after months of training for a particular event, you often find yourself at a loose end once the event has finished.  there are a bunch of events coming up just after easter for you to concentrate on.  the dams ride, the midland hilly 100, and even delirium if you are feeling game.  alternatively, you can just ride for fun to allow yourself a reprieve from the grind. (i think i will take the second option).

ride leader sponsor – the ride leader for march is Regenerative Bodywork Remedial and Sport Massage.  owned and operated by SPR member Emily Lee, Regenerative Bodywork Remedial and Sport Massage utilises a range of techniques such as deep tissue, trigger point therapy, myofascial release & joint mobilisation to effectively relieve pain and tension throughout the whole body.  for more info please see the previous post.

rules of engagement – please read the previous post if you come out on any of our rides.  it is up to all members to enforce these rules.

survey feedback – if you filled in the club survey we did last year there was an opportunity to include some written feedback.  if you did add anything, i have responded to each and everyone.  see the previous post to find your reply.

museum of perth – tucked in behind henry saw which is tucked into grand lane which is tucked into the back of the murray st mall, is the museum of perth.  this month’s exhibition is on our hidden cycling history.  here you will discover the history of cycling in perth and find that it has been here longer than the white tradie ute.  see the website for more details and drop in for a coffee at henry saw.

beyond the bike exhibition– as part of bike week, there is a small exhibition of tony lendrum’s beyond the bike project.  as you can see from the picture on the header, the walls either side of henry saw have been decorated with some of his photos and the riders text is also included.  although, many of you have seen the photos online, this is an opportunity to hopefully attract a few more viewers from passing traffic.  while you are there, check out the museum of perth cycling exhibition and grab a coffee from henry’s.

giro d’perth – this weekend is the giro d’perth which is a low key ride to involve family or friends that don’t ride a lot.  there are 3 distances and it is more like a treasure hunt than a bike race. it is run by spr member toby hodgson and supported by the club.  last year there were over 500 riders in attendance.  see the previous post for more details.

bike stickers – the bike name stickers that we ordered earlier in the year will be available for collection at the coffee shop on saturday.  if you cannot collect them, send an email through to the club and we will make alternative arrangements.

free beginner ladies group skills – held on the 19th march at the coode st carpark, this is an opportunity for any women that may want to take that next step from solo riding to riding with a group.  if you know anyone that may be interested, please pass on the information that can be found on the previous post.

state criterium championships – along with rccc, we will be holding the state crit champs this saturday.  it is an all day affair with juniors in the morning and seniors in the afternoon.  we will need a few volunteers throughout the day to help on rego and drinks.  racing starts at 8:30am and pack up is around 4:30pm, so i am looking at four x 2 hours shifts. let me know via the comments if you are available to do setup (8:30-10:30), morning (10:30-12:30), afternoon (12:30-14:30) or the packup shift (14:30-16:30).  entries close tonight, so see the facebook event page for more details.

spr crit champs – as part of the summer crit series, we will also run a spr crit championship.  this will again be a points based system given to placings 1 through 10.  “a” and “b” grade will be given a difficulty multiplier and a leaderboard will track progress.  there are 7 races that we are the final race will be the state champs on the 19th march. your points for the best 5 races will be used in the final leaderboard.  this allows you to have holidays, miss races and still be in the running.  more details on the previous post.

spr road race champs – off the back of the crit championships will be the road race championships for 2016.  there are a number of races identified that riders will accumulate point for.  a change in the scoring system this year to try to allow those that have a go at ‘a’ grade a better chance of getting points.  please see the previous postfor more info.

ride routes – there seems to be a problem with the garmin mapping function and the embedded maps are not showing up.  hopefully, below each map is a link to the actual map which you can then view. i am currently talking to garmin about a fix for this.  if any of the maps that we are using this week don’t have a link, let me know as i was updating them as i used them.

saturday 19th march

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

early lap – earlybird 40.93km spr special

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

free beginners ladies group

development group –  novice shelley 36.06km spr saturday

transitional – trans benara 39.90km spr saturday

fast & main groups – ridgehill rd 49.58km spr saturday

sunday 20th march

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

early lap – earlybird 40.93km spr special

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

development group – coffee ride

short – wlsh weir 62.23km spr sunday

long – wlsh obs kal 90.32km spr sunday

monday 21st march

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

south stock 33.76km spr monday

tuesday 22nd march

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

spr tuesday 36.37km (river ride)

ride starts frasers carpark at 5:45am

development group – interval training kings park

wednesday 23rd march

ride starts raffles bike path at 5:30am

interval training – stock road repeats

thursday 24th march

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

spr thursday 37.26km (cott & freo)

ride starts frasers carpark at 5:45am

development group – interval training kings park

friday 25th march – good friday

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

spr friday 42.01km (shelley)

friday training/recovery ride

rides start at coode st carpark at 6:00am

vice president’s good friday 3 dams ride

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

public hol 58.97km spr special

for a lot of our riders, this weekend is the culmination of a number of months training.  the uwct time trial is on tomorrow and the grand fondo is on sunday.  we have over 40 members hitting elizabeth quay (including the footbridge) tomorrow and then over 100 members tackling the testing grand fondo course on sunday.  the grand fondo finishes at elizabeth quay, so if you are not doing anything late sunday morning head on down to cheer the club members across the line.  to top off an already busy weekend, we also have the club agm on saturday after the main ride. come for the agm, stay for the breakfast.  looking forward to next week.

ride leader sponsor – the ride leader for march is Regenerative Bodywork Remedial and Sport Massage.  owned and operated by SPR member Emily Lee, Regenerative Bodywork Remedial and Sport Massage utilises a range of techniques such as deep tissue, trigger point therapy, myofascial release & joint mobilisation to effectively relieve pain and tension throughout the whole body.  for more info please see the previous post.

rules of engagement – please read the previous post if you come out on any of our rides.  it is up to all members to enforce these rules.

survey feedback – if you filled in the club survey we did last year there was an opportunity to include some written feedback.  if you did add anything, i have responded to each and everyone.  see the previous post to find your reply.

museum of perth – tucked in behind henry saw which is tucked into grand lane which is tucked into the back of the murray st mall, is the museum of perth.  this month’s exhibition is on our hidden cycling history.  here you will discover the history of cycling in perth and find that it has been here longer than the white tradie ute.  see the website for more details and drop in for a coffee at henry saw.

beyond the bike exhibition– as part of bike week, there is a small exhibition of tony lendrum’s beyond the bike project.  as you can see from the picture on the header, the walls either side of henry saw have been decorated with some of his photos and the riders text is also included.  although, many of you have seen the photos online, this is an opportunity to hopefully attract a few more viewers from passing traffic.  while you are there, check out the museum of perth cycling exhibition and grab a coffee from henry’s.

uwct time trial – the first race of the uwct perth qualifier begins next friday 11th down at elizabeth quay.  a 16km individual time trial will see riders tackle both riverside drive and mounts bay road with a technical diversion through elizabeth quay.  this will be highlighted by the bikes travelling over the new foot bridge that spans the quay.  first riders are away at 10:30am and we have about 40 – 50 spr members registered.  if you are working in or near the city, wander on down to support your club mates.

uwct volunteers – spr has committed to manning a feedstation at the grand fondo on the 13th.  essentially, the official part of our job will be to setup and have available hydration and nutrition products as supplied by the race organiser. these products will not be handed out to passing riders, rather, they will have to stop if they need to refuel.  for the spr riders, however, we will be handing out bottles to hydrate our members as they roll by.  the feedzone will be on the outskirts of mundaring, near the sports ovals as you come in from the weir.  we currently have over a dozen volunteers on the day and we thanks you for making yourself available.

giro d’perth – if you are after a low key ride to involve family or friends that don’t ride a lot, then the giro d’perth is for you.  there are 3 distances and it is more like a treasure hunt than a bike race. it is run by spr member toby hodgson and supported by the club.  last year there were over 500 riders in attendance.  see the previous post for more details.

spr agm and breakfast – as mentioned in the previous post, our annual general meeting is on this saturday morning after the main ride.   this will be held in conjunction with our quarterly breakfast which you may partake in for $15.  as this is an official event, there will be a sign-in sheet for members as you enter.  there is a small amount of official business that needs to be taken care of, but we should get through it quite quickly.

bike stickers – the bike name stickers that we ordered earlier in the year will be available for collection at the agm on saturday.  if you cannot collect them, send an email through to the club and we will make alternative arrangements.

free beginner ladies group skills – held on the 19th march at the coode st carpark, this is an opportunity for any women that may want to take that next step from solo riding to riding with a group.  if you know anyone that may be interested, please pass on the information that can be found on the previous post.

spr crit champs – as part of the summer crit series, we will also run a spr crit championship.  this will again be a points based system given to placings 1 through 10.  “a” and “b” grade will be given a difficulty multiplier and a leaderboard will track progress.  there are 7 races that we are the final race will be the state champs on the 19th march. your points for the best 5 races will be used in the final leaderboard.  this allows you to have holidays, miss races and still be in the running.  more details on the previous post.

spr road race champs – off the back of the crit championships will be the road race championships for 2016.  there are a number of races identified that riders will accumulate point for.  a change in the scoring system this year to try to allow those that have a go at ‘a’ grade a better chance of getting points.  please see the previous post for more info.

ride routes – aiming for the flattest course possible for saturday to allow any uwct racers a nice warmup before the big day.  then on sunday, we are sending the hills riders down south to avoid any of the road closures from the uwct grand fondo.  however, with the agm and breakfast after the saturday ride, make sure you build up an appetite.

saturday 12th march

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

early lap – earlybird 40.93km spr special

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

development group –  novice shelley 36.06km spr saturday

transitional – trans abernethy 39.96km spr saturday

fast & main groups – abernethy rd 48.21km spr saturday

sunday 13th march

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

early lap – earlybird 40.93km spr special

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

development group – coffee ride

short – brktn weir 82.89km spr sunday

long – carr peet obs 97.72km spr sunday

monday 14th march

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

south stock 33.76km spr monday

tuesday 15th march

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

spr tuesday 36.37km (river ride)

ride starts frasers carpark at 5:45am

development group – interval training kings park

wednesday 16th march

ride starts raffles bike path at 5:30am

interval training – stock road repeats

thursday 17th march

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

spr thursday 37.26km (cott & freo)

ride starts frasers carpark at 5:45am

development group – interval training kings park

friday 18th march

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

spr friday 42.01km (shelley)

friday training/recovery ride

pay attention to road conditions.  don’t do stupid things.  pretty basic stuff really for when you are riding.  unfortunately there have been a few accidents (not in our group) at one of the roundabouts near uwa.  a bit of water and possibly some oil on the road have seen a few people take a spill.  on the thursday earlybird the left hand turn onto cottesloe is a bit rough and i have seen some people take it hard and bounce across the road.  now these are conditions that need to be called so everyone is aware of them as the groups come through.  on the stupid front, people crossing onto the wrong side of the road during a descent, going the wrong way around traffic islands and going around stopped riders to go through a red light are things that we just don’t want to see.  however, i am getting reports that we are.  as repeatedly mentioned in the feedback responses, if you see some behaviours that do not align to the clubs view on safety, speak up straight away to make sure you come home to your babies.

ride leader sponsor – the ride leader for february is Concept Music.  owned by spr member graham hoskin’s Concept Music is one of the premier musical instrument shops in Perth.  please see the previous post for further details about what he sells and his contact details.

rules of engagement – please read the previous post if you come out on any of our rides.  it is up to all members to enforce these rules.

survey feedback – if you filled in the club survey we did last year there was an opportunity to include some written feedback.  if you did add anything, i have responded to each and everyone.  see the previous post to find your reply.

beyond the bike – we have talked about this project a bit, but i think that it is conveying a very important message.  check out the facebook page and have a look at the “say hello to” album.  you can see the excellent quality of tony lendrum’s work and identify all the spr members that have had their photo taken.  what we need to do is share/like/comment on the project so it can be seen by a wider audience to bridge the gap between all road users.

uwct training ride – there are only a few opportunities left to ride the uwct circuit before race day.  check out our previous post for more details, but there are 2 start times (6:00am and 6:20am) and 2 regroup times (9:00am and 9:10am).  if you have ridden the course previously, please have a look at the strava segment and if you are faster than 2:09, then you need to start in the 6:20am group.  over the last few weeks the 6:00am group has grown pretty big so we need to move some people into the 6:20am group.  if you are faster than 2:09, then you will still make it to the regroup point with 5 min to spare, so you won’t be left behind.  do the right thing and start in the correct group.  don’t make me have to name names at the start.

giro d’perth – if you are after a low key ride to involve family or friends that don’t ride a lot, then the giro d’perth is for you.  there are 3 distances and it is more like a treasure hunt than a bike race. it is run by spr member toby hodgson and supported by the club.  last year there were over 500 riders in attendance.  see the previous post for more details.

spr agm and breakfast – as mentioned in the previous post, our annual general meeting is coming up in march. as stated in our constitution, all committee positions are vacated every year.  this was included after seeing some of the older clubs struggle with people in positions of power slowly tearing their clubs apart.  now there is nothing to stop the current committee from renominating, but if you are keen to get involved, please put your name forward to our secretary amanda nabi.  remember, there are also sub-committee’s that you can be involved in as a first step to helping the club.

spr crit champs – as part of the summer crit series, we will also run a spr crit championship.  this will again be a points based system given to placings 1 through 10.  “a” and “b” grade will be given a difficulty multiplier and a leaderboard will track progress.  there are 7 races that we are the final race will be the state champs on the 19th march. your points for the best 5 races will be used in the final leaderboard.  this allows you to have holidays, miss races and still be in the running.  more details on the previous post.

custom lycra socks – new one-off order for custom spr socks.  these socks include a lycra cuff which allows unlimited designs and colours.  featuring a paisley design with a gear and chain motif, these socks are at a discounted price of $20.  orders are open until after the long weekend and there will be no repeat.  see the previous post for more details.

ride routes – lights are now needed on all earlybird rides as sunrise is not until after 6:00am. when it is really dark, front flashing lights are not a good option as they are distracting to the group.  also rear lights that are too bright or facing up to following riders faces are equally annoying.  please be aware of how your lights are affecting other riders and adjust as necessary.

saturday 27th february

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

early lap – earlybird 40.93km spr special

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

development group –  novice shelley 36.06km spr saturday

transitional – trans rebold 38.69km spr saturday

fast & main groups – ewen st 50.26km spr saturday

sunday 28th february

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

early lap – earlybird 40.93km spr special

ride starts at coode st carpark at 6:00am

development group – coffee ride

uwct training (main) – spr 2016 uwct training course

ride starts at coode st carpark at 6:20am

uwct training (fast) – spr 2016 uwct training course

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

short – wlsh weir 62.23km spr sunday

long – wlsh obs kal 90.32km spr sunday

monday 29th february

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

south stock 33.76km spr monday

tuesday 1st march

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

spr tuesday 36.37km (river ride)

ride starts frasers carpark at 5:45am

development group – interval training kings park

wednesday 2nd march

ride starts raffles bike path at 5:30am

interval training – stock road repeats

thursday 3rd march

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

spr thursday 37.26km (cott & freo)

ride starts frasers carpark at 5:45am

development group – interval training kings park

friday 4th march

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

spr friday 42.01km (shelley)

friday training/recovery ride

the wednesday interval group (shown left) has grown out of an initiative that our training and development committee member leigh, started last year.  initially slated as a development ride, this group is now open to anyone that wants to do some stock road repeats on a wednesday morning.  i was using it to do my 1 min on, 1 min off intervals that my sadistic coach had set.  it is a diverse group, but just shows how rides can organically grow from a very simple starting point.  if you are looking for a little variation to your weekly rides, or need some extra training on hills, then the group meets 5:30am at raffles on a wednesday.  see you there.

ride leader sponsor – the ride leader for february is Concept Music.  owned by spr member graham hoskin’s Concept Music is one of the premier musical instrument shops in Perth.  please see the previous post for further details about what he sells and his contact details.

rules of engagement – please read the previous post if you come out on any of our rides.  it is up to all members to enforce these rules.

renae’s race – this saturday afternoon spr and rccc will be holding renae’s race.  this event is all about women’s racing and all women’s grades will include prize money for the podium.  registrations close tonight so get your entries in (there are guys races too).  see the previous post for more details and a link to rego.

beyond the bike – tony lendrum is holding another session of beyond the bike this friday in kings park.  it is a great initiative that i encourage everyone to get behind.  at the very least you get a great pic of you with your bike.  check out the facebook event here.

uwct training ride – there are only a few opportunities left to ride the uwct circuit before race day.  check out our previous post for more details, but there are 2 start times (6:00am and 6:20am) and 2 regroup times (9:00am and 9:10am).  if you have ridden the course previously, please have a look at the strava segment and if you are faster than 2:09, then you need to start in the 6:20am group.  over the last few weeks the 6:00am group has grown pretty big so we need to move some people into the 6:20am group.  if you are faster than 2:09, then you will still make it to the regroup point with 5 min to spare, so you won’t be left behind.  do the right thing and start in the correct group.  don’t make me have to name names at the start.

giro d’perth – if you are after a low key ride to involve family or friends that don’t ride a lot, then the giro d’perth is for you.  there are 3 distances and it is more like a treasure hunt than a bike race. it is run by spr member toby hodgson and supported by the club.  last year there were over 500 riders in attendance.  see the previous post for more details.

spr agm and breakfast – as mentioned in the previous post, our annual general meeting is coming up in march. as stated in our constitution, all committee positions are vacated every year.  this was included after seeing some of the older clubs struggle with people in positions of power slowly tearing their clubs apart.  now there is nothing to stop the current committee from renominating, but if you are keen to get involved, please put your name forward to our secretary amanda nabi.  remember, there are also sub-committee’s that you can be involved in as a first step to helping the club.

spr crit champs – as part of the summer crit series, we will also run a spr crit championship.  this will again be a points based system given to placings 1 through 10.  “a” and “b” grade will be given a difficulty multiplier and a leaderboard will track progress.  there are 7 races that we are putting on this year and the 6th race is renae’s race which is on next weekend. your points for the best 5 races will be used in the final leaderboard.  this allows you to have holidays, miss races and still be in the running.  more details on the previous post.

custom lycra socks – new one-off order for custom spr socks.  these socks include a lycra cuff which allows unlimited designs and colours.  featuring a paisley design with a gear and chain motif, these socks are at a discounted price of $20.  orders are open for 3 weeks only and there will be no repeat.  see the previous post for more details.

ride routes – looks like we found the perfect way to split out the main 1 group on saturday.  put them in a “cattle yard” so we can easily group together without people heading out around the side.  we may also look at how many in fast group to whether we need a fast 1 and fast 2.

saturday 20th february

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

early lap – earlybird 40.93km spr special

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

development group –  novice shelley 36.06km spr saturday

transitional – trans benara 39.90km spr saturday

fast & main groups – hale & ridgehill 50.58km spr saturday

sunday 21st february

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

early lap – earlybird 40.93km spr special

ride starts at coode st carpark at 6:00am

development group – coffee ride

uwct training (main) – spr 2016 uwct training course

ride starts at coode st carpark at 6:20am

uwct training (fast) – spr 2016 uwct training course

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

short – grnmt goose 65.22km spr sunday

long – grnmt prk mnd wr 93.71km spr sunday

monday 22nd february

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

south stock 33.76km spr monday

tuesday 23rd february

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

spr tuesday 36.37km (river ride)

ride starts frasers carpark at 5:45am

development group – interval training kings park

wednesday 24th february

ride starts raffles bike path at 5:30am

interval training – stock road repeats

thursday 25th february

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

spr thursday 37.26km (cott & freo)

ride starts frasers carpark at 5:45am

development group – interval training kings park

friday 26th february

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

spr friday 42.01km (shelley)

friday training/recovery ride

i was driving home the other day and came across a cyclist as i was approaching a roundabout.  he wasn’t right at it, but i slowed down to let him in as the bike lane just disappears.  in my rear view mirror i now have this 60+ yr old male in a rather large 4wd right up close behind me.  he proceeds to blow his horn at me, because i have slowed him down.  i wave at him (not using all my fingers) and he waves back (in kind).  the cyclists gets through the roundabout and the bike lane resumes.  the 4wd follows me around the corner and then starts to weave around and come close behind.  you know, just to show how tough he is.  within a block we are at a set of lights at which we both have to stop.  i estimate that to give the cyclist a bit of space cost us about 6-7 sec.  the result is we both stopped at the lights anyway.  he would not have made it through the lights if we didn’t wait as they had been red for a while.  why do people think that their 7 sec “inconvenience” is more important than the health and well being of another person.  the photos on today’s post are from tony lendrum’s “beyond the bike” project.  this is meant to show that cyclists are not just vermin or arrogant lycra clad road hogs, but real people with real lives.  when on the road and secure in their own steel cocoon, people tend to be inconsiderate to everyone else, not just cyclists.  we are just an easy target as we are slow and don’t pay rego (blah, blah, blah).  laws are a good place to start, but it is really reeducation and culture change that needs to happen before we see any real change on the road.  in the meantime, tony is doing a third sitting for his project, so if you are free on sunday, drop into the city with your bike and get your photo taken.  at the very least, you get an awesome photo of you with your bike.  more info on the facebook event site.

ride leader sponsor – the ride leader for february is Concept Music.  owned by spr member graham hoskin’s Concept Music is one of the premier musical instrument shops in Perth.  please see the previous post for further details about what he sells and his contact details.

future ride leader sponsors – after going through the finances for 2015, a bit of creative accounting has allowed us to reduce the sponsor fee to $250 per month.  we thank last years sponsors for their contribution which has allowed us to setup this program.  if anyone out there has a business that they would like to promote, get in touch with the club for more information.

rules of engagement – please read the previous post if you come out on any of our rides.  it is up to all members to enforce these rules.

uwct training ride –as mentioned in the previous post, there are a more changes that we are making to the uwct training ride.  the biggest change is the 6:20am start time for the fast group.  on the previous post there is a strava link that you need to check to see if you are in the 6:20am fast or 6:00am main group.  second major change is the regroup.  at the servo, it doesn’t matter what time you get there, there will be 2 groups leaving at 9:00am and 9:10am.  this will split the group up again, to minimise our size on the road for the way home.  there is other important info in the previous post, so make sure you have a look if you are coming out.

giro d’perth – if you are after a low key ride to involve family or friends that don’t ride a lot, then the giro d’perth is for you.  there are 3 distances and it is more like a treasure hunt than a bike race. it is run by spr member toby hodgson and supported by the club.  last year there were over 500 riders in attendance.  see the previous post for more details.

spr agm and breakfast – as mentioned in the previous post, our annual general meeting is coming up in march. as stated in our constitution, all committee positions are vacated every year.  this was included after seeing some of the older clubs struggle with people in positions of power slowly tearing their clubs apart.  now there is nothing to stop the current committee from renominating, but if you are keen to get involved, please put your name forward to our secretary amanda nabi.  remember, there are also sub-committee’s that you can be involved in as a first step to helping the club.

spr crit champs – as part of the summer crit series, we will also run a spr crit championship.  this will again be a points based system given to placings 1 through 10.  “a” and “b” grade will be given a difficulty multiplier and a leaderboard will track progress.  there are 7 races that we are putting on this year and the 6th race is renae’s race which is on next weekend. your points for the best 5 races will be used in the final leaderboard.  this allows you to have holidays, miss races and still be in the running.  more details on the previous post.

ride routes – after a hot and muggy week, it will be good to ride in some nice weather for a change.  the change also brings the return of the bEasterly winds, so you will need to ride hard.

saturday 13th february

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

early lap – earlybird 40.93km spr special

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

development group –  novice shelley 36.06km spr saturday

transitional – trans shelley 40.59km spr saturday

fast & main groups – maddington 51.87km spr saturday

sunday 14th february – valentines day

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

early lap – earlybird 40.93km spr special

ride starts at coode st carpark at 6:00am

development group – coffee ride

uwct training (main) – spr 2016 uwct training course

ride starts at coode st carpark at 6:20am

uwct training (fast) – spr 2016 uwct training course

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

short – brktn weir 82.89km spr sunday

long – carr peet obs 97.72km spr sunday

monday 15th february

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

south stock 33.76km spr monday

tuesday 16th february

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

spr tuesday 36.37km (river ride)

ride starts frasers carpark at 5:45am

development group – interval training kings park

wednesday 17th february

ride starts raffles bike path at 5:30am

interval training – stock road repeats

thursday 18th february

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

spr thursday 37.26km (cott & freo)

ride starts frasers carpark at 5:45am

development group – interval training kings park

friday 19th february

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

spr friday 42.01km (shelley)

friday training/recovery ride

don’t take life too seriously.  it’s not like you are going to make it out alive, anyway.  work can be a drain and sometimes even riding your bike can be a drag.  focus on the social side of riding and get back to what you used to enjoy.  use it as the escape from the everyday, especially now that school is back and the routine has kicked in again.  we have a great network of riders that you can socialise with.  do something outrageous and sit amongst a different group at the coffee shop on saturday.  discover something that you didn’t know.

ride leader sponsor – the ride leader for february is Concept Music.  owned by spr member graham hoskin’s Concept Music is one of the premier musical instrument shops in Perth.  please see the previous post for further details about what he sells and his contact details.

future ride leader sponsors – after going through the finances for 2015, a bit of creative accounting has allowed us to reduce the sponsor fee to $250 per month.  we thank last years sponsors for their contribution which has allowed us to setup this program.  if anyone out there has a business that they would like to promote, get in touch with the club for more information.

rules of engagement – please read the previous post if you come out on any of our rides.  it is up to all members to enforce these rules.

kit collection – the kit order that was closed off in december has arrived and will be available for collection at the coffee shop after the saturday ride.  any issues or to collect at a different time please contact andrew – kit@southperthrouleurs.com.au

uwct training ride –as mentioned in the previous post, there are a more changes that we are making to the uwct training ride.  the biggest change is the 6:20am start time for the fast group.  on the previous post there is a strava link that you need to check to see if you are in the 6:20am fast or 6:00am main group.  second major change is the regroup.  at the servo, it doesn’t matter what time you get there, there will be 2 groups leaving at 9:00am and 9:10am.  this will split the group up again, to minimise our size on the road for the way home.  there is other important info in the previous post, so make sure you have a look if you are coming out.

bike and helmet stickers – we are doing another run of the bike/helmet stickers.  the idea is that this will make it easy for everyone in spr to actually know who they are riding with rather than “that german guy on the black canyon bike”. the price has been slightly subsidised and you can purchase them via the spr shop.  please be aware that these are for spr members only.  last time we did this, some members were also purchasing for non-members, so we were subsidising them as well.  see the previous post for more details.  the shop closes at the end of this weekend 7th feb.

spr agm and breakfast – as mentioned in the previous post, our annual general meeting is coming up in march. as stated in our constitution, all committee positions are vacated every year.  this was included after seeing some of the older clubs struggle with people in positions of power slowly tearing their clubs apart.  now there is nothing to stop the current committee from renominating, but if you are keen to get involved, please put your name forward to our secretary amanda nabi.  remember, there are also sub-committee’s that you can be involved in as a first step to helping the club.

spr crit champs – as part of the summer crit series, we will also run a spr crit championship.  this will again be a points based system given to placings 1 through 10.  “a” and “b” grade will be given a difficulty multiplier and a leaderboard will track progress.  there are 7 races that we are putting on this year and the 6th race is renae’s race in feb. your points for the best 5 races will be used in the final leaderboard.  this allows you to have holidays, miss races and still be in the running.  more details on the previous post.

spr ladies day – being the first saturday of the month, we again have our women’s only rides in main 1, 2 & 3.  see the previous post for more details and take the opportunity to ride up front.

ride routes – the forecast for this weekend is hot.  damn hot.  as such the sunday hills ride will just kind of hang around kalamunda. you will have lots of opportunities to turn home early if needed.  make sure that if you are coming out you have adequate food and drink with you.

saturday 6th february

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

early lap – earlybird 40.93km spr special

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

development group –  novice shelley 36.06km spr saturday

transitional – trans canning vale 42.34km spr saturday

women’s only groups – south st 51.23km spr saturday

fast & main groups – south st 51.23km spr saturday

sunday 7th february

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

early lap – earlybird 40.93km spr special

ride starts at coode st carpark at 6:00am

development group – coffee ride

uwct training (main) – spr 2016 uwct training course

ride starts at coode st carpark at 6:20am

uwct training (fast) – spr 2016 uwct training course

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

short – wlsh weir 62.23km spr sunday

long – wlsh obs cam goose 88.67km spr sunday

monday 8th february

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

south stock 33.76km spr monday

tuesday 9th february

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

spr tuesday 36.37km (river ride)

ride starts frasers carpark at 5:45am

development group – interval training kings park

wednesday 10th february

ride starts raffles bike path at 5:30am

interval training – stock road repeats

thursday 11th february

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

spr thursday 37.26km (cott & freo)

ride starts frasers carpark at 5:45am

development group – interval training kings park

friday 12th february

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

spr friday 42.01km (shelley)

friday training/recovery ride

there is an excellent article in cycling tips this week about iris dixon who is still riding the track at age 85.  she started racing in 1945 at the age of 14 and went on to win 35 titles in her career including 16 national championships.  it also highlights some of the history of women’s racing and how it suddenly disappeared even after being massive at one stage.  renae’s race is on in a few weeks time and we will be showcasing women’s racing.  make sure you get involved and ensure that there is great racing across all grades.

ride leader sponsor – january’s ride leader sponsor is spr member Gonzalo Ramirez, who owns Watch Zone a boutique watch repair and sales specialist.  more info on the previous post.

rules of engagement – please read the previous post if you come out on any of our rides.  it is up to all members to enforce these rules.

kit collection – the kit order that was closed off in december has arrived and will be available for collection at the coffee shop after the saturday ride.  there were a few orders missed and these will be sent directly to your address by mid next week.  any issues or to collect at a different time please contact andrew – kit@southperthrouleurs.com.au

uwct training ride – as mentioned in the previous post, there are a number of changes happening with the uwct training ride.  we will now split in the carpark with the main group leaving at 6:00am and the fast group leaving at 6:15am. using last weekends ride as a guide, if you reached the servo regroup before the vice president, then you belong in the 6:15am group.  if you arrived after him, then head off in the 6:00am group.  it is important that the faster riders do not go in the early group as this changes the dynamic of the regroup.  looking at the strava flybys for the ride, there were about 30 people that made it to the servo by the 9:50am mark.  check out the link to see where you came in so you know which group to join. the other change is the gooseberry regroup has been removed.  it is neutralised until the roe hwy overpass, then race pace till the regroup after guilford.  by splitting, it will hopefully make is safer on the roads and also allow more people to reach the regroup before we make the final push into the city.  NOTE:  there is also a report of road works on toodyay road near the red hill rubbish dump entrance.  no idea what it will be like come sunday, but please be aware and ride safely to conditions.

bike and helmet stickers – we are doing another run of the bike/helmet stickers.  the idea is that this will make it easy for everyone in spr to actually know who they are riding with rather than “that german guy on the black canyon bike”. the price has been slightly subsidised and you can purchase them via the spr shop.  please be aware that these are for spr members only.  last time we did this, some members were also purchasing for non-members, so we were subsidising them as well.  see the previous post for more details.  the shop closes at the end of next week 7th feb.

spr crit champs – as part of the summer crit series, we will also run a spr crit championship.  this will again be a points based system given to placings 1 through 10.  “a” and “b” grade will be given a difficulty multiplier and a leaderboard will track progress.  there are 7 races that we are putting on this year and the 6th race is renae’s race in feb. your points for the best 5 races will be used in the final leaderboard.  this allows you to have holidays, miss races and still be in the running.  more details on the previous post.

ride routes – the current prediction for saturday is showing heavy rain and 22 deg.  to hot for wet weather gear, but too wet for just a jersey.  possibly short sleeves, but a light vest to keep the wind chill away.  more importantly, just to get out on your bike.

saturday 30th january

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

early lap – earlybird 40.93km spr special

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

development group –  novice shelley 36.06km spr saturday

transitional – trans mosman 40.39km spr saturday

fast & main groups – shelley & mosman 50.14km spr saturday

sunday 31st january

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

early lap – earlybird 40.93km spr special

ride starts at coode st carpark at 6:00am

development group – coffee ride

uwct training (main) – spr 2016 uwct training course

ride starts at coode st carpark at 6:15am

uwct training (fast) – spr 2016 uwct training course

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

short – brktn weir 82.89km spr sunday

long – carr peet obs 97.72km spr sunday

monday 1st february

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

south stock 33.76km spr monday

tuesday 2nd february

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

spr tuesday 36.37km (river ride)

ride starts frasers carpark at 5:45am

development group – interval training kings park

wednesday 3rd february

ride starts raffles bike path at 5:30am

interval training – stock road repeats

thursday 4th february

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

spr thursday 37.26km (cott & freo)

ride starts frasers carpark at 5:45am

development group – interval training kings park

friday 5th february

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

spr friday 42.01km (shelley)

friday training/recovery ride

last weekend was not a particularly good one for our club.  there were 2 separate accidents resulting in 5 hospitalisations.  luckily all but 1 were discharged on the same day, but some of the injuries will have people off the bikes for quite a while.  there is a level of risk that we accept when we are riding our bikes.  there are other vehicles, the weather and road conditions that may affect what happens to us.  there are also other riders especially the ones within our own group.  this is always a double edged sword.  why? simply, riding in a group means that you can go further, faster and it gives it a whole different social experience.  however, riding in a group also means that there as another 20 – 30 things that are outside of your control.  speed, spacing and reactions are within your control, so use them to better your chances in a group.  if you are not happy about the speed of the group, move to the back, or drop off to a different group.  if you are not comfortable being close to an unsteady wheel, leave more space.  if someone in front of you grabs a handful of brake, try not to do exactly the same.  be aware of your exits and see if you can avoid hitting the other rider without slamming on the brakes.  group riding is also a two-way street.  your actions and reactions can easily have a ripple affect all the way to the back of the group.  you might not be involved in an accident, but your sudden braking or swerving can bring riders down 5 – 10 places further down the line.  be aware of what you are doing.  be aware of what others are doing.  be aware of what is happening outside the group (traffic, road conditions, wind conditions).  and most of all, accept any constructive criticism if you are pulled up by someone for riding erratically.  don’t be that person.

ride leader sponsor – january’s ride leader sponsor is spr member Gonzalo Ramirez, who owns Watch Zone a boutique watch repair and sales specialist.  more info on the previous post.

rules of engagement – please read the previous post if you come out on any of our rides.  it is up to all members to enforce these rules.

memberships – on the 31st of december a bunch of race memberships and some recreational memberships expired.  overnight we lost in excess of 250 members.  there are a bunch of reasons for you to become or renew your membership.  see the previous post for more details.  NOTE: the crashes that we had in the group last weekend highlight why it is important to renew now and not just wait till you are ready to race.

australia day crit –this aussie day fromm 7:30am we are holding the traditional crit at tech park.  unlike the smashfest, registration is via the internet and must be paid for by sunday.  same format as smashfest with grades for both men and women as well as a juniors race.  some more info and links to rego can be found on the previous post.  as usual, a few volunteers would be appreciated to help setup/packup.

spr crit champs – as part of the summer crit series, we will also run a spr crit championship.  this will again be a points based system given to placings 1 through 10.  “a” and “b” grade will be given a difficulty multiplier and a leaderboard will track progress.  there are 7 races that we are putting on this year and the 5th race is on aussie day. your points for the best 5 races will be used in the final leaderboard.  this allows you to have holidays, miss races and still be in the running.  more details on the previous post.

uwct training – we have been getting quite a few riders out to the uwct training on sunday morning.  i estimated that there was between 40 – 50 last weekend.  as mentioned before, there was an accident on that ride when a rider who was on their own came off.  please make sure that on top of all the food and water that you need, you also have adequate identification and ICE contact numbers on you.  keeping in mind that you phone may not be accessible if you are in a crash.  often on this ride, you may find yourself riding on your own, please look after yourself.  gain, only a 20min regroup from when the first riders arrive, so make sure you check your clocks.  more info on the uwct training ride can be found on the previous post.

bike and helmet stickers – we are doing another run of the bike/helmet stickers.  the idea is that this will make it easy for everyone in spr to actually know who they are riding with rather than “that german guy on the black canyon bike”. the price has been slightly subsidised and you can purchase them via the spr shop.  please be aware that these are for spr members only.  last time we did this, some members were also purchasing for non-members, so we were subsidising them as well.  see the previous post for more details.

ride for yarloop –after the devastating fires down south, a cycling group (the rove) is organising a charity ride to raise money for the victims.  it is basically a 140km ride from mandurah station towards yarloop and return.  due to the destruction in the area, the ride may not actually get all the way to yarloop, but your $50 entry fee will.  there is also a link to donate to the cause without doing the ride.  head to their website for rego and more info, and there has been an update posted on the westcycle facebook site with even more info from the organiser .

ride routes – due to a lack of interest, the wednesday kings park uci loops have been cancelled.  there is a stock road interval ride leaving the raffles at 5:30am and this is open to all abilities.  easy cruise out to stock road, hill repeats till 6:30am, then a return with coffee in applecross if you have time.

saturday 23rd january

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

early lap – earlybird 40.93km spr special

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

development group –  novice shelley 36.06km spr saturday

transitional – trans benara 39.90km spr saturday

fast & main groups – benara rd 50.76km spr saturday

sunday 24th january

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

early lap – earlybird 40.93km spr special

ride starts at coode st carpark at 6:00am

uwct training – spr 2016 uwct training course

development group – coffee ride

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

short – wlsh weir 62.23km spr sunday

long – wlsh obs kal 90.32km spr sunday

monday 25th january

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

south stock 33.76km spr monday

tuesday 26th january (australia day)

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

spr tuesday 36.37km (river ride)

ride starts frasers carpark at 5:45am

development group – interval training kings park

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

fast/main groups – public hol 58.97km spr special

wednesday 27th january

ride starts raffles bike path at 5:30am

interval training – stock road repeats

thursday 28th january

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

spr thursday 37.26km (cott & freo)

ride starts frasers carpark at 5:45am

development group – interval training kings park

friday 29th january

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

spr friday 42.01km (shelley)

friday training/recovery ride