A Brief History of the Five Dams Ride

The Five Dams Ride, that fabled endurance test for ageing cyclists, was conceived one Saturday morning in 1998 in a café on the terrace in Fremantle. Was it possible to incorporate the five metropolitan dams into a single day¹s ride? One intrepid rider thought so. Lindsay O¹Brien.

The following Tuesday he set out from Claremont, up the scarp at Lesmurdie and on to Mundaring. Then proceeding south to Serpentine, past the dam to the South West Highway and back to Claremont - 280 kilometres in just under ten hours.

Many different routes have since been used but all using the basic ŒFive Dams¹ framework.

Solitude is the devil¹s playground, so the ride is more enjoyable in a group. Many teams of riders have completed the ride, mainly motivated by Ian Pauley who initiated the Summer/Winter Solstice rides and has probably completed the ride more times than any other along with Graham Forward, Peter Gunzberg and Brian "Capo" Roberts.

The ride itself produces its own drama. The fatigue of ill-prepared riders brings out the best and the worst in them. The camaraderie such a ride invokes makes it a memorable experience.

So choose your partner well and good luck!