Time Trials

Time trials are perhaps the simplest form of racing, with riders competing individually against the clock over a set course, usually 10 or 25 miles in length.  Time trialling is very easy to get into.  You can turn up and ride a club event on just about any roadworthy bike, ride the course as fast as you can, and then come back the next week and try and beat your time.

The club organises the Oxfordshire Time Trial League, an annual league for riders from local clubs.

Club Time Trials

Club time trials run between late March and early September on Wednesday evenings and a handful of Sunday mornings.  Details of this season’s races can be found on the Race Calendar.

Entry is open to members, both first and second claim, of Oxonian, Fairly United, Oxford City and Mid Oxon cycling clubs.  Non-members are welcome to join as day members for £2 or you can join the club online for just £12 per year.

Our club events are mostly on flat, 10 mile courses, but we also have a number of 25 mile and hilly courses.  The events are informal and riders of all ability are very welcome.

Marshalling

It takes a lot of effort to organise our race series, and regular riders are expected to contribute to this effort.  If you ride more than three events in a season, you are required to do at least one marshallingduty that season.  If you ride more than six events, you are expected to do at least three duties, although if you are able to help with more this will be greatly appreciated.

Marshalling duties apply to all riders, regardless of membership status.  To organise your duties, please contact tbc, with the events that you would like to help with.

Riding in a Club Event

Below is some helpful information if you’d like to ride in a club time trial.  Pre-entry is not required: just turn up, sign-on and pedal hard.

  1. For evening events, make sure that you have a working rear light.  No light, no ride.
  2. Check that you know exactly where to meet, and where the course goes to, turns and finishes.  You can find information on the courses linked from the race calendar
  3. Aim to be the meeting point about one hour before the start time.
  4. If the organiser is there, sign-on and pay the race fee of £4 (juniors £1) plus, if you are not already a member, the day member fee (£2).  You will be given a start number.
  5. The first rider will start at 1 minute after the posted start time, and subsequent riders at 1 minute intervals, making it easy to determine your start time.  For example, rider 15 in a 7pm race will start at 7:15pm.
  6. Make sure that you know how far it is to the start so that you can time your warm up and arrive at the start in time.
  7. Pin your number onto your cycling kit as low as possible, so that it’s visible to the time keeper from your race position.
  8. During your race: always obey the rules of the road, never ride with your head down, never take draft or slipstream another rider, always ride a straight line, don’t weave about and keep to the left.
  9. When you cross the finish line, call your number to the timekeeper, ease up, and keep going pedaling.  If you need to turn round to get back to the meeting point, or H.Q, dismount to cross the road. (Much safer when you’re tired).
  10. Back at the meeting point, get some warmer clothing on and return your number. The times will be available when the timekeeper returns and also placed on the web site.

Signing on

For evening events, the number of riders is limited by the available daylight (we’re not allowed to start more than one rider a minute).  On “good” evenings, particularly at the start and end of the season, we may end up with too many riders.

Non-members may be asked to sign-on on a separate sheet, and will be allocated numbers if there is space when sign-on closes, usually half an hour before the start.

Open Time Trials

Open events are open to members of any CTT-affiliated club and require pre-entry, usually at least a fortnight in advance.

Details of our open events can be found on the Race Calendar.  You can find details of other open time trials on the CTT website.

Entering an Open Time Trial

Most open events now accept online entry, through the CTT website.  Alternatively, you may enter by posting an entry form (available from the CTT website), and fee, to the organiser.

Having entered you should receive a copy of the start sheet through the post or by email 4 or 5 days before the event. This will contain a list of all riders entered and show their allotted start times. The startsheet will also have details of the event HQ, course details as well as other information which may be specific to that event.

Please note that in Open Events competitors are not allowed to carry any form of advertising (club name excepted) on their clothing unless their club has paid the advertising fee in addition to the affiliation fee.  This is different to what is allowed in Club Events.  If you race in club kit, it must be the kit of the club of which you are a first claim member.

If the event is oversubscribed and the organiser has to return your entry, you should get it back within a couple of days of the closing date.  Acceptance of entry for events is based on rider performances and not a first come basis.

Results will be displayed at the event HQ after the event and you will receive a copy of the results within 28 days. Many event results will also be displayed on the CTT website.

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