Category Archives: Training and Development

SPR Ride Leader Program – Call for Expressions of Interest

SPR’s training rides set us apart as a cycling Club; we are one of the few clubs in Australia that is not affiliated with a bike shop facilitating a broad range of opportunities for people to cycle in a group every day. Since its inception in 2009, a key feature of the feedback the Club receives is the need to improve the way our group rides are led. With more consistent, trained and visible ride leaders, the result will be safer, more enjoyable ride experiences for all.

To this end, the Club developed a ride leader development program, with the objectives of:

  1. developing SPR ride leaders’ knowledge and skills of both ride leadership and core cycling skills
  2. building the confidence of ride leaders to ensure ride consistency and enhanced decision making during group rides
  3. growing the pool of capable, confident ride leaders

We are now seeking Expressions of Interest from SPR members who would like to be part of our second public Ride Leader Development Program. The Program consists of three separate but related components:

  1. Theory: covers the core knowledge and skills required to be an effective ride leader for group rides across the Main, Transition and Development rides conducted by SPR (+/- 2hrs personal time)
  2. Skills Sessions: out on the bike, learning all about what it takes to be a good ride leader as well as having the opportunity to practice your skills and ideas in a “safe” environment. (3 x 2.5 hours sessions)
  3. Ride Leader Observations: This will involve you being the ride leader for up to three (3) separate SPR training rides with an observer to determine how you go about deploying your skills and knowledge in the “real world” environment. (2 – 3 ‘normal’ training rides, weekdays or weekends as required)

As a participant, you will get:

  1. New Skills: You will learn new skills and knowledge about cycling as well as ride leadership.
  2. Kudos: Be part of the “qualified” ride leader team out on the road.
  3. Stuff.Upon successful completion, Program participants will receive a custom SPR Ride Leader jersey to be worn whenever you are leading a SPR ride.
  4. On Going Development: Access to private discussion groups; coaching and skills development; ride-leader only events.

In return, once you have completed the Program, we will expect your commitment to the following:

  1. Lead a minimum of 2 rides* per month throughout the year
  2. Be a role model for ride behavior on ALL rides you participate in
  3. Assist in the recruitment and mentorship of future ride leaders
  4. Assist in training/observing people for their readiness to take on the role of Ride Leader.

*All prospective ride leaders should note that, from time to time, they will need be called on to lead rides of a lower skill &/or fitness level than their own. This means putting the interests of the Club and other riders before their own.

We are now seeking expressions of interest from SPR members who regularly ride with the Main 2, 3 & 4 as well as Transition groups. We currently have a good number of riders from the Main 1 cohort; we really need to boost our numbers further down the line. While the ability to ride at or above the level of the group you are leading is important, just as critical is the constructive attitude and sound communication skills that are brought to the role. Empathy, care and the ability to encourage others is essential to the success of the ride leader.

In the event we are over-subscribed, the T&D sub-committee will use the quality & content of the EOI’s as well as the need to balance the mix of ride leaders to select the required number of participants. Anyone who is not selected shouldn’t be discouraged; it’s a numbers thing (us) rather than a capability thing (you).

As part of your EOI, we’d like you to outline:

  1. what you hope to get out of being a SPR ride leader
  2. why you feel you will make a good contributor to ride leader team
  3. which SPR group you usually ride with (M2, M3, M4, T), and
  4. your statement of commitment to the role of ride leader in terms of time to complete the Program and to lead the requisite number of rides per month

We anticipate kicking the Program off on the 27th of October and completing it by mid-December.

If interested, please submit your EOI to development@southperthrouleurs.com.au  before 12 October 2018. If you have any questions about the Program before submitting your EOI, please send them through to development@southperthrouleurs.com.au and we will get back to you ASAP.

SPR Training and Development Sub-Committee

Which Ride For Me 2.0

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Following on from last Saturday’s post regarding the changes being made to the M3/M4/Transition rides, it’s timely for us to refresh an article posted back in 2016 that would still appear to be current in its content and guidance.

As was communicated last week, there has been much conversation about particular aspects of some of our Saturday training rides, specifically the Main 3, 4 and Transition. The conversation generally revolves around expected speeds (average and cruising) as well as general cycle skills.

We have processed a range of contributions from people who regularly lead or participate in these rides with the aim of firming up a clearer view for all what is expected across this large cohort of the Club’s members.

Key Rationale for the Rides

Transition 2: “I’m just starting finding my way on this group ride thing, and excited about riding a bit further than I have been before. I’m still a bit nervous or unsure about what’s expected and about riding too close to anyone else.”

This ride is for people who have developed a base level of fitness and general cycle skills with the Development Group or may be returning from having a long spell off the bike. The group rides a shorter distance (approx. 40km) than the Main Rides and often at an average pace of between 22-24km/h. During the ride, the group may get up to a cruising speed of 28-30km/h if conditions like wind direction, traffic lights and roll through skills are favourable. It is expected that riders in this group will still be developing their group riding skills but will be able to undertake key manoeuvres like riding one handed while signalling or drinking, not surging off the front during a roll through, looking over both left and right shoulders whilst maintaining a straight line.

Transition 1: “I’m getting used to this group riding thing and am looking to take it to the next level; I think I need to start riding a bit faster to get my fitness up and really test myself. I’m getting comfortable riding in bigger groups near other people and feel I can contribute to the roll throughs confidently.”

This ride is for people who have developed a solid level of fitness and good cycle skills with the Development or Transition 2 Group or may be returning from having a long spell off the bike. The group rides a shorter distance (approx. 40km) than the Main Rides and often at an average pace of between 25-27km/h. During the ride, the group may get up to a cruising speed of 34-36km/h if conditions like wind direction, traffic lights and roll through skills are favourable. It is expected that riders in this group will have developed their individual riding skills and looking to firm up their  group riding abilities at important times throughout the ride (eg: roll throughs; pace lines; hills/inclines).

Main 4: “I’m used to riding in groups and I want to ride for longer but not necessarily faster; I really want to focus on my endurance. I’m comfortable riding in bigger groups near to other people and feel I can contribute to the roll throughs confidently.”

This group formed out of the need to allow people to increase the distance they cycle, whilst maintaining the average and cruising speed of the Transition 2 ride. So, the key capability is endurance! As a rider in this group, you need to be able to rider further than the Transition rides but you don’t have to ride any faster. This ride is a great option for those wanting to step up their long range fitness while getting better at riding in a group situation. It must be noted that this is a “no drop ride” as there are no other groups going to be able to come along behind to sweep up any riders who fall off the back. This means that the whole group MUST show respect to the decisions made by the ride leader to either re-group and/or slow down the average/cruising speeds to match the ability of the slowest rider (see below on Choosing Your Ride).

Main 3: “This group riding thing rocks; I can contribute to the roll throughs confidently, I can hold the wheel tightly of my fellow riders and I can get up and over the little hills without getting spat out the back. My endurance is at a point where I can ride a bit faster and longer than I’ve been able to before”

Main 3 is about building endurance and riding faster. If you choose to ride with this group then you need to be able to maintain both the average speed (25-27km/h) and cruising speed (up to 34km/h) over a 50km distance. It is typically the last 15km that hurts the most and this is where we can run into problems if you have chosen the wrong group at the start. The other key difference with this ride is that it “may” be a “drop” ride where there is a Main 4 group following. If this is the case then the ride leader may make the decision that the majority of the group on the day can maintain a certain speed and that there is one, two or three riders that are struggling. In that instance, the ride leader will communicate to these riders that they are not able to maintain the pace of the group and that they may be dropped. The very strong suggestion will be that those riders “sit up” and wait for the Main 4 group to come along and then join that ride. If there is no Main 4 group following then the group will be a “no drop” ride and act as per Main 4.

Choosing Your Ride

We all have ‘good’ days and ‘bad’ days. So much depends on how we’re feeling and what we want to get out of our precious training time. Some people are after a social outing whilst others are up for a trip to Pain City. It’s important to keep this in mind when choosing your ride; you’ve come along to a GROUP ride and it’s expected that once you make your choice you conform to the expectations of the GROUP, not the other way around. If you’ve traded up too high too early, then it’s not really fair that you keep calling “Ease Up” and expect the ride leader to control the group to your pace if you’re the only one dropping out the back. Similarly, if you’re always on the front of the group and have the legs to maintain the average and cruising speeds ALL the time, then you’re probably ready to step up.

Above all, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE listen to the ride briefing so you know what the expectations of the GROUP are and respect the decisions and calls of the ride leader(s) on the day. It is not easy to control everyone all of the time. It may be that they have to slow the GROUP down to allow for the safety of a single rider as it may be unsafe or not in line with the group’s “no drop” practice. Ride leaders are trained to identify how the group is travelling as a whole, to pick up on any individuals who may be doing it tough (or riding unsafely), and to make decisions in the best interests of the GROUP on the day.

If you have any feedback or questions on this or any other aspect of riding in SPR’s group rides, please do drop your friendly training and development sub-committee an email at development@southperthrouleurs.com.au

SPR Have Your Say 2017

Every 2 years we seek formal feedback from our current members.
While the club is run by your elected Club Committee, we are here to represent you – the club members. In order to do this we like to gather your thoughts on a few issues, some old, and some new. We’ll use this information to aid us in making the best decisions for the club and planning the best way forward. We can also use it to compare how the club’s demands have changed over time (this is our 4th survey).
The survey will close at midnight Sunday 3rd December. Once we’ve collated the results we’ll publish the summaries up for everyone to see.
To further entice members to take the time to provide your feedback, if you choose to do so, you can go into the draw to win an Apple iPad valued at $469**. Simply add your name and contact details into the space provided at the end of the survey to be in the running to win. The winner will be announced at the SPR Christmas Breakfast on the 23rd of December and via the SPR website.
So go on, have your say:

**Must be a current financial member of the club to be eligible for the iPad prize.

The Importance of Group Separation

One of the key focus points of SPR Club rides is that we will always aim to create an environment where all riders are safe and can be in the best position to have fun on the ride. As the Club has grown and our rides have become more popular, we have had to take steps to ensure that our groups are not too big. We do this for a number of reasons, which may not always be apparent to the casual observer. When the group is of a manageable size (ie: less than 20), we can (generally) achieve the following:

  1. All riders in the group get to know who they’re riding with; the bigger the group, the less likely you are to have ridden next to someone by the time it gets important (ie: roll throughs).
  2. Ride leaders can better communicate to the group what their expectations are at important times throughout the ride (eg: approaching lights; roundabouts; turning points)
  3. Communication generally is enhanced because the back is not too far away from the front
  4. There is less chance of the group becoming ‘split’ at lights and intersections meaning there isn’t a ‘wait’ and ‘chase’ effect; or worse, riders at the back running red lights for fear of being dropped! This is important on certain rides where there are LOTS of lights!

So, what can YOU do about this? A couple of things:

  1. Respect the split at the very start. If there is someone that you want to ride with, then be near them when the groups are split in the first place. Don’t jump across to the group leaving because you missed it! Stay put and ride with people you don’t know – you may like them!
  2. Get to the START! We all like a sleep in, but the start is the start. If you live on the ride route, lucky you. Get to the START!
  3. IF YOU CATCH THE GROUP IN FRONT….re-form the gap by soft pedalling. You didn’t catch them ‘cos you is hard…you caught them because they caught a bunch of red lights or were being safe at intersections…trust us!!
  4. Respect the Ride Leader’s call & judgement. If they ask you to ease up and re-form the gap, please do so.

If everyone plays by these simple rules, we will be able to maintain a healthy balance of group size (everyone loves a draft) and safe riding conditions whilst acknowledging we are riding ‘in the wild’ with lots of inherent hazards out on the road.

Like always, if you have any feedback or would like to offer any suggestions, please do so by emailing development@southperthrouleurs.com.au or catching up with one of our friendly ride leaders at the coffee shop.

where are we riding today?

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Back in the mid ‘00’s, before Facebook had made its global presence felt on our lives, before Twitter, Instagram or Snapchat even existed and ADSL 2 was just becoming mainstream, we would all gather at 7am on Saturday morning outside a local South Perth bike shop waiting to learn the answer to the question…where are we riding today? At the appointed time, Peter (who most know now as El Prez) would stand up on the steps of the rear entrance to the shop, get everyone’s attention, and proceed to bellow out the ‘rights’ and ‘lefts’ of the route we would ride that day. If we were lucky, we heard about ½ of it and remembered about a 1/3rd….good times….not so safe some might say….

Frustrated by the lack of coordination and ride route knowledge amongst the group, Peter decided to tackle the issue head on. He created an email distribution list of those he had addresses for; he created a range of ride routes in Map My Ride (does anyone still use this site?); he would email out the selected ride route each Thursday. The rides got safer, less hectic and gave us confidence that if anyone got dropped, they would be able to find their way home. Peter then took the next step and created a “Blog” called, you guessed it; “where are we riding today?” The Blog became the place we would all get our hands on Saturday’s ride route as well as information relating to all things Perth Cycling….the rest as they say, is history….

So, why are we telling you this? Because as recently as last Saturday as well as just two weeks ago, we have had a crash (Mike Bonner came down) and major mechanical damage (Derek Baston’s front wheel rendered unusable), caused largely by people not being familiar with the ride route the group is taking.

Firstly, we all have an obligation to undertake a few simple preparatory steps to ensure we are ready and able to ride in a group safely. They are:

  1. Log on to the SPR Website on Friday to review the ride routes for the week ahead (or better still, sign up to the Weekly Rides Newsletter and get them delivered straight to your Inbox!)
  2. If you have a GPS enabled cycling computer, download the Course(s) and load it/them onto the device
  3. Listen to the ride briefing from the ride leader prior to setting off in case anything has changed or needs to be highlighted (hazards; re-group points; etc).

Secondly, when we are out on the ride, we all have an obligation to each other to communicate our intentions early and clearly, both verbally and non-verbally. Signalling a right/left turn with an outstretched hand or arm as well as calling “Right turn” or “Left turn” helps everyone know what’s coming up. Sure as eggs there will be SOMEONE who hasn’t done ANY of the above 3 steps and they WILL be the ones who cause the issues….don’t be that person.

So, this weekend, let’s try and get EVERYONE knowing AND communicating the answer to the ultimate question that started this whole thing off….where are we riding today?

If you have any feedback or questions on this or any other aspect of riding in SPR’s group rides, please do drop your friendly training and development sub-committee an email at development@southperthrouleurs.com.au

Training and Development

SPR Transition Group_Roll Through on Guildford

Video

This morning, I had the pleasure of witnessing  what I believe to be a good example of a group roll through; but not with our “super experienced” guys & gals from the Fast or Main Groups. Nope, this one was with our “Trannies” – the riders who are generally either still learning the craft of cycling, developing their fitness, happy to ride at a less hectic pace…or maybe a bit of all three!

Anyway, I managed to secure a little bit of footage of the performance that unfolded in front of me….the benefit of this is that we get to see what ‘good’ looks like and it’s not from a group of “pros”, just our “everyday” Trannies from SPR.

…..and I’m really hoping that the “stars of the show” won’t be grumpy with me for sharing their backsides with the world?

If you have any feedback or questions on this or any other aspect of riding in SPR’s group rides, please do drop your friendly training and development sub-committee an email at development@southperthrouleurs.com.au

Which Ride for Me?

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12079982_876796362437188_344618119232146394_oThere has been much conversation over the last little while about particular aspects of some of our Saturday training rides, specifically the Main 3, 4 and Transition rides. The conversation generally revolves around expected speeds (average and cruising) as well as general cycle skills.

We have processed a range of contributions from people who regularly lead or participate in these rides with the aim of firming up a clearer view for all as to what is expected and to expect across this large cohort of the Club’s members.

Key Rationale for the Rides

Transition (“Trannies”): This ride is for people who have developed a base level of fitness and general cycle skills with the Development Group or may be returning from having a long spell off the bike. This group rides a shorter distance (approx. 40km) than the Main Rides and often at an average pace of between 22-24km/h. During the ride, the group may get up to a cruising speed of 28-30km/h if conditions like wind direction, traffic lights and roll through skills are favourable. It is expected that riders in this group will still be developing their group riding skills but will be able to undertake key manoeuvres like riding one handed while signalling or drinking, not surging off the front during a roll through, looking over both left and right shoulders whilst maintaining a straight line. This ride is always a “no drop” ride as there are no other groups going to be able to come along behind to sweep up any riders who fall off the back. This means that the whole group MUST show respect to the decisions made by the ride leader to either re-group and/or slow down the average/cruising speeds to match the ability of the slowest rider.

Main 4: This group formed out of the need to allow people to increase the distance they cycle, whilst maintaining the average and cruising speed of the Transition ride. So, the key capability needed is endurance! As a rider in this group, you need to be able to ride further than the Trannies but you don’t have to ride any faster. This ride is a great option for those wanting to step up their long range fitness while getting better at riding in a group situation. This ride is always a “no drop” ride as there are no other groups going to be able to come along behind to sweep up any riders who fall off the back. This means that the whole group MUST show respect to the decisions made by the ride leader to either re-group and/or slow down the average/cruising speeds to match the ability of the slowest rider.

Main 3: This ride is about getting fitter and faster. If you choose to ride with this group then you need to be able to maintain both the average speed (25-27km/h) and cruising speed (up to 34km/h) over a 50km distance. It is typically the last 15km that hurts the most and this is where we can run into problems if you have chosen the wrong group at the start. The other key difference with this ride is that it “may” be a “drop” ride when there is a Main 4 group following. If this is the case then the ride leader may make the decision that the majority of the group on the day can maintain a certain speed and that there is one or two riders that are struggling. In that instance, the ride leader will communicate to these riders that they are not able to maintain the pace of the group and that they may be dropped. The very strong suggestion will be that those riders “sit up” and wait for the Main 4 group to come along and then join that ride (same route/distance, just a bit slower). This is also why it is so important to know the ride route beforehand, just in case you have to navigate alone for a while. If there is no Main 4 group following then the group will be a “no drop” ride and behave as per Main 4.

Choosing Your Ride

We all have ‘good’ days and ‘bad’ days. So much depends on how we’re feeling and what we want to get out of our precious training time. Some people are after a social outing whilst others are up for a trip to Pain City. It’s important to keep this in mind when choosing your ride; you’ve come along to a GROUP ride and it’s expected that once you make your choice you conform to the expectations of the GROUP, not the other way around. If you’ve traded up too high too early, then it’s not really fair that you keep calling “Ease Up” and expect the ride leader to control the group to your pace if you’re the only one dropping out the back. Similarly, if you’re always on the front of the group and have the legs to maintain the average and cruising speeds ALL the time, then you’re probably ready to step up.

Above all, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE listen to the ride briefing so you know what the expectations of the GROUP are and respect the decisions and calls of the ride leader(s) on the day. It is not easy to control everyone all of the time. It may be that they have to slow the GROUP down to allow for the safety of a single rider as it may be unsafe or not in line with the group’s “no drop” practice. Ride leaders are trained to identify how the group is travelling as a whole, to pick up on any individuals who may be doing it tough (or riding unsafely), and to make decisions in the best interests of the GROUP on the day.

If you have any feedback or questions on this or any other aspect of riding in SPR’s group rides, please do drop your friendly training and development sub-committee an email at development@southperthrouleurs.com.au