why do we have a breakfast??? a few years ago when spr first started, there were not as many people in the club. a breakfast consisted of 30-40 people turning up to my place and getting a coffee and some muffins. back in those days the numbers were easy to manage and the club could fit in my lounge room. the intent was that we would provide a more social setting to allow people to get to know each other better off the bike. there were also raffle prizes and bike weigh-ins to provide some light entertainment. what we were trying to develop was a culture that extended past just riding the bike. what this means is that belonging to the club meant more than just riding against others, it meant that there were people that were also there for you. this has been evident in the unfortunate event of an accident where the club has rallied together to support the fallen riders. now the club is sitting at 415 members and with greater numbers also come different ideas and beliefs. some of this has meant that we have now diluted the culture that the club was built on. unfortunately this is just a part of growth, but we still want to hold fast to the corner stones that we started the club on – safe, organised, inclusive and social. at the christmas breakfast this saturday, take the time to have a chat with some of the riders that you don’t usually hang out with. these connections are what make the club strong.
ride leaders – it is in the clubs best interest to develop new riders so that they ride in a safe manner. put your name down here to ensure the club grows to its potential. with the nice weather now arrived, expect more people to be joining us. the club needs you even more to represent it in ensuring the ride etiquette is followed.
spr drink bottles – will be available for collection on saturday after the ride.
spr kit order – will be available for collection on saturday after the ride. if you would prefer to collect it from tech park at the crit on sunday, then email kit@southperthroulers.com.au. next kit orders close on the 12th january.
spr christmas breakfast/awards – this year the christmas breakfast will be on the 14th dec at Dome. we have a few awards that we want to give out to the club and need your help in deciding who gets these. please help by filling in the survey on the previous post.
criterium race 01 – in conjunction with rccc we will be holding the first of our 4 race series of criteriums at technology park. both ‘a’ grade and ‘b’ grade have been pre sold, but there are still positions in ‘c’ & ‘d’ grade as well as women’s ‘a’, ‘b’ & ‘c’. if you are not racing, or before and after your race, we will need a few volunteers to make the day run smoothly. put your name down on the previous post if you can help out. it would be greatly appreciated.
first time racers – if you have never raced before and would like to have a go at the criterium this weekend, then the club would like to help you out by covering the entry fee of anyone that is a first time racer. a criterium is held on a short circuit (1km) so if you do get dropped, then you don’t have far to get home. there will also be lots of spr people in attendance so you will be well supported. more info can be found in the previous post.
christmas drinks – next tuesday 17th we will be holding an “out of lycra” get together as a christmas celebration. it will be held at the empire bar in rivervale. more info can be found on the previous post. put your name in the comments so we know how many to cater for.
ride routes – it’s the breakfast ride on saturday, so there are no hills just in case people are too dressed up. it is looking to be a hot one, so perhaps no full santa suit this year. on sunday there will be no earlybird ride, but the main ride will leave at 6:00am. this allows the groups to get out and back before the heat as well as being able to help out with the criterium when they get back.
saturday 14th december
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 15th december
all rides start at coode st carpark at 6:00am
short – wlsh weir 62.23km spr sunday
G’day Rouleurs, Did my second ride with your club this morning (I’m from out of town and relatively new to road riding). Just thought I’d drop a quick line to thank Sam on today’s early bird ride. I mentioned to him before setting off that I was new & didn’t know how I’d fare. In the second half I was clearly struggling to keep up (I fully expected to get dropped). To his (and another rider’s absolute credit) he dropped back to check on me and offered a welcome wheel to sit on. Also offered a few encouraging words & displayed a great example of what I’m beginning to understand your club is all about.
Thanks again guys,
Rob.
I’m pretty new to riding with SPR, although did ride with the group before it was, as is.
I rode today with M3, partly at it being a christmas ride, didn’t want to go to hard, and having done one ride already, happy to sit it, and move up to M2 or better next time.
Big group, and should have been split early, quite a few riders not happy being in part 2, then bridged the gap.
Thanks for the group for stopping for my flat, and the nice rider who gave me a tube (2nd flat of the day, and new tires to boot).
We tried to roll, but the difference in riding skills & fitness were apparent, communication was hit or miss, fairly I got told off for being a little too ‘loud’, safety in mind, apologised, looked forward to the sprint, and then we got split by lights on the last bump of the day, and no one waited. We all drifted in in dribs and drabs. Next time…
Great stuff Rob. Welcome to SPR.
Really appreciate the feedback and we hope you get the chance to ride with the club often.
It’s great that you had a chat with someone before we set off. The Early Bird ride can be pretty quick sometimes, and as a new rider you might not be sure of the route. If you let us know you’re new to the ride we’ll do our best to make sure your ride is a good one.
Nice work Sam!
Fab brekkie as per usual .. thanks dome and to all those who put the effort into organising everything -sensational!