Cycle groups share the road

Clad in lycra and roaming the streets of Broome in packs before dawn, the local cycling fraternity are an inordinately large group for a town of Broome’s size, with riders on the road every day of the week.

The Gibb River Mountain Bike challenge has been credited for developing such a dedicated group of riders, however some are more dedicated than others.

Divisions exist within the peleton as two distinct groups of riders have formed over the years. There are the more relaxed and casual Bogucki Riders (riding to find themselves) and the aptly named Viper Squad, all shaved legs and flash Italian racing bikes.

The Vipers began more than 10 years ago and were known as the Broome Riders. The Bogucki Riders started up as a group training session for the first Gibb River Mountain Bike Challenge and after several members sustained knee injuries restricting them from running anymore.

The two groups have a friendly rivalry with members switching sides occasionally and riding on alternate mornings covering six days of the week between them.

“It’s mostly when one of them (Viper Squad) wants to come down and show us how good they are,” said Bogucki Rider Rob Banfield. The Viper Squad, which rides Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, set a quick pace with most rides averaging above 40km/h and generally covering 50 to 60km during the ride. Viper Squad member Aidan Mitchell said during his first couple of rides he was surprised he had been able to stay with the group for the whole ride.

“If you’re struggling you can turn around early, you don’t have to work hard on the front of the group,” he said.

“You can roll in at the end and still catch up for a coffee, it’s very social.”

The Bogucki Riders are a mix of mountain and road bikes and generally sit on a more sedate 30-35km/h and are always on the lookout for new members to join the group.

Banfield said the group was starting a Bogucki A course, a slightly shorter route for riders just starting out or nursing an injury.

Despite the rivalry, and occasional name calling, both groups are at their heart’s social with rides winding up at one of Broome’s cafes for a well deserved coffee.

The groups are a diverse bunch with teachers, tradies, businessmen and a few police officers making up the ranks and both have urged drivers to exercise caution when sharing the road with cyclists.

“We’ve had a few run-ins with drivers, but on the whole Broome is pretty good,” said cyclist Andy Chapman.The general rule of overtaking at least a metre from cyclists is even more relevant in Broome given the savage edge on some streets around town.

The Bogucki Riders start every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 6am from the Cable Beach bus stop near Zanders while the Viper Squad ride Tuesday and Thursday from BRAC at 6am and Saturday from Broome Cycles at 6am.