Cycling Time Trials
Encyclopedia
Cycling Time Trials is the British
bicycle racing
organisation which supervises individual
and team time trials in England and Wales
. It was formed out of predecessor body the Road Time Trials Council in 2002.
Although time-trialling started as a rebel sport to thwart the National Cyclists' Union's ban on racing on the road, it acquired a respectability which not only led the NCU to recognise it but for time-trialling to become a cornerstone of British racing. Especially before the British League of Racing Cyclists
reintroduced massed racing during the war - a resurrection which the RTTC opposed - the lone ride against the watch was heart of British racing.
Races can be organised over any distance but in practice they are most often run at the standard distances of 10, 25, 50 and 100 miles with occasional races at 30 miles. The winner is the fastest over the course, routed so it finishes close to the start to lessen the effect of hills and wind. Races also last 12 or 24 hours, the winner covering the greatest distance.
There are records at all distances, not only for riders on conventional bicycles but for tandems and tricycles. There are championships for men, women and riders younger than 18.
banned racing on public roads in fear of a ban not just on racing cyclists but all cycling. The legal position of cyclists was not secure. The cycling historian Bernard Thompson said: "Events organised by clubs in the 1880s, although taking place on quiet country roads, were constantly interrupted by the police. Often horse-mounted policemen charged at racers and threw sticks into their wheels."
The NCU asked clubs to run races on closed tracks, known now as velodromes. But few existed and so a rebel organisation began, under the influence of men such as Frederick Thomas Bidlake
, to continue racing on the road but in a way they believed need not bring police attention.
Riders would start at intervals, usually a minute, and race against the clock. Riders meeting on the road were not allowed to race against each other. Unsure of the legal situation, riders dressed from neck to ankle in black to make themselves less conspicuous, never wore numbers but always carried a bell. Races started in the countryside at dawn on courses referred to only in code. Even the cycling press was asked not to say where a race was taking place and details to competitors were headed "private and confidential" up to the 1960s.
There is dispute over which was the first race in this fashion but credit is usually given to the North Road Cycling Club of north London
. It was held over 50 miles (approx 80 km) on 5 October 1895. Within two years, time trials had also been banned by the NCU, but events continued to be run secretly. Les Bowerman, who researched this and races that followed, said:
The fact, as Bowerman says, there were unpaced races against the clock before the North Road event in October 1895 means that the North Road club can not, as it often is, be described as the founder of time-trialling. Bernard Thompson, a historian of British time-trialling, wrote:
In 1922 Bidlake formed the Road Racing Council – membership of which was restricted to members of the North Road, Bath Road, Anfield, Polytechnic, Kingsdale, Etna, Anerley, North London, Century, Unity and Midland cycling club
s. Each was already organising events on the road. The first meeting was at the offices of the Cyclists' Touring Club
at 280 Euston Road
, London
on 27 June. But as the sport flourished during the 1930s, the council reviewed its constitution in 1937, opening membership to all clubs and changing its name to the Road Time Trials Council, or RTTC. Its first recorded meeting was at the Devereau hotel in The Strand
, London, on 16 November 1937. The first committee was Maurice Draisey (chairman), E. E. Stapley, E. F. Cash, W. S. Gibson, H. Parker, A. Shillito, Alec Glass, W. Frankum, A. Reeder, Bill Mills and Alex Josey. The rules were written by Glass, Josey, Mills and Draisey.
The RTTC's first year had 429 races. In December the membership was 434 clubs, with a further 69 proposed.It sold 5,564 handbooks.
The RTTC had the same fears as the NCU, that massed racing would endanger the position of all cyclists. Its insistence that races were run in secret led it to ban a race from Paris to London in 1947. The NCU's ban on massed racing on the road meant the only way to hold the stage from Folkestone to London was as a time trial. The race sponsor, the News Chronicle, refused to back a race it could not report was happening. The RTTC said reports before the race would be against its rules and refused to approve it. Compromise was reached when the newspaper, the NCU and the RTTC agreed to say that the time trial stage would be from Folkestone to London but kept the start and finish lines secret.
In 1951 the RTTC said, in a statement of around 3,500 words headed The Council's Statement on the Menace of Mass Start Racing on the Highway: "Bunched racing is an utterly selfish and irresponsible use of roads; the policy of the Council is that all such racing should be stopped; the ringleaders and their associates of the BLRC have only financial gain as their motive; unsuspecting commercial concerns and newspapers have been given a distorted story about road racing; BLRC road races violate every one of the principles of clean amateurism, authenticity, and regard for public safety."
A leader in the weekly magazine, The Bicycle, called the statement "sheer balderdash and offensive writing" and "a disgusting attack on the constitution, officials and members of the British League of Racing Cyclists, and of course, the repeated assurance that the RTTC can do no wrong."
The NCU and the RTTC later recognised road racing and the BLRC and the NCU merged to become the British Cycling Federation.
In 2002 Cycling Time Trials, a company limited by guarantee
, was established as a corporate body for the RTTC.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
bicycle racing
Road bicycle racing
Road bicycle racing is a bicycle racing sport held on roads, using racing bicycles. The term "road racing" is usually applied to events where competing riders start simultaneously with the winner being the first to the line at the end of the course .Historically, the most...
organisation which supervises individual
Individual time trial
An individual time trial is a road bicycle race in which cyclists race alone against the clock . There are also track-based time trials where riders compete in velodromes, and team time trials...
and team time trials in England and Wales
England and Wales
England and Wales is a jurisdiction within the United Kingdom. It consists of England and Wales, two of the four countries of the United Kingdom...
. It was formed out of predecessor body the Road Time Trials Council in 2002.
Time trialling
Time-trialling is a test of a rider not against other cyclists but the watch. Other than in team events, which are less numerous, competitors compete separated by a minute or more. Riders may not ride together when one catches another. The order of start is often organised so that the fastest riders are spaced apart. In that way they are less likely to catch each other while, when they catch lesser riders, they will pass that much faster that neither will be helped or hindered.Although time-trialling started as a rebel sport to thwart the National Cyclists' Union's ban on racing on the road, it acquired a respectability which not only led the NCU to recognise it but for time-trialling to become a cornerstone of British racing. Especially before the British League of Racing Cyclists
British League of Racing Cyclists
The British League of Racing Cyclists was an association formed in 1942 to promote road bicycle racing in Great Britain. It operated in competition with the National Cyclists' Union, a rivalry which lasted until the two merged in 1959 to form the British Cycling Federation.-Background:The National...
reintroduced massed racing during the war - a resurrection which the RTTC opposed - the lone ride against the watch was heart of British racing.
Races can be organised over any distance but in practice they are most often run at the standard distances of 10, 25, 50 and 100 miles with occasional races at 30 miles. The winner is the fastest over the course, routed so it finishes close to the start to lessen the effect of hills and wind. Races also last 12 or 24 hours, the winner covering the greatest distance.
There are records at all distances, not only for riders on conventional bicycles but for tandems and tricycles. There are championships for men, women and riders younger than 18.
Early history
In 1890, the National Cyclists' UnionNational Cyclists' Union
The National Cyclists' Union was an association established in the Guildhall Tavern, London, on 16 February 1878 as the Bicycle Union. Its purpose was to defend cyclists and to organise and regulate bicycle racing in Great Britain...
banned racing on public roads in fear of a ban not just on racing cyclists but all cycling. The legal position of cyclists was not secure. The cycling historian Bernard Thompson said: "Events organised by clubs in the 1880s, although taking place on quiet country roads, were constantly interrupted by the police. Often horse-mounted policemen charged at racers and threw sticks into their wheels."
The NCU asked clubs to run races on closed tracks, known now as velodromes. But few existed and so a rebel organisation began, under the influence of men such as Frederick Thomas Bidlake
Frederick Thomas Bidlake
Frederick Thomas Bidlake was an English racing cyclist of the late 19th century who became one of the most notable administrators of British road bicycle racing during the early 20th century. The annual Bidlake Memorial Prize, was instituted in his memory...
, to continue racing on the road but in a way they believed need not bring police attention.
Riders would start at intervals, usually a minute, and race against the clock. Riders meeting on the road were not allowed to race against each other. Unsure of the legal situation, riders dressed from neck to ankle in black to make themselves less conspicuous, never wore numbers but always carried a bell. Races started in the countryside at dawn on courses referred to only in code. Even the cycling press was asked not to say where a race was taking place and details to competitors were headed "private and confidential" up to the 1960s.
There is dispute over which was the first race in this fashion but credit is usually given to the North Road Cycling Club of north London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. It was held over 50 miles (approx 80 km) on 5 October 1895. Within two years, time trials had also been banned by the NCU, but events continued to be run secretly. Les Bowerman, who researched this and races that followed, said:
- What distinguished them from earlier unpaced races was that the riders started at intervals of two or three minutes in reverse handicap order, the fastest first. Company riding was not forbidden but was unlikely to occur. This would then be very similar to a time-trial as we know it.
The fact, as Bowerman says, there were unpaced races against the clock before the North Road event in October 1895 means that the North Road club can not, as it often is, be described as the founder of time-trialling. Bernard Thompson, a historian of British time-trialling, wrote:
- Neither the Road Time Trials Council or the Road Racing Council before them can claim to have invented time-trialling. Without question, time-trials took place a century ago and the National Cyclists' Union national time-trial championship time-trials are recorded in 1878 when A. A. Weir was the victor with a time of 1m 27m 47s on a high ordinary. What the RRC did contribute was as great a measure as possible of uniformity in the conduct of road competitions.
In 1922 Bidlake formed the Road Racing Council – membership of which was restricted to members of the North Road, Bath Road, Anfield, Polytechnic, Kingsdale, Etna, Anerley, North London, Century, Unity and Midland cycling club
Cycling club
A cycling club is a society for cyclists. It can be local or national, general or specialised. The Cyclists' Touring Club, CTC) in the United Kingdom is a national association; i-Team and are internet clubs; the Tricycle Association, Tandem Club and the Veterans Time Trial Association, for those...
s. Each was already organising events on the road. The first meeting was at the offices of the Cyclists' Touring Club
Cyclists' Touring Club
CTC and the UK's national cyclists' organisation are the trading names of the Cyclists' Touring Club.CTC is the United Kingdom's largest cycling membership organisation. It also has member groups in the Republic of Ireland...
at 280 Euston Road
Euston Road
Euston Road is an important thoroughfare in central London, England, and forms part of the A501. It is part of the New Road from Paddington to Islington, and was opened as part of the New Road in 1756...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on 27 June. But as the sport flourished during the 1930s, the council reviewed its constitution in 1937, opening membership to all clubs and changing its name to the Road Time Trials Council, or RTTC. Its first recorded meeting was at the Devereau hotel in The Strand
Strand, London
Strand is a street in the City of Westminster, London, England. The street is just over three-quarters of a mile long. It currently starts at Trafalgar Square and runs east to join Fleet Street at Temple Bar, which marks the boundary of the City of London at this point, though its historical length...
, London, on 16 November 1937. The first committee was Maurice Draisey (chairman), E. E. Stapley, E. F. Cash, W. S. Gibson, H. Parker, A. Shillito, Alec Glass, W. Frankum, A. Reeder, Bill Mills and Alex Josey. The rules were written by Glass, Josey, Mills and Draisey.
The RTTC's first year had 429 races. In December the membership was 434 clubs, with a further 69 proposed.It sold 5,564 handbooks.
Opposition to massed road racing
British cycling split during the Second World War when enthusiasts for massed racing on the open road organised a race from Llangollen to Wolverhampton against the rules of the National Cyclists Union. The NCU banned those who organised it and took part in it and the RTTC, because it recognised the NCU's suspension, did the same.The RTTC had the same fears as the NCU, that massed racing would endanger the position of all cyclists. Its insistence that races were run in secret led it to ban a race from Paris to London in 1947. The NCU's ban on massed racing on the road meant the only way to hold the stage from Folkestone to London was as a time trial. The race sponsor, the News Chronicle, refused to back a race it could not report was happening. The RTTC said reports before the race would be against its rules and refused to approve it. Compromise was reached when the newspaper, the NCU and the RTTC agreed to say that the time trial stage would be from Folkestone to London but kept the start and finish lines secret.
In 1951 the RTTC said, in a statement of around 3,500 words headed The Council's Statement on the Menace of Mass Start Racing on the Highway: "Bunched racing is an utterly selfish and irresponsible use of roads; the policy of the Council is that all such racing should be stopped; the ringleaders and their associates of the BLRC have only financial gain as their motive; unsuspecting commercial concerns and newspapers have been given a distorted story about road racing; BLRC road races violate every one of the principles of clean amateurism, authenticity, and regard for public safety."
A leader in the weekly magazine, The Bicycle, called the statement "sheer balderdash and offensive writing" and "a disgusting attack on the constitution, officials and members of the British League of Racing Cyclists, and of course, the repeated assurance that the RTTC can do no wrong."
The NCU and the RTTC later recognised road racing and the BLRC and the NCU merged to become the British Cycling Federation.
Recent history
Over the years, restrictions were lifted. Insistence that riders dress from neck to toe became impracticable during clothing shortages in the second world war. Events are no longer secret - it is doubtful that even from the start the police were unaware - and lists of riders in bigger events are frequently published in the cycling press and on websites. Far from wearing black, riders are now urged to wear bright clothing to make themselves visible on busy roads. The habit of starting early in the morning has continued, however, although for the benefit of light traffic rather than as secrecy.In 2002 Cycling Time Trials, a company limited by guarantee
Company limited by guarantee
In British and Irish company law, a private company limited by guarantee is an alternative type of corporation used primarily for non-profit organisations that require legal personality. A guarantee company does not usually have a share capital or shareholders, but instead has members who act as...
, was established as a corporate body for the RTTC.
External links
- Cycling Time Trials
- Time Trial Photos by Bernard Thompson - copyright free