Thinking of racing? Here's what's required

Time trialling is declining because it's stuck in the past.

I would have to agree with that - its such a simple event that online entry would be a doddle to organise, but only a very small minority offer such a feature, why?

You only need to take a look at the fields they attract and see a good proportion of the riders are vets. It is certainly not beginner friendly event and many of the courses certainly are not child friendly. I have ridden plenty of club time trials and even organised an open event but have never competed in one... For me entering at least a month in advance for a 30minute race seems madness. Plus I don't think I even have a chequebook these days!

I think that's a very odd view - Cycling Weekly were late to the Sportive bandwagon so to suggest it's somehow their fault that time trialling is declining whilst sportives boom is bizarre.

Time trialling is declining because it's stuck in the past. If you don't believe me look at what you have to do to enter one; decipher a code to find out the course (due to pre-war cloak and dagger shenanighans), discover it's on a dual carriageway that is a motorway in everything but name, get an entry form that demands to know your previous best times for the distance, send it with a cheque to an organiser then wait to see if you're in or not. If you do get in, which for the newcomer isn't guaranteed, then you've got to get up at 4 a.m. on a Sunday morning to ride.

For most sportives you're all but guaranteed entry, you can ride with your mates and there are goals set to aim for on a scenic, well signposted route.

Clubman to Coureur - response to comments.

I do not disagree that there are at least some things about time trialling that are stuck in the past, and I have myself referred to ‘committee dinosaurs’ in my posts elsewhere on this forum.

It does seem that dealing with entry forms is more off putting to newcomers than it was in the past. I don’t think it’s worth discussing why this is so, but I am convinced that the on line method should be universally available and I shall press for this for all my own club’s events for next year.

Other points raised above:

Closing Dates.
Not a month in advance, but 13 days in most cases.

‘Sportives all but guarantee an entry’.
There are very few open TT’s that attract full fields now. Even my entries are accepted! Most organisers are only too pleased to get your entry form and don’t much care what’s on it so long as you’ve signed it and sent the entry fee, which is usually modest by current cycling event standards.

Courses.
I accept there may be difficulty for new riders to know the nature of courses. This is one of the reasons why it is so desirable for newcomers to join a club where they will get this and other information.
Incidentally, the course code system may have started in the ‘private and confidential’ era, but even I cannot remember a time when the codes were anything other than a convenient shorthand. Anyone really in doubt about a course could always telephone the organiser.

Vets
Yes, time trials have too many vets, but remember these are the riders whose youthful ideas about cycle sport were influenced by the old ‘Cycling’ magazine I referred to in my article.

Finally, can I remind you that what I wrote advocates racing in general, not TT’s in particular and for myself, to have had a racing career consisting only of time trialling would have been like eating only bread and never having any jam, but time trials have their place and often that's at the beginning and at the end of your time as a coureur.

This has been really useful information thank you!!
I really really REALLY what to do cycling as a career so i'm training up for the racing next year. I just need to find a women's team in the Kent area hopefuully I will! Does anyone know some good times for women on a 10 mile TT? I have look on the GB cycling website but it just comes up with names and points not times. I just need a time to compare and reach (crush mwuhahahha!)

Re. the 10 mile TT, anything between 21 min (if you're really good and on full TT gear on a fast course) to 30 min (for road gear, or slower, or "sporting" aka hilly courses). BC won't have times for TTing as it's a CTT thing. But here's the National 10 champs from 2008 for example:
http://www.ctt.org.uk/Competition/NationalChampionships/WomensResults/10m/tabid/386/Default.aspx

Not sure about teams in the Kent area but if you just want to TT, have a look here for clubs affiliated to CTT: http://www.ctt.org.uk/Clubs/tabid/118/Default.aspx

For road racing, there are a number of clubs with female riders. The club finder should help you, http://new.britishcycling.org.uk/clubfinder

Or join one of the London-based clubs if you are really keen, as you'll have more teammates in races,

Not much comment to add & agree with Clubman mostly. I now find myself as a "vet" having been away from the scene for 20 years. I began as a TT then moved onto RR & had an average of 27.4mph aged 18 over the course of that year.
I'm now with a club who have a bit of everything going amongst its members including track which I also dabbled in. They have on the line signing for their TTs & as Clubman mentioned at a modest fee only £2.50. The track we use is £1 for juniors & £3 for adults per session of which most riders compete in 3-4 races. I'm mostly into long club runs now 60miles plus averaging 17mph.

Tori the old adage of "Evens" still stands for TTs meaning any time better than 20mph average is good over any distance. Clud TTs would allow you to get some official times without being evens or better. Once you've times at evens or better then you can enter National TTs, or at least that use to be the rule needed for entry qualification into a National TT.
Perhaps someone more upto date can clarify-correct my info.
Best advice I can give is to learn to "Twiddle" ie push small gears first to learn how to peddle fast before pushing big gears. Unless you want massive thighs and become a spinter of course. Thing is unless you're on a track sprinters need dragging round a road course by a team until the finsih line, & are next to useless on anything over 10 miles without a team giving pace. There are some exceptions though I will agree.
My best for a 10 mile was 19m 10sec & for a 25 mile was 52m 08sec.
Watch out for all the tricks if you decide to enter road racing though, saddle pulling to slow you, brake blipping to send someone tail gating flying into a ditch, sling shooting pass by saddle pulling you seat and so on. All good fun, I've even had my bottle taken mid ride, git....

I would like to start road racing next year and have been looking at clubs to join. How do you decide which ones the best for you? There's loads in London and they all seem the same. As a novice I know I should be looking for one that accepts people like me & has a good community but as I said, they all seem quite alike. I live in Willesden so if anyone knows any good clubs in the area let me know.

Ideally I'd like to join a club where I can start off as a novice & progress through the ranks.

http://www.willesdencyclingclub.co.uk/

Full of friendly people (except for one twisted Aussie) who will gladly show you the ropes.

Is anyone here a regular at Hillingdon on sat/sundays? I am looking to get some insider knowledge/familiarisation and training on the course for the Winter series :)

I suggest turning up and checking it out!

Yep, true, just wondering if there was a regular training 'train' to jump on at the weekends :)

I think that's a very odd view - Cycling Weekly were late to the Sportive bandwagon so to suggest it's somehow their fault that time trialling is declining whilst sportives boom is bizarre.

Time trialling is declining because it's stuck in the past. If you don't believe me look at what you have to do to enter one; decipher a code to find out the course (due to pre-war cloak and dagger shenanighans), discover it's on a dual carriageway that is a motorway in everything but name, get an entry form that demands to know your previous best times for the distance, send it with a cheque to an organiser then wait to see if you're in or not. If you do get in, which for the newcomer isn't guaranteed, then you've got to get up at 4 a.m. on a Sunday morning to ride.

For most sportives you're all but guaranteed entry, you can ride with your mates and there are goals set to aim for on a scenic, well signposted route.

great advice also try and join a club and maybe go to your first race sportive with a few members.
Road racing in the lower cats can be dangerous so before you race learn to ride on a wheel and comfortably with a group.Sportives are a nice way of easing into this.

Sportives are all very well, but it's hardly racing is it. I know a few very keen sportive riders but they just don't seem to have the 'balls' to see how good they are when up against others.

On the other hand, time trialling is a very easy way of starting to race. There is always your best time to beat even if you beat no one else. Time trialling has moved with the times, a bit. Up where I live, courses are rarely on dual carriageways, preferring 'sporting' courses on quiet roads. With that, starting times are a much more sociable 9 or 10am, or even 7pm on weekday evenings. No sign of decline up here.

True sportives are nowhere near anything like a race but definatley a good way to learn how to ride on a wheel in a bunch.This is one the most common problems with new riders who start racing

True sportives are nowhere near anything like a race but definatley a good way to learn how to ride on a wheel in a bunch.This is one the most common problems with new riders who start racing

This is why I'd recommend joining a club as a better way to get into racing than simply doing some sportives. My experience of sportives is that they're full of people who don't know how to ride well in a group, are prone to bad habits, and are more interested in their "gold standard" time than in working together or trying to promote safe riding.

YMMV of course, but joining the right club will get you access to a lot more friendly people who ride consistently together week in and week out (some of which do sportives, yes, but a lot of which just like riding on weekends in a group), racers of all levels to be teammates/support in races, and older guys who have been around for ages and know a lot about tactics, etiquette, etc. All for the membership price of a couple of cough overpriced sportives a year. Much more bang for your buck and a whole different mentality too.

+1 - riding regularly with the same (more experienced/accomplished) riders is the best way to develop good bunch riding skills. And possibly coaching sessions which specifically address that area.

This is why I'd recommend joining a club as a better way to get into racing than simply doing some sportives. My experience of sportives is that they're full of people who don't know how to ride well in a group, are prone to bad habits, and are more interested in their "gold standard" time than in working together or trying to promote safe riding.

YMMV of course, but joining the right club will get you access to a lot more friendly people who ride consistently together week in and week out (some of which do sportives, yes, but a lot of which just like riding on weekends in a group), racers of all levels to be teammates/support in races, and older guys who have been around for ages and know a lot about tactics, etiquette, etc. All for the membership price of a couple of cough overpriced sportives a year. Much more bang for your buck and a whole different mentality too.
I said that :) http://www.lfgss.com/post1739231-136.html
join a club, do a few club runs ,do a few sportives, get mullered in your first race,perfect

I rode the Legs of Steel this year, and a few bunches formed to work together. It was great to get the feel of riding in a group, it's made me more keen to try racing this year

Cool, great summary! :)

Am I able to organise my own one off race?

Yes.

Looking for a suitable way to launch a new brand of bikes. Similar to Create in style and price range. They aren't bespoke bikes, but I thought a race with the winner collecting a free bike as a prize might be good. They would make lovely pub bikes for serious riders.

Wondering how that sort of thing might be received.

..Similar to Create in style and price range.

Wondering how that sort of thing might be received.

Like sticking a cactus up a pig's arse, presumably.

Tori the old adage of "Evens" still stands for TTs meaning any time better than 20mph average is good over any distance. Clud TTs would allow you to get some official times without being evens or better. Once you've times at evens or better then you can enter National TTs, or at least that use to be the rule needed for entry qualification into a National TT.
Perhaps someone more upto date can clarify-correct my info.

These days, time trial qualification seems to divide two ways. On the super fast courses, you need a super fast qualifying time; think in terms of sub 22:00 to get on the 10 mile V718. Fortunately for beginners, snails and the more ancient Veterans, most courses aren't rated as fast, and you can get a ride on a reasonable course like the H25/8 (course record: 46:58 A. Dowsett, 2009) with no qualifying time at all.

It seems not to have been mentioned yet, but many Club time trials (usually on week day evenings) allow novices to ride without the need to be a member of an affiliated club, so your total financial commitment to riding your first race is the £2-£3 entry fee. Ask your local club about a scheme called CTI (Come and Try It). Different clubs adopt the scheme in different ways, but MDCC allows CTI rides in all our Club events, that's 24 Thursday evening 10s and 4 Sunday afternoon 25s plus the hill climb where for the bargain price of £3 you get timed up 3 different hills in one morning of pleasure.

Specifically for the LFGSS audience, there are a couple of equipment regulations for time trials which might require adjustments to your daily ride; you must have two working brakes (a front brake and a fixed gear with a lock ring will do), and the brake levers need to be operable while you're holding the widest part of the handlebar, so a hipster style Dirty Harry lever next to the stem won't cut it, and neither will super narrow chopped risers, since the minimum bar width is 35cm. Oh, and I think the 650c Mavic 3G is illegal, so LoPro riders with ancient wheels take note.

some good info on here...

I'm new to london, from the north east where i've done some road racing, crits, TT, hill-climb, etc.. generally lacking form and motivation now. Keen to get back into it.

also thinking about BMX racing, anyone know places to race BMX in/around london?

dagenham, hayes, brockwell, peckham and others
there should be a list on the british cycling website or bmxtalk.