few photos from today’s race
national time trial championships 2013
All posts by peter
ladies training assistance
Over the last year, there’s been a noticeable increase in the number of ladies riding in the faster groups, and regularly participating in races…
With the increased numbers, there’s been discussion about organising assistance for building an increased understanding of things like:
– Building a training plan
– Understanding the build and recovery periods
– How to peak for a specific event
– The benefits of using a power meter or heart rate monitor
– Reviewing training & race data to understand what to work on
– Nutrition (pre & post ride)
– Bike fit
– Making it all fit in a 9-5 (usually 8-6) working life.
After discussion with some of the more active (vocal!) ladies, Tom Barratt has offered to pass on some of the things he’s learnt in the last 10-years of racing & time-trialling.
Tom has offered to provide specific training advice, with regular assistance for reviewing and adjusting a training plan, for approx 10 SPR ladies. They will need to be active SPR members.
He’s also offered to provide more generic advice for anyone interested, with links to articles/books worth reading, and some of the basics for understanding the training/recovery cycle.
The advice is free, so if you’re interested, drop your name in the comments section or get in touch with Tom on Saturday morning’s at Dome, or via email to tom@lifeafter5.com
ride routes 5th & 6th jan
so the christmas break is over and now i get to start my holiday. stopping at the coffeeshop after the rides, long rides with the kids, loooong walks around the zoo, trips to the beach, its all getting too much and i might need to head back to work for a break. the coffeeshop stops are good. i usually don”t get to play in the morning as i need to get home to get ready for work. it has been good to catch up with people and it makes the day seem really long.
fire sale kit – due to the lack of people getting in contact with me to pick up kit, we will be bringing it along on saturday to the coffee shop. after that, you will have to organise your own pick up.
focus group – kids focus group ride online slots this weekend as it is the first saturday of the month. bring your kids down for a quick spin to the causeway and back if you need to tire them out for school holidays. meet behind the boatshed cafe at 9:30am.
ride routes – not much to say about the ride routes this weekend. back to normal (no public holidays).
saturday 5th january
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 39.81km (shelley & bannister)
fast & main groups – spr saturday 49.01km (canning vale & welshpool)
ride starts behind boatshed cafe (coode st carpark) at 9:30am
focus kids group – ride along bike path to causeway and return (7kms)
sunday 6th january
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 91.25km (welshpool & observatory & kalamunda rd)
upcoming criteriums
there are two criteriums over the next 2 weeks to test out your new years legs.
this sunday 6th, northern districts will be holding their criterium in lansdale.
check out the flyer here, registrations will be taken on the day.
on saturday 12th, northern beaches will hold their first criterium at yanchep.
check out the flyer here and you can register here.
put your name in the comments if you are looking at doing either of these so other members know who is going to be there.
2012 – spr recap
so as 2012 draws to a close, just a couple of quick points as to what made up the year that was.
- memberships – we closed 2011 with 260 members and finished 2012 with 335 members. within that were 155 new members (i.e. 80 of the 2011 members did not renew). i think this made us the biggest affiliated road club in the state. not sure as our arch nemesis (south west) have been pretty quiet on the membership number front.
- UCI – these events dominated the training and racing calendar for a number of people. we had a good showing at the perth event but more importantly sent a contingent over to south africa for the final. all the riders put in a great ride in hot and windy conditions. the event also saw a new fundraising effort with a quiz night at DOME which was a great success.
- water tower challenge – our inaugural event offered both a metric and imperial century. i tough day but enjoyed by all and will be a fixture on our calendar from now on.
- accidents – we had a few this year, but when we learn more about traffic accidents, we will understand that our increase in numbers and rides mean that the probability would also be higher. cathi’s accident in france stands out as one that we wish we could do without, but the great effort by the spr team over in france at the time and continued support for her rehabilitation has shown what the club is made of. a few accidents also through the year to laurie, lyndon and a few others, but good to see them back on the bike.
- survey – gave us an idea of what direction the club needs to take. it gave us an idea of what we were doing right/wrong. it gave us a basis for making decisions that effect the club as we already had the feedback on hand. this will also be a regular event to make sure the club is kept on track.
- new training options – a few new options this year with a new pilates class starting up on a thursday night with denise. turbo with toby has replaced spin with fynn and has jumped around a bit before now settling on monday 6pm. the spr night ride once a month on a wednesday night has seen a good following. the focus group ride allowing the younger kids a chance to come and ride.
- racing – the spr racing scene has been strong again this year with the rccc/spr criterium series both last summer and this summer having a great turn out. a new event with the kings of wanneroo allowed riders to pretend that they were on motorbikes. spr riders generally getting great results across a number of key races in wa.
- new kit order – never has a new kit order got so much attention. probably because we made membership compulsory. a sub-committee was established to look after the design and supplier choice as it is just getting too big for one person. early next year will see some massive changes in spr’s visual image.
so, a brief history of nearly everything, well for 2012, at least, and a very spr focus.
for me personally, i have not had that good a year on the bike. just over 13,000kms or 459hrs on the bike for me. this equated to 4.5 rides a week or 239 rides for the year. i did manage to climb 97,400 metres during those rides though. probably the hardest bit for me was the hits my fitness took through the year via sickness or work or holidays interfering in my riding. the important thing, however, is to make sure that you are still enjoying it. i have had to refocus a number of times this year to make sure that i didn’t just stop riding altogether. in the end i found that if you understand your own abilities and are realistic in what you are capable of, then you will not get frustrated as much. i know that currently i cannot ride the same way i did 3 years (and 5kgs) ago, but am determined to get back there. i just won’t loose any sleep over it in the meantime. speaking of sleep, i intend to bring in the new year the way i do most years…fast asleep so that i am ready for the earlybird ride at 5:30am.
i look forward to seeing you out on the road.
peter – president south perth cycle club
SPR fire sale – everything must go!!!
i have just been though all the old stock that we have accumulated over the years and have added it to the online shop. if you are after a spare jersey, or just one to make you feel that you are part of spr till the new kit arrives, then head to the shop now. stock is limited but everything has been greatly discounted. hopefully the system can look after the stock levels and remove products once they have sold out. everything is available immediately and will need to be picked up this coming week.
everything is brand new and still has tags on. there are a number jerseys from the sizing kit, but that is the extend of wear that any of them have seen. head over to the shop to see just what we have uncovered.
while going through the boxes, i also found a few items that have not been collected. the following people need to collect their stuff –
- David Posel
- Cade Zulsdorf
- Paul Arnold
- Christophe Borrel Ducroz
- Russell Lagden
- Darren McIvor
ride routes 29th, 30th dec & 1st jan
so, we are looking at a +40 deg weekend coming up. both days will be scorchers and with overnight temps in the mid 20’s, it is going to be uncomfortable at night too. we have a number of rides on this weekend including some standard ones (i.e. monday early ride). this gives lots of opportunities to put some kms in but it also means more contact hours with traffic.
some of you may have heard about last monday’s ride where jordan was hit by a car that took off erratically from the traffic lights. luckily he didn’t suffer any injuries but his bike was trashed. it was a bit of a shock for me too as i was just in front of him and next in line for the bumper of the car. luckily some people in the group managed to get the rego and it was immediately reported to the police. we have no idea why this guy decided to make such a stupid move (and then leave the scene after an accident) but we are very very lucky that it was only bike damage. we need to keep an eye on what is going on at all times and make sure that someone has a cool enough head to take down the rego. it is often such a shock that something has happened that people don’t take the rego. i will be riding with the gopro on the bike a little more often now.
ride routes – we all get to climb “lennie” this weekend on the saturday ride. on sunday, the ride route stays close to kalamunda so you can abort at any time. it will be hot so, make sure you carry enough fluids. monday rides as per normal, tuesday earlybird is the normal small chain ring affair with the public holiday to follow.
saturday 29th december
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 49.46km (“lennie” hill rd)
sunday 30th december
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 91.25km (welshpool & observatory & kalamunda rd)
monday 31st december
ride starts under the narrows (south perth side) at 5:30am
early lap – spr monday 33.72km (south & freo)
tuesday 1st january
ride starts under the narrows (cityside) at 5:30am
early lap – spr tuesday 43.41km (river ride)
all rides start at coode st carpark at 7:00am
trans & main group – spr public holiday 59.35km (shelley & freo)
2012 spr christmas ride
here are a few pics from today’s ride. not that many dress-ups in the 2nd half of main 1, but a few good pics anyway.
if you rode behind me today, then there is a very good chance that i have a shot of you. let me know if you want a good full size pic.
ride routes 22nd & 23rd & 26th december
it is starting to smell a lot like christmas. actually, walking through the city today, it was a seething mass of humanity. as it was also +30 degrees, it was starting to smell a lot like christmas. i do have a few last minute presents to buy, and i am sure that kate wants a lego toaster. she did mention it on facebook the other week, and you know that guys are not really good at reading between the lines. anyway, there are a few extra rides on this week with the public holiday on wednesday, but all other normal days will have their normal rides.
christmas ride – this saturday is the last saturday before christmas and as such we will be doing our usual christmas dress-up ride. for those of you that are celebrating your first christmas with us, this involves decorating your bike or yourself in a christmasy fashion. there are some pictures from last years ride here.
christmas challenge – similar to the easter challenge that i threw down, the person that rides the most between the first and last public holidays (25th dec – 1st jan) will get some type of chocolaty prize. also the person that rides the longest single ride will get a prize. all rides must be verified by STRAVA or garmin connect. think of it as a training incentive.
ride routes – bonus points for those that dress up and still do the earlybird ride. the main groups on saturday will detour and head straight up st georges terrace instead of riverside drive. yes, we will get caught by more traffic lights, but it is more about being a visual impact. wednesday’s public holiday ride will be preceeded by the normal uci wednesday ride.
saturday 22nd december
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 40.86km (rebold hill)
fast & main groups – spr saturday 50.72km (rebold hill & cott)
the main groups will head across the causeway and up through the centre of the city. once we hit kings park rd we will then join up with the normal ride route.
sunday 23rd december
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 101.68km (carradine & canning dam)
monday 24th december
ride starts under the narrows (south perth side) at 5:30am
early lap – spr monday 33.72km (south & freo)
rides start at atomic cafe – mends st south perth at 8:00am
main group – WAR ride route (65kms)
tuesday 25th december
no rides on today
wednesday 26th december
ride starts under the narrows (cityside) at 5:30am
early lap – spr wednesday 13.99km (uci masters)
all rides start at coode st carpark at 7:00am
trans & main group – spr public holiday 59.35km (shelley & freo)
2012 SPR Awards
This year a more democratic process was used with you all having the opportunity to nominate who you thought should win each category.
Ride Leader of the Year
All ride leaders deserve a massive amount of credit for sacrificing their own rides to keep the rides safe, and for imparting knowledge onto the future fast group riders.
Special nomination mentions to…
- Julian Johnson
- Shaw Goh
- Mark Stupart
- Graham Hoskins
This year’s winner is Carol Dowse for her ceaseless efforts with the Development Group
Most Improved Rider
Loads of improvement across the board especially a demonstrated progression through the various spr groups throughout the year.
Special mention was made of…
- Rosslind Ellis
- Luke Ellis
- Phil Davidson
- Claire Hines
But this year’s winner is Kizzi Neale…despite a couple of set-backs throughout the year KIzzi has gone from strength to strength progressing from the Transitional group to Main 1 this year, and now manages the ‘double’ many Saturdays as well as competing in the mandurah half ironman.
Most Improved Racer
Lots of great results in racing this year and an ever increasing SPR presence at the full calendar of events.
A terrific selection of improved racers this year with special mentions going to…
- Jim Flynn
- Luke Ellis
- Carlos De Oliveira
This year’s winner is Jonathan Bolton…whilst starting from a high base Jono has developed into a leading A grader, and for those who don’t know has just returned from his first professional race overseas, riding the Tour de Ijen with Plan B.
Clubperson of the Year
It’s the people involved that make this club what it is, and it is the collective effort that sees us grow and succeed
This award attracted the largest range of nominations, some of the most notable being…
- Andrew Ballam
- Peter Mah
- Jordan Brock
- Rob Ramsden
- Jason Gordon
This year’s Clubperson of the Year is Alison Ramm. Some of the comments she received via the nomination process included;
- she attends rides, chats at the shop, tries the races, and has done endless amounts behind the scenes to help keep the club ticking;
- she has gone above and beyond, working tirelessly to manage the kit ordering and has dragged that kit bag in and out, up and down all times of the day, (even making personal kit deliveries) despite her poorly and painful arm and despite not being able to ride herself.
Online Media Presence Award
One feature of the club is how active our members are online…some more so than others. This year we are recognising for the first time the achievements of these folk in lifting the profile of the club in new media…
There were some serious contenders for this one. Noted nominations were…
- Amanda Nabi
- Toby Brown
- Rosslind Ellis
- Lennie McKenzie
- Rob Ramsden
The people have spoken…This year the person for ‘putting it about’ the most in cyberspace is Anna Massey. Anna pops up on pretty much every platform!
Most Unintentional/Spectacular Dismounts this Year
We have had a couple of nasty accidents in this calendar year and we don’t wish to make light of those, so this category is about rewarding those who have provided us with the most amusement.
Nominees for this category included…
- Ben Madsen – for an increasing number of ‘false starts’ at traffic lights
- Kizzi Neale – for the frequency of her dismounts and her frightening and rather unceremonious dismount on Burke Drive on a Thursday morning, and then bouncing straight back
- Julian Johnson – for falling off his bike while not actually on it
But this year’s winner is Amanda Nabi for at least 4 this year, the memorable ‘canoe incident’, a slide out at the bottom of Mount Street, a spectacular stack in the wet (broke her bike and needed stitches), and then a topple while wearing Australian kit on her first club ride back after South Africa (the ‘canoe incident’ was mentioned in 4 separate nominations)
Puncture Award
Again there were a range of nominations but some stood out…
- Graham Hoskins– with a run of about 5 in a row
- Jerry Ghossien – who had a number late in the year, including in one instance trying to insert a ‘tube too large’ leading to an unfortunate bulge and having to ring his wife Tanya to come and collect him….all us gents hope he doesn’t have the same problem when it comes to his day job!
- Ryan ‘Flying’ Finn – for the most tragic puncture of the year with photographic evidence to prove it…the UCI race
The winner is Andy Prosser. Andy has had a lot of rubber related bad luck this year, there seemed to be a period there where we getting daily status updates on Facebook about multiple punctures!
Dirty Bike Award
There weren’t a huge number of nominations for this award but of note was one for the ‘Dirty Sunday’ girl in blog post a couple of weeks ago. Out of the other nominations received there were two clear favourites, so the award is going to both of those people
They are… Ben Madsen and Dave Shailer
With Ben we know it’s not about the look, and to be honest we are surprised anyone can hold his wheel long enough to look at his bike!
Dave on the other hand is proud of the fact that his bike has never even seen a soap sud…