Recent Rides
Sorry folks – I can’t believe it has been 3 months’ since the last newsletter… Let me update you with what’s been going on.

For our Rec Riders, 13 riders (5 tandems and 3 single bikes) revisited the Bayswater- Lake Monger Loop in June, which we may have to finesse yet again to locate a coffee stop that can accommodate us all. In July 12 of us (4 tandems and 4 singles) rode along the lovely Canning River from Bull Creek to Kent St Weir on a very chilly morning. A variation to the route on the way home located not only the Clontarf Miniature Railway but a miniature BMX track. Once Hab and Adriana had spotted this they were over the grass in a flash and lined up for the first jump! Turns out, the mountain bike tandems have enough clearance to negotiate the crests and dips of a BMX track. The Cannondale, not so much. Video of our escapades can be viewed here:
https://youtu.be/tnLRvy0NVFA

Unfortunately the August ride was cancelled due to bad weather.

Club rides have suffered a similar fate to the August rec ride, with 3 of the last 7 abandoned due to bad weather. The rain also played a part in the ride on July 5th (Vic-Park – Jandakot loop). It wasn’t wet but it had been raining and the tarmac was damp, with loose sand and twigs washed over it, causing at least some of the seven flat tyres experienced over the morning. Paul and Forest had one puncture each, Hab and Adriana also stopped to change a tube and then had to do it all again when the valve on the second tube broke clean off. But Trevor took out the prize with one puncture repair before he even left home and two on the road, at which point he took the option to phone a friend and get a lift to Sassy Cookie. It was a long day out but everyone maintained their good sense of humour and we all parted friends.

In other Club Rides 9 members and friends (3 tandems and 3 single bikes) rode Bayswater to Mt Henry and back on Aug 2nd and 10 cyclists (3 tandems and 4 singles) completed the Jandakot loop without a single mechanical incident on Aug 16th.

Upcoming WATCAC Rides

• 6th September – Club Ride – Father’s Day Western Suburbs Explorer. Departing from VisAbility at 8:30 am
• 13th September – Rec Ride – Matilda Bay Meander. Departing from VisAbility at 8:30 am
• 20th September – Clinic – Location dependent on numbers. Please advise if you, or someone you know want to attend
• 27th September – Club Ride – To Be Advised.

Upcoming Community Rides

• Sat 17th Oct – Gravel Grinder Challenge – Moora to Watheroo 57km and 88km
• Sun 18th Oct – Ocean Ride for MS – 50km Fremantle to Hillarys
• Sun 22nd Nov – Santos Great Bike Ride – 52km Around the River

Let us know if you hear about any other community rides that you want to be involved in.

Tandem Riding Clinic
A clinic for new pilots and stokers is planned for the morning of Sunday 20th Sept. If you know of anyone who is vision impaired and wants to try out cycling please encourage them to come along. Similarly, if you want to encourage a friend or family member to pilot for you bring them along.

At the time of going to print we are planning on hosting Retina Australia at this clinic, much as we have done for SENSES in the past. Details are yet to be confirmed and the location will depend on their numbers. If you can volunteer as a pilot for this event please email WATCAC@googlegroups.com and let us know.

Mountain Bike Clinic
The second Mountain Bike Clinic was held on a perfect afternoon in July – cool but sunny with just enough rain the in the morning to damp down the dust without making it muddy. Jason from Rock N Roll did another great job of coaching us over logs, rocks and other obstacles and leading us through some tight corners and climbs. I think that those of us on the single bikes were more nervous than those on the tandems and the stokers demonstrated tremendous courage and trust in their pilots. It was an exhilarating day and despite talk of needing protective gear and/or superhero capes no skin was lost and only a few bruises were sustained.

Be sure to let a committee member know if you would like to participate in any future mountain biking events.

SW Tour
Planning for the SW Tour is almost complete and I can tell you that the accommodation looks fabulous and there are rides for all abilities planned for each day. If you have already expressed an interest in coming along you will be emailed with the details shortly. If you want to come along and haven’t let Jo know yet then do so quickly as places are limited.

The Tour will be based in Busselton from Friday 23rd Oct to Monday 26th. WATCAC are subsidising the trip so it will only set you back $50 for accommodation.

We Care About You
A lot of thought is put into planning our ride routes to make sure that they are safe for all to ride but, just like using a car or walking on a shared path, riding a bike can be risky and accidents happen. Should something happen to you we would like to be able to contact someone dear to you to let them know what’s going on.

For future rides we will be asking you to supply emergency contact details and it is recommended that you carry similar information with you. To help out a dymo labeller will be available prior to our next few rides so that you can stick emergency contact information inside your helmet. If you have an issue with WATCAC recording and keeping such information please let a committee member know.

Happy and Safe Pedalling

Jennifer

Recent Rides
Rec Rides are held on the second Sunday of every month. They are about 25km long, at a pace that doesn’t leave anyone behind and there is always a coffee stop before heading back home. The mountain bikes have been coming out of the trailer for our rec rides and are a heap of fun – just ask Adriana. Be sure to let us know if you want to have a go on one*.

The March Rec Ride saw newcomers Pierre and Eleanor (on their tandem) and Michael (on recumbent) join us on a ride from Vic Park to Deep Water Point and return. Our group numbered 12 in total – 4 tandems and 4 singles. Michael has a recumbent tandem and has offered to bring it along to future rides should anyone want to try it out with him.

The April Rec Ride was cancelled, but the May Mothers’ Day Ride was blessed with glorious weather. Three tandems and 4 single bikes left Bayswater train station on a new ride following the train line and Mitchel Freeway to Lake Monger. We did a loop around the lake before stopping in Leederville for coffee and heading back. This route could become a regular one, and we may even venture as far as Herdsman Lake for those who want to get in a few more Ks.

Club rides are held on the first and third Sunday of the month. They are 50 km long, a little bit faster than the rec rides and have the coffee stop at the completion of the ride. Having said that, two of the last four club rides were cancelled due to poor weather, and one of the other rides had the dubious distinction of being the first WATCAC ride in history to not include any tandems. (You have no idea how sad it makes me just writing that.) I can report, however, that 4 tandems and 4 single bikes completed the Guildford loop on May 3rd and were suitably rewarded with a great morning out, including coffee and banana bread.

Our next Club Ride is scheduled for June 7th and the Rec Ride for Sunday June 14th. Put it in your diary. If you are not receiving the email notifications of these rides but want to take part in them please let me know.

*Fun Fact: the wheels on the mountain bikes are the same diameter as the wheels on a Land Rover Discovery. And that’s with proper tyres, and not the silly, low-profile ones.

Member News
Not all our members are scared of the rain and several of them have been out and about participating in other organised rides:

• Several tandems completed the Freeway Bike Hike. Kudos to them for braving strong winds and an exceptionally early start.
• David and Jennifer caught a break in the weather to do the inaugural MS Night Ride around the Swan and Canning Rivers on April 10th. This was fun, very well organised ride and I would strongly recommend putting it on your calendar for next year.
• Hab and Adriana, with Haylee and Paul, took part in the Northam Cyclo Sportif event on the Sunday before last – That was the weekend Perth received record rainfall accompanied by a strong, cold easterly breeze. Proof of their lunacy bravery can be found below.
• The passage of three years helped member Beau Tang to forget the depth of pain associated with Bicycling WA’s 5 Dams ride – which led to a rash rash promise to participate with a friend who was looking for a teammate. Beau’s 2 man team completed the epic 240km ride in 9hrs and 35 minutes. Actually it wasn’t that bad. Beau had a good time and saw lots of mates and… two tandems competing in the 3 Dams event. Definitely do-able for a tandem!
• Beau spent 4 days on the Bibbulmun Track around Kalamunda and Mundaring with some of our friends who have Usher’s Syndrome, a condition which results in gradual deterioration of both vision and hearing. The track was quite tough in parts and the three Usher’s walkers showed a lot of determination to go the distance. The weather was great and the views over the dam’s waters and the river valleys were spectacular. Lots of fun and laughs were had in the group of 8 walkers.
• Congratulation to Erin on her recent wedding.

Mountain Bike Clinic – from Paul Metcalf
As you are aware, the Club invested in two new hard-tail mountain bike tandems last year.

MTB on a tandem is a lot of fun, but much more technical than riding a bike on the tarmac. So, in order to get our members equipped and confident on our new bikes, the Club is running some training sessions for all those interested in taking the MTBs out into the Perth Hills and further afield.

The courses are run by very experienced coaches from Rock N Roll MTB School (http://www.rockandrollmountainbiking.com.au), and are pitched at one of two levels:

• Beginner – for those who are new to off-road riding
• Intermediate – for those who have already completed the beginners course and/or are already confident taking their bike off-road on tracks rated Green or higher.

Whilst completion of the courses isn’t compulsory for hiring the Club bikes, at the same time MTB (particularly on a tandem) is a dangerous sport, and I would therefore very much urge anyone planning on taking the bikes out, to have completed at least our Beginners’ course first.

After having run our last Beginners session earlier in the year, I am currently seeking expressions of interest for our next Intermediate course, to be held in the afternoon of Saturday 4 July 2015.

If this sounds like something for you, and you think you have the requisite skills, let me know via email (paulm@kelstewart.com) quick in order to book yourself a spot on the course.

SW Tour
Committee Member, Jo Burgess has been busy planning a weekend away for WATCAC members, staying in Dunsborough region over 16th to 18th October. Our last weekend away on Rottnest was a heap of fun, and this one should be too. There will be rides planned for those who want to do a lot, and for those who want to do a little, as well as lots to see and do off the bike.

So…. While you have your calendar out marking off the WATCAC rides and Mountain Bike clinic, turn all the way over to October and mark this one in too.

Happy and Safe Pedalling

Jennifer

2014 AGM and Christmas Ride

The WATCAC AGM and Christmas ride was well attended. Five tandems and two single bikes enjoyed a tranquil, riverside ride from George Burnet Park, over Riverton Bridge to the Shelley foreshore and return. Thanks go to Trevor for scouting out such a great route.

The WATCAC committee for 2015 consists of:
Anthony (Hab) Collier – Vice President
Paul Metcalf – Treasurer
Trevor Maslen – Secretary
Jennifer Musgrave – Committee Member
Jo Burgess – Committee Member

After years of leading out the front of the peloton, Greg Madson stepped down as President of WATCAC, leaving a rather sizeable hole that is yet to be filled. Adriana also stepped down from the committee and I am sure all of you have noticed the absence of emails notifying us of upcoming rides. (See further on for our ride calendar for 2015)

A simple “Thank You” is hardly sufficient recognition for the hours put in by Greg and Adriana over the years to keep WATCAC on the go, both figuratively and literally. Greg and Adriana your contribution is appreciated beyond measure.

The minutes from the AGM and all reports are available in full and in alternative formats (audio, large print, Braille and electronic formats) on request.

Recent Rides

There has been only one ride since the start of the year.

On Sunday 8th February 5 tandems and 5 singles completed the Vic Park-Jandakot ride. It soon became obvious who had continued cycling over the Christmas break and who had been slacking off a little, but we all finished together and slightly overwhelmed the poor people at Sassy Cookie as 15 hungry and tired cyclists rolled in.

Our next Club Ride is scheduled for Sunday 22nd February and the Rec Ride is scheduled for Sunday 8th March. Put it in your diary now!

Member News

Over the summer break some of our members were out adventuring while the rest of us relaxed and overate.

Five Americans, one Canadian, 2 Scots and an Aussie cycle into a bar in Cambodia… Only the Aussie eats the deep fried tarantula. No joke! Trevor headed back to Asia in January and spent two weeks cycling from Saigon to Bangkok with Spice Roads Tours; a journey of over 550km cycling and even more temples. His itinerary, including the tarantula incident, can be found below.

Earlier in December Paul and Jo took their tandem on the Great Victorian Bike Ride, from Albury to Lilydale, Victoria, where they battled storms and dirt tracks and a high speed blow-out, yet still managed to come out smiling. Great work guys.

Meanwhile, our treasurer, Paul has been riding the “feed, burp, change, sleep” cycle. Congratulations to Paul and Bree Metcalf on the birth of their daughter, Beatrice, in January.

Bike Week

You’re invited to join in the fun of Bikeweek (14-22 March), WA’s annual celebration of bikes and bike riding.

There’s a huge range of events for people of all ages and abilities, whether you ride a little, a lot or you haven’t pedalled in years.

Just about anyone can ride a bike, so bring out the pushbike and gear up for family friendly rides, kids’ bike activities, a two wheeled treasure hunt, pedal powered film screenings and much, much more.

Check out the full event calendar on bikeweek.com.au.

WATCAC members are already registered for the Giro D’Perth (The back lane bike odyssey) and the Freeway Bike Hike. Email jennifer@winthropdc.com if you want to join in.

Membership for 2015

A quick reminder that WATCAC membership fees for 2015 are now due.

Renewing your membership provides:

1. Continued participation in a great range of rides and events organised by the Committee for 2015. On the books for this year are:
   • Track Cycling clinics for both new and experienced riders who are interested in trying their skills out on the track,
   • Mountain Bike Clinics, and hopefully several rides, to take advantage of our fantastic new suspension tandem mountain bikes,
   • A Club trip into the south of WA, probably later in the year. These have always proven very popular in the past and are a great way to get out on two wheels and enjoy some regional wine tasting scenery (!)
   • Of course, our ongoing regular Club rides (fortnightly) and Recreational rides (monthly)
2. Some level of insurance against personal injury or accident while riding. Whilst this is currently up for review, in 2015 the Club expects to provide some form of insurance coverage for our riders. We will advise the details of this once it is finalised later in the year.

Membership fees ($30 per individual/ $50 for bike hire) go towards insurance and admin costs (the website, post office box address etc.), plus the maintenance and servicing of our fleet of around ~16 tandem bikes and trailer, available for use by our members.

In paying your membership fees, please consider that our membership fees raise around $700 per year, when the Club tandem/trailer maintenance and admin costs average around $2500 a year! The shortfall is covered through fundraising activities undertaken by one/two of our most dedicated committee members, who generously donate their time and money in support of the broader Club membership. Any donations to help support Club operations would be most welcome, and are also tax deductible as a donation to a registered charity.

Please contact Paul Metcalf on watcac@googlegroups.com or 0416 72 66 57 for information on how to pay your membership fees.

Many thanks for your ongoing support and we the Committee look forward to seeing you on many of the rides in 2015.

Recent WATCAC Rides

Ok, is it just me, or has it rained EVERY SUNDAY over winter? Once again rides were cancelled due to bad weather, including the October Rec Ride and around half of the Club Rides. However moving the November Rec Ride forward by a couple of weeks seemed to please almost everyone and we had a fantastic turnout of 7 (SEVEN!!) tandems and 5 singles, for a ride from Vic Park to Mt Henry Bridge and return. That’s 19 people that descended on Gelare in South Perth for coffee and banana bread.

Amazingly we managed to start the ride all together and on time, and we even finished all together even though some chose to do the loop around Canning and Mt Henry bridges clockwise while others went in an anti-clockwise direction.

See below for details on the Christmas/AGM ride. Hope to see you out there.

Other Rides
In other rides Hab, Haylee and Paul completed the Around the Bay in a Day ride in Melbourne – an awesome 210km. All their preparation paid off handsomely to the point that they all confessed to enjoying riding over 200km in one day.

Closer to home Dee and Jennifer participated in The Ocean Ride for MS, from Fremantle to Hillarys on another wet Sunday. This year the ride started on The Esplanade in Fremantle which made the start of the ride a lot easier, without having to negotiate the corners, train line and chicanes at South Beach. The 30km option isn’t much further than the regular Rec Rides and it is relatively flat. Why not think about giving it a go next year?

As part of the Ride to Work celebrations Hab and Adriana gave a presentation on WATCAC at the QEII Ride to Work Breakfast.

Mountain Bikes

As you know, WATCAC, with the help of a Lottery West Grant, added two mountain bike tandems to our fleet this year. In order to provide the best (safest) experience of mountain biking, several members gave up a Sunday to take part in a mountain bike clinic – some of our pilots on their own bikes and others trying out the new tandems. Paul M organised the clinic with Jason and Mark from Rock and Roll Mountain Biking and from all accounts they did a fabulous job.

Adriana said “Jason and Mark were very knowledgeable and very respectful of the group, particularly towards Greg and me. It was a great experience as I wasn’t sure what to expect and how the mountain bike tandems would handle. The bikes were great, definitely a very different motion and so much harder than riding a road tandem.”

And Haylee, who participated on her mountain bike added “What a great morning. I’ve added skills to my mountain biking rather than just riding and trying not to stack it!”

Those who participated are still grinning. Thanks must go to Paul for all the planning and work he put into the clinic. Stay tuned for further details. There will be more.

WA Deaf-Blind Camp
Once again WATCAC were invited to help out at the WA Deaf-Blind Camp. Once again we were happy to help and blown away by the courage and determination shown by those who chose to sign up for the tandem riding activity.

Ten volunteers showed up at Ern Halliday Recreation Camp early on a Sunday morning to introduce ten very keen people to cycling. The main problem was that we only had 8 tandems. After a brief introduction and basic instructions from Hab, translated into signing by many more volunteers, they were all off, cycling along the Hillary’s coastline on a beautiful, sunny day. Most of the WATCAC volunteers went out twice to make sure that everyone got a go.

The morning went by all too quickly but everyone left with smiling faces and we may have even recruited a new member or two. Anything is possible on a bike.

Member News
Beau recently accompanied some of the deaf-blind guys that we’ve met at the Senses events on two hikes on the Bibbulmun Track. The first was a three day walk from Balingup to Donnelly River, the second was planned to be a 3 day walk from Pemberton to Northcliffe but was unfortunately cut short due to an illness in our party.

He reported that the “walking was fun and they are a good bunch of people. Near Donnelly River the track ran near the Munda Biddi for a while. Whilst I enjoyed the walking, I couldn’t help thinking that a mountain bike would be faster and more fun! I’ve put that one on my list.”

For Your Diary
Please keep the morning of Sunday 14th December free for our final ride of the year and AGM. We will be departing from George Burnett Park on Manning Rd, Karawara at 9:30am sharp for a mystery ride, returning by 11:00 for complimentary coffee and cake and a few formalities. It would be great to beat November’s record of 19 riders.

AGM – Committee Positions Open
WATCAC doesn’t run without a dedicated group of volunteers, some of whom have given many years of service and are due a break. If you are able to give a few hours a month to help co-ordinate rides and keep the wheels turning please consider nominating for a committee position. Any of the current (and past) committee members would be happy to talk to you about what’s involved.

Running Late?
As a courtesy to other riders, who all have full weekends and may need to be back home by midday to feed the hamsters and bottle their home brew, please arrive to rides before the scheduled departure time. In fact, plan to get there 15 mins early so that you have time to adjust the bike to fit, put on your helmet and pump up the tyres.

If for any reason you find yourself behind schedule please contact someone in the group to let them know. Thanks.

Happy and Safe Pedalling

Jennifer

Recent WATCAC Rides
Cue the sound of a cold, whistling wind blowing tumbleweed down a deserted street.

The Rec Rides of May, June, July and August were cancelled due to bad weather, illness and bad timing. Finally a group of six riders headed out in the September sunshine to ride from Bull Creek train station along the Rossmoyne foreshore to Kent Street Weir and back. The first, beautiful spring weekend had enticed every man and his dog (specifically about 30 Great Danes) out for the day. The coffee queue was long but worth the wait and it provided a sneaky rest for legs that hadn’t pedalled for some time.

The Club Rides have fared better, with two rides a month, alternating from Guildford and Vic Park with five to thirteen riders on each ride. Did you know that 5 out of 6 club riders prefer banana bread for post ride carb-loading?

There are only three more Rec Rides left for 2014, including the Christmas/AGM ride. Hope to see you out there.

Other Rides

Some of our members have been ranging far and wide in search of better cycling weather and a change of scenery. Forrest followed the Giro D’Italia on the road and on the TV of some Italian taverns. Paul and Jo cycled through parts of Germany and Jennifer and David took a barge and bike tour from Venice through northern Italy.

WATCAC has also been represented in several BWA Cyclo Sportif events including the one in York and the Lancelin Hell of The North ride. Well done to Hab, Adriana, Haylee, Paul, Paul, Margaret and Jo (and anyone else who I have missed). Hab, Haylee and Paul are in training for the Around the Bay in a Day ride in Melbourne.

The Ocean Ride for MS, from Fremantle to Hillarys is on again on Sunday 19th September. WATCAC has a team of two riders signed up at the moment. Contact jennifer@winthropdc.com if you want to join.

Trailer Tales
Mike Davies of Ken Peachy Caravan Repairs has done an excellent job of repainting, de-rusting and waterproofing our trailer and we are now mobile again. As part of the process WATCAC applied for a grant from Belmont Rotary Club and we were invited to present at one of their meetings. Trevor, Greg (with guide-dog Nicholas) and Jennifer attended the meeting. Greg gave a great run-down on what we do but Nicholas stole everyone’s attention.

The trailer can be admired at any of our Rec Rides.

AGM – Committee Positions Open
WATCAC doesn’t run without a dedicated group of volunteers, some of whom have given many years of service and a due a break. If you are able to give a few hours a month to help co-ordinate rides and keep the wheels turning please consider nominating for a committee position. Any of the current (and past) committee members would be happy to talk to you about what’s involved.

Running Late?
As a courtesy to other riders, who all have full weekends and may need to be back home by midday to feed the hamsters and bottle their home brew, please arrive to rides before the scheduled departure time. In fact, plan to get there 15 mins early so that you have time to adjust the bike to fit, put on your helmet and pump up the tyres.

If for any reason you find yourself behind schedule please contact someone in the group to let them know. Thanks.

Happy and Safe Pedalling

Jennifer