so, during the week it emerged that the city of stirling wanted to restrict the speed of cyclists using the shared path between trigg and watermans bay. the reason for this change is that a study was conducted by the city of stirling and it found that “between 1500 and 2500 cyclists used the West Coast Drive shared path weekly, with many riding at “dangerous” speeds”.  great.  1500-2500 cyclists are a lot but how many is “many”???  were 2000 cyclists riding at dangerous speeds???  and what is a dangerous speed???  you can also have an accident at 20km/hr.  looking at the picture above, which was used on one of the news websites about this story, i can see another issue that was not tackled by this knee-jerk reaction.  the pedestrians in this pic are not actually keeping left on the path.  the guy in the red shirt and his partner are actually walking towards the flow of traffic. so what should a cyclist do in this case???  now i am a firm believer in “riding to conditions”.  this applies to both the road and the path.  if it is wet and slippery on the road, slow down for the corners.  if the path is full of kids, dogs, people with headphones on, then don’t try for a strava pb.  the city of perth shared paths had a better answer and that was to promote a mutual respect between users rather than targeting one group. regardless of the speed of the cyclists, in my experience, it is often the erratic behavior of the pedestrians that causes accidents on paths.  not keeping left, stopping and changing directions without looking, walking on the left with their dog on the right, prams 3 wide so the mums can chat, walking and reading the paper while listening to music via headphones.  it is a shared path, so both parties are responsible for everyone’s safety.

the biggest problem that this stretch of shared path faces, is the lack of shoulder on the actual road.  here is a screen shot of the google street view just north of trigg.  as you can see, there is nowhere for a bike to ride.  when i have used this stretch of road i always ride on the path as the road is busy and winding, so traffic always banks up behind you.  instead of keeping a shoulder, they have added an extra gap in the centre to keep the traffic separate.  so, bikes are on the path.

one reason why i haven’t been too concerned about this action is that there is no way that they can enforce it.  the police will not enforce it and it will be up to the council rangers to fine people.  now it is not mandatory for people to have a working speedo on their bike, so how will everyone actually know how fast they are going???  that stretch of road is also not flat with lots of ups and downs.  even a 8 yr old on a small bike would be able to roll faster than 20km/hr when they are on the path.  do they get fined???  from what i have seen so far it has been an emotive, knee-jerk reaction to a problem that has been ill defined by subjective measures.

ride leaders sponsorship – August’s Ride Leaders are proudly sponsored by Retul Bike Fitting.   there has been an update to this months sponsors post and they are now offering any spr member a full bike fitting for 20% off.  that means you and your bike can be as one for just $199.  please see the previous post detailing what they provide and we thank them for encouraging our members to step up as ride leaders.  ride leaders will receive a $10 Dome voucher to be used after the saturday ride.  if you have a business that you want to promote to our members, check out the previous post to both promote your business and help out the club.

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 order – the previous kit order has been delivered and will be available for collection at the coffee shop after the saturday ride.  if you cannot get there, please make alternative arrangements with the kit committee. the current kit order will close at the end of september and we have been promised that it will be ready before the tour of margs.  it is important that anyone considering doing the tour has the correct current spr uniform for the event.  remembering the cold and wet stages that we had last year, this may also mean a spr vest to keep warm.  check out the previous post for more details.

spr club champion – the 2 remaining races are pinjarra classic and now the state road champs. the current leaderboard has been updated to include the last pickering brook race. find out where you sit in the club championships.

pinjarra classic – a great challenging race that is ideal for anyone that regularly does the sunday hills ride.  more info here.

beverley heroic – the heroic is a participation ride with a difference.  it takes in some quiet country roads around beverly and york and also includes sections of unpaved roads.  you can use your modern racing bike, but the appeal is to dust off the old clunker and see if you can punch out 100 miles old school.  for more info see the previous post. as an added incentive, if you provide a volunteer for the day, you will get to ride for free.  jobs range from driving cars to ticking boxes, with some jobs having their expenses covered.  please contact toby on jedi@mrvesparazzi.com if you can help out and to sort out your free entry.

spr watertower challenge – you may have seen that entries are now open for the spr watertower challenge.  for those of you that are relatively new to the club, it is a participation ride for teams of 3 that takes in a number of the high water towers scattered around perth.  the majority of these towers are found on the tops of hills, but not really big hills.  there are 2 distances a metric century (100 kms) and an imperial century (100 miles/160 kms).  the ride is supported with feedzones and a sag wagon and is open to any cyclist out there. more info on the watertower event page.  spread the word.

tour of margaret river – registrations are open in the club shop to be part of the spr race team heading down to the tour of margs.  we have positions for 4 men’s and 2 women’s teams.  due to the popularity of this race, you cannot just enter as an individual and the teams slots were effectively sold out months ago.  spr has secured 6 teams and will now look to fill those teams with club members.  to prove that you are willing to commit to the training needed for a race like this, we are asking for the entry and accommodation to be paid for now.  once we have all interested parties, we will then pull together the teams based on riders with similar abilities.  due to the logistics of this years race we will also be hiring vans to transport everyone and their bikes.  we now have the 5 volunteers required and we thank those people for giving up their time to help look after the riders.

tomr training session – as we get closer to the tour of margs, the race committee (all powerful) want to get a better look at the riders that are intending to represent spr.  there will be a special trainign session this saturday leaving before the main ride at 7am.  it is open to all those that think they would like to race in spr colours down at margs.  this gives the race committee (all powerful) a better understanding of the spread of abilities and how we will need to setup teams.

ride routes – it looks like the heavy rain predicted for saturday will not hit us till the afternoon.  slight chance of a shower during the main rides, but it should be ok.  sunday long hills sees us head out to turner road for the first time since gary’s accident.  the ride route has been changed to avoid the descent down canning mills road.  please look at the route so you know where we are headed.

saturday 29th august

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

tour of margs group – kings park and dalkeith

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

sunday 30th august

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

short – khna weir 72.23km spr sunday

long – khna trnr obs 101.76km spr sunday

monday 31st august

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

main group – south stock 33.76km spr monday

tuesday 1st september

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 september

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

spr wednesday 14.22km (uci masters)

ride starts raffles bike path at 5:30am

development group – stock road repeats

thursday 3rd september

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 september

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

spr friday 42.01km (shelley)

friday development ride

riding in winter is a bit hit and miss in perth.  most of the time we can ride in the sunshine but there are the occasional storms that we have to dodge.  somethings that are harder to dodge are the colds and flu’s that are usually associated with the cooler months.  these seem to keep you off the bike more than the weather.  with half the family out sick a couple of weeks ago, i managed to avoid it and kept on training.  now, however, the rest of the family is healthy and i have been off work for half this week.  as an “athlete”, this is probably the hardest part of training…not getting on the bike and giving your body time to get better.  luckily the rain has made the choice a lot easier.

ride leaders sponsorship – August’s Ride Leaders are proudly sponsored by Retul Bike Fitting.   there has been an update to this months sponsors post and they are now offering any spr member a full bike fitting for 20% off.  that means you and your bike can be as one for just $199.  please see the previous post detailing what they provide and we thank them for encouraging our members to step up as ride leaders.  ride leaders will receive a $10 Dome voucher to be used after the saturday ride.  if you have a business that you want to promote to our members, check out the previous post to both promote your business and help out the club.

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 order – the next kit order will close at the end of september and we have been promised that it will be ready before the tour of margs.  it is important that anyone considering doing the tour has the correct current spr uniform for the event.  remembering the cold and wet stages that we had last year, this may also mean a spr vest to keep warm.  check out the previous post for more details.

spr club champion – we have added an extra race to the club championships as there have been some changes to the wa calendar. the 3 remaining races are picking brook #3, pinjarra classic and now the state road champs. see the current leaderboard to find out just where you sit in the club championships.

pickering brook race #3 – the final round of the pickering brook series is on this weekend. spr is always well represented so come along and support the riders if you are not racing.

spr watertower challenge – you may have seen that entries are now open for the spr watertower challenge.  for those of you that are relatively new to the club, it is a participation ride for teams of 3 that takes in a number of the high water towers scattered around perth.  the majority of these towers are found on the tops of hills, but not really big hills.  there are 2 distances a metric century (100 kms) and an imperial century (100 miles/160 kms).  the ride is supported with feedzones and a sag wagon and is open to any cyclist out there. more info on the watertower event page.  spread the word.

tour of margaret river – registrations are open in the club shop to be part of the spr race team heading down to the tour of margs.  we have positions for 4 men’s and 2 women’s teams.  due to the popularity of this race, you cannot just enter as an individual and the teams slots were effectively sold out months ago.  spr has secured 6 teams and will now look to fill those teams with club members.  to prove that you are willing to commit to the training needed for a race like this, we are asking for the entry and accommodation to be paid for now.  once we have all interested parties, we will then pull together the teams based on riders with similar abilities.  due to the logistics of this years race we will also be hiring vans to transport everyone and their bikes.  we now have the 5 volunteers required and we thank those people for giving up their time to help look after the riders.

ride routes – they are predicting that the rain will ease off before the saturday morning ride.  lets just hope the forecast doesn’t slide by much.

saturday 22nd august

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

fast & main groups – south lake 51.99km spr saturday

sunday 23rd august

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

short – wlsh weir 62.23km spr sunday

long – wlsh weir kal 101.71km spr sunday

monday 24th august

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

main group – south stock 33.76km spr monday

tuesday 25th august

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 26th august

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

spr wednesday 14.22km (uci masters)

ride starts raffles bike path at 5:30am

development group – stock road repeats

thursday 27th august

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 28th august

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

spr friday 42.01km (shelley)

friday development ride

history. in terms of the life of the club, we don’t have a very long history.  we are not the youngest club in wa but we are far from the oldest.  there are clubs in perth that have been operating for over 100 years.  the collie race this weekend has been a staple for racers over that period and has cemented itself as one of the monuments of the wa race scene.  so what about our club? we are certainly the biggest affiliated road cycling club in wa but does that mean that we will be around forever? there are a number of clubs over the past decade that i have been in perth that have folded or have been close to.  what i am hoping is that the club is bigger than just the president, or the committee, but it is the culture that we have developed over time that will endure.  i won’t be around to see a spr 100 year celebration, but there is nothing to say that we won’t make it that far.

ride leaders sponsorship – August’s Ride Leaders are proudly sponsored by Retul Bike Fitting.   there has been an update to this months sponsors post and they are now offering any spr member a full bike fitting for 20% off.  that means you and your bike can be as one for just $199.  please see the previous post detailing what they provide and we thank them for encouraging our members to step up as ride leaders.  ride leaders will receive a $10 Dome voucher to be used after the saturday ride.  if you have a business that you want to promote to our members, check out the previous post to both promote your business and help out the club.

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.

collie-donnybrook – good luck to all those heading down to collie for this years handicap race.  there are a number of first-timers as well as a number of people having their first crack at a big race.  keep an eye out for other spr riders and give them some encouragement or even a wheel… to download the riders guide with info on times, contact numbers, parking etc, click here.

kit order – the next kit order will close at the end of september and we have been promised that it will be ready before the tour of margs.  it is important that anyone considering doing the tour has the correct current spr uniform for the event.  remembering the cold and wet stages that we had last year, this may also mean a spr vest to keep warm.  check out the previous post for more details.

spr club champion – with only 2 races left on the club championship there are some clear leaders who have consistently gathered points in each race.  the next race in the championship will be pickering brook race #3 and then the final will be pinjarra classic.  see the current leaderboard to find out just where you sit in the club championships.

pickering brook race #3 – the final round of the pickering brook series is on next weekend.  this race has a cap of 200 riders and usually sells out well in advance of the cut-off times.  if you are thinking of registering, make sure you get in quick.  get yourself some points towards our club championship.

spr watertower challenge – you may have seen that entries are now open for the spr watertower challenge.  for those of you that are relatively new to the club, it is a participation ride for teams of 3 that takes in a number of the high water towers scattered around perth.  the majority of these towers are found on the tops of hills, but not really big hills.  there are 2 distances a metric century (100 kms) and an imperial century (100 miles/160 kms).  the ride is supported with feedzones and a sag wagon and is open to any cyclist out there. more info on the watertower event page.  spread the word.

tour of margaret river – registrations are open in the club shop to be part of the spr race team heading down to the tour of margs.  we have positions for 4 men’s and 2 women’s teams.  due to the popularity of this race, you cannot just enter as an individual and the teams slots were effectively sold out months ago.  spr has secured 6 teams and will now look to fill those teams with club members.  to prove that you are willing to commit to the training needed for a race like this, we are asking for the entry and accommodation to be paid for now.  once we have all interested parties, we will then pull together the teams based on riders with similar abilities.  due to the logistics of this years race we will also be hiring vans to transport everyone and their bikes.  we now have the 5 volunteers required and we thank those people for giving up their time to help look after the riders.

ride routes – looking for some nice weather after last weekends drenching.  take advantage of the winter warmth.

saturday 15th august

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 16th august

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

short – brktn weir 82.89km spr sunday

long – carr peet obs 97.72km spr sunday

monday 17th august

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

main group – south stock 33.76km spr monday

tuesday 18th august

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 19th august

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

spr wednesday 14.22km (uci masters)

ride starts raffles bike path at 5:30am

development group – stock road repeats

thursday 20th august

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 21st august

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

spr friday 42.01km (shelley)

friday development ride

thanks to the fear mongering infographic about coke that has been floating around the internet, some other industries have decided to jump on board.  it’s a nice way to get a message across and a nice way to get your company logo out there.  not sure if coke agree.  however, it is all a matter of perspective.  if you did the same infographic based on the riders from the netherlands in last weeks video and compared that to footage of those riding in london, i am sure you would get a different response.  regardless of what the courier-mail in brisbane says, the benefits of riding outweigh the crap we have to put up with, sometimes.  so just keep on riding.

ride leaders sponsorship – August’s Ride Leaders are proudly sponsored by Retul Bike Fitting.   there has been an update to this months sponsors post and they are now offering any spr member a full bike fitting for 20% off.  that means you and your bike can be as one for just $199.  please see the previous post detailing what they provide and we thank them for encouraging our members to step up as ride leaders.  ride leaders will receive a $10 Dome voucher to be used after the saturday ride.  if you have a business that you want to promote to our members, check out the previous post to both promote your business and help out the club.

gary pennefather update – just so people know, gary has been discharged from fiona stanley rehab ward today and will be back home with his family.  thank-you to those that managed to stop by and visit him while he was in hospital as those visits did mean a great deal to him.  he still has a long way to go, but should be able to convalesce at home, hopefully without too much trouble.  when he is able, we hope to see him down at the coffee shop after the ride.

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.

collie-donnybrook – one of the oldest races on the calendar and a “monument” of the perth race scene.  collie-donnybrook is a handicap race which means that even though you are in the same race as the really, really good racers, you get given a big headstart.  everyone races for the same prize money.  our own ben godridge is the current fastest time record holder and no-one has managed to beat that time for quite a few years.  entries close midnight tonight.  see the previous post for further details.

kit order – the next kit order will close at the end of september and we have been promised that it will be ready before the tour of margs.  it is important that anyone considering doing the tour has the correct current spr uniform for the event.  remembering the cold and wet stages that we had last year, this may also mean a spr vest to keep warm.  check out the previous post for more details.

spr club champion – with only 2 races left on the club championship there are some clear leaders who have consistently gathered points in each race.  the next race in the championship will be pickering brook race #3 and then the final will be pinjarra classic.  see the current leaderboard to find out just where you sit in the club championships.

spr watertower challenge – you may have seen that entries are now open for the spr watertower challenge.  for those of you that are relatively new to the club, it is a participation ride for teams of 3 that takes in a number of the high water towers scattered around perth.  the majority of these towers are found on the tops of hills, but not really big hills.  there are 2 distances a metric century (100 kms) and an imperial century (100 miles/160 kms).  the ride is supported with feedzones and a sag wagon and is open to any cyclist out there. more info on the watertower event page.  spread the word.

tour of margaret river – there has been an update to the spr tomr page.  due to the logistics of this years race, the club has organised the hire of a number of minivans and trailers.  the majority of the stages will require either transportation to or from and as such the vans will act as a shuttle service.  accommodation has also been booked allowing all 6 teams to be situated in the same area.  to be a part of an spr team this year, payment will be required to cover entry, accommodation and transport regardless of whether you intend to make your own arrangements. see the spr tomr page linked above for further details and make your payment through the spr shop.

ride routes – the forecast is for a bit of rain this weekend so make sure that you take care out there.  someone once asked what the ride route was, so i told them.  then they asked what the ride route was if it was raining.  i said the same route, only wetter.  dress appropriately.

saturday 8th august

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 – tv stations 50.29km spr saturday

sunday 9th august

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

short – wlsh weir 62.23km spr sunday

long – wlsh obs kal 90.32km spr sunday

monday 10th august

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

main group – south stock 33.76km spr monday

tuesday 11th august

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 12th august

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

spr wednesday 14.22km (uci masters)

ride starts raffles bike path at 5:30am

development group – stock road repeats

thursday 13th august

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 14th august

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

spr friday 42.01km (shelley)

friday development ride

whenever anyone talks about bike riding in the netherlands and how much better it is for cyclist there, the response is usually that the culture is different and it just wouldn’t work here (aus, uk, usa).  however, the video above shows that it never used to be that way.  cars dominated the landscape of the developing nation and bikes and people were being pushed to the outer.  it took a strong leadership with a big set of wrecking balls to start to make the change.  as shown in the video, 33% of all journeys are now made via bike with 50% of kids going to school that way.  on top of that, helmets are not compulsory with only 1% of riders wearing them, and the country has the lowest incident of head injuries.

one of the biggest differences that i can see is the laws over in the netherlands that say that the larger vehicle is always assumed to be at fault unless proven otherwise.  this deters cars from just assuming that because they have paid rego, they deserve to use the whole road.

so what are the things that made it work.  his summary is spot on. space, low speeds, supportive laws and familiarity with riding at an early age.

would this work in perth???  well we certainly have the weather for it.  utrecht has an average summer min/max of 14-22 while perth is 16-30.  winter in utrecht is 2-7 while it is still a moderate 7-19 in perth.  cyclist hate the rain, but in utrecht on average it rains 20 day of each month fairly consistently, while in perth it fluctuates from 5-20 and averages about 10 per month.   while it may seem like a pipe-dream to achieve this in australia, it may just take some strong leadership.  car free sundays in freo may be a good start.  see if contrary to popular belief, it may actually attract more people back into the citys.

ride leaders sponsorship – August’s Ride Leaders are proudly sponsored by Retul Bike Fitting.   please see the previous post detailing what they provide and we thank them for encouraging our members to step up as ride leaders.  ride leaders will receive a $10 Dome voucher to be used after the saturday ride.  if you have a business that you want to promote to our members, check out the previous post to both promote your business and help out the club.

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.

collie-donnybrook – one of the oldest races on the calendar and a “monument” of the perth race scene.  collie-donnybrook is a handicap race which means that even though you are in the same race as the really, really good racers, you get given a big headstart.  everyone races for the same prize money.  our own ben godridge is the current fastest time record holder and no-one has managed to beat that time for quite a few years.  see the previous post for further details.

kit order – the next kit order will close at the end of september and we have been promised that it will be ready before the tour of margs.  it is important that anyone considering doing the tour has the correct current spr uniform for the event.  remembering the cold and wet stages that we had last year, this may also mean a spr vest to keep warm.  check out the previous post for more details.

spr club champion – with only 2 races left on the club championship there are some clear leaders who have consistently gathered points in each race.  the next race in the championship will be pickering brook race #3 and then the final will be pinjarra classic.  see the current leaderboard to find out just where you sit in the club championships.

tour of margaret river – we have opened up expressions of interest for this years tour of margs.  head over to the event page and post a comment if you would like to be in a team.  there may be some provisional teams placed now, but the final members in each team will be determined by the race committee closer to the race date.  for now, get your name down and start training.

ladies day – its the first saturday of the month, so again it is ladies day.  ladies only rides for main 1, 2 & 3 (depending on numbers).  take the opportunity to ride up front.

ride routes – the forecast is for the rain to stop before the saturday main ride.  fingers crossed that the prediction is correct.  just be aware of the road conditions if it has been wet and take care out there.

saturday 1st august

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

ladies rides – benara rd 50.76km spr saturday

fast & main groups – benara rd 50.76km spr saturday

sunday 2nd august

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

short – wlsh weir 62.23km spr sunday

long – wlsh weir kal 101.71km spr sunday

monday 3rd august

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

main group – south stock 33.76km spr monday

tuesday 4th august

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 5th august

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

spr wednesday 14.22km (uci masters)

ride starts raffles bike path at 5:30am

development group – stock road repeats

thursday 6th august

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 7th august

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

spr friday 42.01km (shelley)

friday development ride

the tour de france is heading towards it’s finale this weekend but there have been some awesome performances.  by this i am not necessarily talking about the top gc riders as i still maintain that it has been a bit boring.  the breakaways and attacks by everyone else is what has made it exciting.  how many times has peter sagan been in the breakaway this last week.  i think he has been in almost every single one.  this has also given him the most combative rider for a few stages.  i think that is what people like to see in their heroes.  riders that like to give it a go and be able to fail (sagan has how many 2nd places!!!) but is willing to go again.  i think that we also like to see riders suffer.  not in the crash and hurt themselves type of suffer, but riders that give their all and you can tell they are because they show it.  people like matt in the picture above.  he is a sprinter and i have not seen a hill that he has enjoyed riding.  yet the call of the tour de france  makes him ride up the galibier.  i am sure that he suffered on the way.  he is my hero.

ride leaders sponsorship – June’s Ride Leaders are proudly sponsored by Aura Cycles.   please see the previous post detailing what they provide and we thank them for encouraging our members to step up as ride leaders.  ride leaders will receive a $10 Dome voucher to be used after the saturday ride.  if you have a business that you want to promote to our members, check out the previous post to both promote your business and help out the club.

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.

rollapaluza – help meg and carlos raise funds for their charity ride by coming along to watch riders smash each other in a roller race on saturday night.  see the previous post for more details.

rapha women’s 100 – join in with the worldwide women’s 100 with the perth version this sunday.  two courses will be available to cater for women of different riding abilities. see the previous post for more details.

numbat cup cyclocross – for something completely different, your cycling australia licence allows you to race in cyclo-cross races.  put some wheels in the dirt/grass/mud and experience a different type of racing atmostphere.  a kids race is also available. see the previous post for more details.

collie-donnybrook – one of the oldest races on the calendar and a “monument” of the perth race scene.  collie-donnybrook is a handicap race which means that even though you are in the same race as the really, really good racers, you get given a big headstart.  everyone races for the same prize money.  our own ben godridge is the current fastest time record holder and no-one has managed to beat that time for quite a few years.  see the previous post for further details.

kit order – the next kit order will close at the end of september and we have been promised that it will be ready before the tour of margs.  it is important that anyone considering doing the tour has the correct current spr uniform for the event.  remembering the cold and wet stages that we had last year, this may also mean a spr vest to keep warm.  check out the previous post for more details.

spr club champion – with only 2 races left on the club championship there are some clear leaders who have consistently gathered points in each race.  the next race in the championship will be pickering brook race #3 and then the final will be pinjarra classic.  see the current leaderboard to find out just where you sit in the club championships.

tour of margaret river – we have now opened up expressions of interest for this years tour of margs.  head over to the event page and post a comment if you would like to be in a team.  there may be some provisional teams placed now, but the final members in each team will be determined by the race committee closer to the race date.  for now, get your name down and start training.

ride routes – after a fairly wet week, the weekend is looking great for some big k’s.  pretend that you are in the tour and come out in the hills on sunday.

saturday 25th july

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

fast & main groups – maddington 51.87km spr saturday

sunday 26th july

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

short – goose kal 63.41km spr sunday

long – darl weir 100.09km spr sunday

monday 27th july

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

main group – south stock 33.76km spr monday

tuesday 28th july

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 29th july

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

spr wednesday 14.22km (uci masters)

ride starts raffles bike path at 5:30am

development group – stock road repeats

thursday 30th july

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 31st july

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

spr friday 42.01km (shelley)

friday development ride

so i was driving home through north perth on tuesday night and came across a cyclist commuting home.  the road was not that wide and there were cars parked on one side and a centre strip on the other.  i sat behind her for a while waiting for an opportunity to pass.  there was a section where there were no parked cars for about 50m or so and i fully expected her to pull in to make room.  nope, she stayed her line and kept riding.  i sat there until the centre strip disappeared before maneuvering around to pass.  now, while i was behind, i actually contemplated giving a little toot of the horn just to say, you know, kind of move over a bit.  however, i put myself in the cyclist position and thought that i really hate it when people do that to me. at the end of the day, she was doing nothing wrong, so who was i to say that my commute was more important than hers.  anyway, we all ride bikes and pretty much all of us drive cars as well.  in a shared road situation, you need to be aware of both parties and be respectful of each other.  that doesn’t mean that cyclist should just get out of cars way, or cars try to barge through, it means that if you are in a car you wait till it is safe to pass, and if you are on a bike, if you can make space you should do so.  this isn’t about who is right or who has rights, but just looking out for each other.  after all, most of us have been in both situations and we know how we would like to be treated.

ride leaders sponsorship – June’s Ride Leaders are proudly sponsored by Aura Cycles.   please see the previous post detailing what they provide and we thank them for encouraging our members to step up as ride leaders.  ride leaders will receive a $10 Dome voucher to be used after the saturday ride.  if you have a business that you want to promote to our members, check out the previous post to both promote your business and help out the club.

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.

tour de france dinner – grand tours are here and with that come grand dinners.  the tour de france night will be held on the 12th july at petite mort restaurant in shenton park.  cost will be $59 per person and see the previous post for more details.  LAST CHANCE TO SIGN UP FOR THIS.

thank you – sometimes someone does something to help you and you may want others to know what a help they have been.  we are starting a regular blog post to allow people to do just that.  if someone has helped you change a tyre, given you a draft back to the group, or a helping hand to push you up a hill, let the rest of the club know what an impact that person has made on your ride.  see the previous post for more details and to leave a message.

spr club champion – with only 2 races left on the club championship there are some clear leaders who have consistently gathered points in each race.  the next race in the championship will be pickering brook race #3 and then the final will be pinjarra classic.  see the current leaderboard to find out just where you sit in the club championships.

tour of margaret river – we have now opened up expressions of interest for this years tour of margs.  head over to the event pageand post a comment if you would like to be in a team.  there may be some provisional teams placed now, but the final members in each team will be determined by the race committee closer to the race date.  for now, get your name down and start training.

ride routes – the tour is on, so we need to suffer like the pro’s.  ridge hill is nothing compared to what they will be riding in france but i am sure it will hurt.

saturday 11th july

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 12th july

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

short – brktn weir 82.89km spr sunday

long – cann dam 100.13km spr sunday

monday 13th july

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

main group – south stock 33.76km spr monday

tuesday 14th july

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 15th july

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

spr wednesday 14.22km (uci masters)

ride starts raffles bike path at 5:30am

development group – stock road repeats

thursday 16th july

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 17th july

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

spr friday 42.01km (shelley)

friday development ride

le tour starts this weekend and it looks like steph got an early start flying the spr flag over in france.  the course looks to be a good one this year with lots of opportunities for the sprinters in the first week along with the classics-type riders.  cobbles sections and sharp uphill finishes should keep things interesting.  still some places left in the sweepstakes for those that want a chance to win some money to offset their sleeplessness.

ride leaders sponsorship – June’s Ride Leaders are proudly sponsored by Aura Cycles.   please see the previous post detailing what they provide and we thank them for encouraging our members to step up as ride leaders.  ride leaders will receive a $10 Dome voucher to be used after the saturday ride.  if you have a business that you want to promote to our members, check out the previous post to both promote your business and help out the club.

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.

race buddy program – if you are interested in having a go at racing this year, but are not sure about it, then sign up for our race buddy program.  this matches potential racers with experienced racers who can give advice and help develop riders from weekend warriors into fully fledged racers.  if you are still interested see the previous post for more contact details.  if you have registered and haven’t had anyone make contact with you yet, please email development@southperthrouleurs.com.au.  don’t forget that there will be a race info buddy night coming up next week for those that want to learn more about racing.

tour de france sweepstakes – with the tour starting this saturday and your sleeping habits about to be compromised, make the tour even more interesting by jumping on board our sweepstakes.  teams are randomly selected then you earn the same percentage of the prize pool that the actual teams do.  check out the previous post with further details, but enter now as most of the teams are already sold.

tour de france dinner – grand tours are here and with that come grand dinners.  the tour de france night will be held on the 12th july at petite mort restaurant in shenton park.  cost will be $59 per person and see the previous post for more details.

spr club champion – with only 2 races left on the club championship there are some clear leaders who have consistently gathered points in each race.  the next race in the championship will be pickering brook race #3 and then the final will be pinjarra classic.  see the current leaderboard to find out just where you sit in the club championships.

tour of margaret river – we have now opened up expressions of interest for this years tour of margs.  head over to the event pageand post a comment if you would like to be in a team.  there may be some provisional teams placed now, but the final members in each team will be determined by the race committee closer to the race date.  for now, get your name down and start training.

ride routes – it’s ladies day on saturday so there will be a main 1, 2 & 3 ladies only ride if we get enough numbers.  ladies, here is your opportunity to ride up front.

saturday 4th july

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 – karrinyup 52.14km spr saturday

sunday 5th july

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

short – grnmt goose 65.22km spr sunday

long – grnmt prk mnd wr 93.71km spr sunday

monday 6th july

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

main group – south stock 33.76km spr monday

tuesday 7th july

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 8th july

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

spr wednesday 14.22km (uci masters)

ride starts raffles bike path at 5:30am

development group – stock road repeats

thursday 9th july

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 10th july

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

spr friday 42.01km (shelley)

friday development ride