TIME TRIALS
INTRODUCTION
Please be sure to first visit our Time Trial event page here to read through our club event details in full, where we talk through how to enter & where to find our latest event calendar, plus how we score the Championships. This page aims to supplement that information with further guidelines & important links.
CTT Terms & Conditions
Upon signing up for one of our club events via the CTT website you will be asked to agree to the Cycling Time Trials terms & conditions. Please read these carefully. You will also be asked for emergency contact details. Your details will be held at the start & finish line by the timekeeper/s. If you do not sign up online via the CTT website you must bring along a printed signed copy of your CTT terms & conditions found here.
CTT Regulations
Please take time to read through the CTT (governing body) regulations here to which you must abide by when riding any organised TT event.
Return Your Numbers
An extra reminder at the top of this page to please return your numbers at the end of every event, to the timekeeper.
Club Records - Historic Championships & Fastest Time Rankings
Club records can be found here under the RLSCC Records tab. To qualify for the rankings, a time must be recorded at a CTT sanctioned, organised TT event, & when the rider is a current member of RLSCC.
GUIDANCE FOR NEWCOMMERS
To help introduce you to the discipline we've put together some guidance. First off, all club members are welcome to try time trials. Many RLSCC members tried it for the first time in 2015, & now regularly participate
BIKES & EQUIPMENT
You can use any type of bike, as long as it's roadworthy & not a recumbent machine. TT specific bikes will be more aerodynamic but most ride normal road bikes. Some might add tri bars or aerobars to get into a more aerodynamic position on the bike, but it isn't a necessity, as your aim is to ride your best effort, regardless of equipment & to challenge yourself. Clip on tri bars offer the easiest / cheapest way of converting a roadbike to get you into a more aerodynamic riding position. Some people might have aero wheels. Some have aero helmets.
Track pumps are useful to pump your tyres according to conditions & to decrease rolling resistance. As usual, adjust the pressure if the road is slippery or wet. Front & rear flashing lights are now mandatory, as it is important for you to be visible from a greater distance when cyclinng on roads shared with fast moving traffic, such as some of the A roads we hold our events on. Drinks & snacks are a must to keep you hydrated, especially for afterwards. Ideally avoid eating large meals just before your start time.
FITNESS
You must ensure you can comfortably cover the distance & be reasonably fit. However, your fitness level doesn't stop you from competing. As everyone is individually timed, it's your time that matters & one main challenge is to improve the more TT's you ride. Seasoned riders all started their first TT once. You'll hear riders talk of their PB's & it is a great feeling when you have shaved seconds or even minutes off your personal best!
KEEPING SAFE
Our club time trials, like most events, take place on mainly A roads & Dual Carriageways without traffic lights. The timings are kept in the evening post rush hour, when traffic is lighter, & during the lighter months of April through to August.
Any passing traffic might be travelling at speeds of between 30-70 mph. Therefore, it is important that you are confident riding on such roads, keep a steady line, & obey the rules of the road, using hand signals as you would normally when riding. Unsafe riding won't be tolerated!
Signs are put out at the start & finish to alert motorists of the 'cycle event' taking place.
The A45 is wide, offers decent lines of sight for motorists, & offers a meter wide left shoulder on which to ride in most places. Be aware that you may be travelling at higher speeds than motorists expect so caution is needed at junctions where they may misjudge your speed.
BEING VISIBLE TO MOTORISTS
RLSCC run the club events on Tuesday evenings when the lighter spring & summer evenings offer better visibility. However, the sun can get low in the sky, causing long shadows, low light & dazzle drivers, making it hard for them to spot a rider. Therefore it is important to make yourself visible to motorists.
There's lights & then there's LIGHTS. It is worth getting a decent rear LED light to make yourself visible. Older bulb lights don't illuminate well, and that can be said of some small, single LED lights which aren’t very bright when seen from a distance either. A car travelling at 60 mph will need longer distance & time to see & react to pass you. A multi LED light with a larger surface area will be seen further away. There are so many lights to choose from, some that are quite aerodynamic too. A front light is also required & will ensure you are visible at junctions & roundabouts.
You may wish to consider wearing clothing which offers good visibility to motorists too.
WHAT HAPPENS AT A TT EVENT
To help you plan & know what is in store, this is what normally happens before, during & after at a Time Trial Event:
Do a kit check the day before (especially if you're doing a full days work before an evening TT). Check your bike, bring a track pump (if you have one), bring or attach lights, get your clothing, shoes & helmet ready.
Everyone has taken a wrong turn at some point, but you don't want to ruin a possible PB by wasting time with a detour. Google maps & streetview are good for knowing the route & landmarks. See the course maps section on the CTT website here too.
Allow a good half hour before the stated start time. Some people ride up to the sign on location (sometimes referred to as the HQ), others drive & park up. There won't be changing facilities or toilets. People are often dressed in their kit beforehand. Please respect the countryside, & neighbouring residents by not urinating or dropping litter.
SIGNING ON
You will need to sign on prior to riding & collect your number. Sign on often starts 30 mins before the start time.
Pre-covid sign-on was to assign yourself a number, & sign your name on a sheet. We have since started using pre-entry for our sign on, online. Therefore on the night sign on details now only apply if you have missed the chance for online entry & need to sign up on the night.
For the signing on sheet, you'll need an emergency contact number to put down, your age, & consent if 18 or under.
You'll be given a bright fluorescent number panel (approx 20cm square) with pins to pin centrally to your rear lower shirt. You'll probably need help to pin it on.
A warm up prior to your start works best for most. Be mindful of other riders doing the same thing and traffic, particularly near the start line. If you have a later start time, don't get in the way of riders on their timed ride. Be safe if doing U-turns when warming up too.
STARTING PRECEDURE
If the stated start time is 7pm, rider #1 will go off at 7.01, #2 at 7.02 etc. Several minutes before your start time, line up in number order & await to be called forward once the rider in front of you has started.
Make sure you're in a comfortable gear in which to start off in.
Sometimes, there will be a 'pusher' to hold the bike steady so you can start with both feet on the pedals. It's up to you if you want to do this. Other times, you start by yourself. The starter will say 30 seconds, 10 seconds, then countdown 5,4,3,2,1 go!
If you are late for your allotted time, you may get the chance to start at the rear of the field.
A major part of a time trial is learning how to best pace your effort over the distance. Some riders start out too hard, then fatigue towards the end. Others may start too cautiously, then find themselves unable to make up for lost time over the rest of the distance.
You may find yourself overtaken, similarly you may overtake others. You mustn't shelter in a competitor's slipstream & risk disqualification.
At a club event, you won't get any marshals pointing the way at junctions as happens at 'open' events. Therefore it's time to remember the course ahead.
Ride within your limits at all times and respect other road users.
AT THE FINISH
Shout your number as you pass the finish line, to help the timekeeper record your time. You number panel might have come lose or adrift, or unreadable. The finish line is often marked with some form of signage to help you spot it.
After passing the finish line, it's best to warm down gently by riding back to the sign on location. Please don't go back to the finish line to chat & distract the timekeeper. Everyone will be equally eager to know their time. The timekeeper will show the result sheet back at the sign on location.
Please remember to hand your number back in, back at the sign on location.
IF YOU GET A PUNCTURE / INJURY / DNF etc
If you can't complete the course for whatever reason, always notify one of the timekeepers so they know that you are a DNF. If you have an irreparable puncture, try to get back, & notify. The timekeeper/s won't drive round to pick you up afterwards, so best arrange with someone else you know & agree a plan if this occurs.
SKINSUIT
As part of the club kit we also have time trial skinsuits in RLSCC colours; kit page found here.
ENJOY IT
It's hard work on a TT but it's good knowing your times are improving with some gentle competition & plenty of encouragement & camaraderie between riders too.
And remember, It doesn't matter what time anyone else achieves - first & foremost, you're racing against yourself.
Enjoy it!
