Fifteen years after the last ‘Beverley’ had been ridden, won and the trophies dished out, three curious souls; Phil, Rob and Toby set out to cover the course of the legendary race. Curiosity begat enthusiasm and on a drizzly day in October 2014 the ‘Beverley Heroic’ took to the gravel roads of the inner wheatbelt. 74 adventurers took part in this non competitive event riding a tough 90km course to York and back.

The RSL Ladies auxiliary put on a spread at the town hall and prizes celebrating spirit over speed were awarded. Jamie King won the first ‘Most Heroic Rider’ after pushing a fellow rider 5 km and helping with 2 punctures. Susan Challen was ‘The Heroine’ after her husband took off without her on the first climb. The format was a success.

Born in 2009 South Perth Cycle Club (SPCC) quickly became the largest club in Western Australia. It promotes a friendly club atmosphere and a small racing crew. From 2014 to 2020 SPCC supported the Beverley Heroic participation ride.

In 2016 SPCC added ‘The Beverley’ road race to the calendar. The 114km handicapped race was run out and back from Beverley, avoiding busier roads that had put paid to the original Beverley. The 2016 race was won by Beijing Olympic representative Cameron Meyer with Michael Freiberg in 2nd place.

Growing to 500 visitors the Heroic became a full weekend of bike riding with cyclocross, camping, a movie night and town ride. Like so many classic races before it, the weekend fell victim to traffic management costs. Eschewing formality a number of riders continue to commemorate the race, riding from Beverley each October.

The legacy of the Beverley to Perth Road Race continues to be remembered, celebrated, and most importantly, ridden. It has inspired West Australian riders since the invention of the ‘safety’ bicycle, grown local champions and made international stars. Let’s ride!