(Photo- Pete Dyson on February 25th at the Bath CC Hilly)

Thanks to our new Time Trial Captain, Marianne Carpenter and her update below:

The season got off to an early start with our BCC Hilly Time Trial at Maiden Bradley (near Frome)
on Sunday 25th of February. We had 47 entries in total across the time trial bike/ road bike
categories, 8 of whom were women. 13 entries were from Bath CC members, with 8 of those making
it to the start line.
It was a cold but dry start, only getting a bit damp for the last few competitors who rode the fast
undulating course down to Mere village, tackling the stiff climb of Mere Hill before returning gently
downhill and through the Deverills, for a shortened finish at Longbridge Deverill. It was then back
to HQ to warm up with hot tea and an excellent spread of homemade cakes and sausage rolls –
kindly provided by various Bath CC members.

The prize giving saw Robert Francis (Team Bottrill) take 1st Open TT in 48:02 with the fastest Female TT going to Corinne Clark (360VRT) with 57:21.
Fastest Bath CC TT rider was Charles Thibault (52:53). Bath Amphibians Triathlon Club took 2nd
(Female TT bikes) and 1st and 2nd (Female Road bikes), with two first-timers gaining the prizes in
the road bikes category.

UPCOMING  TIME TRIAL EVENTS
Our next event is the fast (and flattish) Bath CC 10 mile Time Trial on May 12th. HQ will be at Nunney
Village Hall and I’d love to see a big club turnout, and especially a good number of women
competing. Don’t forget, if you are over 40, you also have the chance to win the Vet’s Prize based
on the fastest Age-Adjusted time – it’s not just about the overall fastest.

We also have a 25mi on June 9th (see below) with HQ at Maiden Bradley.

The West District has a season long competition called the ‘Hard rider Series’ with various events
included, where riders can accumulate series points over their best 6 scoring rides. Bath CC is
currently in 2nd team position for this behind Pronto, as per the standings after the third race
(Marshfield, 3rd March). The next events in the WTTA Hardrider Series are: Swindon (10/01),
Gillingham (18/03), Bristol South (24/03) Gloucester (28/04), Chippenham (02/06), and our very
own BathCC 25miler (09/06). The more BathCC riders we can get to these events, the better
chance of winning the Series!

NEW TO TIME TRIALS? HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW…

• Firstly, they are very friendly events, and welcoming to first timers of ALL abilities. You are racing
against yourself to improve your time over the season. CTT is especially keen to get more
women involved, and there’s nearly always equal prize money on offer
• The governing body’s website, CyclingTimeTrials.org.uk has listings for all the time trials in the
UK, under the ‘Open Events’ tab. We fall within the WEST District, which means all of our routes
start with the code U followed by a number (the Hilly was U32R)
• Any BathCC member can ride in CTT events in any District
• You’ll need to enter a minimum of 10-14 days in advance of the event you’ve selected
• There are separate categories for Road bikes and for Time Trial bikes
• You must have working front and rear light attached to your bike and ride with a helmet on
• You can view the course (including elevation and distance) in advance on the website. Shortly
before the event, a Startsheet is published on the website, where you’ll see your race number
and start time.
• Turn up to the HQ in plenty of time. You’ll need to “sign on”, pick up your number, warm up and
ride to the start ready for your start time
• Riders get set off one minute apart, so you’ll likely be riding the whole course solo
• The course should be well marked, often with marshals at key junctions
• As you pass the finish, it’s good practice to shout out your number for the timekeeper
• DO NOT make a U turn within sight of the start line and do not warm up on the course once the
race has started
• Return to the HQ to “sign out”, have a cuppa and cake, and chat with your friends about how
much fun you had. You might even be picking up a prize!