le tour.  it starts this weekend and it conjures up images of sacrifice, suffering and pain.  the riders have it pretty bad too but i am up for three weeks of sacrificing sleep, suffering through a work day and the pain of getting up for a bike ride before 5am.  pretty good field this year and with no team time trial, you would have to think that cadel has a better chance.  better, but no walk in the park.  the prologue starts on saturday and sbs has pretty good coverage this year.  each stage (except the prologue) starts at 8:00/8:30pm each night and runs till midnight.  for once the time difference to the eastern states is in our favour.  i am also expecting a few more people out on the bike over the next few weeks as the tour always gets people inspired….even if it is only 2 degrees.

tour tipping comp: tipping comp starts this saturday so get your teams registered.  $10 entry and there are prizes for 4 categories.  rules and entry can be found here.  do it.

spr accessories: this weekend is the final weekend for ordering the spr accessories.  the order will go in on monday so get your gloves etc now.  i will bring the sample gloves and cap to the coffeeshop this saturday.  buy it.

spr jerseys: thanks to those that lend out jerseys for the cyclo-sportif on sunday.  they have all been washed and ready to return.  i will be bringing these and any other unclaimed kit to the coffeeshop on saturday.  collect it.

pilates: chrissy will be holding the first spr pilates class this coming monday at the collins st centre in south perth.  initially this is only open to spr members as we do not just want anyone off the street taking advantage of cheap pilates.  chrissy and josh have organised this for the club so that is who it is for.  we may expand it later to include member partners, but for now, think of it as a member benefit.  stretch it.

routes: i am feeling fairly evil this weekend and i pity the fools that pick the fast route on saturday.  ride it.

saturday 3rd july – all rides start at coode st carpark at 7:00am

development group – spr saturday 35.48km (novice shelley)

transitional – spr saturday 40.21km (mosman park)

main 1 & 2 – spr saturday 50.72km (rebold hill & cott)

fast – spr saturday 54.58km (gooseberry hill)

sunday 4th july – all rides start at coode st carpark at 7:00am

short – spr sunday 61.14km (welshpool & weir rd)  but following long route on the way out to welshpool

long – spr sunday 101.86km (welshpool & mundaring & kalamunda)

well the winter solstice has come and gone so that means that the days will start getting longer.  it won’t happen overnight, but it will happen…over the next 6 months.  more dark has also translated to more cold and the thursday morning ride was a chilly one this morning.  numbers were down and so was the temperature as we started at 3.4 deg and finished at 2.4 deg by the time the sun came up at 7am.  basically, it is dark and cold.  don’t let that stop you from riding.  think of how much fitness you will lose and how hard it is going to be to keep up with that riding buddy of yours.  get on your bike.

to keep warm, you just need to put more layers on.  well the spr accessories orders are now open and you can buy winter gloves and shoe covers here.  orders will close at the end of next week, so if you want anything, get in quick.

as you may have seen on earlier posts, there is a big cyclo-tradeshow-track meet on this sunday and spr will be represented in all three.  come along to watch the track racing in the afternoon.  tickets at the door, but free if you are doing the cyclo-sportif first.

the following weekend has an atta time-trial for those wanting to hone their skills against the clock, and a mtb xc race for those wanting to hone their skills against the dirt.

ride routes for this weekend are listed below.  make sure you know where your group is going before the ride just in case you get dropped/lost/are at the front.  i have changed the name of the 2 groups on sunday as fast and main didn’t really suit it any more.  last sunday the main group was smaller than the fast group and the fast group wasn’t really that fast.  the same rules of waiting at the top of the climb apply to both rides, so it is really just the distance that is the difference.  maybe in the future we will have a “fast” group that doesn’t regroup and keeps going fast.  we will see. 

anyway, ride routes are here.  they are prediciting a 2 deg saturday morning and a 3 deg sunday, so rug up.

saturday 26th june – all rides start at coode st carpark at 7:00am

development group – spr saturday 35.48km (novice shelley)

transitional – spr saturday 40.77km (risley & leach & cott)

main 1 & 2 – spr saturday 50.04km (hale & ridge hill)

fast – spr saturday 56.56km (scarborough beach rd)

sunday 27th june – all rides start at coode st carpark at 7:00am

short – spr sunday 61.14km (welshpool & weir rd)

long – spr sunday 90.23km (welshpool & observatory & kalamunda rd)

we have a busy couple of weeks coming up.  the winter breakfast is on this saturday and for your $10 there will be food, drink, raffle prizes and a bike weigh-in.  if you have not collected any kit it can be picked up as well and the zip replacement jerseys are back.

the following week is the cyclo-sportif at swan valley.  this is usually a very popular event as it is really close and starts at the velodrome in midvale.  we are hoping to have a few teams of different ability, so keep an eye on the website and get ready to put your name down for it.  for those that don’t know, this is a team event where you have to stick together as a team.  it is a good introduction to racing as you cannot get dropped and the whole team has to stop if you get a flat tyre.  we will have a tent there as part of the trade show and we will be trying to get a few more members.  after the cyclo there is a track grand prix and we have a number of spr riders involved.  should be a pretty big day all round.

the following weekend has an atta time trial and a mtb xc race.  something for everybody.

very soon we will open the orders for the spr accessories.  our computer boys have been working on an online ordering system which is almost complete.  at the moment, you will still transfer the funds via netbank, but the whole ordering system is a lot more streamlined.  we will get a sizing kit for people to try on soon.

this week all the rides finish at my place for the breakfast rather than the coffee shop.  have a good look at the maps so you know where you are going.  sorry to those that seem to be doing the same route as last week.  i was not proactive enough to look ahead and we only have a single set of breakfast rides.  at least you will know the course well.

saturday 19th june – all rides start at coode st carpark at 7:00am

development group – spr saturday 31.61km (novice shelley breakfast)

transitional – spr saturday 39.32km (canning vale reverse breakfast)

main 1 & 2 – spr saturday 48.07km (south st breakfast)

fast – spr saturday 53.44km (canning vale breakfast)

sunday 20th june – all rides start at coode st carpark at 7:00am

main – spr sunday 70.93km (kahuna)

fast – spr sunday 94.64km (kahuna & canning mills)

talk about cold mornings.  thursday ride officially started with a balmy 3.7 degrees at 5:30am but then managed to drop to 2.7 degrees by the time 7:30am rolled around.  i was so cold when i got home that i got back into bed to try to warm up before i got in the shower.  at least there was no wind.  i remember riding in ballarat and it was so cold that we used to wear full ski gloves.  and your fingers still got cold.  trying to change a tyre when you can’t feel what you are doing is certainly an experience i can do without.

accident – as you may have read previously (or witnessed), there was a pretty bad accident on the public holiday ride.  quite a few people went down and nicole got hurt pretty bad.  she is out of hospital now and recovering at home.  she says thank-you for the well wishes and for the flowers and really appreciates the support that she has received both on the day and since then.  to help her out, we will be doing a whip around at the coffee-shop or you can send a donation through to the club account (details here).  this is for her to use however she needs, be it replacing bike bits or helping out with medical expenses.  the club is not the committee or the uniform, but rather the people in it.  the way that we rally together to help others is what makes the club what it is and i am really proud of the way that people have handled the situation.

breakfast – next weekend is the winter breakfast.  details are here.  please rsvp as soon as possible so we can work out numbers.  it will be $10 a head for all you can eat and drink, with raffle prizes, bike weigh-in and you can pick up any kit that hasn’t been collected yet. (zip replacement jerseys have come back too).

races – state ITT in dardanup this saturday and MTB XC also near dardanup on sunday.  cyclo-sportif on the 27th at swan valley with a track grand prix to follow (more details soon).

ride routes – saturday sees most groups heading in one direction or the other through canningvale.  sunday takes us down to brookton hwy and back up to kalamunda.

saturday 12th june – all rides start at coode st carpark at 7:00am

development group – spr saturday 35.48km (novice shelley)

transitional – spr saturday 41.73km (canning vale reverse)

main 1 & 2 – spr saturday 49.01km (canning vale & welshpool)

fast – spr saturday 56.10km (canning vale & freo)

sunday 13th june – all rides start at coode st carpark at 7:00am

main – spr sunday 82.79km (brookton & weir rd)

fast – spr sunday 97.99km (carradine & peet & observatory)

well winter is upon us and it is now pretty much always single digit temperatures overnight.  this makes the morning rides a lot harder to get out of bed for, but just think of how much fun you are missing out on by not coming out for a ride with us.  they are predicting a fairly dry winter, so all you need to do is rug up to get out the door and i am sure that we can get you warmed up pretty quickly.

member benefits – i spend the morning canvassing some bike shops the other week and found a mixed response to our club.  some shops were happy to be involved with us and this can be seen by the new deals that we have in the member benefits section.  however, some shops were not happy that we use the internet to buy stuff and clearly didn’t see the opportunity i was presenting them with.  i will be trying to chase up a few more member benefits and this does not have to be just bike parts/services.  if you have a business that could benefit in being promoted through the club, let me know.

races – the menzies-kalgoorlie is on this weekend and we have a couple of riders heading across for that.  good luck.  next week is round 4 of the mtb xc series down in collie on the sunday, while the state individual time trial championships is on saturday afternoon.  this is a great opportunity for anyone that wants to benchmark themselves against other riders in our group.  you don’t need a fancy time trial bike, just a recreational licence at a minimum.  the course is not long and you can challenge your peers for bragging rights at the coffee shop.

ride routes – a predicted strong easterly this saturday so we will take advantage of it by sending most of the groups down benara road.  the fast group will have to battle for their tailwind as they will cop a long section of cross-winds before they turn for home.  sunday sees a tour of john forrest national park and mundaring weir while monday, being a public holiday, has the standard loop.

saturday 5th june – all rides start at coode st carpark at 7:00am

development group – spr saturday 35.48km (novice shelley)

transitional – spr saturday 39.04km (benara rd)

main 1 & 2 – spr saturday 50.98km (benara rd)

fast – spr saturday 54.03km (maddington & welshpool)

sunday 6th june – all rides start at coode st carpark at 7:00am

main – spr sunday 67.96km (greenmount & zig-zig)

fast – spr sunday 95.04km (greenmount & parkerville & mundaring weir)

monday 7th june – ride starts at coode st carpark at 7:00am

main – spr public holiday 59.35km (shelley & freo)

social day – thanks to all those that helped out in organising the social day.  especially kate, lisa and lorriane for the food preparation.  i have been meaning to put up post with pictures but just haven’t got around to it yet.  everyone that attended seemed to enjoy the day and the entertainment.  i think i need to get a clown bike so i can get around the office quicker.

races – mtb – wembley cycles 6hr on sunday, road – menzies crit and road race on the following long weekend, time trial – the state time trial championships the weekend after.

ride routes – due to the poor turn out last saturday 🙂 i have posted the same ride routes again.  the 11 brave/silly people that rode last week in the torrential rain did a lap of the river instead.  this week they are predicting a nicer day so we should have enough to split.

saturday 29th may- all rides start at coode st carpark at 7:00am

development group – spr saturday 35.48km (novice shelley)

transitional – spr saturday 39.11km (canning vale)

main 1 & 2 – spr saturday 50.72km (rebold hill & cott)

fast – spr saturday 51.36km (sth lake)

sunday 30th may- all rides start at coode st carpark at 7:00am

main – spr sunday 61.14km (welshpool & weir rd) ***following the fast group at the start***

fast – spr sunday 101.86km (welshpool & mundaring & kalamunda)

social day – the club social day will be held this saturday at the spcc.  for all those that have rsvp’d we look forward to seeing you there.  the weather is not predicted to be that good, but we should have enough room inside to keep everyone warm and dry.  there will be entertainment for the kids and food for all.  pay at the door as you enter and please try to bring as close as possible to exact change to help us out. 

calendar and races – the event calendar has been updated with the new improved version.  this shows all the events coming up over the year so you can plan your event training.  upcoming events include cyclo-sportif york this sunday and wembley 6hr mtb the following weekend.

saturday 22nd may- all rides start at coode st carpark at 7:00am

development group – spr saturday 35.48km (novice shelley)

transitional – spr saturday 39.11km (canning vale)

main 1 & 2 – spr saturday 50.72km (rebold hill & cott)

fast – spr saturday 51.36km (sth lake)

sunday 23rd may- all rides start at coode st carpark at 7:00am

main – spr sunday 56.93km (kalamunda)

fast – spr sunday 90.10km (kalamunda & chookenberg & observatory)

races – dardanup open, pmbc xc series round 3, cyclo-sportif york, hopefully we get some race reports from these events…unlike the collie race.  at the dardanup race we have 24 south perth riders out of a total of 97 so we make up a quarter of the entire field.  this is a great way to get exposure for our club regardless of the race result.   there is also a participation ride on if any partners want to come down and have a ride as well.  entry can be on the day.

as far as clubs go, we have a very good relationship with south west, so i want to continue to support their events whenever we can.  they will be holding the state time trial event in june.  as it is a time trial you don’t have to worry about the whole pack thing.  if you want to take that step and have a go at racing, then this is a great opportunity for any of our riders.  keep an eye out for more info as it comes to hand.

social day – the social day/my birthday is on next weekend.  saturday 22nd may at 12 noon.  see here for more info. this is an opportunity for your family to meet the people you ride with.  please make sure that you rsvp as we need to organise the catering and entertainment for the kids.

giro tipping comp – we have over 30 teams in the giro tipping comp.  check out the tipping home page to see how everyone is going.  if you missed out this time, don’t worry as we will be running a comp for the tour and the vuelta as they come around too.

ride routes – a mixed bag this weekend, but as usual, something for everyone.  the latest report is saying that there will be no more rain till tuesday, so we should be expecting a dry start.  however, it must be a clear night as saturday morning will be only 5 deg, so rug up.  sounds like a good morning for the spr jacket.

saturday 15th may- all rides start at coode st carpark at 7:00am

development group – spr saturday 35.48km (novice shelley)

transitional – spr saturday 40.77km (risley & leach & cott)

main 1 & 2 – spr saturday 50.04km (hale & ridge hill)

fast – spr saturday 55.76km (shelley & mosman park)

sunday 16th may- all rides start at coode st carpark at 7:00am

main – spr sunday 82.79km (brookton & weir rd)

fast – spr sunday 92.56km (carradine & peet)

social day – you may have seen the previous post about our social day.  this is to celebrate our two year anniversary of forming the south perth rouleurs and starting at the coode street carpark.  it is a lunch time event and is an opportunity for your partners and family to meet the other people that you ride with.  kids are welcome but you are welcome even if you don’t have kids.  there will be food, drink and entertainment for the kids so check out the post and rsvp to lisa.  this event will also double as my birthday party as it is only a few days afterwards and organising 2 events so close together would be a pain.

spr accessories – the comments have all been collated for the cycling cap and it looks like michael’s white and my white caps were the clear winners.  i will look at a design that combines the two together to come up with a final.  there were a number of votes for michael’s black version, so we may do a black and white version and you can order either or both.  the spr summer gloves, winter gloves, socks, summer boot covers and winter boot covers will also be included in this order.  keep your eye on the blog for more details.

races – track racing friday night, atta champion lakes time trial this sunday, dardanup open road race next sunday, mtb xc series round 3 – see the calendar for more info and events.

ride routes – nothing too hard this weekend.  the main groups have a slightly convoluted route to take so make sure you have a good look at the map.  sunday fast group has been slightly re-mapped, so if you have downloaded it to your garmin, you may want to check it for any changes.  on sunday both groups will head up welshpool road, but the fast group will take lesmurdie while the main group will continue to the end of welshpool.

saturday 8th may- all rides start at coode st carpark at 7:00am

development group – spr saturday 35.48km (novice shelley)

transitional – spr saturday 40.21km (mosman park)

main 1 & 2 – spr saturday 48.67km (cresswell & herdsman)

fast – spr saturday 56.56km (scarborough beach rd)

sunday 9th may- all rides start at coode st carpark at 7:00am

main – spr sunday 61.14km (welshpool & weir rd)

fast – spr sunday 88.87km (welshpool & observatory & camelberg & gooseberry)

it’s may already.  since the turmoil within cycling wa has been going on for some time now, the racing season really doesn’t feel like it has been underway very long.  however, pretty soon it will be june and then the tour de france will be on again.  before that though, the giro starts next week so keep your eyes out for info on the new tipping comp.  more people equals more prize money.  also keep your eyes out for an invite to the spr social day which will be on the 22nd may.  this is a chance for your partners andfamily to see who you spend so much time with.  this will be a non-lycra affair so you may not actually recognise anyone.

racing – the busso half ironman is on this saturday and we have a few heading down to fly the spr flag.  if you are down that way make sure you cheer them on.  the 1.9km swim, 90km bike and 21.1km run does not make for an easy day and i know this from experience.  hope they have a good day.  for those that don’t want a swim and run with their bike, the tom lowry memorial race is on down at collie.  there are about 13 or so heading down across various grades so hopefully we have a good day.

cycle cap – i have received a few entries for the cycle cap design.  i will post them soon so you can give your feedback on which one we go for.  this order will also include summer and winter gloves, summer and winter shoe covers and socks.

ride routes – i think i need to sit down andmap out a few more routes.  we don’t have that many in rotation now unless i sendyou home into the headwind.  for the fast group this may not be a problem, but some of the others may not cope too well with the distance if you have to work extra hard on the way home.  i will get to it soon.  on sundayhowever, there is a new route for the main group.  if you are intending to go out with this group, make sure you have a good look at the map beforehand.

saturday 1st may- all rides start at coode st carpark at 7:00am

development group – spr saturday 35.48km (novice shelley)

transitional – spr saturday41.73km (canning vale reverse)

main 1 & 2 – spr saturday 50.47km (south st)

fast – spr saturday 53.81km (hale rd reverse with guilford)

sunday 2nd may- all rides start at coode st carpark at 7:00am

main – spr sunday 67.96km (greenmount & zig-zig)

fast – spr sunday 95.04km (greenmount & parkerville & mundaring weir)