Time Trial / Time Trialling / TT

This event certainly lived up to its ‘hardrider’ title. The two-lap course, based on Charlbury in the Cotswolds, would be testing under any circumstances, but the near gale force wind which blew in the riders' faces on a long and exposed climb brought many down to a walking pace.

The course and conditions were both totally unsuited to single gears, and my own pathetic performance was not helped by being badly overgeared with a 63” bottom. Unfortunately I was too stunned at the finish to record the result properly, but I can tell you that Andy Wilkinson won with a 1.28, just failing to take the course record. Glenn Longland was second and Paul Holdsworth third.

However, my main reason for going was to be at the ‘after party’ at which the race promoter, Peter Whitfield, launched his new book: ‘Time, Speed and Truth, A History of Time Trialling 1890-2010’.

This gathering was one of the most star- studded time trial events I have ever seen. I recognised five former BBAR Champions: Frank Colden (1962), Martyn Roach (1968), John Woodburn (1978), Glen Longland (1986) and Wilco (1996). In addition there were Les West and Alf Engers. In fact almost everyone in the room (apart from myself) had some claim to fame.

Alf, who surprisingly has only just retired from his work as a baker, gave an interesting introductory speech in which (and here’s the single gear interest) he said that when he started time trialling in the early ‘50’s (he was born 1940) he was told by his senior (and, at the time, apparently knowledgeable) club mates that: “gears are 3 minutes slower than fixed at 25 miles.” It only took him until 1959 to get comp. record (55.01), on fixed naturally, but it took another 19 years for him to achieve the record he really wanted – 49.24. This was done on gears, but only three of them: 56 x 13, 14 and 15, and even then he only used the 15 to ride to the start.

When I have read the book I will review it here.

I haven't done a TT for years but the WTTA Hardriders series was my favourite, much better than rolling along the flat!