Ride Routes 13th – 19th June

Don’t stand so, don’t stand so, don’t stand so close to me. Photo Amanda Nabi

Getting back in the groove is proving a bit more difficult for me at the moment. Some days in the office and other days at home, have meant i am losing track of what day it is. Sitting down to do the ride routes is something i haven’t had to for a couple of months and hence i am very rusty.
We turned the keys on the club last Saturday to start up the group rides and there was a good turn out across all grades. People seemed to be adhering to the new changes at both the start and end of the rides. I hate to call it the “new normal” because most of us want to get back to the “old normal” and I think that as a country and a state we have done quite well. You may have seen some advertising around for bike races starting up again; Collie-Donnybrook in August and ATTA time trials in a couple of weeks. These are the types of things that, even if they are run a little differently, help us feel a sense of normality.
As we do transition back to a “slightly socially distance normal” remember to continue to support the retail and hospitality industries that have been suffering through. My first day back in the city and it was quite shocking to see a number of shops that were now no longer operating. Hopefully the club can focus a bit of stability back into most of our lives.

The Rules – just a reminder that it isn’t business as usual.

  • Social distancing still applies. This means no handshakes, hugging, high fives, down low too slow, or general touching is allowed. Please refrain from touching other peoples bikes, and allow space for people to gather before the ride.
  • The start locations in the carpark for Saturday will change slightly. See below for more detail and a new map, but basically, we need to ensure we don’t exceed the 100 person limit, by separating into two distinct groups.
  • No spitting, snotting or sneezing within the group. If you need to, move to the back of the group, but please look behind you to make sure that it is clear of traffic. That is all traffic, not just bikes. We don’t want some dash-cam footage of someone blowing their nose on a car the first day back.
  • No “hand of god”. Like most thing in life, any interaction requires two-way consent between adults. If someone is struggling and you want to push them, you both have to be comfortable with being touched. I’m not going to speculate on the risks involved with hand to jersey contact, but before you push someone, ask them first. If they are not comfortable with any contact, then don’t do it.
  • The coffee shop is open, but please be aware that they may not be able to seat everyone. The post ride coffee is a long standing tradition with cycling, but in this new post-COVID world, there are some sacrifices that need to be made. The hospitality industry in general is suffering, so we need to give our support, but if you are just getting a coffee, then consider a takeaway, so that table space can be saved for those ordering a bit more. Hospitality businesses are under stricter regulations than cycling clubs, so please understand that the seating arrangements are what are mandated by the restrictions and you cannot move tables to suit how many mates you want around you.
  • Personal hygiene becomes very important in the spread of virus so make sure that you either wash your hands whenever you can or carry a small container of hand sanitiser. Limit your exposure to common surfaces (chairs, tables) and don’t be sharing items.
The Mayeur sizing kit at R&D Speedshop

SPR Mayeur kit – We are taking the final steps to being able to open orders for the new SPR kit. The sample kit should arrive soon so we can sign off on the materials and colours. In the meantime, a sizing kit has been made available at R&D Speedshop in Claremont. All sizes in the three styles are available to try on so that when orders open, you will be ready to pounce.
The Mayeur Clubline range includes standard fit, slim fit, and aero fit unisex jerseys, as well as standard and long cut bib shorts, with mens and womens chamois. A range of gilet, skin suits, arm warmers and jackets are also available. 
Whilst the sizing range covers everything from kids and 2XS to Grande sizing, Mayeur is passionate to make sure everyone in the club has a garment that works for them. In the event you fall outside the range, get in touch with the team at Mayeur and they’ll look after you.

Looking fresh on the start-line

ToMR EOI – Expressions of interest are now open for anyone wishing to be in an SPR team for the Tour of Margaret River. Most people are aware of the event and what is involved after all the club has had multiple teams entered for a number of years now. If you are interested, have a read of the previous post and register yourself so we can start sorting out teams. As we are going through a period of uncertainty, we will most likely have less teams rather than more teams to account for a potential reduction in numbers closer to the event. Therefore get your name in quick if you are keen to race or keen to help volunteer.

Where do i need to stand again?

Saturday Start Locations – In order to adhere to the new gathering regulations, we need to slightly change the meeting points of the groups. There is a 100 person gathering limit and when all groups are combined, we often exceed that when everyone is waiting for the start. There was a discussion about different start times for different groups, but what we settled on was moving half the groups to different sides of the carpark. This is not ideal as there are usually more cars using the eastern most parks, but we will just have to work around that for now. We understand that the COVID risk isn’t high, but it is more about how the club is viewed from outside. So, please congregate in the assigned locations, so we can continue to hold group rides in the future.

From the Ride Coordinator – Well we made it through last weekend without too much problem and it was great to see so many SPR Strava uploads, kudos and comments. Seems that all who ventured out had a great time and were pleased to be back in group cycling. From a ride leading perspective it was also great to see so many respectful of the “tweaks” we needed to make to ensure our return is a permanent one. Thank you all! So to the weekend ahead. we are all hoping that the weather  clears enough to get our rides in for both days.  But we can’t really complain. It’s Winter and at least now we are given the choice to cycle  or not. Things aren’t too bad after all!!

Saturday 13th June

Sunday 14th June

Monday 15th June

Tuesday 16th June

  • Ride starts under the Narrows (cityside) at 5:30am
  • Ride starts Frasers ave at 5:45am
    • Development group – interval training kings park

Wednesday 17th June

Thursday 18th June

Friday 19th June