Category Archives: Uncategorized

Ride routes 21st – 27th November

Although racing is not everyone’s cup of tea, there is an important aspect of it from the clubs perspective. That is exposure. Getting the new colours out on the road, being in amongst groups of other riders that we don’t usually ride with and having people like Gary and Eric spruik the club over the loudspeaker all plays towards others understanding what we are about. With over 700 riders at the Tour of Margs, the cross section of people was diverse, just like our club. Just think of some of the people that you regularly ride with (or just became team mates with for tomr) and whether you would have actually bumped into them outside of cycling. Odds are that a lot of people you ride with are there for the same reason, what the club can offer them. Therefore it is important to the club that we show others what we are about. What our values are. Why we have a ride leader program. Why we look after each other. If you want a ride where you smash others, have a coffee and go, then fine, but you are missing out on a lot more that the club can offer.

The Rules – just a reminder that it isn’t business as usual.

As we progress through WA’s phased approach to reopening, how the club interacts within itself and the wider community will also change.
Rightly or wrongly, the lack of community transmission in the state has meant that a lot of the social distancing rules have disappeared. As such we want to streamline what the requirements are from a club perspective. Basically there are 3 main things we want people to keep in mind.

  • The virus can spread via human contact, so minimise the amount of touching between people and each others bikes/helmets etc.
  • No spitting, snotting or sneezing within the group. If you need to, move to the back of the group, but please look behind you to make sure that it is clear of traffic. That is all traffic, not just bikes. We don’t want some dash-cam footage of someone blowing their nose on a car.
  • Personal hygiene becomes very important in the spread of the virus so make sure that you either wash your hands whenever you can or carry a small container of hand sanitiser. Limit your exposure to common surfaces (chairs, tables) and don’t be sharing items.

Club Kit Order– The latest kit order is open until the end of this weekend with final orders on the 22nd Nov. The sizing kit is available at R&D cycles and please speak to the shop assistants if you have trouble locating any of the sizing kit. Their will be an update to the material used on the pockets of the standard & slim fit jersey, to provide less sag under “heavily loaded conditions” We won’t be accepting returns/changes on sizes for this or subsequent orders, so it’s important that club members confirm their sizing prior to placing their order. This is important as it means that it will be up to you to try to swap with someone else through internal SPR channels. So unless you have long legs and deliberately wanted the shorty short look, you need to, contact Mayeur if you want to change your order sizing.

Ride Leader Jersey Presentation – As the new kit has changed the look of the club we also need to refresh the look of the ride leaders. This Saturday after the main ride, any members who are ride leaders will receive their new Mayeur Ride Leader Jersey. Members of the committee will be on hand to present the jerseys in recognition of the commitment that the ride leaders make to keeping the rides safe and organised. This will take place from about 8:45am and will be around the raised platform behind the old church/school adjacent to the coffee shop. All members are welcome to help give the ride leaders the recognition they deserve.

Juniors – Pre-Covid we had a fairly stable cohort of juniors that were riding every Saturday. We didn’t kick juniors off again straight after lockdown as we were not sure how long that freedom would last. Now coming towards the end of the year most of the regulars have other commitments/less interest in riding on a regular basis. As such we don’t really have a consistent leadership team to run it as we would like. Hopefully this may change post Christmas when the nice weather gets more people out and about, but like most of our rides, we will just play it by ear and let it develop organically.

Thursday Group Ride – There is now a fourth group available during the Thursday training ride leaving from the cityside of the narrows at 5:30am. This will be a Main 2+ speed and not the frantic pace of the rest of the Thursday groups. If you are interested in having a go at the Thursday ride and have thought it would be too fast, there is now an option for you.

Our commitment to Core Values – We are a diverse club that made a point early on of committing to a number of core values to which we have built everything upon. These are – Safe, Inclusive, Organised & Social. It is under these values that we want all club interaction to occur, whether on the road or in cyberspace. Please read the previous post so you understand what we as a club, expect from you as members.

Sunday Summer Hills Start – As per the results of the feedback from the last few year, the Sunday hills rides now starts at 6am and continues this way until the end of February. The extra sunlight early on and the hotter days means a more pleasant riding experience for all. Yes, you miss out on a slight sleep in, but you will be home earlier and can have a nanna nap on the couch instead.

Where do i need to stand again?

Saturday Start Locations – In order to adhere to the new gathering regulations, we need to slightly change the meeting points of the groups. There is a 100 person gathering limit and when all groups are combined, we often exceed that when everyone is waiting for the start. There was a discussion about different start times for different groups, but what we settled on was moving half the groups to different sides of the carpark. This is not ideal as there are usually more cars using the eastern most parks, but we will just have to work around that for now. We understand that the COVID risk isn’t high, but it is more about how the club is viewed from outside. So, please congregate in the assigned locations, so we can continue to hold group rides in the future.

From the Ride Coordinator –  This week we are commencing training for new ride leaders to take the club into 2021. So far this year, it’s been a tough gig for those looking to graduate in 2020. And so it has been for us looking to top up our pool of ride leaders. Our training was due to kick off around early November, but a couple of big cycling events as well as last week’s weather just happened to get in the way. So with this weekend looking relatively free of clashes (unless you’re a fan of tandem cycling with the Tandemonium event on this weekend – look it up, it’s a cause drawing attention to bike safety on roads as well as other important cycling causes) and with clear skies and a gentle breeze, there is nothing about to get it the way.
For the 9 of you that have signed up to be future ride leaders, the club and the membership say a big thank you. It’s been said more than once, that together with our core values, the ride lead program is a true differentiator for our club and our focus on it sets us apart from others. So as you see them gathering in the car park at 7am on Saturday in the vacant middle lane, give them a cheer because they are happy to volunteer their time to making our rides more enjoyable and safe in the future.

Saturday 21st November

Sunday 22nd November

Monday 23rd November

Tuesday 24th November

  • Ride starts under the Narrows (cityside) at 5:30am
  • Ride starts Frasers ave at 5:45am
    • Development group – interval training kings park

Wednesday 25th November

Thursday 26th November

Friday 27th November

Kit order portal is open!

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We all saw how great the new green jerseys look in large numbers at last weekend’s Tour of Margaret River. If you are yet to update now is your last chance this year.

Orders can be placed by following the links here.

The portal will close again on 22 November 2020. There will be no extensions on this order so be quick.

Ride routes 14th – 20th November

The Tour of Margaret River is a special race for the WA racing scene as it gives people of all abilities a chance to compete over a multi-day, multi-stage event. Most of the big races in Australia tend to cater only for the elite end of the sport with very few stage races available for the average rider. SPR has been sending teams to the Tour for years. So long, in fact, that I can’t even remember when I did my first Tour. For those of you that don’t know the format, the first stage is a team time trial which is used as the basis for seeding the teams into different divisions. Yes, it does give certain teams an opportunity to “sand-bag” but usually it works out quite well. Within most divisions (of 10 teams) there was only about 2 min between the first and last team over 28kms. All of our teams (4 men, 1 women’s) rode extremely hard over the 5 stages. This year our Men’s 2 team came away with the silverware taking out Division E where they fought off 3 different Midland teams. Interestingly, this was the most well matched division as there was only 50 sec difference between 1st and 10th after the initial time trial. So well done to the team and the rest of the SPR teams that “enjoyed” the weekend down south.

The Rules – just a reminder that it isn’t business as usual.

As we progress through WA’s phased approach to reopening, how the club interacts within itself and the wider community will also change.
Rightly or wrongly, the lack of community transmission in the state has meant that a lot of the social distancing rules have disappeared. As such we want to streamline what the requirements are from a club perspective. Basically there are 3 main things we want people to keep in mind.

  • The virus can spread via human contact, so minimise the amount of touching between people and each others bikes/helmets etc.
  • No spitting, snotting or sneezing within the group. If you need to, move to the back of the group, but please look behind you to make sure that it is clear of traffic. That is all traffic, not just bikes. We don’t want some dash-cam footage of someone blowing their nose on a car.
  • Personal hygiene becomes very important in the spread of the virus so make sure that you either wash your hands whenever you can or carry a small container of hand sanitiser. Limit your exposure to common surfaces (chairs, tables) and don’t be sharing items.

Club Kit Order– The latest kit order will open this weekend and be open for the next couple with final orders on the 20th Nov. The sizing kit will be available at R&D cycles from Saturday afternoon. Please speak to the shop assistants if you have trouble locating any of the sizing kit. Their will be an update to the material used on the pockets of the standard & slim fit jersey, to provide less sag under “heavily loaded conditions” We won’t be accepting returns/changes on sizes for this or subsequent orders, so it’s important that club members confirm their sizing prior to placing their order.

Thursday Group Ride – There is now a fourth group available during the Thursday training ride leaving from the cityside of the narrows at 5:30am. This will be a Main 2+ speed and not the frantic pace of the rest of the Thursday groups. If you are interested in having a go at the Thursday ride and have thought it would be too fast, there is now an option for you.

Our commitment to Core Values – We are a diverse club that made a point early on of committing to a number of core values to which we have built everything upon. These are – Safe, Inclusive, Organised & Social. It is under these values that we want all club interaction to occur, whether on the road or in cyberspace. Please read the previous post so you understand what we as a club, expect from you as members.

Sunday Summer Hills Start – As per the results of the feedback from the last few year, the Sunday hills rides now starts at 6am and continues this way until the end of February. The extra sunlight early on and the hotter days means a more pleasant riding experience for all. Yes, you miss out on a slight sleep in, but you will be home earlier and can have a nanna nap on the couch instead.

Where do i need to stand again?

Saturday Start Locations – In order to adhere to the new gathering regulations, we need to slightly change the meeting points of the groups. There is a 100 person gathering limit and when all groups are combined, we often exceed that when everyone is waiting for the start. There was a discussion about different start times for different groups, but what we settled on was moving half the groups to different sides of the carpark. This is not ideal as there are usually more cars using the eastern most parks, but we will just have to work around that for now. We understand that the COVID risk isn’t high, but it is more about how the club is viewed from outside. So, please congregate in the assigned locations, so we can continue to hold group rides in the future.

From the Ride Coordinator –  The ride coordinator, Greg, is off sick at the moment, so i have made this weeks selections. Sorry if there has been an early repeat of a route, i may not have been keeping a close eye the last weeks leading up to ToMR. We are going to continue the Saturday hills rides so there is one scheduled for this weekend, however, the expected rain might put a dampener on most cycling activities.

Saturday 14th November

Sunday 15th November

Monday 16th November

Tuesday 17th November

  • Ride starts under the Narrows (cityside) at 5:30am
  • Ride starts Frasers ave at 5:45am
    • Development group – interval training kings park

Wednesday 18th November

Thursday 19th November

Friday 20th November

Ride routes 7th – 13th November

As a five teams of riders prepare to start the Tour of Margaret River tomorrow morning, SPR had just as many representing the club last weekend at the Tour of Gracetown. The club is made up of a diverse group of people and not everyone wants to pin a number on and race. Our demographics show that we have more recreational riders within the club than those with a race licence. Although we are happy to provide a pathway for those that want to get into racing, it is important to also recognise those that just ride for fun, or sightseeing or just social company. The Watertower Challenge provides an outlet for those riders and offers a supported challenge for those that want to achieve the century. That, however, is just one type of event. For the non-racers amongst you, what type of event would you like to see the club provide?

The Rules – just a reminder that it isn’t business as usual.

As we progress through WA’s phased approach to reopening, how the club interacts within itself and the wider community will also change.
Rightly or wrongly, the lack of community transmission in the state has meant that a lot of the social distancing rules have disappeared. As such we want to streamline what the requirements are from a club perspective. Basically there are 3 main things we want people to keep in mind.

  • The virus can spread via human contact, so minimise the amount of touching between people and each others bikes/helmets etc.
  • No spitting, snotting or sneezing within the group. If you need to, move to the back of the group, but please look behind you to make sure that it is clear of traffic. That is all traffic, not just bikes. We don’t want some dash-cam footage of someone blowing their nose on a car.
  • Personal hygiene becomes very important in the spread of the virus so make sure that you either wash your hands whenever you can or carry a small container of hand sanitiser. Limit your exposure to common surfaces (chairs, tables) and don’t be sharing items.

Club Kit Delivery – The latest kit order has arrived, so if you opted for a pick up, it should now be available at R&D Cycles in Claremont. If you selected postage, you probably already have it now, so what are you reading this for???

Cycling research study – An Honours research student at Curtin University is seeking participants to join the study “Handling of Bicycles”. Participants must have at least 1 years’ experience in competitive road cycling or equivalent. If you fit this description, then they want to hear from you!
The objective of this study is to analyse road cyclist’s performance during typical cycling manoeuvres including accelerating, decelerating, ascending, descending, and cornering. This will involve placing sensors on your whole-body to record changes in your movement patterns, muscle activity and posture. You will be required to attend 1x session of approximately 2 hours in duration. 
Please contact Caitlin via email at caitlin.hillier@student.curtin.edu.au for more information.

Thursday Group Ride – There is now a fourth group available during the Thursday training ride leaving from the cityside of the narrows at 5:30am. This will be a Main 2+ speed and not the frantic pace of the rest of the Thursday groups. If you are interested in having a go at the Thursday ride and have thought it would be too fast, there is now an option for you.

Our commitment to Core Values – We are a diverse club that made a point early on of committing to a number of core values to which we have built everything upon. These are – Safe, Inclusive, Organised & Social. It is under these values that we want all club interaction to occur, whether on the road or in cyberspace. Please read the previous post so you understand what we as a club, expect from you as members.

Sunday Summer Hills Start – As per the results of the feedback from the last few year, the Sunday hills rides now starts at 6am and continues this way until the end of February. The extra sunlight early on and the hotter days means a more pleasant riding experience for all. Yes, you miss out on a slight sleep in, but you will be home earlier and can have a nanna nap on the couch instead.

Where do i need to stand again?

Saturday Start Locations – In order to adhere to the new gathering regulations, we need to slightly change the meeting points of the groups. There is a 100 person gathering limit and when all groups are combined, we often exceed that when everyone is waiting for the start. There was a discussion about different start times for different groups, but what we settled on was moving half the groups to different sides of the carpark. This is not ideal as there are usually more cars using the eastern most parks, but we will just have to work around that for now. We understand that the COVID risk isn’t high, but it is more about how the club is viewed from outside. So, please congregate in the assigned locations, so we can continue to hold group rides in the future.

From the Ride Coordinator –  Great weather is forecast for this weekend which is a big one for cycling in WA with the Tour of Margaret River on. SPR will be well represented with 5 official teams as well as countless other members and regular riders in the 130 teams that have entered for the event. We wish all our members and friends who have entered all the best in probably one of Australia’s largest cycling events this year.
For everyone riding this Saturday in Perth, please note there will be no ride lead Saturday Hills ride option for this weekend. The clubs committee will be discussing our commitment to this option next week so stay tuned for more information in this blog next week. In the interim, it will be almost all hands on deck for led rides due to the ToMR.  Whatever riding you are doing this weekend make it safe and enjoyable.

Saturday 7th November

Sunday 8th November

Monday 9th November

Tuesday 10th November

  • Ride starts under the Narrows (cityside) at 5:30am
  • Ride starts Frasers ave at 5:45am
    • Development group – interval training kings park

Wednesday 11th November

Thursday 12th November

Friday 13th November

New kit day!

The latest kit order has arrived!

This is the full order (not just the ToMR items) and it will be available at the DOME after the Saturday ride (31 Oct 2020). If you paid for postage at the time of order you can still collect and Mayeur will refund your postage fee.

After Saturday it will be either be available at R&D cycles or posted out as per the option you selected.

Ballam’s Bargain Basement Sale

After Saturday’s ride we will be clearing out some club branded accessories. We’ll have some SPR green socks and SPR branded white gloves.

Socks and gloves will be $11 a pair. No cash or eftpos…we’ll just take your email and invoice you.

First in best dressed.

Ride routes 31st Oct – 6th Nov

As we slowly do more kit orders over the next year or so, we will see a change in our look out on the road. There are already smatterings of the new in amongst the old and sometimes even the original kit makes an appearance. Most of my really old kits are not the most comfortable to be sitting on as the chamois has seen better days. However, no matter which kit you may be seen in, you are being identified as a rider from SPR. Your actions when wearing the kit are how the club is judged. You personally may not hear about it, but over the years the club has copped a bit of feedback from the general public. Some of it is unwarranted as some people just look for someone to blame, but others, when investigated don’t always make the club look too good. These incidents are generally not during club rides, but either before or after and cover everything from traffic interactions to personal interactions. Now the club has been running for over 10 years and the number of rides and number of riders over that time would be tremendous, so this is not an everyday event. However, just remember that you are representing the club when you wear the kit and we require you to act responsibly at all times.

The Rules – just a reminder that it isn’t business as usual.

As we progress through WA’s phased approach to reopening, how the club interacts within itself and the wider community will also change.
Rightly or wrongly, the lack of community transmission in the state has meant that a lot of the social distancing rules have disappeared. As such we want to streamline what the requirements are from a club perspective. Basically there are 3 main things we want people to keep in mind.

  • The virus can spread via human contact, so minimise the amount of touching between people and each others bikes/helmets etc.
  • No spitting, snotting or sneezing within the group. If you need to, move to the back of the group, but please look behind you to make sure that it is clear of traffic. That is all traffic, not just bikes. We don’t want some dash-cam footage of someone blowing their nose on a car.
  • Personal hygiene becomes very important in the spread of the virus so make sure that you either wash your hands whenever you can or carry a small container of hand sanitiser. Limit your exposure to common surfaces (chairs, tables) and don’t be sharing items.

Club Kit Delivery – The latest kit order has arrived, so if you didn’t have a jersey for Tour of Margs, you now won’t have to ride naked. This is the full order (not just the ToMR items) and it will be available at the coffee shop after the Saturday ride. After that, it will be available at R&D cycles or posted out as per the option you selected.
As an added extra bonus, also available will be a selection of the previous kit (socks and gloves) as part of Ballam’s Bargain Basement Sale. We still have a little bit of stock to move, so if you are after these never to be seen again items, see Andrew after the ride. No need to bring cash, you will be invoiced by the club.

Cycling research study – An Honours research student at Curtin University is seeking participants to join the study “Handling of Bicycles”. Participants must have at least 1 years’ experience in competitive road cycling or equivalent. If you fit this description, then they want to hear from you!
The objective of this study is to analyse road cyclist’s performance during typical cycling manoeuvres including accelerating, decelerating, ascending, descending, and cornering. This will involve placing sensors on your whole-body to record changes in your movement patterns, muscle activity and posture. You will be required to attend 1x session of approximately 2 hours in duration. 
Please contact Caitlin via email at caitlin.hillier@student.curtin.edu.au for more information.

Our commitment to Core Values – We are a diverse club that made a point early on of committing to a number of core values to which we have built everything upon. These are – Safe, Inclusive, Organised & Social. It is under these values that we want all club interaction to occur, whether on the road or in cyberspace. Please read the previous post so you understand what we as a club, expect from you as members.

Sunday Summer Hills Start – As per the results of the feedback from the last few year, the Sunday hills rides will change to a 6am start time this week as it is the 1st of November and continue that way until the end of February. The extra sunlight early on and the hotter days means a more pleasant riding experience for all. Yes, you miss out on a slight sleep in, but you will be home earlier and can have a nanna nap on the couch instead.

Where do i need to stand again?

Saturday Start Locations – In order to adhere to the new gathering regulations, we need to slightly change the meeting points of the groups. There is a 100 person gathering limit and when all groups are combined, we often exceed that when everyone is waiting for the start. There was a discussion about different start times for different groups, but what we settled on was moving half the groups to different sides of the carpark. This is not ideal as there are usually more cars using the eastern most parks, but we will just have to work around that for now. We understand that the COVID risk isn’t high, but it is more about how the club is viewed from outside. So, please congregate in the assigned locations, so we can continue to hold group rides in the future.

From the Ride Coordinator –  We’ve had a really strong response to our call out to members for our 2020 ride lead programme with 6 budding leaders locked in and a further 5 in serious consideration of joining us. If you are amongst the 5 that have said yes, be sure to complete the process by formally providing your expression of interest so that we can include you in this years programme. Training kicks off after the tour of Margs. Look out for the newbies “spreading their wings” throughout December and be sure to provide them plenty of support. The ride lead programme is one of the key things that sets our club apart from others and is there to assist us all in holding safe and fun group riding for all.
On a separate note, remember that the SPR Chicks ride is in tomorrow (Friday 30th) leaving from the north side of the narrows at 6am. Sounds like we are set for big numbers so don’t miss out if you are thinking of going. Also good luck to all members who will be heading south this weekend for the Tour of Gracetown which is the traditional lead up event to Tour of Margs.

Saturday 31st October – Halloween

Sunday 1st November

Monday 2nd November

Tuesday 3rd November

  • Ride starts under the Narrows (cityside) at 5:30am
  • Ride starts Frasers ave at 5:45am
    • Development group – interval training kings park

Wednesday 4th November

Thursday 5th November

Friday 6th November

Ride routes 24th – 30th October

Two weekends in a row of successful events for the club signals the culmination of a lot of behind the scenes work. The type of events also reflects the type of riders we have in the club. We are not a racing club, nor are we a recreational club. Our diverse collection of riders means that we need to try to provide for all wide range of abilities. The WaterTower Challenge was setup to provide a safe and supported platform for people to achieve the goal of a century ride. The Beverley, this year, is a primer event for the Tour of Margaret River teams. The club has never really been big on events, and if you are ever involved in the organisation and setup of any of these, you will understand why. However, with the changes that are happening within the organisational level of our sport, we may need to be more proactive about what we want in this state. Luckily we have such a deep pool of enthusiastic volunteers to make this happen.

The Rules – just a reminder that it isn’t business as usual.

As we progress through WA’s phased approach to reopening, how the club interacts within itself and the wider community will also change.
Rightly or wrongly, the lack of community transmission in the state has meant that a lot of the social distancing rules have disappeared. As such we want to streamline what the requirements are from a club perspective. Basically there are 3 main things we want people to keep in mind.

  • The virus can spread via human contact, so minimise the amount of touching between people and each others bikes/helmets etc.
  • No spitting, snotting or sneezing within the group. If you need to, move to the back of the group, but please look behind you to make sure that it is clear of traffic. That is all traffic, not just bikes. We don’t want some dash-cam footage of someone blowing their nose on a car.
  • Personal hygiene becomes very important in the spread of the virus so make sure that you either wash your hands whenever you can or carry a small container of hand sanitiser. Limit your exposure to common surfaces (chairs, tables) and don’t be sharing items.

Cycling research study – An Honours research student at Curtin University is seeking participants to join the study “Handling of Bicycles”. Participants must have at least 1 years’ experience in competitive road cycling or equivalent. If you fit this description, then they want to hear from you!
The objective of this study is to analyse road cyclist’s performance during typical cycling manoeuvres including accelerating, decelerating, ascending, descending, and cornering. This will involve placing sensors on your whole-body to record changes in your movement patterns, muscle activity and posture. You will be required to attend 1x session of approximately 2 hours in duration. 
Please contact Caitlin via email at caitlin.hillier@student.curtin.edu.au for more information.

Thursday detour – Claremont Cres westbound in Swanbourne will be closed for quite a few months. Our Thursday ride will start to follow the detour by going up Shenton Rd, but will continue on until the end of the road and then head left to the traffic lights. You now get the added bonus of a longer harder hill.

2020 SPR Ride Leaders program calls for expressions of interest – 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. We are now seeking Expressions of Interest from SPR members who would like to be part of our second public Ride Leader Development Program.
If you are interested, check out the previous post for more details.

Our commitment to Core Values – We are a diverse club that made a point early on of committing to a number of core values to which we have built everything upon. These are – Safe, Inclusive, Organised & Social. It is under these values that we want all club interaction to occur, whether on the road or in cyberspace. Please read the previous post so you understand what we as a club, expect from you as members.

SPR Chicks Social ride is back – Every last Friday of each month, the ride will start at the Narrows Bridge (city side) and end in Kings Park at Fraser’s restaurant for coffee. This is an approx 25km distance, 25km/hr easy pace, no drop ride. End of ride coffee is the key priority  All riders are welcome and encouraged.
A Club kit is encouraged but not essential. If you don’t have a club kit that’s ok but you may lose out on a chance to win a prize!!  Find out more details here: https://www.facebook.com/events/668254434092767/

Sunday Summer Hills Start – As per the results of the feedback from the last few year, the Sunday hills rides will change to a 6am start time at the beginning of November and continue that way until the end of February. The extra sunlight early on and the hotter days means a more pleasant riding experience for all. Yes, you miss out on a slight sleep in, but you will be home earlier and can have a nanna nap on the couch instead.

Where do i need to stand again?

Saturday Start Locations – In order to adhere to the new gathering regulations, we need to slightly change the meeting points of the groups. There is a 100 person gathering limit and when all groups are combined, we often exceed that when everyone is waiting for the start. There was a discussion about different start times for different groups, but what we settled on was moving half the groups to different sides of the carpark. This is not ideal as there are usually more cars using the eastern most parks, but we will just have to work around that for now. We understand that the COVID risk isn’t high, but it is more about how the club is viewed from outside. So, please congregate in the assigned locations, so we can continue to hold group rides in the future.

From the Ride Coordinator –  So its the first weekend in a while that both days will be warm/hot since we’ve come back from our COVID break earlier in the year. Added to that for Saturday is a forecast for “moderate” easterly winds. A couple of weeks ago, I posted a “getting ready for the hot weekends” ahead by ensuring you drink plenty of fluids and slip on the sunscreen, so in true Perth fashion we get thrown straight from the cold to the hot, so please be careful out there this weekend whatever you do.

On another note, the club is going “back to the future” by reinstating a monthly SPR Chicks ride the last Friday in every month with the first of these starting next Friday 30th October at 6am. If you’re interested then you can find details on SPR Chicks Facebook page. Be great to get as many women along for the first one in a while so be sure to pencil it in for next week.

Saturday 24th October

Sunday 25th October

Monday 26th October

Tuesday 27th October

  • Ride starts under the Narrows (cityside) at 5:30am
  • Ride starts Frasers ave at 5:45am
    • Development group – interval training kings park

Wednesday 28th October

Thursday 29th October

Friday 30th October

Ride routes 17th – 23rd October

An absolutely perfect day for riding last weekend and an excellent day for finding some Watertowers. We are hoping that we get the same this weekend for the Beverley TTT to complete the back to back weekend events. Both of these are neatly constructed with set team sizes for safety and control. Keeping riders safe at all times is our priority and we strive to do that on all our rides. As such, when we split groups at the start of a ride, this is for exactly those reasons. Safety and Control. It has nothing to do with you as a rider and it is not a slight against your perceived ability. We want to make sure that you have a positive riding experience and bigger groups make that hard. Roll throughs are more difficult, getting though traffic lights are more difficult and the number of uncontrollable things goes up significantly. So, when the ride leaders split the group, and you decide that you are going to go in the other group, because (insert lame reason here), just remember that you have now added to the unpredictability of that group. We also realise that some of those people do not read the blog, so it is up to everyone else in the club to assume control via peer pressure. Don’t just accept that behaviour, call it out.

The Rules – just a reminder that it isn’t business as usual.

As we progress through WA’s phased approach to reopening, how the club interacts within itself and the wider community will also change.
Rightly or wrongly, the lack of community transmission in the state has meant that a lot of the social distancing rules have disappeared. As such we want to streamline what the requirements are from a club perspective. Basically there are 3 main things we want people to keep in mind.

  • The virus can spread via human contact, so minimise the amount of touching between people and each others bikes/helmets etc.
  • No spitting, snotting or sneezing within the group. If you need to, move to the back of the group, but please look behind you to make sure that it is clear of traffic. That is all traffic, not just bikes. We don’t want some dash-cam footage of someone blowing their nose on a car.
  • Personal hygiene becomes very important in the spread of the virus so make sure that you either wash your hands whenever you can or carry a small container of hand sanitiser. Limit your exposure to common surfaces (chairs, tables) and don’t be sharing items.

Cycling research study – An Honours research student at Curtin University is seeking participants to join the study “Handling of Bicycles”. Participants must have at least 1 years’ experience in competitive road cycling or equivalent. If you fit this description, then they want to hear from you!
The objective of this study is to analyse road cyclist’s performance during typical cycling manoeuvres including accelerating, decelerating, ascending, descending, and cornering. This will involve placing sensors on your whole-body to record changes in your movement patterns, muscle activity and posture. You will be required to attend 1x session of approximately 2 hours in duration. 
Please contact Caitlin via email at caitlin.hillier@student.curtin.edu.au for more information.

Thursday detour – Claremont Cres westbound in Swanbourne will be closed for quite a few months. Our Thursday ride will start to follow the detour by going up Shenton Rd, but will continue on until the end of the road and then head left to the traffic lights. You now get the added bonus of a longer harder hill.

2020 SPR Ride Leaders program calls for expressions of interest – 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. We are now seeking Expressions of Interest from SPR members who would like to be part of our second public Ride Leader Development Program.
If you are interested, check out the previous post for more details.

Our commitment to Core Values – We are a diverse club that made a point early on of committing to a number of core values to which we have built everything upon. These are – Safe, Inclusive, Organised & Social. It is under these values that we want all club interaction to occur, whether on the road or in cyberspace. Please read the previous post so you understand what we as a club, expect from you as members.

SPR Chicks Social ride is back – Every last Friday of each month, the ride will start at the Narrows Bridge (city side) and end in Kings Park at Fraser’s restaurant for coffee. This is an approx 25km distance, 25km/hr easy pace, no drop ride. End of ride coffee is the key priority ☕️???? All riders are welcome and encouraged.
A Club kit is encouraged but not essential. If you don’t have a club kit that’s ok but you may lose out on a chance to win a prize!! ???? Find out more details here: https://www.facebook.com/events/668254434092767/

Sunday Summer Hills Start – As per the results of the feedback from the last few year, the Sunday hills rides will change to a 6am start time at the beginning of November and continue that way until the end of February. The extra sunlight early on and the hotter days means a more pleasant riding experience for all. Yes, you miss out on a slight sleep in, but you will be home earlier and can have a nanna nap on the couch instead.

Where do i need to stand again?

Saturday Start Locations – In order to adhere to the new gathering regulations, we need to slightly change the meeting points of the groups. There is a 100 person gathering limit and when all groups are combined, we often exceed that when everyone is waiting for the start. There was a discussion about different start times for different groups, but what we settled on was moving half the groups to different sides of the carpark. This is not ideal as there are usually more cars using the eastern most parks, but we will just have to work around that for now. We understand that the COVID risk isn’t high, but it is more about how the club is viewed from outside. So, please congregate in the assigned locations, so we can continue to hold group rides in the future.

From the Ride Coordinator –  So rider numbers might be a little skinny this week with the club hosting the TTT at Beverley this weekend and there is a big contingent of SPR members riding in SPR team colours as well as for other teams. But for those not heading East, the show still goes on in Perth this Saturday morning with one of our more popular northern routes riding westward (with a nice easterly tail wind) along Morley Drive. Good luck to all those club members participating this weekend in Beverley and a big shout out to Steve Burns who has worked tirelessly to get the event into shape this year. Hope it all goes well.

Saturday 17th October

Sunday 18th October

Monday 19th October

Tuesday 20th October

  • Ride starts under the Narrows (cityside) at 5:30am
  • Ride starts Frasers ave at 5:45am
    • Development group – interval training kings park

Wednesday 21st October

Thursday 22nd October

Friday 23rd October

Ride routes 10th – 16th October

Julian on his way to a podium finish (see the green blur way at the back, that is me being dropped). Photo – Nick Cowie

Racing is still going strong in post-covid WA with big fields filling the startlists. Part of me wonders whether people don’t know what they have until it is taken away, so now they are trying to get their fill before we lose it again. Regardless, SPR did well on the hilly course around Jarahdale. We had 5 of the 6 podium positions in Women’s A & B and 3 spots across Men’s A, B & C. There were even some green kits amongst those with Nancy and Craig winning their respective B grade races. We will soon come to the end of our truncated road season with the first of the crits just around the corner next month. However, the Tour of Margs will be the focus for some until then. On a non-racing note, the Tour of WA is currently underway with some of our members negotiating the 6 day 660km circuit around the south-west. The weather is getting better and the mornings are getting lighter, it’s time to get out and ride.

The Rules – just a reminder that it isn’t business as usual.

As we progress through WA’s phased approach to reopening, how the club interacts within itself and the wider community will also change.
Rightly or wrongly, the lack of community transmission in the state has meant that a lot of the social distancing rules have disappeared. As such we want to streamline what the requirements are from a club perspective. Basically there are 3 main things we want people to keep in mind.

  • The virus can spread via human contact, so minimise the amount of touching between people and each others bikes/helmets etc.
  • No spitting, snotting or sneezing within the group. If you need to, move to the back of the group, but please look behind you to make sure that it is clear of traffic. That is all traffic, not just bikes. We don’t want some dash-cam footage of someone blowing their nose on a car.
  • Personal hygiene becomes very important in the spread of the virus so make sure that you either wash your hands whenever you can or carry a small container of hand sanitiser. Limit your exposure to common surfaces (chairs, tables) and don’t be sharing items.

SPR Watertower Challenge – Good luck to those participating in the return of the WaterTower Challenge. Well, the re-try of the re-boot of the challenge, anyway. The weather is looking fantastic on Sunday and we have over 30 teams entered so it should be a good day. Thanks to the volunteers for making this happen and thanks to those that have entered to support the club.

The Beverley Race – The club is again holding this event as part of the Heroic weekend, but this year we have changed the format of the road race. As the perfect preparation for the Tour of Margaret River and it’s 3 team time trials, this years Beverley will be a Team Time Trial of between 4-6 riders. No special TT bikes or fancy helmets allowed, just ride your bike hard. Register your teams today via EntryBoss.

The Beverley Heroic – The Heroic is usually a celebration of cycling covering many aspects spanning the weekend of the 17th and 18th of October. On top of the aforementioned team time trial, there is usually a cyclo-cross race, gravel race and heroic ride. However, after 6 years incident free, MainRoads have decided that the traffic management for the Heroic and new Gravel ride are insufficient and require more much traffic management than initially thought. The cost of this and the time it would take to organise, have made the Sunday events (Gravel & Heroic) uneconomic and have therefore been cancelled. The Team time trial and CX race will still go ahead on the Saturday. This is an unfortunate situation and has meant that over 200 people will now not be coming to support the local economies around Beverley and York.

Volunteers – Thank you to those that have volunteered for the WaterTower Challenge. If you have entered the Challenge, make sure you thank the volunteers for their time and effort in keeping you hydrated and fed.

We also require a few more volunteers for the Beverley Race on the 17th October. If you can assist the club, send an email through to club to let us know what you can do. Roles include marshalling, lead car, rego desk and SAG wagon.

Cycling research study – An Honours research student at Curtin University is seeking participants to join the study “Handling of Bicycles”. Participants must have at least 1 years’ experience in competitive road cycling or equivalent. If you fit this description, then they want to hear from you!
The objective of this study is to analyse road cyclist’s performance during typical cycling manoeuvres including accelerating, decelerating, ascending, descending, and cornering. This will involve placing sensors on your whole-body to record changes in your movement patterns, muscle activity and posture. You will be required to attend 1x session of approximately 2 hours in duration. 
Please contact Caitlin via email at caitlin.hillier@student.curtin.edu.au for more information.

Thursday detour – Claremont Cres westbound in Swanbourne will be closed for quite a few months. Our Thursday ride will start to follow the detour by going up Shenton Rd, but will continue on until the end of the road and then head left to the traffic lights. You now get the added bonus of a longer harder hill.

2020 SPR Ride Leaders program calls for expressions of interest – 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. We are now seeking Expressions of Interest from SPR members who would like to be part of our second public Ride Leader Development Program.
If you are interested, check out the previous post for more details.

Our commitment to Core Values – We are a diverse club that made a point early on of committing to a number of core values to which we have built everything upon. These are – Safe, Inclusive, Organised & Social. It is under these values that we want all club interaction to occur, whether on the road or in cyberspace. Please read the previous post so you understand what we as a club, expect from you as members.

Where do i need to stand again?

Saturday Start Locations – In order to adhere to the new gathering regulations, we need to slightly change the meeting points of the groups. There is a 100 person gathering limit and when all groups are combined, we often exceed that when everyone is waiting for the start. There was a discussion about different start times for different groups, but what we settled on was moving half the groups to different sides of the carpark. This is not ideal as there are usually more cars using the eastern most parks, but we will just have to work around that for now. We understand that the COVID risk isn’t high, but it is more about how the club is viewed from outside. So, please congregate in the assigned locations, so we can continue to hold group rides in the future.

From the Ride Coordinator –  Just had a quick look at the BOM weather forecast and we are (finally) looking at a run of double digit overnight temps! Yay, things are starting to warm up. So I thought it was a good time to go back to my “spotlight on safety” messages. Just as a reminder, so far we’ve focussed on importance of knowing the ride route, the importance of calling hazards up and down the line and communication, the importance of regular bike maintenance and so this week is the importance of hydration, nutrition and sun protection as we move into some warmer weather. So temperatures during some rides this weekend may hit the mid 20’s. Do you need a second water bottle? Do you need a hydralyte kick in your water? For longer rides, do you have adequate snacks/food to keep you going (particularly important for water tower and hills rides). Is it time to “slip slop slap” on the sunscreen if you’re still out in the late morning when the UV is more intense? You thinking about the answers to these types of questions just might be the difference between an enjoyable ride or a downright slog. So from this weekend on, don’t just “jump on the bike”, give some consideration to the environment that you will riding in and look after yourself. Enjoy the riding whatever you do

Saturday 10th October

Sunday 11th October

Monday 12th October

Tuesday 13th October

  • Ride starts under the Narrows (cityside) at 5:30am
  • Ride starts Frasers ave at 5:45am
    • Development group – interval training kings park

Wednesday 14th October

Thursday 15th October

Friday 16th October