Time trial (TT) is known as the 'race of truth'. It's you and your will power against the clock. You may have seen TTS happening at a race circuit or bypass near you. Uniquely everyone rides alone and there's no drafting, which sets it apart from sportives. Peak TT season runs from April onwards, but you can find events over the whole year. And don't think they're just for hardcore time-triallers on stripped-down machines. Governing body CTT are offering childcare at some races in 2024 and there'll be road bike-only races where aerobars are outlawed.
HERE TO HELP
Kate Allan Kate's a competitive time triallist for Team Bottrill and has 10-mile, 100mile and Closed Circuit national championship titles on her mantlepiece
Richard Rollinson Richard is the coach of CPT Cycling (cptcycling.co.uk)
01 FIND YOUR CLUB
If you crave the raw speed of time-trial racing, there are around 1,200 open TT events to choose from every year. These aren't managed by British Cycling but by a separate governing body called Cycling Time Trials (cyclingtimetrials.org.uk). There's no individual affiliation option, you just sign up to your affiliated local club and pay an on-the-day race fee. Most races have fixed distances (10, 25, 50 and 100 miles) or fixed times (12 and 24 hours). Races start from around a tenner to enter.
02 EXPERIMENT WITH KIT
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GANARY A COALMINE
The James Brown tune 'It's a Man's Man's Man's World' comes on the radio, filling the coach, and does nothing for my pre-event nerves as I sit surrounded by serious-looking, wiry, tanned men in Lycra. It's 6.30am, pitch black outside and I'm feeling very out of my depth as a relative newcomer to the world of clipless pedals and hurting for fun. Last night's stress dream involved being very unprepared to get married and being handed my great-grandmother-in-law-to-be's hideous silver dress with lace trim to wear minutes before the ceremony was due to start. I'll let you psychoanalyse that one.
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