okay, a little simple psychology for this weeks post.  most people have heard about pavlov’s dogs. he did an experiment where he trained his dogs to salivate when he rang a bell.  simple experiment where the dogs linked the bell to their dinner time.  this is also known as classical conditioning.  for us in a group riding situation, there are many things that we take for granted every day.  there are many things that we do pretty much without thinking or do out of a form of classical conditioning.  unfortunately, this happened a couple of times to me in the last week and half.  turning left at an intersection, the group all yelled “clear” as they turned, but by the time we were halfway through the group, i look right and there is a car less than 50m away.  lights were blazing and it was obviously not clear.  the rider a couple of places ahead of me had yelled clear as they went through.  even the first few riders would have seen a car in the distance and should have gave warning.  are people just being conditioned to yell “clear” just because it is what we are expected to do.  group riding involves quite a high level of trust.  i am trusting you to tell me about the potholes, to tell me about the parked cars and to tell me about that tonne of steel and plastic hurtling down the road at me.  everyone is responsible for their own actions, but at the same time, you cannot ride in close quarters with others without trusting that the person in front of you will not put you in danger.  again it comes down to being spatially aware and then conveying any potential dangers to the rest of the group.  and then, also importantly, passing that message down the line to the rest of the group as the riders behind you are also trusting you to look out for them.  if not, then you may, or may not end up like schrödinger’s cat.

ride leader sponsor – the ride leader sponsor for april is Acanthus Green landscape and garden design and construction.  part owned by spr member and Dome rider ben godridge, Acanthus Green is your one stop shop for to creating the perfect garden to compliment your home and enhance your life.

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.

bike lights – it is now at that time of year where if you are doing the earlybird ride, then you need a good set of lights.  last year i wrote a long post about bike lights and what we expect when riding in a group.  basically, bigger/brighter is not always better.  please read the post take note of what effects your lights have on the rest of the group. take any suggestions on board as at the end of the day, it is for the safety of the group as a whole.

spr sub-committees – if you’re interested in being part of one or more of the sub-committees…even if you’ve indicated previously then please contact the relevant committee member.  please see the previous post for more details.

kit crash replacement – we  now have a crash replacement policy for your spr kit.  if you damage your kit by some misadventure (on your bike) you can contact the kit committee and get a 30% discount on your replacement kit.  please see the previous post for more details.

gfws national kit – if you rode well at the any of the grand fondo qualifiers and have managed to secure a spot in the final in september, then hold off purchasing your national kit.  we are currently investigating a spr version of the national kit so we can identify our members a bit easier.  see the previous post for more details.

grand fondo international rider – the club has received a request from a finnish-american female masters rider that has qualified for the final in september.  she is currently looking for anyone that has a spare room or granny flat for about 3 weeks leading up to the event. this is a great opportunity to help out a fellow cyclist and maybe broaden your own horizons.  if you do have anything available, please email the club and we can put you in contact with her.

goldfields classic – feel like racing across the vast expanse of the kalgoorlie area???  he goldfields classic handicap race is on again and we are looking at who wishes to head across for the long weekend of racing.  as in previous years, spr will organise the logistics of transport, accommodation and transfers so you can just pay, turn up and race.  please see the previous post if you are interested in racing or even in volunteering to help out.

giro d’italia night – the first social night of the year is almost upon us.  come and spend an evening of italian flavour at bravos restaurant to celebrate the giro d’italia.  organised by the spr social committee, this is open to all members/partners.  please see theprevious post for further details.

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

ride routes – long weekend and school holidays so it will be hit and miss as to how many people we get to this weekends rides.  some people will take advantage of the extra free time and ride more.  some will take the time to go elsewhere.  make sure you know the ride routes as it is up to everyone in the group to know where they are going.

saturday 23rd april

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 – alexander drive 50.46km spr saturday

sunday 24th april

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 25th april – anzac day

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

south stock 33.76km spr monday

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

public hol 58.97km spr special

tuesday 26th april

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 27th april

ride starts raffles bike path at 5:30am

interval training – stock road repeats

thursday 28th april

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

spr thursday 37.26km (cott & freo)

ride starts frasers carpark at 5:45am

development group – interval training kings park

friday 29th april

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

spr friday 42.01km (shelley)

friday training/recovery ride