practical goal setting.  it is good to have goals and it is good to have ambition, but sometimes life gets in the way and those goals need to be reassessed.  my prep for the worlds was not ideal as motivation over the winter months was hard to come by, but i knew that i could easily survive the course.  flights, accommodation, and race entry all paid for meant that i had pretty much committed no matter what.  two weeks out from departure and i get sick.  a week off work and two rounds of antibiotics certainly put a dampener on what was meant to be an awesome trip.  but i arrived, and thanks to the organisation of people like ballam and vanessa, made it to the unofficial spr club house.  the first ride was not what you could call a good omen.  felt bad the whole time, got dropped on the hills by everyone and it took me about 2 hours to recover afterwards to the point of semi-normality.  i started to make plans for race day, and unlike others that were looking at attack points and feedzones, i was looking at shortcuts so i could bail if i needed.  a bit of sideline support during the week for those spr riders doing the time trial certainly showcased some inspiration efforts with nabi taking the silver medal in her age group and deb doing likewise.  a couple of days of weather delay and suddenly we were at race day.  i planned for the entire 127kms and took food and drink to suit.  the feedzones were substandard for a world championship event as they were only handing out cups of water unless you provided your own support person.  for me it didn’t matter as i knew i would have time to stop and refuel.  i felt okay on the startline, but that was because my heartrate was low.  once the gun went, the pace kicked in and i was very quickly out the back.  anything that involved an effort wasn’t going to be sustainable, and on a course with 2000m of climbing, this could be a problem.  i watched my age group head up the road, and did a bit of solo riding to the base of the first climb.  by the time i got there, the next group had caught me and suddenly i was climbing with a different coloured race number.  there was lots of support from within that group as a number of spr riders had qualified, but even other aussies offered words of encouragement.  as long as i kept a steady pace, i could continue to ride.  i set my tempo and followed the course, other groups passed me but i felt that at this pace i would be okay.  as soon as the road went up, i would fall off the back of the group, but there was usually someone else to drag me along the flats.  at about the 80km mark i saw a canadian dome kit struggling with a tyre change on the side of the road.  corrie had hit a pothole and was in the process of getting the tyre back on the rim.  it took a bit of coaxing, but we got it all pumped up and ready to go.  when making sure the chain was back on we saw that the rear was also flat.  the tube i had as spare didn’t have a long enough valve so we were kind of stuck.  a couple of old italian guys offered support but as neither of us spoke italian, it was a bit obscure.  we flagged down a number of vehicles, including some official cars, but no-one had a spare tube.  during this time more and more riders came past and it was clear that the corrie’s race was over.  her bike was put in the back of a support van while she got a ride in a police car.  i soldiered on and past the final feed station where toby and a few others were.  i restocked and grabbed a coke and headed off for the final 35kms.  i formed a little trio with sam bolton from perth and jill from the uk and we made our way back to varese.  the final few k’s were all uphill just to stick the knife in, but we got there eventually.  officially i came in 330th out of 330 in my age group, and 7th last male.  not the best result, but considering i was planning an early exit, my goal of just finishing was achieved.

ride leader sponsor – there is no ride leader sponsor for september.  if you would like to promote your business through our website, please contact the club via email and we can send you details about what is involved.  thank-you to all the business’ that have supported the club over the past few years.

ToMR 2018 – The SPR ToMR squad has been announced and planning well underway. The ToMR Squad will have a Saturday TTT session at the same time and meeting place as Main rides, as per the email sent earlier in the week. Make sure you advise Race@SPR if you are unable to attend.

The Beverley 2018 – The annual call out for volunteers has been announced for The Beverley. SPR runs the Saturday Handicap race, and then assist with volunteer manning for the Sunday Heroic Rides.
The running of this event is dependant on the SPR Community contributing and putting back into the Club. Getting involved is a blast – ask the volunteers from previous years.
We require around 24 people to make this event run. ToMR Squad members – you are expected to volunteer for one of the two days!
Refer to the PREVIOUS POST  and get your email responses to register your interest

entertainment books – we will again be selling entertainment books this year through the club.  the digital version means you don’t have to carry around a bulky book anymore. check out the links on the previous post to find out more.

saturday start locations – we have revamped the group start locations on saturday morning.  please have a look at the map so you know where your group will congregate.  this makes it easier for ride leaders to give you a briefing before the ride starts.  see the previous post for more details.

spr juniors – we have started our saturday juniors rides and we will be ridng again this week as long as the weather holds out.  this is for kids 10-15 yrs old and must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.  the route is listed below and involves laps in kings park.  it will be between 25-30kms by the time you get back to the carpark, so ensure your kids can cope with that.

from the ride coordinator – We are light on for ride leaders at the moment, the next ride leader course will be coming up soon, would you be a good ride leader? Give it some thought.

saturday 8th september

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

juniors (10 – 15 yrs with parent) – kings park juniors 23.72km spr saturday

development group –  novice shelley 36.06km spr saturday

transitional 1/2 – trans reabold 38.69km spr saturday

fast/main – ewen st 50.26km spr saturday

tomr ttt training – shelley

sunday 9th september

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 – khna weir 72.23km spr sunday

long – can mills peet obs 90.30km spr sunday

monday 10th september

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

south stock 33.76km spr monday

tuesday 11th september

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

spr tuesday 36.37km (river ride)

ride starts frasers ave at 5:45am

development group – interval training kings park

wednesday 12th september

ride starts raffles bike path at 5:30am

interval training – stock road repeats

thursday 13th september

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

see previous post for ride groups

spr thursday 37.26km (cott & freo)

ride starts frasers ave at 5:45am

development group – interval training kings park

friday 14th september

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

spr friday 42.01km (shelley)

friday training/recovery ride

so despite the hashtag to make you all feel better in perth, there is a large contingent of spr riders in italy this week for the uwct masters championships.  starting in varese, the main race takes in the lakes district which boasts some of the most magnificent scenery for riding.  not the monster climbs of the alps, but still some nice switchback action. everywhere you go there is spectacular scenery that makes every effort worthwhile.  forested climbs, old buildings, lakeside villages and courteous drivers punctuate the course.  unfortunately i am still suffering from  a cold and not enjoying it as much as i should be.  the time trial is on today so hopefully we will see a few good spr results.

ride leader sponsor – there is no ride leader sponsor for september.  if you would like to promote your business through our website, please contact the club via email and we can send you details about what is involved.  thank-you to all the business’ that have supported the club over the past few years.

bike parking on saturday – My dear club mates and customers….
When you come for coffee on Saturday morning can you please please please not put your bikes on the Basilica cafe across the plaza. They (and their security company) complain constantly about bikes resting on their building.
I do my best to shield you from their antagonism, but, I need your help. Please feel free to rest your bikes on my cafe wall wherever they fit. Dome loves bikes – and we will do our best to accommodate you – even when you’re sweaty and gross and pay with money covered in gel goo and perspiration! Ive heard recently that some of our custom bike racks are dying, and Im investigating replacements as we speak. Thanks everyone – please keep coming – but please help me keep the peace with the neighbours. – Love Toby (Dome)

ToMR 2018 – We have managed to secure five slots with ToMR organiser in the racing program – 2 Women’s and 3 Men’s teams. And from those nominees we will be selecting our final teams.  check out the previous post for the nominees names.

The Beverley 2018 – SPR’s Race event The Beverley, run along with the oddly retro but truly passionate Mr Vesperazzi over The Beverley Heroic weekend, is returning! Race day is slated for Saturday 13th October again as a 114km out-and-back handicap race. Starting and finishing in the beautiful Wheatbelt town of Beverley, this one is special.
Originally known as The Rover Road Race from Beverley to Perth, it started life back in October 1897. The event returns for a 3rd year under the custodianship of SPR – a stunning legacy to have the chance to honour. Check out these treasures here, here and here.  Registrations will be open soon. There is a call out for volunteers about to be made for both the Saturday Handicap Race and the Sunday Beverley Heroic events. Email race@southperthrouleurs.com.au if you’d like to be involved. If you are in the ToMR squad, you are expected to be there for one of them. More detailed Volunteer duties to come next week!

entertainment books – we will again be selling entertainment books this year through the club.  the digital versions actually come online now and last years don’t finish till the end of june allowing you twice as many offers for 3 months.  check out the links on the previous post to find out more.

saturday start locations – we have revamped the group start locations on saturday morning.  please have a look at the map so you know where your group will congregate.  this makes it easier for ride leaders to give you a briefing before the ride starts.  see the previous post for more details.

spr juniors – no juniors this satuday as i am away in italy. we have started our saturday juniors rides and we will be ridng again this week as long as the weather holds out.  this is for kids 10-15 yrs old and must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.  the route is listed below and involves laps in kings park.  it will be between 25-30kms by the time you get back to the carpark, so ensure your kids can cope with that.

from the ride coordinator – #notitaly, so stay safe in perth.

saturday 1st september

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 1/2 – trans benara 39.90km spr saturday

fast/main – benara rd 50.76km spr saturday

sunday 2nd september

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 – goose kal 63.41km spr sunday

long – darl weir 100.09km spr sunday

monday 3rd september

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

south stock 33.76km spr monday

tuesday 4th september

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

spr tuesday 36.37km (river ride)

ride starts frasers ave at 5:45am

development group – interval training kings park

wednesday 5th september

ride starts raffles bike path at 5:30am

interval training – stock road repeats

thursday 6th september

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

see previous post for ride groups

spr thursday 37.26km (cott & freo)

ride starts frasers ave at 5:45am

development group – interval training kings park

friday 7th september

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

spr friday 42.01km (shelley)

friday training/recovery ride

as we enter the last week of winter we also seem to hit that second round of the colds and flu that plague us during the season.  i, among many, have had days off work but worse than that has been the days off the bike.  not the best lead up to an international event.  a week of couch time and day-time tv has certainly dulled my senses. hopefully the italian sunshine will burn the rest of the sickness away. i know i said that there will be no more european holiday photos, but they just keep coming through on facebook.

ride leader sponsor – the ride leader sponsor for august is Chaotic Energy. they are an exercise and rehabilitation centre with a difference. the general exercise membership gives you access to state of the art equipment (including a number of wahoo kickr’s for those rainy days) and includes personalised gym programming and ongoing support to achieve your goals. the calm and professional atmosphere has specifically been created to enable you to get the most out of your training.

bike parking on saturday – My dear club mates and customers….
When you come for coffee on Saturday morning can you please please please not put your bikes on the Basilica cafe across the plaza. They (and their security company) complain constantly about bikes resting on their building.
I do my best to shield you from their antagonism, but, I need your help. Please feel free to rest your bikes on my cafe wall wherever they fit. Dome loves bikes – and we will do our best to accommodate you – even when you’re sweaty and gross and pay with money covered in gel goo and perspiration! Ive heard recently that some of our custom bike racks are dying, and Im investigating replacements as we speak. Thanks everyone – please keep coming – but please help me keep the peace with the neighbours. – Love Toby (Dome)

ToMR 2018 – Nominations are well and truly closed, cash has been sought from the pockets atop those hardened legs. Yep – ToMR is coming. The SPRouleur Squad will be announced in tomorrow’s post. Standby!

The Beverley 2018 – SPR’s Race event The Beverley, run along with the oddly retro but truly passionate Mr Vesperazzi over The Beverley Heroic weekend, is returning! Race day is slated for Saturday 13th October again as a 114km out-and-back handicap race. Starting and finishing in the beautiful Wheatbelt town of Beverley, this one is special.
Originally known as The Rover Road Race from Beverley to Perth, it started life back in October 1897. The event returns for a 3rd year under the custodianship of SPR – a stunning legacy to have the chance to honour. Check out these treasures here, here and here.  Registrations will be open soon. There is a call out for volunteers about to be made for both the Saturday Handicap Race and the Sunday Beverley Heroic events. Email race@southperthrouleurs.com.au if you’d like to be involved. If you are in the ToMR squad, you are expected to be there for one of them. More detailed Volunteer duties to come next week!

entertainment books – we will again be selling entertainment books this year through the club.  the digital versions actually come online now and last years don’t finish till the end of june allowing you twice as many offers for 3 months.  check out the links on the previous post to find out more.

saturday start locations – we have revamped the group start locations on saturday morning.  please have a look at the map so you know where your group will congregate.  this makes it easier for ride leaders to give you a briefing before the ride starts.  see the previous post for more details.

spr juniors – we have started our saturday juniors rides and we will be ridng again this week as long as the weather holds out.  this is for kids 10-15 yrs old and must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.  the route is listed below and involves laps in kings park.  it will be between 25-30kms by the time you get back to the carpark, so ensure your kids can cope with that.

from the ride coordinator –The City to Surf is on this Sunday, be aware of the road closures, as this may affect your cycling plans / options.

saturday 25th 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

juniors (10 – 15 yrs with parent) – kings park juniors 23.72km spr saturday

development group –  novice shelley 36.06km spr saturday

transitional 1/2 – trans mosman 40.39km spr saturday

fast/main – karrinyup 52.14km spr saturday

sunday 26th 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 – coffee ride

short – wlsh weir 62.23km spr sunday

long – wlsh obs kal 90.32km spr sunday

monday 27th august

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

south stock 33.76km spr monday

tuesday 28th august

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

spr tuesday 36.37km (river ride)

ride starts frasers ave at 5:45am

development group – interval training kings park

wednesday 29th august

ride starts raffles bike path at 5:30am

interval training – stock road repeats

thursday 30th august

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

see previous post for ride groups

spr thursday 37.26km (cott & freo)

ride starts frasers ave at 5:45am

development group – interval training kings park

friday 31st august

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

spr friday 42.01km (shelley)

friday training/recovery ride

so there was a discussion i was involved in the other day around what would make cycling more popular.  people often bring up the netherlands example and how they converted a car-centric city into one with a bike focus.  these are all wonderful things that happened back in the 70’s before politicians were afraid of “popular” opinion via social media.  for perth, however, i think that there is a pathway in which people become cyclists.  now, i am not just talking about people that ride bikes, but rather those that believe that their lifestyle revolves around bike riding.  it doesn’t have to be racing, but those that do what we as a club do on the weekend.  anecdotally, people usually make a decision to ride a bike for some reason (weight loss, fitness, knee problems).  from there they start to think about maybe doing an event (the old great perth or freeway ride).  to achieve that they start to consider commuting a few days a week, or join a club or group.  after a while they are hooked and start spending most of their paypacket on bike gear.  so how do we encourage any of these parts to increase popularity.  the previous state government put out a long term bike plan a year or so ago.  it that was the plan for a bridge linking mosman with pt walter with dalkeith.  as this would be a bike and pedestrian only bridge, it would effectively cut the travel time from any of those suburbs to the city by half.  so really, once the trip on a bike at a leisurely pace becomes faster than a car, people will see it as a viable alternative.  this also applies to the major bike paths along the freeway.  most have not been made as a major bicycle corridor as the public still see riding as a fringe activity.  skinny paths that are poorly maintained and intersected by roads.  all of these things make commuting more difficult.  make it easier and more people on bikes means less cars on the road equals less congestion.

ride leader sponsor – the ride leader sponsor for august is Chaotic Energy. they are an exercise and rehabilitation centre with a difference. the general exercise membership gives you access to state of the art equipment (including a number of wahoo kickr’s for those rainy days) and includes personalised gym programming and ongoing support to achieve your goals. the calm and professional atmosphere has specifically been created to enable you to get the most out of your training.

bike parking on saturday – My dear club mates and customers….
When you come for coffee on Saturday morning can you please please please not put your bikes on the Basilica cafe across the plaza. They (and their security company) complain constantly about bikes resting on their building.
I do my best to shield you from their antagonism, but, I need your help. Please feel free to rest your bikes on my cafe wall wherever they fit. Dome loves bikes – and we will do our best to accommodate you – even when you’re sweaty and gross and pay with money covered in gel goo and perspiration! Ive heard recently that some of our custom bike racks are dying, and Im investigating replacements as we speak. Thanks everyone – please keep coming – but please help me keep the peace with the neighbours. – Love Toby (Dome)

entertainment books – we will again be selling entertainment books this year through the club.  the digital versions actually come online now and last years don’t finish till the end of june allowing you twice as many offers for 3 months.  check out the links on the previous post to find out more.

saturday start locations – we have revamped the group start locations on saturday morning.  please have a look at the map so you know where your group will congregate.  this makes it easier for ride leaders to give you a briefing before the ride starts.  see the previous post for more details.

spr juniors – we have started our saturday juniors rides and we will be ridng again this week as long as the weather holds out.  this is for kids 10-15 yrs old and must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.  the route is listed below and involves laps in kings park.  it will be between 25-30kms by the time you get back to the carpark, so ensure your kids can cope with that.

from the ride coordinator – Good luck to all the SPR crazies racing the Collie – Donnybrook.

saturday 18th 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

juniors (10 – 15 yrs with parent) – kings park juniors 23.72km spr saturday

development group –  novice shelley 36.06km spr saturday

transitional 1/2 – trans rebold 38.69km spr saturday

fast/main – alexander drive 50.46km spr saturday

sunday 19th 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 – coffee ride

short – brktn weir 82.89km spr sunday

long – cann dam 100.13km spr sunday

monday 20th august

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

south stock 33.76km spr monday

tuesday 21st august

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

spr tuesday 36.37km (river ride)

ride starts frasers ave at 5:45am

development group – interval training kings park

wednesday 22nd august

ride starts raffles bike path at 5:30am

interval training – stock road repeats

thursday 23rd august

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

see previous post for ride groups

spr thursday 37.26km (cott & freo)

ride starts frasers ave at 5:45am

development group – interval training kings park

friday 24th august

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

spr friday 42.01km (shelley)

friday training/recovery ride

so i think that this is the last of the european spr photos.  most people have returned now back to the cold and wet of perth.  however, over the next few weeks there will be a slow exodus to italy for the uwct masters world champs.  i am sure that we will get more european green.  well, since i am going, i can almost guarantee there will be some shades of green over there. apart from that, not much going on.  zwift has been getting a hammering from a lot of people lately, so throw some “ride on”s out there if you see a familiar name.  it is winter, so we shouldn’t complain about the weather…but we will.

ride leader sponsor – the ride leader sponsor for august is Chaotic Energy. they are an exercise and rehabilitation centre with a difference. the general exercise membership gives you access to state of the art equipment (including a number of wahoo kickr’s for those rainy days) and includes personalised gym programming and ongoing support to achieve your goals. the calm and professional atmosphere has specifically been created to enable you to get the most out of your training.

entertainment books – we will again be selling entertainment books this year through the club.  the digital versions actually come online now and last years don’t finish till the end of june allowing you twice as many offers for 3 months.  check out the links on the previous post to find out more.

saturday start locations – we have revamped the group start locations on saturday morning.  please have a look at the map so you know where your group will congregate.  this makes it easier for ride leaders to give you a briefing before the ride starts.  see the previous post for more details.

spr juniors – we have started our saturday juniors rides and we will be ridng again this week as long as the weather holds out.  this is for kids 10-15 yrs old and must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.  the route is listed below and involves laps in kings park.  it will be between 25-30kms by the time you get back to the carpark, so ensure your kids can cope with that.

from the ride coordinator – Cold mornings are forecast for this weekend, make sure you layer up accordingly.  Additional note. Perth half marathon is being held on Sat morning. Be aware after the ride the path may be closed along Mounts Bay rd, Narrows Bridge (west side – the side most of us use) and South Perth foreshore.

saturday 11th 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

juniors (10 – 15 yrs with parent) – kings park juniors 23.72km spr saturday

development group –  novice shelley 36.06km spr saturday

transitional 1/2 – trans benara 39.90km spr saturday

fast/main – morley drive 50.77km spr saturday

sunday 12th 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 – coffee ride

short – khna weir 72.23km spr sunday

long – khna trnr obs 101.76km spr sunday

monday 13th august

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

south stock 33.76km spr monday

tuesday 14th august

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

spr tuesday 36.37km (river ride)

ride starts frasers ave at 5:45am

development group – interval training kings park

wednesday 15th august

ride starts raffles bike path at 5:30am

interval training – stock road repeats

thursday 16th august

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

see previous post for ride groups

spr thursday 37.26km (cott & freo)

ride starts frasers ave at 5:45am

development group – interval training kings park

friday 17th august

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

spr friday 42.01km (shelley)

friday training/recovery ride

so a very hectic week in brisbane for me which has pushed the ride routes publishing out by a little bit.  had a team dinner at my boss’s house tonight so i am only just pulling this together now (22:42 brisbane time).  it looks like i have missed all that bad winter weather as well as it has been a pleasant 24 deg here.  unfortunately no bike to ride though.  and the instragram feed shows that i am not the only one in a different time zone.  still a few away enjoying the european summer and showing off the spr green.

ride leader sponsor – the ride leader sponsor for august is Chaotic Energy. they are an exercise and rehabilitation centre with a difference. the general exercise membership gives you access to state of the art equipment (including a number of wahoo kickr’s for those rainy days) and includes personalised gym programming and ongoing support to achieve your goals. the calm and professional atmosphere has specifically been created to enable you to get the most out of your training.

spr tour de france sweepstakes – the tour has finished for another year and team sky has taken the win and most of the prize money.  thanks to everyone that entered the sweeps as it gave us someone to cheer for during the late nights. check out the results on the sweeps leaderboard page .

entertainment books – we will again be selling entertainment books this year through the club.  the digital versions actually come online now and last years don’t finish till the end of june allowing you twice as many offers for 3 months.  check out the links on the previous post to find out more.

saturday start locations – we have revamped the group start locations on saturday morning.  please have a look at the map so you know where your group will congregate.  this makes it easier for ride leaders to give you a briefing before the ride starts.  see the previous post for more details.

spr juniors – we have started our saturday juniors rides and we will be ridng again this week as long as the weather holds out.  this is for kids 10-15 yrs old and must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.  the route is listed below and involves laps in kings park.  it will be between 25-30kms by the time you get back to the carpark, so ensure your kids can cope with that.

from the ride coordinator –

saturday 4th 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

juniors (10 – 15 yrs with parent) – kings park juniors 23.72km spr saturday

development group –  novice shelley 36.06km spr saturday

transitional 1/2 – trans mosman 40.39km spr saturday

fast/main – reabold & cottesloe 50.91km spr saturday

sunday 5th 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 – coffee ride

short – wlsh weir 62.23km spr sunday

long – wlsh obs kal 90.32km spr sunday

monday 6th august

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

south stock 33.76km spr monday

tuesday 7th august

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

spr tuesday 36.37km (river ride)

ride starts frasers ave at 5:45am

development group – interval training kings park

wednesday 8th august

ride starts raffles bike path at 5:30am

interval training – stock road repeats

thursday 9th august

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

see previous post for ride groups

spr thursday 37.26km (cott & freo)

ride starts frasers ave at 5:45am

development group – interval training kings park

friday 10th august

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

spr friday 42.01km (shelley)

friday training/recovery ride

a combination of a busy work load, late nights watching the tour, early morning rides and the return to school for the kids has meant that i have not even had time to get passionate about a particular issue.  instead i have been enjoying the multiple photo’s that our spr insta-celeb, michael bonner has been providing us with.  he is not the only member over in europe at the moment, so keep an eye out for more dream-worthy shots while we try to avoid the rain

ride leader sponsor – there is no ride leader sponsor for july.  if you own a business and would like advertise/sponsor our ride leaders, please contact the club via email for more information.

ride to conditions – we have been getting a bit of rain lately and there were some crashes on last saturday’s earlybird ride.  as we have always said – you are responsible for your own safety.  this means that if the roads are slippery back off and ride to the conditions.  none of our training rides are races and the saturday earlybird especially is just about getting extra kms.  be sensible out there.  if you are not confident in the wet, don’t push it as it can be a lot worse.

spr tour de france sweepstakes – the tour has only a few days left and at the moment there are clear leaders in the sweepstakes. the dominance by both quickstep and bora has seen them leap ahead of all the other teams.  there are a few that are making good progress and now 9 out of the 22 teams are over the $10 return.  don’t fret if you haven’t seen much return yet.  about two-thirds of the prize money comes from the final position when the tour hits paris.  for example, if gc positions stay were they are lotto nl – jumbo, would receive an extra $30 for finishing 4 and 6th.  we are on the final approach.  only a few more nights of staying up late to see if your team can win you some money. check out the results on the sweeps leaderboard page .

tour of margs teams – emails have gone out to those that have expressed interest.  there will be an information session soon for those that have any questions.

entertainment books – we will again be selling entertainment books this year through the club.  the digital versions actually come online now and last years don’t finish till the end of june allowing you twice as many offers for 3 months.  check out the links on the previous post to find out more.

saturday start locations – we have revamped the group start locations on saturday morning.  please have a look at the map so you know where your group will congregate.  this makes it easier for ride leaders to give you a briefing before the ride starts.  see the previous post for more details.

spr juniors – as mentioned last week we will be commencing our junior rides this saturday.  this is for kids 10-15 yrs old and must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.  the route is listed below and involves laps in kings park.  it will be between 25-30kms by the time you get back to the carpark, so ensure your kids can cope with that.

from the ride coordinator – Lessons from le Tour: Not everyone can corner, makes sure you leave plenty of space, especially when the roads are wet. Beware dust, cobbles, high speed downhills, and (if you’re in a team sky jersey), french spectators. Also mind the edge …

saturday 28th 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

juniors (10 – 15 yrs with parent) – kings park juniors 23.72km spr saturday

development group –  novice shelley 36.06km spr saturday

transitional 1/2 – trans canning vale 42.34km spr saturday

fast/main – south st 51.23km spr saturday

sunday 29th 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 – coffee ride

short – brktn weir 82.89km spr sunday

long – carr peet obs 97.72km spr sunday

monday 30th july

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

south stock 33.76km spr monday

tuesday 31st july

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

spr tuesday 36.37km (river ride)

ride starts frasers ave at 5:45am

development group – interval training kings park

wednesday 1st august

ride starts raffles bike path at 5:30am

interval training – stock road repeats

thursday 2nd august

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

see previous post for ride groups

spr thursday 37.26km (cott & freo)

ride starts frasers ave at 5:45am

development group – interval training kings park

friday 3rd august

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

spr friday 42.01km (shelley)

friday training/recovery ride

so after my little rant last week about the direction of the club, i have decided that being proactive about it is probably a better solution than lament on what used to be.  as such i want to talk about an area that we have rarely touched over the last ten years; juniors.  we have briefly flirted with the suggestion of junior based rides but nothing has really gotten off the ground.  the problem has been getting someone to “sacrifice” their ride to organise the juniors instead.  well now i have a vested interest in it as number one son has a road bike, lycra and proper shoes with cleats and everything.  i have regularly been taking him out at 7am saturday into kings park to do laps of either lovekin or cardiac.  afterwards, we roll down to the coffeeshop to join the rest of the riders that have just completed the main ride. i generally do the earlybird first, so still get about 80kms under the belt and don’t miss out on the social side of it. so what i want to do is invite anyone that has a kid between 10-16 that they want to get into riding to join us on saturday mornings.  this isn’t a “leave the kid and go for your own ride” affair, as you must be there to supervise.  they don’t have to have a road bike or lycra or any of the fancy stuff.  just a want to learn about bike riding and to do it in as much of a social situation as possible. we get to kings park via the mounts bay rd bike path and there is very little traffic within the park on saturday morning. it is probably as safe as we are going to be able to get it without having a stand alone crit circuit.  unfortunately this weekend is predicting lots of rain on saturday morning, so i won’t be there.  but starting next week, i will add it to the ride routes as a reminder for anyone that wants to come out with us.

ride leader sponsor – there is no ride leader sponsor for july.  if you own a business and would like advertise/sponsor our ride leaders, please contact the club via email for more information.

ride to conditions – we have been getting a bit of rain lately and there were some crashes on last saturday’s earlybird ride.  as we have always said – you are responsible for your own safety.  this means that if the roads are slippery back off and ride to the conditions.  none of our training rides are races and the saturday earlybird especially is just about getting extra kms.  be sensible out there.  if you are not confident in the wet, don’t push it as it can be a lot worse.

spr tour de france sweepstakes – the tour is through the first week and successfully (for some) negotiated the cobbles.  after a couple of days in the alps, the front end of the race has had a bit of a shake up. check out the results on the sweeps leaderboard page to see if those differences have affect the prize money distribution.

tour of margs teams – emails have gone out to those that have expressed interest.  there will be an information session soon for those that have any questions.

entertainment books – we will again be selling entertainment books this year through the club.  the digital versions actually come online now and last years don’t finish till the end of june allowing you twice as many offers for 3 months.  check out the links on the previous post to find out more.

saturday start locations – we have revamped the group start locations on saturday morning.  please have a look at the map so you know where your group will congregate.  this makes it easier for ride leaders to give you a briefing before the ride starts.  see the previous post for more details.

from the ride coordinator – The weather for this weekend and coming week looks bleak for riding, it is the middle of winter after all. Have a sleep in, do a trainer session, explore your local cafe options. If you do take the bike out, be extra visible; bright lights, very visible kit / fluoro colours, and limit the time on major roads and truck routes.

saturday 21st 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 1/2 – trans reverse river 40.58km spr saturday

fast/main – river ride 51.80km spr saturday

sunday 22nd 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 – coffee ride

short – khna weir 72.23km spr sunday

long – khna can mills 94.55km spr sunday

monday 23rd july

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

south stock 33.76km spr monday

tuesday 24th july

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

spr tuesday 36.37km (river ride)

ride starts frasers ave at 5:45am

development group – interval training kings park

wednesday 25th july

ride starts raffles bike path at 5:30am

interval training – stock road repeats

thursday 26th july

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

see previous post for ride groups

spr thursday 37.26km (cott & freo)

ride starts frasers ave at 5:45am

development group – interval training kings park

friday 27th july

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

spr friday 42.01km (shelley)

friday training/recovery ride

i was reflecting the other day about what has changed in the club.  there are things that we used to do for our members that once seemed to be important no longer hold the same attraction.  this year we only have 4 tomr teams.  even last year we had 7.  a few years ago we took 3 mini-buses to kalgoorlie for the goldfields race.  now, nothing.  the tour de france sweeps, used to be a daily tipping comp, but people eventually lost interest, so we changed it to a sweeps, and this year we have struggled to find numbers. the breakfasts have been cut down to only 2 a year as people were skipping them to just have a coffee instead.  an average saturday ride would now see just as many people not in kit as there are in kit.

have we become too big and have we changed from a community to being more of a service provider??? we have lots of training rides on and have made sure that we provide a level of organisation so people feel safe but have we lost our connection??? is it a refection on the modern society where people don’t engage, but prefer to just snipe from afar??? or is it me, and have i been involved for too long and need to extract myself to ensure that positive change can occur???

these are some of the questions that myself and the committee struggle with as we try to keep this beast rolling.  i know that if we stopped providing training rides, we would loose the majority of our members overnight.  but is that all that is holding the club together??? i’m not saying that everyone needs to have a sycophantic, “spr is the best” type of attitude, but we built something that was different to the other groups in perth and sometimes i am struggling to see where parts that have gone.  so what do we need to do to engage???

ride leader sponsor – there is no ride leader sponsor for july.  if you own a business and would like advertise/sponsor our ride leaders, please contact the club via email for more information.

spr tour de france sweepstakes – the tour is underway and now the sweeps are underway.  we finally sold all the tickets so will draw out teams tonight.  so far every team has received some prize money…some more than others.  you can see the results on the leaderboard page.

spr tour de france dinner – the tour de france dinner has now sold out.  members who managed to get in will be enjoying the best of french cuisine at chez pierre.

tour of margs teams – emails have gone out to those that have expressed interest.  there will be another information session this saturday after the main ride for those that have any questions.

entertainment books – we will again be selling entertainment books this year through the club.  the digital versions actually come online now and last years don’t finish till the end of june allowing you twice as many offers for 3 months.  check out the links on the previous post to find out more.

saturday start locations – we have revamped the group start locations on saturday morning.  please have a look at the map so you know where your group will congregate.  this makes it easier for ride leaders to give you a briefing before the ride starts.  see the previous post for more details.

from the ride coordinator – The Sat main route dog legs along Leach Hwy for ~650m before turning right. Ensure groups stay together and changing lanes on Leach is done safely.

saturday 14th 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 1/2 – trans reverse river 40.58km spr saturday

fast/main – murdoch & freo 49.8km spr saturday

sunday 15th 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 – coffee ride

short – wlsh weir 62.23km spr sunday

long – wlsh obs kal 90.32km spr sunday

monday 16th july

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

south stock 33.76km spr monday

tuesday 17th july

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

spr tuesday 36.37km (river ride)

ride starts frasers ave at 5:45am

development group – interval training kings park

wednesday 18th july

ride starts raffles bike path at 5:30am

interval training – stock road repeats

thursday 19th july

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

see previous post for ride groups

spr thursday 37.26km (cott & freo)

ride starts frasers ave at 5:45am

development group – interval training kings park

friday 20th july

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

spr friday 42.01km (shelley)

friday training/recovery ride