

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hmmm.  what an interesting week it has been.  well this time last week i posted a point about people forgetting about the ride etiquette guide.  well it seems that people still didn’t take the opportunity to have a look before last saturday’s ride so it is listed again below.  the first three points in the guide are also shown below.  so besides being a danger to other riders in the group, the etiquette guide is also there to make sure that we don’t become a hazard for other road users.  generally because the worst case is we have to scrape what is left of a rider off the road.  regardless of which group you are riding in, there are certain rules that you need to adhere to.  these are called the road rules of wa.  going through red lights, not giving way at roundabouts and crossing onto the wrong side of the road are all things that i am guessing that you wouldn’t do when you are driving your car.  we have to adhere to the same set of rules, or we have no leg to stand on when a driver is in the wrong.  it is bad enough when you see some random cyclist doing these things, but it is even worse when they can be identified because you are wearing our kit.  it not only reflects badly on all of us, it could get you killed.

ride etiquette – it looks like some of you have forgotten about our ride etiquette guide.  i am here to remind you of it.  whether you are new to the group or have been with us before spr started, there are guidelines that everyone needs to follow to ensure that the rides are safe.  i am not going to mention every part of the guide, but here are the first three points –

  • SAFETY is always the number one priority of any SPR group ride
  • SPR rides are recreational. They are not races!
  • Choosing to participate in an SPR group ride means you have chosen to be part of a team

spr t-shirt – the t-shirt sales are open and there is a post up which has the link to the online shop.  the price is $35 and orders will be open for another week.  it is a bit far away to say that they will make a good christmas present, but if you bought one, it would make a good christmas present.  be part of the club, buy one.

state team time trial champs – this race is on next weekend down in pinjarra.  there are already a number of names up on the previous post about who is interested.  i will put together some teams over the weekend as they need to be registered by tuesday evening.  if you need a licence, see the next point.

memberships – some people need a racing licence to be able to do the state team time trial.  the online system is currently down so i have put up a post to show how to do the paper system (it is actually paperless).  if you really need to, then do it this way, if not wait till the online is online as it is much easier for all of us.  getting a race licence now covers you till the end of next year.

golden spokes – this is our one and only road race that we put on for the year.  josh camp has done lots of work organising stuff for this event but it will rely heavily on volunteers from our club to make it work.  we will need people to help setup, pull down, take registrations, count laps, judge winners, sell drinks, run a bbq, drive lead cars, and probably a few more things.  as we are the biggest cycling wa road club in perth, we get a fair bit of pressure to put on events.  this is our chance to show the cycling community that we can put on a good event.  it will need your help, so keep an eye on the website.

spr club breakfast –  it has been a while since we had one of these.  i haven’t managed to win lotto and build a bigger house to support the bigger club so some of the guys have organised an outdoor affair.  this will be held at the park next to where we start after the ride on the 22nd oct.  there will be a bbq and muffins and drinks etc.  see the previous post and put your name down so we can get an idea of numbers.  there will be a sizing kit available for the new kit order and we will open orders after the breakfast.

ride routes – know your ride routes.  look after each other.  don’t be a dickhead.  simple.

saturday 8th oct

ride starts under the narrows (cityside) at 5:30am

early lap – spr earlybird ride

all rides start at coode st carpark at 7:00am

development group – spr saturday 35.48km (novice shelley)

transitional – spr saturday 41.18km (reverse river ride)

fast & main groups – spr saturday 50.47km (south st)

sunday 9th oct

ride starts under the narrows (cityside) at 5:30am

early lap – spr earlybird ride

all rides start at coode st carpark at 7:00am

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

long – spr sunday 96.36km (patterson & canns & urch)

2012 memberships

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there have been a few people ask me about memberships especially as they may need to get one before the state time trial champs.  well cycling australia have moved to a new system and as usual, it is not up and running yet.  if you really need a licence, then we have to do it the old fashioned way, on paper.  however, as it is after 1 oct this licence will last you till the end of 2012.

the new 2012 membership form can be found here so fill out your details and remember that the club name is “south perth cycle club” and circle your licence type.

you then need to scan it in and send it to me via email.

the fees will need to be transferred into our account and then we will forward this to cycling australia.  to try to encourage people to use the online system, they are usually charging and extra $5 for the paper version.  however, since they still don’t have it up and running, they are waiving the extra fee for now.

anyway, the total you will need to pay (including our club fee) is as per below –

  • elite/u23 – $284
  • masters – $210
  • u19 – $210

if you are in a different category let me know, but it will be best to wait till the online method is up and running.

this fee will need to be electronically transferred to the following account, but make sure you put your name in the details section so we know who it has come from.

  • bank – westpac
  • bsb – 036011
  • acc – 419688
  • name – south perth cycle club

state team time trial championships

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Got to look good for the camera, boys.

as was mentioned before, the state team time trial championships are come up on the 16th october. 

this is where you ride a set course in a team of 4 men, 3 women or 2 juniors. there is also a masters section for the men, including a masters +50 age group. 

now being a state championship, you do need to have a full racing licence, but being a team time trial, you do get to ride with people you know.  you don’t have to have a fancy tt bike with sperm helmet to have a go and we will match you with others of like ability.

the flyer, map and registration can be found in these links.

put your name in the comments if you want to be involved.  we hope to have a good showing of spr colours this year.

 

ride routes 1st & 2nd oct

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i am wanting winter to come back.  it wasn’t as wet and it was warmer in the mornings.  this spring has been harder to ride through than the last few years.  the days are nice and warm, but the nights are back down to low single digits.  still don’t let the weather be your excuse….princess.

ride etiquette – it looks like some of you have forgotten about our ride etiquette guide.  i am here to remind you of it.  whether you are new to the group or have been with us before spr started, there are guidelines that everyone needs to follow to ensure that the rides are safe.  i am not going to mention every part of the guide, but here are a few points –

  • Obey the road rules
  • Carry enough water, food and spares
  • Check the route on the website beforehand

main 1.5 – if you have been with us for a while you would have seen a number of changes in teh structure of the groups.  i will not go into ancient history about the good ole days of 1 group, but there may be some more changes needed soon.  main 3 was formed after the transitional group had split into 2 and 1 group wanted a bit more.  well main 3 has now pretty much merged into main 2 and some of main 2 is now in main 1.  this basically means that main 1 & 2 are now pretty big.  to me, the idela size is about 20 riders.  after this, the group starts to get split at lights and is hard to keep together.  what i am suggesting is that a “main 1.5” be established.  this group would take the faster riders out of main 2 and the slower riders out of main 1 and combine them together.  they would still ride the same routes and would start after main 1.  what i need to establish this is someone to volunteer to lead this group (or even better a few people).  let me know if you think that this group is for you.

spr t-shirt – the t-shirt sales are open and there is a post up which has the link to the online shop.  the price is $35 and orders will be open for 2 weeks.  it is a bit far away to say that they will make a good christmas present, but if you bought one, it would make a good christmas present.  be part of the club, buy one.

golden spokes – we are running this race again this year on saturday 5th november.  we will be seeking volunteers to make the race a success and will be posting more info on the website soon. this is a great way for you to support the club and help us raise the profile amongst the racing fraternity.

ride routes – know your ride routes.  it should be dry.  lets ride.

saturday 1st oct

ride starts under the narrows (cityside) at 5:30am

early lap – spr earlybird ride

all rides start at coode st carpark at 7:00am

development group – spr saturday 35.48km (novice shelley)

transitional – spr saturday 39.04km (benara rd)

fast, main 1, 2 & 3 – spr saturday 49.69km (holmes rd)

sunday 2nd oct

ride starts under the narrows (cityside) at 5:30am

early lap – spr earlybird ride

all rides start at coode st carpark at 7:00am

short – spr sunday 61.14km (welshpool & weir rd)

long – spr sunday 94.36km (chookenberg & observatory & gooseberry)

saturday 24th fast group – second chance draw

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not very often that you get a second chance in life.  maybe the paddle pop “lick a prize” or the mcdonalds “peel and win”.  today the fast group gave me a second chance.  i started the day with the earlybird and decided to still do the fast group.  i predicted that i would last about 20 min and i was close.  at about 25 min jono went to the front on a small rise after south st and i went out the back.  i continued to ride on my own waiting for main 1 to sweep me up into its comfortable arms but it didn’t seem to happen.  i pressed on and turned onto berrigan drive stuck in no-man’s land wondering if i should stop and wait.

just before i crossed over the freeway, i looked back and saw a group coming up the road.  about time.  the first rider to pass me has ryan and i had to double take.  hang on, i am pretty sure he was with the fast group when we started.  “we missed the turn” was the comment i heard as the group sped passed.

not wanting to give up my second chance, i quickly jumped on the back of the group and hung on for dear life.  didn’t do a turn for the rest of the ride and sat mostly at the back of the pack.  it is relatively flat for the run into home so all i needed to do is get over the small rises behind the back of jandakot.  the new road surface on warton road with it’s double lane made for a good smooth riding surface and even nicholson road is almost complete now.

a nice fast pace was set all the way home and i thank the guys for dragging my sorry arse around.  i ended up doing 1 small turn when coming across the causeway, but that pretty much blew my reserves and i was out the back when they started the run for the line.

the second chance was good for me, but the moral of the story is to make sure you know the ride routes.  they are posted every thursday evening, so you all have lots of time to see where we need to go.  you can actually download the course and upload it to your garmin if you feel the need.  it is up to every rider to know where the ride is going so that accidents don’t happen in times of indecision.