Ride routes 30th Jan – 5th Feb

Wow, the end of January already. As we move into the end of summer, there is still lots of racing and riding to go. Both Peel and RCCC have crits on around Rockingham and Baywater as well as the West Coast Masters races for those that are old enough. For those that want a challenge without the race number, Feb and Mar give a good opportunity to train up for the Dams Challenge. Make use of the nice weather and get stronger by riding into that damn easterly.

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

As we progress through WA’s phased approach to reopening, how the club interacts within itself and the wider community will also change.
Rightly or wrongly, the lack of community transmission in the state has meant that a lot of the social distancing rules have disappeared. As such we want to streamline what the requirements are from a club perspective. Basically there are 3 main things we want people to keep in mind.

  • The virus can spread via human contact, so minimise the amount of touching between people and each others bikes/helmets etc.
  • 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.
  • Personal hygiene becomes very important in the spread of the 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.

SafeWA registration – As the state opens up to more interstate travelers, the risk of community spread could possibly increase. Contact tracing is an important way to contain the virus in case it finds it’s way into the community. If you want to sit down for a coffee you must register your details at that premises. There are 2 ways to do this, register on a paper form, or scan a QR code on an app.
So, how do i get the app? Download the WA Government free app – SafeWA and sign up as an individual.
– Android users click here
– Apple phone users click here
We have had it pretty good in WA so far. Lets make sure that we can open up safely.

SPR Chicks Social Ride & Coffee – Social ride starting at 5:45am at the Narrows Bridge (city side) and ending in Kings Park at Fraser’s restaurant for coffee. This is an approx 25km distance, 25km/hr easy pace, no drop ride. End of ride coffee is the key priority.
All riders welcome and encouraged.
Please congregate on the bike path under the bridge and try and keep out of way of oncoming cyclists / pedestrians.
This is an easy pace ride, conversational pace .. no puffing required!
A ride leader will give a short briefing to each group before we set off.
If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to post a message!
Ride route is here and Facebook event here.

SPR kit – The latest run of the kit is ready to collect from R&D Speedshop or has already been mailed out to you (depending on what you selected). If you did miss out on that last order, or have realised that by the time the next order arrives the weather will be colder, then the next order closes on the 1st March. The portal is open now and more info can be found on the club kit page.

AusCycling Memberships – As of November this year, Cycling Australia ceased to exist and AusCycling was formed to combine multiple disciplines of cycling together. To be part of the national organisation, our club has joined Auscycling and memberships and renewals are now available though it. As such we have updated the memberships page to reflect the membership types and approximate costs. There are now 4 types of licence – Lifestyle, Race off-road, Race all discipline & Non riding. On top of this there is also a Club Add-On where you can join SPR if you are a member of another club, like Peel or RCCC. This is similar to our Extraordinary membership (which still exists for other orgs) but has been formalised a bit.

Licence renewals – Most race licences will expire at the end of the year, or a bit after. Due to the change over between Cycling Australia and AusCycling, your membership will not automatically renew. Please make sure that you ensure that you are covered and renew you licence as soon as possible. You may not worry about racing for a while, but if you are still riding the group rides, then it will make sure you are covered till then. You can also take the opportunity to change clubs if you so desire – by that I mean change to South Perth, not leave us for another club :(. See the link to the membership page above. It is all pretty easy to follow, but reach put of you have trouble.

Tandem Pilots needed – NOW RECRUITING VOLUNTEER TANDEM PILOTS FOR VISION-IMPAIRED CYCLING – Next skills clinic Sunday 31 January.
Visit www.watcac.org/events for details and to register interest. We are a tandem cycling community that supports blind and vision impaired road cycling. We welcome all enquiries but particularly from women cyclists for this intake. We pair new pilots with blind and vision impaired riders for our fantastic 2021 Sunday cycling program. On Sunday 31st January our morning clinic will teach you how to ride up front on a tandem and partner with a blind or vision impaired stoker. No other prerequisites, just a willingness to share your love of cycling.
Can’t make the 31st? Then follow us on Facebook @WATCAC Western Australian Tandem Cycling Advisory Council or visit watcac.org

Our commitment to Core Values – We are a diverse club that made a point early on of committing to a number of core values to which we have built everything upon. These are – Safe, Inclusive, Organised & Social. It is under these values that we want all club interaction to occur, whether on the road or in cyberspace. Please read the previous post so you understand what we as a club, expect from you as members.

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 –  Didn’t take long did it! This time last week we were celebrating the reprieve from the easterlies. Well they are back this weekend so we are heading East early in the ride again to hopefully enjoy the cruise home with the wind behind us.
For all you “flat trackers” I’ll issue an apology straight up ! So whilst Hale and Ridgehill do not carry the title of the hardest hills to climb it’s fair to say it’s not flat country out that way and there is some elevation to navigate from the turn of Hale Rd to the bottom of the ZigZag. However, when you get to that point just know that most do the pain will be forgotten by the time you get back to the coffee shop as you cruise home. Enjoy one of our more challenging rides!

Saturday 30th January

Sunday 31st January

Monday 1st February

Tuesday 2nd February

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

Wednesday 3rd February

Thursday 4th February

Friday 5th February