Recent Rides
There have been two Rec Rides since the last Tandem talk.
On Mother’s Day those of us that got a leave pass, and those that were forced to go cycling with their Mum enjoyed a very pleasant cycle from Bayswater to Matilda Bay. There were six tandems in all, and one single bike. David and Nathan were able to sneak away to join us for morning tea at Matilda Bay. The trip back to Bayswater was fairly swift as some in our group needed to get to Mother’s Day lunches.

The June Rec Ride was a bit of an adventure. Four tandems and Hab on his own bike (missed you Adriana) cycled from The Association along the South Perth foreshore and over the Narrows. It tried to rain on us between the Narrows and the Causeway, but we were undeterred and cycled on to Calisebrook, crossing the river at Windan Bridge before heading back home. Breaking with tradition, our coffee stop ended up being at the end of the ride at Sassy Cookie. This was a very scenic ride, following close to the banks of the Swan River, Near Trinity College and the Burswood Golf Course it would seem that the path is a little too close as we had to negotiate some rather large puddles. More on that later….

There have been 3 Club rides since the last newsletter; two leaving from The Association and taking the Roe Highway-Kwinana Freeway loop and one ride in the Swan Valley. On all rides there was a mix of tandems and single bikes as well as a mixture of familiar and new faces. If you would like to give one of these longer rides a go please talk to a committee member. I can tell you from my own experience that you will be well looked after. No-one gets dropped from our little peloton.

Clinic
Another beautiful sunny autumn day saw a large contingent of WATCAC members turn out to achieve our mission of providing opportunities for vision impaired members of the community to cycle.

Seven members of the Sense of Adventure Group from The Association lived up to their name and gave tandem cycling a go. In addition another vision impaired lady was also able to come and have a go with her supporters. In all there were 21 people taking turns to do laps around George Burnett Park, Karawara. For some it was their very first time on a bike but with some great instruction from Hab, Beau, Greg and others everyone left with a smile on their face.

Surprisingly Greg didn’t manage to deter anyone when he told of his experience of overtaking a semi-trailer that had pulled out in-front of his tandem when he was training for the Paralympics. The computer on the tandem was maxed out at 100km/hr at the time!

As I write this it looks like we will have every red tandem available on the road, and a few extras to boot for our next Rec Ride, as a direct result of this clinic.

Member News
Whilst there are no wheels involved, Beau and new WATCAC pilot Roz have been helping a group of people who have Usher’s syndrome (hearing and vision impairment) in their preparations for a planned Bibbulmun Track walk with some training hikes in the hills behind Kalamunda. The Usher’s crew includes some of the people we met at the two cycling events we have organised with the Senses Foundation.

Beau volunteered to help with the marshalling of the Midland Cyclo Sportif and spent an enjoyable morning in the sunshine with his arm out saying, “turn left here guys” over, and over, and over again.

Long-time WATCAC supporter Janelle Graham had an early morning stack resulting in 4 cracked ribs and a punctured lung. Happily, she is now on the mend and itching to get back on a bike.

Also in the wars is Life Member Ron Anderson, proving that ladders are more dangerous than bikes. We wish him a speedy and full recovery from his recent misadventure.

Wet Days, Large Puddles and Bike Maintenance
Just a friendly reminder that members have a responsibility to maintain the tandems on loan, and that other members spend valuable time looking after our red tandem fleet. Before starting a ride it is common sense to make sure that there is air in the tyres, that the wheels are turning freely and that the brakes and chain are in good order.

On days when it is wet, or the road is damp, a lot of sand and grit can flick up onto the frame, into the chain, brakes and cogs. Please take a moment to clean your bike and give it a bit of oil and love after riding it. I let the bike dry out a bit and then go over it with an old, soft banister brush to get the sand off the frame. A brush designed for cleaning mag wheels does the smaller gaps. Hab recommends using a cheap de-greaser and then applying the garden hose. Finish by checking the tyres for foreign objects and cuts, and applying a bit of oil to the chian. Household (sewing machine) oil is fine.

Your bike will thank you next time you get on it.

BWA Membership
For those of you who ride outside of the planned WATCAC events it is worth considering becoming a member of BWA (Bicycling Western Australia). You membership includes premium bike crash insurance cover for anywhere in Australia and New Zealand, discounted entry to BWA events, subscription to the bi-monthly magazine Ride On, representation in the community and the latest cycling information and news.

Membership for individuals is $109 per year ($93 concession) with family memberships available from $143. Go to http://www.bwa.org.au for more information and to register online

Fund Raising
Please consider placing a box of chocolates at your workplace for fundraising. Adriana would love to hear from you if you can help.

Stay tuned for news of our movie date. We are hoping to bring you a feel-good family event and are holding out for the right movie.

Shirts
The shirts have been ordered and are currently being manufactured in Italy. Matching knicks are also available for those who really want to look the part.

Happy Pedalling
Jennifer