Time Trial / Time Trialling / TT

Could someone with a bit of insider knowledge give a sort of N00bs summary to hill-climbs. When the season is, how to find them &c. &c.

I did quite a few casual TT's over the course of a couple of years up until a year and a half ago but since then I've focused on running ultras. I want to get back into TTs, and want to give hill-climbs a go. In the past, for ease, I usually just consult the local club TT schedule but that has nothing through the winter.

The CTT website is predictably opaque, I've found a few in October in the London West (H) area but I'm based in Oxford and ideally I'd like to keep travel to a minimum. As ever I find getting any more info than course code to be like getting blood from a stone. Any tips welcome.

Set distance to "HC" here..

http://www.cyclingtimetrials.org.uk/Default.aspx?&gv514__gvac=2&tabid=134&gv514__gvff0=HC&gv514__gvfl0=1

But your better off knowing what your local clubs are up to. Westerley and Willesden I could find. They are west of London (Windsor Hill and something I forget near Princes Risborough).

http://groupspaces.com/oxforduniversitycc/pages/2005-bucs-hill-climb

Could someone with a bit of insider knowledge give a sort of N00bs summary to hill-climbs. When the season is, how to find them

They start in September, but really October is all about hill climbs, and it's over by the first week of November. You've just missed the Reading CC open at Streatley. List of London West hill climb courses (beginning HHC) with OS map references are at http://freespace.virgin.net/mick.fountain/lwdc/courses/menu-c.htm

Next Sunday you can enjoy an exciting 3-for-1 deal with us at Marlow and Wooburn

Those of us with a classical bent think hill climbs should be short and uniformly steep, ideally under half a mile (880 yards), but oop North they have some longer ones which favour generalist road men rather than the mad whippets who tend to win the short ones. Unless anybody knows better, the longest one is the 9.1mile Kendal to Shap L817. The long ones usually have a wide variation in incline, including down hill bits on some of them, and need a geared bike, while the proper short ones are often best tackled on fixed.

A couple of small rule differences compared with normal TTs:

1. The pusher-off won't push you off, they have to just let you go. Most seem to do this on flat TTs these days, so that won't come as a shock to most people now, but in the olden days you sometimes used to get a proper shove at the start of a TT.
   
2. You have to ride the whole way; if you get off and walk, you're out
   

Quick q regarding tubs if you don't mind.

What's the best way to store tubs over the winter? Bike will be hung up, do I frequently inflate the tyres, or leave them flat?

Thanks!

Keep them off the ground so they don't get squashed flat, with just enough air to keep their shape, no more than 1 bar is needed

Nice one, cheers.

I usually need more than 1 bar.. depends on how well behaved I am..

Those of us with a classical bent think hill climbs should be short and uniformly steep, ideally under half a mile (880 yards), but oop North they have some longer ones which favour generalist road men rather than the mad whippets who tend to win the short ones. Unless anybody knows better, the longest one is the 9.1mile Kendal to Shap L817. The long ones usually have a wide variation in incline, including down hill bits on some of them, and need a geared bike, while the proper short ones are often best tackled on fixed.
out

Some roadies seem to pull themselves out for the crowd pleasers. Malcolm Elliot hold the record on Monsal Head although I think Russel Downing is keen to take this crown on his third attempt.

I think the oop North thing has as much to with the northerly attitude to cycling. Take the Monty Python "Four Yorkshiremen" sketch and add bicycles and you get the idea. Mind you lots of time trundling around the Peaks, Moors, Dales and Lakes is bound to turn you a bit funny.

Interesting about the longest HC because I know that the longest continuous gradient is Cragg Vale out of Mytholmroyd and clocks in at a bit of 8 miles so the Kendal to Shap must include some downhill in it. And if you're going to go that way, the Cat and Fiddle is a near 10 mile climb to the summit although I've not heard of it being used as a HC.

For my money, a Hill Climb course should have a positive gradient for its entire length, but obviously some of the longer courses don't. Even the modest 2.5mile Mill Hill near Shoreham goes downhill in the middle.

Thanks for the info, and a shame it dries up by november... my opportunities in October are few and far between.

The MDCC-HC was about the only one I had actually managed to find, I'm definitely keen but my GF gets back from 4 months abroad the day before, so it mightn't be appreciated. Can I sign on on the day?

Catford CC on the 14th. Yorks hill. And Bec in the afternoon up the top of bedlestead.

Can I sign on on the day?

For our one, yes

Catford CC on the 14th. Yorks hill. And Bec in the afternoon up the top of bedlestead.

Catford/Bec double header is the big classic, but too late to enter unless you enter online within the next 24h

Yes, I am disappoint; I thought a few more fixengers might htfu, or at least you might have ridden a set of WLC 10/25/50 on fixed just for laughs.

fwn either needs improved 10 & 25 times or a 50 time of around 1:41:00 to overhaul me.
*(this refers to Hippy's post which says that MDCC tester will be first and last)

• 
  The first shall be last; and the last shall be first. (Matthew Chap. 19 v. 30 ) *
  
  
  

That’s the position with the lfgss BAR, and I don’t think Jesus had in mind a situation where there was only one person in the running.

The TT thread has now had almost 75, 000 views and although we can’t tell how many people this represents, it does seem hard to believe that only one of them is prepared to ride a 50 on fixed. What’s more, anyone looking at the BAR table could hardly draw the conclusion that fixed is slower – MDCC Tester has produced a very creditable set of times.

As you probably realise, I felt it was a bad omen when there were no takers for the face to face planning meeting which I suggested early in the season. However, I believe the formula is a good one and I am still prepared to provide a small trophy if a few people are prepared to promise now to have a go next year.

There is, even now, one possibility for this year, although MDCC Tester, who has won fair and square, would be well within his rights to veto this suggestion, which is:

For 2012 only, scrap the requirement for a 50 and replace it with a ride (on fixed) in the Hounslow’s Sporting 27 on October 20th. I know it’s only slightly longer than a 25, but it is slightly more challenging because it is on a roadman’s course.

So, over to you Mr. Tester. Since I said originally that for a BAR to have any credibility it would need to include a 50 as a minimum, I shall not be at all disappointed if you reject the 27 suggestion.

• **Customer Warning: **Do not draw any inferences about the religiosity or otherwise of writers who quote from the Bible – they may or may not be just showing off.
  

74,000 views is me. ;)

I managed 19.9mph for my 16.4 mile hilly commute on the way home, 65" fixed. A new pair of decent tyres at 110psi did the trick.

I think this means I definitely have to do the first 10 mile TT that falls on a free weekend within a reasonable distance.

What's reasonable distance? From where?

clubman: There needs to be more people with times on the boards riding fixed, no?

What's reasonable distance? From where?

10 miles each way from Cholton, Manchester, or within 3 miles of a train station I can get to with no more than an hour's train ride from Manchester Piccadilly. I don't have a car that works at the moment.

The Manchester Wheelers Chelford-Ollerton 10 (near Jodrell Bank) will probably be my first 10 "back".

Manchester? Ah, no idea then.

There's only a couple in Dec on CTT. Have a look at local club sites.

09/12/12
10m
J4/4
11:00
TAN
Manchester & District TTA

Open
Correct Address is:- 12 Whitley Ave, Barnton, Northwich, Cheshire. CW84LW.
09/12/12
10m
J4/4
11:00
SC
TAN
Manchester & District TTA (Fancy Dress)

Open
Correct Address is:- 12 Whitley Ave, Barnton, Northwich, Cheshire. CW84LW.

So, over to you Mr. Tester.

Well, I don't believe in changing the rules after the race has started. Should we award the BBAR to Wilko because he was clearly better than Tops and was just unlucky not to finish a 100, through no fault of his own?

There needs to be more people with times on the boards riding fixed, no?

This is the answer. I'm happy for no award to be made unless at least 3 riders complete all the required elements. Now that I've set down a fairly modest marker, I'm sure a few other people will fancy their chances of being in the running next year.

With the timetriallingforum on the point of implosion, we might be able to drag a few of them over here if we promise not to mention brakles :-)

if a few people are prepared to promise now to have a go next year.

I hereby promise to have a go next year.

Whether or not I complete all the distances fixed is another matter but I'll do at least a few races fixed. That said I can't imagine coming anywhere near tester's times as my only FG bike is my commuter complete with pannier racks and spinny gear.

It's not my times you have to worry about, upsidedown will be beating me next year.

Hopefully next year I won't be knocked off my bike and will be able to do more than 3 TTs

It's not my times you have to worry about, upsidedown will be beating me next year.

Not sure about that, I'm running out of things I can spend my student loan on to make me faster. I'll endeavour to do a 50 next year if I can find one in riding distance.