Member contacts: Ian Jones and Viv Slack
Time trials are a great way to get started with racing. The winner is the person who covers the distance in the fastest time, or in the case of longer events rides the furthest within the time limit). As you ride alone against the clock in a time trial there are fewer tactics to learn. There is some great information for beginners on the ctt website.
Events
Time trials generally run over the following standard distances: 10 miles; 25 miles; 50 miles; 100 miles; 12 hours; 24 hours. There are also sporting courses (often called SPOCCOs) which tend to be hillier and over uneven distances and hill climbs.
In team time trials (often called 2ups, 3ups and 4ups), you ride with a team against the clock. Generally riders take turns on the front and as your time will be based on the last rider across the line (or the 3rd rider in the case of 2ups), it is all about riding together as a team and making the best of your combined strengths.
The club time trials are a great place to start but most open events are friendly and as you are not racing in a bunch it doesn't matter how fast you are. The best thing to do is check the events list and see which races other members are doing so you can go along with them and have their support.
How to enter
- Get a ctt handbook which lists all the events and where to send your entry form
- Download and complete a standard CTT entry form from www.cyclingtimetrials.org.uk
- For general events, just complete the first page
- For hill climb and team events, complete both pages
- Events are generally filled with the faster riders so make sure you put down your previous best result
- Send a cheque made payable to the organiser and the form to the address in the handbook
- Your entry needs to arrive two weeks before or by the date specified in the handbook
Course Maps
There is a great collection of maps of many of the TT courses on the time trialling forum.