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So you've joined Bath Cycling Club, been out on the club runs, but want to try you hand at racing. How do you go about getting started?
Two avenues exist, road racing and timetrialling. For timetrialling it is surprisingly simple, as long as you are a member of a club affiliated to Cycling Time Trails (such as Bath Cycling Club) - you are eligble to race a timetrial. Timetrials are a race between you and the time it takes you to ride a course. Competitors start at one minute intervals, and each rider is timed over the course.
The easiest events to ride are Club time trials put on by clubs for the benefit of their own riders. Events cost just a few pounds to enter, and you can enter on the line. Almost any standard bike can be used (but not recubrants, or anything too wacky). Ride an event for a few weeks, and see if you can improve your time.
The more sucessful riders will go on ride in open events. These pull in the best riders from the area (and wider afield for the popular courses). The events cost more to enter (~£8), and there are prizes for the best riders. Then events must be entered in advance (about 2 weeks before the event), and on specific forms (avaialble from the CTT web site). Often in the search for greater speed, bikes will become more specialised. Specific timetrial bikes, which allow the rider to be in a more areodynamic possition, are used. A solid rear disk wheel, and deep section front wheel, allow still greater improvements in aerodynamics. Tight fitting skinsuits are also used.