Saturday July 2, 2011 - Jenny's Armadale jaunt

Ride Organiser: Jenny Aramini
Organiser's email: Jenny.Aramini@lifecyclewa.com
Organiser's mobile telephone no: 0401965089
Ride style: Social
Terrain: Fairly Flat
Estimated Distance: 70 kms apprrox
Start Point: Maylands, Narrows - South Side
Start Time: Maylands 8:00, Narrows 8:30

1. Jenny's suggested route for the Armadale ride is
2. Narrows to Riverton Bridge, via South Perth foreshore, Douglas Ave, Hayman Rd, Lawson St, Centenary Ave
3. bike path to along south side of river to Nicholson Rd
4. Spencer St, Corfield Rd, Lake Rd, Armadale Rd to Dome or Gloria Jeans in Armadale
5. Armadale Rd, Lake Rd, Ranford Rd to Roe Hwy
6. bike path along Roe Hwy to Kwinana Fwy and then Fwy bike path to Narrows

Saturday June 25. Pt Walter Ride

Ride Organiser: Robert Hind
Organiser's email: Robert@robert-hind.com
Organiser's mobile telephone no: 0417 934 502
Ride style: Social
Terrain: Fairly Flat
Estimated Distance: 40 kms+
Start Point: Maylands, Narrows - South Side
Start Time: Maylands 8:00, Narrows 8:30

Jenny has asked us to delay the planned Armadale ride so this week's ride will be an easy Pt Walter ride with the usual starts (Maylands and Narrows South) and coffee stop on the way back in Ardross (most likely Sensations on Ardross).

Let me know if you're planning to join us.

Saturday June 18, 2011 - West Coast Hwy to Hillarys

Ride Organiser: Terry Dowling 

Organiser's Email: morgan4four@yahoo.com.au
Organiser's Mobile No: 0414 730 970

Ride style: Social
Terrain: Mainly Flat
Estimated Distance: 65 kms+
Start Point: Maylands, Narrows - North Side
Start Time: Maylands 8:00, Narrows 8:30

 It is a long time since we rode along the coast to Hillarys so here is Terry's suggestion for Saturday ...8:30 at Narrows north. Go up Mount St to Kings Park, via Saw Ave, Rokeby, Nicholson, Nash, Selby, Alderbury, Oceanic / Reabold Hill to the coast. Mostly path to Trigg, then mostly road to Hillarys. Return via roads (probably to Gwelup) then freeway cycle path.

Bike Lanes

A New Yorker got a fine for not riding in the bike lane. Here is his story!!

From the pages of Cycling Tips Blog - Cafe Etiquette 101

Cafe Etiquette 101

Where I'm from, walking into a cafe in lycra isn't quite as acceptable as it is in Australia (well, is it ever really acceptable?). Here, the cafe after a ride is akin to a men's locker room after the big game where we wind-down and shoot the breeze. A ride just isn't a ride without it.

June 3, 2011

Last week my wife and I watched in horror as an adrenaline pumped group of cyclists rocked up into a quiet cafe swearing within an earshot of kids and sat down smelling like a bunch of sweaty barn animals. Is this the brush I’m being painted with when I walk into a cafe in lycra?

After this incident I went around to a few cafes and had a chat with some staff  and asked them about their stories and gripes with cyclists. Most had a goodhearted laugh about it but some had a few shocking stories to tell!

It’s a common scene for most of us. After a ride we’ll head to our favorite cafe, lean a dozen bikes up against their clean windows, clip-clop in,  move 2-3 tables together, then take our sweaty helmets and gloves off and lay them all over the place. Then we’ll settle in, loudly discuss anything and everything cycling and woo at the pretty girls passing by. There’s always one cheapskate in the bunch who won’t order anything and will eat his own muesli bars and ask the waitress to fill his water bottle.

(One cafe owner told me about a recent incident where a cyclist was wringing out his wet gear in the middle of the cafe floor after being caught in the rain. Yes…this stuff happens!)

When the waitress brings the order to the table she’ll need to interrupt some epic tale of”that time when Joe Blog smashed everyone on the climb”,  and consequently needs to announce “soy latte” four times before someone realises it’s their order. Then of course there’s always the guy who says “this coffee is $hit” loud enough for everyone to hear.

We’ll then split the bill into 13 separate $3.50 orders and pay with $50 notes drenched in sweat. After we make a monumental mess of the place leaving sweaty napkins and banana peels on the table we all ask to have our waterbottles filled. Then we all stand around on our bikes outside blocking the footpath while we wait for everybody to get ready.

Does this ring a bell? Indeed, this is how the outside world views us on a Saturday morning.
I love my post-ride coffee just as much as the next guy and cyclists are only one example of a tribe who throws away social etiquette as soon as they get into that bubble. I see it with golfers on the 19th hole and footie players or fans after a big game at the pub. And don’t get me started on those mother’s clubs cackling away in the cafe after they drop the kids off at school. Do they have any decency at all?

Enjoy your weekend and ride safe. I hope see some of you at the Dirty Deeds Cyclocross prologue tonight and getting rowdy at the cafe afterwards!

Thanks to Francis for sending us ths article from the pages of Cycling Tips blog - click to see issue 

Saturday June 11, 2011 - Friendly Freo

Ride Organiser: Robert Hind
Organiser's email: Robert@robert-hind.com
Organiser's mobile telephone no: 0417 934 502
Ride style: Social
Terrain: Mainly Flat
Estimated Distance: 65 kms+
Start Point: Maylands, Narrows - North Side
Start Time: Maylands 8:00, Narrows 8:30

We're planning the old familiar "Friendly Freo" with the usual obligatory coffee stop (in Fremantle). We'll have the usual Maylands Railway Station start at 8:00 am then hook up at the Narrows. The ride will start from the Narrows Bridge (North Side - where the bike path goes under the freeway bridge) at 8:30 am. 
 
The ride will include sections where riders can choose a tougher or faster section and we'll continue trialling the Group Riding guidelines.

Festival of Cycling in the Swan Valley - June 26, 2011

Perth Winter Track Cycling Grand Prix - June 26, 2011

It is that time of year again!!

 

Saturday June 4 - Pt Walter ride

Ride Organiser: Robert Hind
Organiser's email: Robert@robert-hind.com
Organiser's mobile telephone no: 0417 934 502
Ride style: Social
Terrain: Fairly Flat
Estimated Distance: 40 kms+
Start Point: Maylands, Narrows - South Side
Start Time: Maylands 8:00, Narrows 8:30

This week's ride will be an easy Pt Walter ride with the usual starts (Maylands and Narrows South) and coffee stop on the way back in Ardross (most likely Sensations on Ardross).

Let me know if you're planning to join us.