WHAT IS A TIME TRIAL?
Time trialling is the simplest of competitive formats: a
race against the clock, with riders starting a minute apart. It's known as the
'race of truth' because there's nowhere to hide, no one to draft behind; just
you and the bike and the thumping of your heart. Oh, and a clock ticking.
Most events are fixed distance, being 10,25,50 or 100 miles. There are also
fixed time events -12 and 24 hours -with the objective being to ride the
furthest you can. Courses are on public roads and are either 'out and back',
using a roundabout to turn halfway, or circuits with consecutive left turns. You
can take part on any roadworthy bike except a recumbent. Normally you need to be
a member of a Cycling Time Trials-affiliated cycling club.
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Thirty seconds," the timekeeper calls out. The starter holds you up while you clip into your pedals. Deep breaths. "Ten seconds." Your pulse is rising, your mouth goes dry. "Five, four, three, two, one..." You're off! Out of the saddle, you're powering down the road to get on top of your gear.
For the next half an hour your lungs will work like bellows. Your legs will strain on the pedals. Your nose will run. You'll be effortlessly overtaken by a skinsuited cycling machine who set off four minutes back, his disc wheel roaring like a Star Wars TIE fighter.
At the finish you'll suck in ragged gasps of air, feeling so shattered you want to be sick. So you'd be forgiven for asking: where's the fun?
Why do it?
Well, it's nice when you stop. But there is more to it than that. Once you've
got your breath back, your body is swimming with endorphins. It feels good And
at some primal, work-ethic level, it's satisfying to have ridden at 100 per cent
capacity, to have learned where your limits are. There's a sense that you've
used the time productively, having seized the day rather than let it drift by.
It doesn't matter what your fitness level is, whether you're
22 or 82, male or female. If you can ride 10 miles on a public road then you can
ride a time trial. It's not like a road race, where if you fall off the pack
your race is over. Since the slower riders set off first, finish times cluster
together.
You'll automatically get your personal best time (PB) in your first time trial.
Whether it's 31:07 or 25:12, that's your target to aim at next time. It doesn't
matter what time anyone else got - first and foremost in a time trial, you're
racing against yourself.
Where to ride
Time trials take place on measured courses on public roads open to traffic.
Accordingly, riders are obliged to follow the usual rules of the road.
Historically, time trials were shrouded in secrecy as cycle racing was banned on
British roads. By riding separately, time triallists could be seen to be 'going
about their normal business' rather than racing. Riders wore inconspicuous
clothing and courses were named with a recondite code system -such as V415 -
that's used to this day.
Nowadays the secrecy is gone, although it can still look a bit impenetrable. A time trial start will see a group of cyclists in a layby on a Tuesday evening. The course start and finish might be small marks on a kerbstone. Only a few marshals in brightly coloured vests and perhaps some fold-out signs saying 'cycle race in progress' indicate that there's anything going on. It's not like popping down to the leisure centre. Yet it's not as cliquey as it may appear, and most local cycling clubs are only too happy to see new faces.
How to race
If you want to ride more than one or two time trials, you need to join a club
that's affiliated to Cycling Time Trials, the sport's governing body such as the
Ipswich BC. There are more than 900 around the country, and membership costs
around £20 per year. As well as the annual membership, you pay an
on-the-day entry fee of approximately £2.
That's local club events.
Open events are bigger, attracting riders from across the region or sometimes the country.
You have to register in advance, using an entry form found on the CTT web site for an open event and the fee will usually be a bit higher. You don't need a racing licence for either type of event; membership in a CTT-affiliated club is sufficient. If you're under 18 - the minimum age is 12 — you must have a parent/guardian's authorisation.