ride routes 13th – 19th april

stability is the key on a rocky boat – photo colour and moore photography.

the club celebrated it’s 10th anniversary on the weekend with a special ride on saturday morning and a boat cruise in the evening.  there were a lot of familiar faces that i had not seen for a while making an appearance during the ride and there was a lot of old classic kit.  my old kit did not make an appearance as it would probably disintegrate once i hit 30km/hr.  what probably surprised me the most was whenever someone offered me “congratulations”.  the look of confusion on my face made them clarify “congratulations on the club reaching 10 years”.  why this surprised me was that especially over the past few years, i don’t see this as my club but rather our club.  once we hit an equilibrium of members and a stable committee, there was less and less that i personally needed to do.  there are many aspects of the club that we see as standard nowadays that i really didn’t have much to do with.  ride leaders, for example was a push led by rob and next weeks vp ride was organised by julian.  as we move into our second decade our biggest challenge is not to replicate the growth of the first 10 years, but maintain a culture that we can be proud of.

ride leader sponsor –The ride leader sponsor for april is West Australian Cyclocross WACX.  cyclocross is a cross between road and mountain biking usually held on a grass or dirt circuit. there are divisions for all abilities and a kids race before on a shortened circuit. check out any of the events coming up soon and get on down to ring a cowbell.

the 7th annual vice president’s good friday ride – as we do every year, good friday is the vp run 3 dams ride.  150kms of hills, so for the hardcore hills riders only.  following the old three dams route this used to be the “warmup” for those doing the 5 dams.  now, in it’s 7th year, it is more about tradition, then training.  see the previous post for further details.

junior jersey policy – In order to further encourage junior participation the Committee has resolved to offer all junior members a free club jersey!  And in recognition that juniors will keep growing, the policy allows for one jersey per year (as  long as they are a member) until 18 years of age. Please see the previous post for more details.

memberships new changes – there has been quite a big change with memberships in 2019.  cycling australia have moved to a new system to keep track of memberships and this has allowed a few new benefits as well.  firstly there are a few different types of licences. for us the two main ones are ride+ and race.  obviously if you want to race, get the race one and if you just want coverage while riding with the club, get the ride+ one.  links can be found here.  while there is a cheaper ride basic option, it won’t cover you for much if you have an accident on a club ride.  there is also a new billing system where you can elect to pay monthly instead of annually.  for those that don’t appreciate the big hit for a elite race licence, you can split this across the year.  the minimum amount is for 12 months, though, so you still have to pay even if you don’t race.  there is also a 7day race licence that replaces the 3 day licence.  this can be purchased online and will be needed for event like the tour of margs, or if you just want to try out a crit or two.  it is only $38 but i am not sure how many you are allowed to purchase over a year.  finally, for those that want to transfer clubs there are two options.  firstly, if you current licence has expired, you now have the option to select a new club when renewing.  for those that want to join or leave spr for a mid year transfer, then you need to contact cycling australia memberships directly as the clubs cannot provide this service any more.

saturday start locations – we have revamped the group start locations on saturday morning.  please have a look at the map so you know where your group will congregate.  this makes it easier for ride leaders to give you a briefing before the ride starts.  see the previous post for more details.

spr juniors – last week the juniors tried something different and we went to optus stadium to do laps around the outside.  this provided a good safe environment which allowed us to teach them how to form a paceline.  15 sec on the front then peel off and head to the back.  after the first few loops they had it running smoothly.  in the future, we will rotate between kings park and the stadium with this week us heading back to the park for hill climbs.  under 10’s or over 10’s welcome with parents.

from the ride coordinator –The SPR ‘cycling season’ is in full swing. With magnificent riding conditions for our 10 year anniversary & Damns challenge behind us, focus now turns to the extra kms available on our club public holiday rides, the first of which is coming up next Friday. Before we get there though, let’s hope we enjoy some good weather over the weekend. After all, it doesn’t matter if you’re an avid cyclist or a Game of Thrones fan, we all know that “Winter is Coming”.

saturday 13th april

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

early lap – earlybird 40.93km spr special

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

juniors (with parent) – kings park juniors 23.72km spr saturday

development group –  novice shelley 36.06km spr saturday

transitional 1/2 – trans reabold 38.69km spr saturday

fast/main – scarbs beach & hale 51.21km spr saturday

sunday 14th april

rides start at coode st carpark at 7:00am

development group – coffee ride

short – wlsh weir 62.23km spr sunday

long – wlsh obs kal 90.32km spr sunday

monday 15th april

ride starts under the narrows (sth perth side) at 5:30am

south stock 33.76km spr monday

tuesday 16th april

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

spr tuesday 36.37km (river ride)

wednesday 17th april

ride starts raffles bike path at 5:30am

interval training – stock road repeats

thursday 18th april

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

see previous post for ride groups

spr thursday 37.26km (cott & freo)

ride starts frasers ave at 5:45am

development group – interval training kings park

friday 19th april – good friday

ride starts under the narrows (sth perth side) at 5:30am

spr friday 42.01km (shelley)

friday training/recovery ride

ride starts at coode st carpark at 6:00am

the annual vice presidents good friday ride – 150kms

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

fast/main – public hol 58.97km spr special

The 7th Annual Vice President’s Ride

1 Comment

FINAL UPDATE

Due to the forecast inclement weather, the ride has been moved to Easter Monday.  Same start time (6am) and same route.

 

On Good Friday, April 19, the annual Vice President’s Ride will take place. Starting at the carpark at 6 am (lights compulsory), we’ll head out along the old three dams course via Midland, then up Greenmount. There will be a route change this year, with road works along Great Eastern Highway. The plan is to turn right down Hardey Rd into Darlington, then go parallel to the highway up to Mundaring. There may also be another route change along Armadale Rd, again depending on road works.

There will be SHORT regroups after each climb, as time is of the essence to make it to Wungong for the sumptuous morning tea and photo opportunity. The guest morning tea server, as always remains confidential, suffice it to say they have enjoyed a good deal of success both locally and nationally this year.

As usual, dress code is national kit or mixed SPR kits. The usual prize of free coffee for the most number of different SPR kit pieces will be on offer. For those short on time, you’re welcome to join us for parts of the ride and the route will be confirmed on the weekend.

 

ROUTE UPDATE

  1.  First regroup at Park Rd/GEH Intersection in Darlington.  Cross over into Hardey Rd and down to Thomas Rd.  Left here, follow up to Mundaring to rejoin original course.
  2. After going through Armadale, well turn right into Ranford Rd and follow this right through until it becomes South Street.  Continue along South St, cross freeway and right turn into Murdoch drv.  Follow Murdoch and turn right onto Leach Hwy.  from Leach, head to the usual Shelley Route left turn off at Bull Creek and follow right through the end.  Cut through past the cafe and come out on Centenary Ave in Wilson.   Continue up to Manning Rd, then follow the usual Friday route into Kent St, Hayman Tce, Douglas Ave, Mill Point Rd until we’re back at the carpark.
  3. I’ve tried to map this 3 times on Strava, and its crashed each time. If someone else wants to do it and get me to check, please feel free to try

 

ride routes 6th – 12th april

i remember posting this photo with the caption embedded into it less than a year ago.  at the time there was a push going on to keep cyclists safe by recognising them as real people.  the “could be a…dad, son, cometti etc” campaign attempted to put a human face to people on bikes.  now, less than a year later we are faced with the same thing again.  an australian study has found that half of all drivers do not see cyclists as totally human in the evolution process (that incidentally depicted a person evolving from a cockroach). thanks to now senator derryn hinch who on his shock-jock radio show famously referred to all cyclists as “cockroaches on wheels”, we have been always fighting an uphill battle.  so, what do we actually do about this?  complain, blame, whinge are all good options but these are usually found on twitter by another president.  what we have to do is be human and make human contact.  wave when someone lets you through (even if they have to legally), say hi when you are stopped at the lights (don’t be this elite, arrogant, arse taking up a lane.  if they have their window down, say hello), be aware of other road users and make room when practical,  most of all “own it” (if you do something stupid, make eye contact, wave and apologise).  it is up to us to break this cycle and show that we have moved a little further up the evolutionary chain.

ride leader sponsor –The ride leader sponsor for april is West Australian Cyclocross WACX.  cyclocross is a cross between road and mountain biking usually held on a grass or dirt circuit. there are divisions for all abilities and a kids race before on a shortened circuit. check out any of the events coming up soon and get on down to ring a cowbell.

junior jersey policy – In order to further encourage junior participation the Committee has resolved to offer all junior members a free club jersey!  And in recognition that juniors will keep growing, the policy allows for one jersey per year (as  long as they are a member) until 18 years of age. Please see the previous post for more details.

memberships new changes – there has been quite a big change with memberships in 2019.  cycling australia have moved to a new system to keep track of memberships and this has allowed a few new benefits as well.  firstly there are a few different types of licences. for us the two main ones are ride+ and race.  obviously if you want to race, get the race one and if you just want coverage while riding with the club, get the ride+ one.  links can be found here.  while there is a cheaper ride basic option, it won’t cover you for much if you have an accident on a club ride.  there is also a new billing system where you can elect to pay monthly instead of annually.  for those that don’t appreciate the big hit for a elite race licence, you can split this across the year.  the minimum amount is for 12 months, though, so you still have to pay even if you don’t race.  there is also a 7day race licence that replaces the 3 day licence.  this can be purchased online and will be needed for event like the tour of margs, or if you just want to try out a crit or two.  it is only $38 but i am not sure how many you are allowed to purchase over a year.  finally, for those that want to transfer clubs there are two options.  firstly, if you current licence has expired, you now have the option to select a new club when renewing.  for those that want to join or leave spr for a mid year transfer, then you need to contact cycling australia memberships directly as the clubs cannot provide this service any more.

spr 10 year anniversary – south perth rouleurs 10th anniversary celebrations sare kicking off this saturday with a traditional river ride.  following the traditional “great perth bike ride” route which is very similar to the earlybird.  the evening’s festivities will also revolve around the river but in the form of a river boat cruise.  tickets are still available for the cruise and it is a black-tie event not to be missed. see the previous post for more details and ticket sales.

anniversary quiz – To get everyone in the mood for April 6th, we thought it might be a good idea to look back at the last 10 years of SPR history in the form of…you guessed it…a quiz!!  The quiz has been designed to test your knowledge of both the history of the Club as well as current events, people, geography and general knowledge.  There will be prizes for the most number of correct answers down to 3rd place…but there’s a catch! To be eligible to win one of the prizes, you MUST be on the PSS Decoy on the night of April 6th; no exceptions!  Entries close midnight April 3rd, 2019! TAKE ME TO THE  QUIZ!

saturday start locations – we have revamped the group start locations on saturday morning.  please have a look at the map so you know where your group will congregate.  this makes it easier for ride leaders to give you a briefing before the ride starts.  see the previous post for more details.

spr juniors – last week the juniors tried something different and we went to optus stadium to do laps around the outside.  this provided a good safe environment which allowed us to teach them how to form a paceline.  15 sec on the front then peel off and head to the back.  after the first few loops they had it running smoothly.  in the future, we will rotate between kings park and the stadium with this week us heading back to the park for hill climbs.  under 10’s or over 10’s welcome with parents.

from the ride coordinator –Two different/new rides for this week. On Saturday for the main ride we are celebrating our 10th anniversary as a club with a modified version of the classic River Loop. On Sunday, we will be trialling a new route for Long Hills that will not clash with those that are riding the Damns Challenge. With just over 1000 metres of climbing, come and give it a go if you dare

saturday 6th april

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

early lap – earlybird 40.93km spr special

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

juniors (with parent) – kings park juniors 23.72km spr saturday

development group –  novice shelley 36.06km spr saturday

transitional 1/2 – trans reverse river 40.58km spr saturday

fast/main – 10th anniversary ride 54.43km spr saturday

sunday 7th april

rides start at coode st carpark at 7:00am

development group – coffee ride

short – grnmt goose 65.22km spr sunday

long – darl richardson weir 89.01km spr sunday

monday 8th april

ride starts under the narrows (sth perth side) at 5:30am

south stock 33.76km spr monday

tuesday 9th april

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

spr tuesday 36.37km (river ride)

wednesday 10th april

ride starts raffles bike path at 5:30am

interval training – stock road repeats

thursday 11th april

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

see previous post for ride groups

spr thursday 37.26km (cott & freo)

ride starts frasers ave at 5:45am

development group – interval training kings park

friday 12th april

ride starts under the narrows (sth perth side) at 5:30am

spr friday 42.01km (shelley)

friday training/recovery ride

west australian cyclocross (wacx)

the ride leaders for april are proudly sponsored by WA Cyclocross (WACX).  Cyclocross is a very specific type of bike racing. For the most part, the course is off-road but there are sometimes portions of pavement included in the course. You can expect to encounter grass, dirt, mud, gravel, sand, and a whole slew of other assortments and combinations. The races are based on a set time (measured by numbers of laps), not distance. Depending on your category, a race can be as quick as 30 minutes (for beginners), or as long as 60 minutes (for elite men).

Courses are twisty circuits and typically, but not always include barriers, as well as other ‘features’ that will necessitate hoping both off, and back onto, your bike. Those brave (and skilled) enough can bunnyhop their bikes over them. Often there are hills, sand pits and muddy sections that are too difficult or slow to ride, and thus a racer will shoulder their bike and run with it.

Cyclocross is traditionally an Autumn/Winter sport, with the first race at the start of April and the last held in August. This means that if you look outside and see rain, hail, or shine (we have had all of these on the same day), the show will still go on, and often, the more inhospitable the weather, the more fun the racing.

Technically, cyclocross is a form of bike racing, but we also think of it as a lifestyle that involves grabbing any bike, and navigating any type of terrain or obstacle, in the fastest and most efficient way possible. It’s also an adventuresome style of riding, with a versatile bike that allows you to explore any gravel or dirt road, park or trail that you stumble upon.

Uncategorized

:::UPDATE::: Music Icon Monty Cotton to Perform at SPR’s 10th Anniversary Cruise

Video

In addition to securing the iconic PS Decoy to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of our iconic Club, music icon Monty Cotton will be providing the live music at the event.

Monty travels the globe performing his show A Boy Named Cash at arts festivals, corporate functions, weddings, cruise ships, pubs and clubs, breakfast radio and morning television. He has also performed on The Voice Australia.

Monty covers a broad range of music styles from rock and roll and country to R&B and modern pop. His audience-engaging style and musical versatility has made him a highly sought after entertainer!

Here he is with Goyte & The Basics…not bad company!!

Do NOT miss this opportunity to spend an evening on the river with friends and your SPR family.

Tickets available here.

SPR 10th Anniversary Cruise – Last Chance!

PS Decoy

The PS Decoy is an icon of the Swan River. SPR is an icon of the River Loop.

We have secured an opportunity to combine the two icons and enjoy some time off the bike together, in celebration of the 10th Anniversary of our Club.

 

Where: Mends Street Jetty, South Perth

When: Saturday April 6th 2019

Time: 5:00pm boarding for a 5:30pm departure (do NOT be late!)

Dress: Black Tie

Return: 9:00pm for a 9:30pm disembark

Tickets will be available until Thursday night, 4th April and can be purchased here.

ride routes 30th march – 5th april

so this is a roundabout near my house.  the friday ride route passes by here and the sunday rides regularly come through here from the other direction.  have a look at the middle left of the picture and you will see a traffic sign that says “all bicycles”.  on friday, we don’t obey the sign.  i totally understand why the council/main roads would do this.  for the mummy and daddy riders, a roundabout can be a tricky experience.  especially a double lane roundabout like this one.  however, what i see it doing is giving drivers a free pass to not look out for cyclists as they have already been forced off the road.  the riders in this example would need to stop twice and give way to traffic before continuing down the road.  if they stayed on the road, they would only need to give way to any traffic coming from the right.  again, my view is that a potentially dangerous situation is “fixed” by taking the vulnerable road user off the road rather than forcing all road users to be responsible for their actions and therefore actually looking out for cyclists.  as i move around the city i am seeing more and more of these examples coming up.  by making cyclist have to stop and start in order to “protect their own safety” does not actively promote the sport or the correct behaviours in other road users.

ride leader sponsor –The ride leader sponsor for March is Babylon Pump & Power LTD.  They provide specialist equipment rental, diesel rebuild/maintenance and project support to the resources sector.

junior jersey policy – In order to further encourage junior participation the Committee has resolved to offer all junior members a free club jersey!  And in recognition that juniors will keep growing, the policy allows for one jersey per year (as  long as they are a member) until 18 years of age. Please see the previous post for more details.

memberships new changes – there has been quite a big change with memberships in 2019.  cycling australia have moved to a new system to keep track of memberships and this has allowed a few new benefits as well.  firstly there are a few different types of licences. for us the two main ones are ride+ and race.  obviously if you want to race, get the race one and if you just want coverage while riding with the club, get the ride+ one.  links can be found here.  while there is a cheaper ride basic option, it won’t cover you for much if you have an accident on a club ride.  there is also a new billing system where you can elect to pay monthly instead of annually.  for those that don’t appreciate the big hit for a elite race licence, you can split this across the year.  the minimum amount is for 12 months, though, so you still have to pay even if you don’t race.  there is also a 7day race licence that replaces the 3 day licence.  this can be purchased online and will be needed for event like the tour of margs, or if you just want to try out a crit or two.  it is only $38 but i am not sure how many you are allowed to purchase over a year.  finally, for those that want to transfer clubs there are two options.  firstly, if you current licence has expired, you now have the option to select a new club when renewing.  for those that want to join or leave spr for a mid year transfer, then you need to contact cycling australia memberships directly as the clubs cannot provide this service any more.

spr 10 year anniversary – south perth rouleurs 10th anniversary celebrations on the 6th of april 2019 will be in the form of not one, but two events! starting at 7am, we will conduct a suitably nostalgic, guided river ride where we will take in some of the significant landmarks and spots-of-significance that represent important milestones of the club’s growth and development. in keeping with our south perth heritage, we have secured the PS Decoy to steam us around…you guessed it…a river loop with a difference!  This will be a black-tie evening not to be missed.   see the previous post for more details.  tickets for the river cruise event are now being sold.  check out the previous post for links.

anniversary quiz – To get everyone in the mood for April 6th, we thought it might be a good idea to look back at the last 10 years of SPR history in the form of…you guessed it…a quiz!!  The quiz has been designed to test your knowledge of both the history of the Club as well as current events, people, geography and general knowledge.  There will be prizes for the most number of correct answers down to 3rd place…but there’s a catch! To be eligible to win one of the prizes, you MUST be on the PSS Decoy on the night of April 6th; no exceptions!  Entries close midnight April 3rd, 2019! TAKE ME TO THE  QUIZ!

saturday start locations – we have revamped the group start locations on saturday morning.  please have a look at the map so you know where your group will congregate.  this makes it easier for ride leaders to give you a briefing before the ride starts.  see the previous post for more details.

spr juniors – juniors is getting bigger.  more kids, more hill climbs, more pancakes and more bacon.  seriously, pancakes with bacon seems to be the food of choice.  under 10’s or over 10’s welcome with parents.

from the ride coordinator – our new ride coordinator is greg jones, so from now on you can blame him if you come home into a headwind – This week’s forecast is for strong easterly winds, so as you head out into the teeth of it, suggest you channel your best Jen’s Voight who is known to have said “ When my legs hurt I say ‘Shut up legs ! Do what I tell you to do’”.
Oh and enjoy the ride home and the coffee that you deserve when you finish.

saturday 30th march

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

early lap – earlybird 40.93km spr special

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

juniors (with parent) – kings park juniors 23.72km spr saturday

development group –  novice shelley 36.06km spr saturday

transitional 1/2 – trans benara 39.90km spr saturday

fast/main – benara rd 50.76km spr saturday

sunday 31st march

rides start at coode st carpark at 7:00am

development group – coffee ride

short – khna weir 72.23km spr sunday

long – khna trnr obs 101.76km spr sunday

monday 1st april

ride starts under the narrows (sth perth side) at 5:30am

south stock 33.76km spr monday

tuesday 2nd april

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

spr tuesday 36.37km (river ride)

wednesday 3rd april

ride starts raffles bike path at 5:30am

interval training – stock road repeats

thursday 4th april

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

see previous post for ride groups

spr thursday 37.26km (cott & freo)

ride starts frasers ave at 5:45am

development group – interval training kings park

friday 5th april

ride starts under the narrows (sth perth side) at 5:30am

spr friday 42.01km (shelley)

friday training/recovery ride

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

ride routes 23rd – 29th march

saturday morning at south perth

so if you weren’t there at the beginning over 10 years ago, i encourage you to take a bit of a stroll back through the blog to see just how much this club has changed.  this photo is of a typical saturday ride when we probably had only one group and could all sit around the one table at the coffee shop.  nowadays this would be the type of turn out we expect when it is bucketing down with rain.

ride leader sponsor –The ride leader sponsor for March is Babylon Pump & Power LTD.  They provide specialist equipment rental, diesel rebuild/maintenance and project support to the resources sector.

notice of annual general meeting – the south perth cycle club annual general meeting (agm) will be held on saturday,   23 march 2019 at 9am.  This will be held at Dome Westralia Plaza (5/167 st georges terrace, perth) following the usual saturday ride in conjunction with a club breakfast ($15). please check the previous post for more info especially if you would like to be involved with the running of the club.

New kitnew kit day – if you ordered kit before the last close off you can grab it from the DOME after the saturday ride this week (23/03).  the boxes will be there between about 9:00am. and 10:15am.

junior jersey policy – In order to further encourage junior participation the Committee has resolved to offer all junior members a free club jersey!  And in recognition that juniors will keep growing, the policy allows for one jersey per year (as  long as they are a member) until 18 years of age. Please see the previous post for more details.

women’s crit racing – throughout the entire ring series davina has been riding in c grade to act as a coach/mentor during the races.  nancy and faye have been  the main spr beneficiaries but her services have been for all women that wanted to step up to racing.  at renae’s race this weekend and the rccc 10 yr crit, there will be a “come and try” event.  this is a great opportunity for any female rider to get a feel for how crit racing is run without the pressure of a full on race.  davina will also provide in race coaching for C/D grade.  if any spr women are interested feel free to get in contact with davina  as the aim is to increase the number of women turning up to race events.  hopefully this will slowly filter up to an increase in the higher grades as well as teach racing skills and tactics which only makes racing more exciting.

renae’s race 2019 – if you have heard or even raced in renae’s race but have never understood what the race is about, then claire tyrrell goes through the history of the event for you.  this weekend is a great opportunity for any women that want to come and try crit racing.  please see the previous post for more details.

memberships new changes – there has been quite a big change with memberships in 2019.  cycling australia have moved to a new system to keep track of memberships and this has allowed a few new benefits as well.  firstly there are a few different types of licences. for us the two main ones are ride+ and race.  obviously if you want to race, get the race one and if you just want coverage while riding with the club, get the ride+ one.  links can be found here.  while there is a cheaper ride basic option, it won’t cover you for much if you have an accident on a club ride.  there is also a new billing system where you can elect to pay monthly instead of annually.  for those that don’t appreciate the big hit for a elite race licence, you can split this across the year.  the minimum amount is for 12 months, though, so you still have to pay even if you don’t race.  there is also a 7day race licence that replaces the 3 day licence.  this can be purchased online and will be needed for event like the tour of margs, or if you just want to try out a crit or two.  it is only $38 but i am not sure how many you are allowed to purchase over a year.  finally, for those that want to transfer clubs there are two options.  firstly, if you current licence has expired, you now have the option to select a new club when renewing.  for those that want to join or leave spr for a mid year transfer, then you need to contact cycling australia memberships directly as the clubs cannot provide this service any more.

spr 10 year anniversary – south perth rouleurs 10th anniversary celebrations on the 6th of april 2019 will be in the form of not one, but two events! starting at 7am, we will conduct a suitably nostalgic, guided river ride where we will take in some of the significant landmarks and spots-of-significance that represent important milestones of the club’s growth and development. in keeping with our south perth heritage, we have secured the PS Decoy to steam us around…you guessed it…a river loop with a difference!  This will be a black-tie evening not to be missed.   see the previous post for more details.  tickets for the river cruise event are now being sold.  check out the previous post for links.

anniversary quiz – To get everyone in the mood for April 6th, we thought it might be a good idea to look back at the last 10 years of SPR history in the form of…you guessed it…a quiz!!  The quiz has been designed to test your knowledge of both the history of the Club as well as current events, people, geography and general knowledge.  There will be prizes for the most number of correct answers down to 3rd place…but there’s a catch! To be eligible to win one of the prizes, you MUST be on the PSS Decoy on the night of April 6th; no exceptions!  Entries close midnight April 3rd, 2019! TAKE ME TO THE  QUIZ!

saturday start locations – we have revamped the group start locations on saturday morning.  please have a look at the map so you know where your group will congregate.  this makes it easier for ride leaders to give you a briefing before the ride starts.  see the previous post for more details.

spr juniors – juniors is getting bigger.  more kids, more hill climbs, more pancakes and more bacon.  seriously, pancakes with bacon seems to be the food of choice.  under 10’s or over 10’s welcome with parents.

from the ride coordinator – It is the AGM this Sat, don’t forget to bring your cash for breakfast. To get all the groups back together as early as possible for breakfast and presentations we will be splitting the Main ride into 2 routes. Main 2 and Main 3 will leave Coode st first, followed by Trans, then F, F2 and M1 will take a different direction. Please be prepared to go when your group needs to roll out.

saturday 23rd march

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

early lap – earlybird 40.93km spr special

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

juniors (with parent) – kings park juniors 23.72km spr saturday

development group –  novice shelley 36.06km spr saturday

transitional 1/2 – trans canning vale 42.34km spr saturday

main 2/3 – south st 51.23km spr saturday

fast/main1 – holmes rd 50.42km spr saturday

sunday 24th march

rides start at coode st carpark at 7:00am

development group – coffee ride

short – wlsh weir 62.23km spr sunday

long – wlsh weir kal 101.71km spr sunday

monday 25th march

ride starts under the narrows (sth perth side) at 5:30am

south stock 33.76km spr monday

tuesday 26th march

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

spr tuesday 36.37km (river ride)

wednesday 27th march

ride starts raffles bike path at 5:30am

interval training – stock road repeats

thursday 27th march

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

see previous post for ride groups

spr thursday 37.26km (cott & freo)

ride starts frasers ave at 5:45am

development group – interval training kings park

friday 28th march

ride starts under the narrows (sth perth side) at 5:30am

spr friday 42.01km (shelley)

friday training/recovery ride

Renae’s Race 2019

Renae’s Race – by Claire Tyrrell.

Jessica Allen, Emma Pooley and Josie Tomic have each graced tops of podiums around the world and the international cycling superstars have also claimed glory at WA’s Renae’s Race.

Renae Baker – mid 90’s

The criterium, in memory of Thornlie rider Renae Baker who died from leukemia in 1999, has built a reputation as the premier women’s race in the State.

The annual event came about in 2001 when former pro cycling legend Henk Vogels Snr, in his role as Southern Districts Cycling Club president, wanted to honour the promising young rider’s legacy.

“She was an integral part of the club,” Vogels said of Baker, whose brother Craig and father Geoff also rode with SDCC.

“Everyone was touched by her passing, so myself and (former State coach) Peter Robinson said ‘let’s make a Renae’s race’.”

Vogels recalled riding through the hills of Roleystone with the Bakers in the 1990s and described Renae as “pretty fanatic” about her sport.

Renae’s brother Craig opened Cannington Bike Force the same year Renae, two years his junior, died. Still running the business but as Bicycle Centre Cannington, Craig attends the race most years and said it was remarkable to see his sister’s name live on.

“It’s good that she was in the sport and they have had a race named after her to keep her name and legacy going,” he said.

Renae Baker – mid 90’s

Renae’s Race was held in Technology Park, where Emma Pooley won in 2007, Josie Tomic in 2009 and Jessica Allen in 2014, until 2018 when the Speed Dome hosted it.

When SDCC folded in 2012, SPR and Roues Chaudes took over the reins of the annual race and until 2017 Renae’s included both men’s and women’s races.

Attempts to make the criterium a female only race in 2017 and 2018 were not as successful as the clubs hoped and this year Renae’s Race will go back to featuring men’s and women’s races across four grades.

Roues Chaudes president Daniel O’Donoghue, whose club took on the event exclusively from last year, said it was not economically viable to make it for women alone.

“Renae’s Race has always been about promoting women’s cycling but there are obviously economic considerations in running an event – having the men’s race gives us the volume of entries we need required to cover the costs,” he said.

“We also had feedback from women who said to make it a more spectacular event we should include men too.”

This year’s event, held in Bayswater for the first time, will include a women’s come and try event run by Davina Summers.

Ring Series winner Teneal Attard’s business Chaotic Energy has also come on board as a sponsor this year, contributing a $1000 prize pool for women racers.

Attard said Renae’s was her introduction to racing in 2017, when she entered C grade and in a sign of what was to come took out top honours.

“At the time I knew nothing about racing, but it seemed like the perfect race to get into it with a women’s focus.

“I had a ball – I guess that is where my interest to get back into cycling and racing really started.”

Renae’s Race is this Sunday at Bayswater’s Clune Street Circuit. Entries close 12pm Saturday.

 

 

The website for the South Perth Cycle Club