There will likely be a slight detour as we enter Wungong Dam due to construction works. We may have to turn right off Springfield Rd at Wallangarra Dr, and then turn left in Admiral Rd to take us down to the same carpark where we had morning tea last year. You can see the detour in the route which Petra has prepared, below.
Pace for the ride is Main 1ish and there will be SHORT regroups after each climb, as time is of the essence to make it to Wungong Dam for the morning tea and photo opportunity.
There will be a Medio Hills ride on offer for those who think that then main ride might be a little out of their reach. The medio ride will join us at Wungong Dam for morning tea.
Medio ride will be a 7am meet at the Coode Street carpark, and will rendezvous with the main ride for morning tea at Wungong Dam about 10am.
Preferred dress code is SPR national kit or any other variation of official SPR kits.
No need to pick which ride you are doing at this stage, we just need to know who is coming so that there is a hot cross bun for everyone! Please let us know in the comments here or by responding to the Facebook event – here.
Iain Dow-Vine has kindly offered to help with morning tea at Wungong Dam, but we probably need another volunteer! Please let me know if you can help…
We have a call for volunteers (x2 – get involved!) and I want to welcome our new Committee following our AGM last Saturday.
I am pleased to announce the Committee for 2024 as follows:
President – Daniel Harvey
Vice President – Andrew Ballam
Secretary – Tom Goerke
Treasurer – Shirley Vine
General Committee Members – Mark De Castro, Carol Dowse, Maurice Hermann, Danielle Collins, Giovanni Firmani, Jon Hanson, Claire Tyrrell, Amanda Nabi
This represents a huge thank you to Steve Burns, Greg Jones and Amy Currie, who are stepping off the Committee. And a warm welcome to Jon Hanson and Claire Tyrrell who join the Committee for 2024.
It is worth mentioning that both Steve and Amy will remain involved with the Race Subcommittee, assisting Maurice (who has taken on the role of Race this year) in all things race (think TOMR and crit season in particular).
It does however lead me to subcommittees, and the Committee’s first Call for Volunteers. If you have some space to give back and would like to be involved, the SPR Subcommittees are a great place to get to know the club a little better at the same time contributing to the life of club.
If you are interested in any of these subcommittees, please get in touch / register your interest via the Google Form below.
Race Subcommittee
Kit Subcommittee
Development & Training Subcommittee
Ride Leader Subcommittee
SPR Chicks (Women’s Interests)
We also would love to hear from a few more volunteers for our upcoming Water Tower Challenge. Not to mention a reminder to register if you want to ride! (details below)
SPR Water Tower Challenge 2024 — It’s on again!! The new course was well received last year and it back for 2024. Put Sunday 14 April 2024 in the diary and give some thought to whether you select the imperial or metric edition.
Ride against the clock in teams of 2-4 riders, through the Perth suburbs in search of water towers. You will likely find water towers that you never knew existed and visit suburbs you do not usually ride through north and south of the Swan River.
This is a fundraiser for the club and helps support the rider leaders programme that both members and non-members enjoy 365 days a year.
Juniors Ride — We have excellent attendance last week, thank you to all, I am very happy how things are progressing with the juniors. We received some good feedback regarding, even though the session was quite hard with two repeats and one warm up on Cardiac Hill. It seems that everyone enjoyed the day! Unfortunately I am on family duties next week and so there will be no organised juniors ride this wee.
However, kids can take part in the first ride of the CX season at Perry Lakes on the Sunday. There is a skills session at 11am and the ride starts at 12pm for the kids but see all the details above.
Please note that all riders taking part in WACX events need to have a valid AusCycling racing membership (the 4 week Free Trial Membership is OK for this event).
From the Ride Coordinator — Some fun routes this weekend – Holmes Rd on Saturday – the most popular route according to our recent survey, and Canning Mills climb on both short and long rides on Sunday – one of the great Perth climbs IMHO.
Group sizes and pace have improved in recent months, thanks to the riders moving up quickly, and maintaining efforts that match the riders around them. Keep it up.
Red lights mean STOP. If it’s amber and you’re near the front of the group, call STOPPING so the group slows and stops safely. If some go through, call SPLIT, so the front riders can ease up and wait. We don’t want anyone to feel pressured into shooting a red light. We’re heading into the Goldilocks weather months – let’s all enjoy them safely.
IMPORTANT: We have changed the start time of our Sunday Hills rides back to our winter time of 7am. Take note 🥶
Saturday 23rd March
Ride starts under the Narrows (cityside) at 5:30am
Many of you will recall that leading into the Christmas break last year, Jimmy shared with us his cancer story and the challenge he set himself to ride the Festive 500 whilst undergoing chemotherapy, with the goal of fundraising for cancer research.
I, as many of you will also have, received an email today announcing the total of $29,672 raised for the Cure Brain Cancer Foundation and the Mark Hughes Foundation.
Huge kudos Jimmy.
Don’t forget we have our Annual General Meeting coming up this Saturday (16 March) and we look forward to everyone’s participation. You will see from the voting forms in your email that we have several new people who have put up their hands for the Committee.
See you out on the bike.
Daniel
SPR Water Tower Challenge 2024 — It’s on again!! The new course was well received last year and it back for 2024. Put Sunday 14 April 2024 in the diary and give some thought to whether you select the imperial or metric edition.
Ride against the clock in teams of 2-4 riders, through the Perth suburbs in search of water towers. You will likely find water towers that you never knew existed and visit suburbs you do not usually ride through north and south of the Swan River.
This is a fundraiser for the club and helps support the rider leaders programme that both members and non-members enjoy 365 days a year.
Juniors Ride — It is now time to test the legs of juniors with some climbs. So, this time we will meet in Kings Park to practice with some uphill and downhill riding. We will meet on 16/Marh at 10.30am at the DNA tower car park (https://maps.app.goo.gl/sfh9ePEnkdXrL6fN8).
From the Ride Coordinator — Thanks again for the excellent cooperation at the start on Saturdays. Group sizes are looking good, and moving out swiftly. On the down side, there have been a few more spills recently – something we’re desperate to avoid.
Inattention is by far the greatest cause of accidents. Put it differently – riding too close to the wheel in front, and not concentrating enough. If a rider in front slows down for ANY reason, others should always be in a position to follow suit without riding into the back wheel. To do this we need to ensure our following distance matches our reaction speed. When reaching for a water bottle or removing arm-warmers, drop back a meter or two first; everyone’s reaction time is slower with only one hand on the bars.
It helps a LOT if riders call “SLOWING” or “HOLE” to warn riders behind of changing conditions & hazards on the road. Let’s all focus and communicate more to avoid touching wheels, or worse.
IMPORTANT: We have changed the start time of our Sunday Hills rides back to our winter time of 7am. Take note 🥶
Saturday 16th March
Ride starts under the Narrows (cityside) at 5:30am
We have our Annual General Meeting coming up Saturday 16 March and we look forward to everyone’s participation. Keep in mind that nominations for the Committee are open until tomorrow (Friday) night – see our formal announcement here and also my most recent shoutout.
All members should also have received the announcement from Tom, our Secretary, by email last Friday. If you did not receive this email, please let us know as the voting email will go to same email address tomorrow evening.
Enjoy your riding, especially those doing the Canteen Ride this weekend and those heading to Bridgetown for the Tour of Blackwood. Not to mention the Peaks Challenge in Falls Creek.
See you out on the bike.
Daniel
SPR Chicks Feedback Survey — Each year, the SPR Women’s sub-committee creates a range of events for the women of the club. To keep creating events enjoyable to our members, your feedback and suggestions for future events is appreciated.
SPR Water Tower Challenge 2024 — It’s on again!! The new course was well received last year and it back for 2024. Put Sunday 14 April 2024 in the diary and give some thought to whether you select the imperial or metric edition.
Ride against the clock in teams of 2-4 riders, through the Perth suburbs in search of water towers. You will likely find water towers that you never knew existed and visit suburbs you do not usually ride through north and south of the Swan River.
This is a fundraiser for the club and helps support the rider leaders programme that both members and non-members enjoy 365 days a year.
The SPR Water Tower Challenge is a participation event designed to challenge riders of any ability. Whether it is to traverse the course in the fastest time or just record a century, this event is for you. There are two routes to choose from: the imperial century (101 kms) and the metric century (160 kms).
Make sure you read the full details on EntryBoss.
And if you are not able to ride on the day, please consider helping out as a volunteer.
Juniors Ride — No juniors ride this weekend as we have people away in Bridgetown for the Tour of Blackwood. Check back next week.
From the Ride Coordinator — This Sunday – start times for long and short hills rides change to 7am. Please talk about this over coffee with your group on Saturday – as we know, not everyone reads the blog. Wednesday mid-week ride also starts up next week.
Lets keep up the momentum thats been building over the last few weeks with the mustering at the start of Fast and Fast2 groups. It’s been efficient at the start, and group sizes are good, which makes for a good day out for all.
Sunday’s short hills ride doesn’t have a water stop in Kalamunda – so make sure you carry enough with you. Long Hills is a beaut – but not for the faint hearted. F’nburg, Peet and Urch are steep, (but not too long), and there are a few “normal climbs as well. A stunning route if the legs are there, but take the short group if you’re unsure.
Stay safe and enjoy the cooler weather.
IMPORTANT: We have changed the start time of our Sunday Hills rides back to our winter time of 7am. Take note 🥶
Saturday 9th March
Ride starts under the Narrows (cityside) at 5:30am
Announcement of South Perth Cycle Club Annual General Meeting for 2024
The South Perth Cycle Club Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held on Saturday 16 March 2024 at 9:00am. The AGM will take place at DOME Westralia Plaza (5/167 St Georges Terrace, Perth) following the usual Saturday ride.
Each year at the AGM, all office holder and general committee positions are declared vacant. In order to keep the club moving forward and meet the needs of all our members, it is important that the SPR committee is representative of our broad membership.
For this reason, we ask to all to consider joining the committee, regardless of how often you ride or how long you have been a member of SPR.
Positions on the committee include:
President
Vice-President
Treasurer
Secretary
Race committee representative
Ride Coordinator committee representative
Women’s Interest committee representative
Kit committee representative
Juniors committee representative
Community Development committee representative
Training and development representative
Membership & Communications representative
General committee members
There is also an opportunity to assist the club on the following sub-committees, and new volunteers are always welcome:
Race sub-committee
Kit sub-committee
Community sub-committee
Women’s interests sub-committee
Training and development sub-committee
Juniors sub-committee
With the exception of the office holder positions, all nominations are as a generalcommittee member and all other roles are agreed/assigned by the committee at the first meeting after the AGM.
If you are interested in joining (or continuing on) the main committee or one of the sub-committees, please nominate via email to admin@southperthrouleurs.com.au.
Please note that to be a committee member or to vote at the AGM you must be a current financial member. You can check and your membership status here.
Nominations are due by Friday, 8 March 2024.
After the success of online voting from previous years, online voting will be used for our Committee election, with the results being declared at the AGM. Voting will commence on 8 March 2024 and conclude on 15 March 2024. All members eligible to vote will receive an email at the beginning of the voting period to advise them on how to place their votes.
Last weekend saw Renae’s Race 2024 take place, and whilst not quite everything we had hoped for — the main event in the form of the Women’s Open race was rained out 😢 — it was opportunity for lots of racing, and in particular, lots of women racing.
By my count, there were just on 20 SPR members racing, with special mention going to:
Women’s B grade
Claire Rapson
Nancy Tippaya
Men’s B grade
Mathew Wardynec
Junior B
Casey Bunton
Check out some photos below.
This coming weekend, whether you are racing in the crits or heading out on a Public Holiday ride, have a wonderful long weekend.
Daniel
SPR Chicks Feedback Survey — Each year, the SPR Women’s sub-committee creates a range of events for the women of the club. To keep creating events enjoyable to our members, your feedback and suggestions for future events is appreciated.
SPR Water Tower Challenge 2024 — It’s on again!! The new course was well received last year and it back for 2024. Put Sunday 14 April 2024 in the diary and give some thought to whether you select the imperial or metric edition.
Ride against the clock in teams of 2-4 riders, through the Perth suburbs in search of water towers. You will likely find water towers that you never knew existed and visit suburbs you do not usually ride through north and south of the Swan River.
This is a fundraiser for the club and helps support the rider leaders programme that both members and non-members enjoy 365 days a year.
The SPR Water Tower Challenge is a participation event designed to challenge riders of any ability. Whether it is to traverse the course in the fastest time or just record a century, this event is for you. There are two routes to choose from: the imperial century (101 kms) and the metric century (160 kms).
Make sure you read the full details on EntryBoss.
And if you are not able to ride on the day, please consider helping out as a volunteer.
Juniors Ride — I would like to congratulate Casey and Claudia for their performances in last Sunday’s race, where they secured 3rd and 2nd places in the junior B grade male and female categories, respectively. Their effort throughout the race was commendable. Fantastic job, both of you!
Looking ahead to next weekend, our training will shift focus towards building endurance. We are planning a ~20km cycling session designed to enhance our stamina. The pace will be comfortable and steady, allowing us to maintain a low intensity throughout. However, we may occasionally pick up the speed in certain sections to add variety to our ride. I have outlined the proposed route: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/251017135
From the Ride Coordinator — As the days get shorter, two points to note. 1. Sunday Hills rides will change to 7am start on 10th March. This Sunday is still 6am. 2. Working lights front and back are a necessity for early rides. I was reminded recently that while flashing rear lights are great for visibility in car traffic, they are a safety hazard when riding in a group. Riders behind are blinded by the flashes, making it unsafe.
Last Saturday despite several cautionary words, we saw two crashes – one at a roundabout and one at a sharp bend. While there wasn’t much rain on the rides and road conditions looked fine, road surfaces were horrendously slippery. Riders slowed down to what would normally be a very safe speed, but it was not enough. There’s a good chance of more rain again this weekend, especially early on Sunday, so please take extra care by slowing down and increasing your following distance through roundabouts & corners. We really want everyone back safely at the coffee shop.
Saturday 2nd March
Ride starts under the Narrows (cityside) at 5:30am
SPR Water Tower Challenge 2024 — It’s on again!! The new course was well received last year and it back for 2024. Put Sunday 14 April 2024 in the diary and give some thought to whether you select the imperial or metric edition.
Ride against the clock in teams of 2-4 riders, through the Perth suburbs in search of water towers. You will likely find water towers that you never knew existed and visit suburbs you do not usually ride through north and south of the Swan River.
This is a fundraiser for the club and helps support the rider leaders programme that both members and non-members enjoy 365 days a year.
The SPR Water Tower Challenge is a participation event designed to challenge riders of any ability. Whether it is to traverse the course in the fastest time or just record a century, this event is for you. There are two routes to choose from: the imperial century (101 kms) and the metric century (160 kms).
Make sure you read the full details on EntryBoss.
And if you are not able to ride on the day, please consider helping out as a volunteer.
Canteen 2024 — Canteen is on again 9-11 March 2024 to raise funds supporting young people impacted by cancer. The 300-400km ride from Bassendean to Busselton over 2.5 days caters to all levels of cyclist with five groups, from slower no hills to faster with hills. The organisation is superb and riders are kept safe with support vehicles front and back of each group. You start and finish in Perth…it does not get easier that that!
Juniors Ride — Some of the juniors will have a race on Sunday. So it is wise if we rest on Saturday to prepare for the race.
We need to make sure the bikes are in working order and compliant with the gear limitations. I would like to remind you that the limit is 5.5m of rolling distance for U13. I sent you a table with some gear combinations that can be adopted. I also calculated that a 34 x 12 develops a 5.49m roll out distance. This gear ratio is probably the best as it will allow to block the front derailleur and only one sprocket in the back.
Miqhael is not competing on Saturday and I will be practising with him on Saturday morning if he will be available. You are welcome to join but we will focus on bike handling skills this time. I will see him in Shelley where we met last week (https://maps.app.goo.gl/WSvog4aHHh1USKKw8) at 10.30am.
From the Ride Coordinator — Regular bike maintenance by an expert does more than just keep the bike running smoothly. It can prevent accidents caused by loose parts, brake-failure, cracks, gears slipping or chains dropping. Have yours checked or do it yourself if you have the knowledge, experience and the tools. Some cooler weather on the weekend after another scorcher on Friday – even the possibility of some rain. Take extra care on corners if there is rain before or during the ride. After a long dry spell, the rain lifts old oil/diesel from the road surface, making it super-slippery. Another reminder to help at the start on Saturday by moving up when called, to keep those group sizes to around 15 riders, starting with Fast and Fast 2.
Sunday’s Short hills is a newer one, with an interesting back route from Lawnbrook Rd across to Mundaring Weir Rd, and a return via the Zig-Zag instead of Welshpool Rd. Long hills does a detour half way up Welshpool Rd that brings you back onto Lesmurdie Rd near the top of the hill.
We will be shortly put out the notice for the club’s annual general meeting. This has always been important in the life of SPR, for a at least two reasons. First, from the very beginning (read “in our constitution“), our club has valued the principle that the Committee serves according to the will of the members. So whilst we have Committee members, myself included, who have served for many years — it is an important part of the life of the club that all positions are vacated and filled based on a annual general meeting at which all members participate.
The second reason in to my mind is that the AGM stands as the opportunity for change and a time for new people to get involved in the formal part of the life of the club. This year we have several Committee members who have put in a number of years and have decided not to stand for Committee again. So if you interested, please reach our to myself, our Vice President, our Secretary or any Committee member to discuss.
The SPR Committee is proud of the club that is the South Perth Rouleurs, and what we collectively contribute to the cycling community. If you would like to be involved, either on the Committee or on any of our Subcommittees, now might be the perfect time.
Keep an eye out for the formal notice of the AGM coming up on 16 March 2024.
Finally, please have a read below regarding the Saturday Fast 1 / Fast 2 groups.
Daniel
Canteen 2024 — Canteen is on again 9-11 March 2024 to raise funds supporting young people impacted by cancer. The 300-400km ride from Bassendean to Busselton over 2.5 days caters to all levels of cyclist with five groups, from slower no hills to faster with hills. The organisation is superb and riders are kept safe with support vehicles front and back of each group. You start and finish in Perth…it does not get easier that that!
Juniors Ride — Looking ahead to the weekend, the weather forecast looks a bit cooler with a predicted max temperature of 35 degrees. The plan is to meet slightly earlier to beat the heat, at 10am, and to engage the kids in some high-tempo cycling sessions, with the aim of sparking their interest in joining the junior race on 25/Feb near the Perth International Airport (Renae’s Race at Driver Risk Management on Gorgan Rd).
The perfect spot for these practice sessions is the Shelley and Rossmoyne area along the Canning River. We’ll convene at the “Shelley Beach Park” at 10am near the public toilets (location: link). Our itinerary includes a warm up ride to Rossmoyne, followed by some focused training:
Interval Training: We’ll alternate between 20 seconds of high-intensity cycling (aiming for speeds of 25/30km/h) and 40 seconds of rest, repeating this cycle five times.
Paceline Practice: Riding single file, we’ll take turns leading the pack, maintaining a speed of over 20km/h.
Afterwards, we’ll cycle back to Rossmoyne for more practice, this time focusing on rolling techniques. Finally, we’ll return to Shelley Beach Park at a relaxed/recovery pace. If necessary, we’ll split the group into two for more personalized attention.
The session will last approximately 1 hour and we will ride around 15km.
For those interested in registering for the race, here are the details: link. I recommend opting for Junior B grade, with a registration fee of only $5 for the juniors. However, please note that your child will need a full racing license, which you can check and obtain here: link. Keep in mind that in any race, junior bikes must adhere to gear limitations. For U13 (your category), the maximum allowed roll-out distance is 5.5m. we’ve done some calculations based on different wheel sizes and tire widths to determine the optimal gear setup for compliance (see attached pic).
If your child’s bike has gears exceeding these limits, the commissaries will allow the derailleur to be blocked out using the limit screw. If you’re unsure how to do this, we’d be happy to demonstrate.
From the Ride Coordinator — The Fast1 and Fast2 Saturday groups provide the opportunity for a solid training ride, and the chance for continuous improvement. For these groups to be sustainable, we need to regularly have around 15 starters per group. We’ve noticed a drop off in size in F1, and a reluctance to move forward when calling out the first groups. People seem nervous about being in F1 or F2, probably because nobody wants to be dropped in the first 5km. We’ve had a discussion about how to address this, and decided on a six week trial of the “Fast First Fifteen”.
We call the fast/first group, and wait till we have 15-ish riders before sending them off. The group needs to look around and set a pace that works for most. It’s OK if some can only do occasional turns in front – it’s a training ride after all.
As always we welcome feedback, so feel free to speak to your ride leaders or a committee member with observations and suggestions.
Saturday looks like being a bit chilly by recent standards, with a minimum temp in the teens and a max in the 20’s. Sunday on the other hand is, well, less chilly. Take plenty of water, protect yourself from the sun and have fun.
IMPORTANT: We have changed the start time of our Sunday Hills rides back to our summer time of 6am. Take note‼️
Saturday 17th February
Ride starts under the Narrows (cityside) at 5:30am
I would like to send a shout-out to Sophia Sammons and the whole team at Cycling Development Foundation.
The Warrnambool Women’s Cycling Classic is part of the AusCycling National Road Series, and the longest one day classic in the Australian calendar. Sophia was in the breakaway and took out 4th!
Check out the results here – 44s off the winning time of 4h02:39 over 155.7 km. More photos and some video on Facebook here, here and here.
SPR Chicks Social Dinner — After the success last year success, SPR Chicks thought why not do it all again… you’re invited to a chicks midweek dinner to catch up and mingle. Como Hotel on Canning Highway. Thursday 15th Feb 6pm.
Canteen 2024 — Canteen is on again 9-11 March 2024 to raise funds supporting young people impacted by cancer. The 300-400km ride from Bassendean to Busselton over 2.5 days caters to all levels of cyclist with five groups, from slower no hills to faster with hills. The organisation is superb and riders are kept safe with support vehicles front and back of each group. You start and finish in Perth…it does not get easier that that!
Juniors Ride — Unfortunately, we’ve made the decision not to run juniors this week. With the weather forecast extreme, it look like it will be too hot 🥵. Check back next week!
From the Ride Coordinator — It’s gonna be a cooker this weekend . If you’re going to ride, please be prepared – take plenty of water/electrolyte, apply sunscreen, and expect to get hot. I’ve chosen shorter rides wherever I could. There may be a decision on Saturday for M4 to do a shorter alternate route as they are starting later, so please listen carefully to your ride leaders. A request again for cooperation at the start on Saturday so that we keep group sizes to around 15 riders from the get-go, including Fast and M1 groups. Better to have the right size group, and adapt the speed to suit the riders, rather than rolling with larger or smaller groups, both which compromise safety of the riders.
As we move into February, days are getting shorter, so front and rear lights (with charged batteries) are becoming a necessity for 5.30am rides.
On Sunday the long and short groups head out in the same direction and do similar hills, but they split early on Great Eastern Hwy at Belmont Ave. Please study the routes so that there are no surprises.
Ride safe and try to stay cool!
IMPORTANT: We have changed the start time of our Sunday Hills rides back to our summer time of 6am. Take note‼️
Saturday 10th February
Ride starts under the Narrows (cityside) at 5:30am
This year, as is now the custom, a large contingent of SPR folks travel to Adelaide to follow both the women’s and men’s Tour Down Under.
Particularly special was the crew being able play groupies for two local WA riders who have both ridden with the club, these being Darcie Richards who rode with the Australian National Team and Bora rider Sam Welsford who went on to win 3 stages of the Men’s Tour Down Under.
PS If you’re interested, keep your eye out on the blog or reach out later in the year, and we will connect you with other Rouleurs heading to the Tour Down Under.
SPR Ride Leader Profile – Julia Christensen — In our continuing series about getting to know our ride leaders a little better, we remain focused on the newest of our leaders who joined us last year. This week we hear from Julia Christensen who will be familiar to those that have travelled to the TDU over the last few years as well as any of our members who regularly ride M3, M4 and transition.
So Julia, how long have you been riding with SPR? 2 years. First group ride with Development in Jan 2022. (and now ride leader extraordinaire !! What a great effort)
What do you like most about the club? There’s a group and a ride to suit most abilities. SPR is particularly welcoming and inclusive for a complete novice like myself to start in Dev and progress through the groups. I also love the range of social events, and the club’s organisational ability to help us enjoy events like Gracetown and TDU together.
What is your favourite SPR ride route and why? Hard to pick one… the company, traffic and weather make it a good ride.
What is the best ride you’ve ever done? Also hard to pick… TDU this year with SPR was pretty amazing with some interesting and challenging routes, getting close to the race, the buzz on Willunga Hill & possibly the best ham & salad roll ever at Lobethal.
If you could invite two people to dinner, who would they be and why? I literally have no idea
(We secretly hear she was tossing up between the queen and king of Willunga Hill – Sarah Gigante and Richie Porte but got distracted with the thought of that roll at Lobethal again)
What’s an “out of Lycra” fun/interesting fact that you would like to share? My other interests are a little diverse… I also play golf, love gardening, and play drums in a Scottish pipe band.
How cool is that – in 2 weeks we have discovered a person from Switzerland who doesn’t like hills, now we have a drummer in a Scottish pipe band in our midst. What will we discover next week hiding amongst our ride leaders!? Stay tuned to find out…..
(Thanks Greg!!)
Canteen 2024 — Canteen is on again 9-11 March 2024 to raise funds supporting young people impacted by cancer. The 300-400km ride from Bassendean to Busselton over 2.5 days caters to all levels of cyclist with five groups, from slower no hills to faster with hills. The organisation is superb and riders are kept safe with support vehicles front and back of each group. You start and finish in Perth…it does not get easier that that!
Juniors Ride — Get ready for the first Junior ride of the year at Canning River Park! We’ll gather on 3/Feb/24 at 10:30 am in front of Lo Quay cafe near Shelley Bridge (map).
Our ride along the scenic Canning River will take us to the Pump Track in Kent Street Weir Park for some balancing and bike handling practice. MTB or BMX bike will be more suitable for this ride. However even a road bike will do the job in the Pump Track.
From the Ride Coordinator — Often in group rides we need to pass another group, who may themselves be riding in two lines on the road, as we often do ourselves. There are good and bad ways of doing this – as we’ve seen recently. We should always be respectful of the group we’re passing, and only do so when there is enough room to fit three lines of bikes safely on the road for the duration of the passing manoeuvre. The person near the front (could be the ride leader) should call “Passing in single file”. This gives both groups a heads up. The group stops rolling, and the right-hand line moves past the slower group, while the left hand line remains behind the slower group.
When the front rider has cleared the slower group by 5 or 10m, they pull over to the left, the rider behind passes them, pulls over left, and the group resumes a normal roll-through. When the right-hand line of the faster group has cleared the left-hand line of the same group, the left line moves past the slower group, continuing the roll-through. Clear as mud? Lets try it!
A reminder again to help at the start by ensuring all groups comprise around 15 riders – including Fast & Fast-2. Please move up when called.
Lastly, a warning about bike theft which has been rearing it’s ugly head recently. It can happen really quickly. Bike locks are a great deterrent. Even clipping your helmet strap through your wheel & frame helps – I do it at all coffee shops.
Enjoy the rides, and the cooler weather that’s coming, and the coffee!
IMPORTANT: We have changed the start time of our Sunday Hills rides back to our summer time of 6am. Take note‼️
Saturday 3rd February
Ride starts under the Narrows (cityside) at 5:30am
Claire Rapson
Nancy Tippaya
Mathew Wardynec
