Racing against time – is such a trial

Racing against time

is such a trial

Audaxer Andy Walsh describes the highs and lows of his journey into the pitiless world of time-trialling, or “clock-bashing” as it’s known by its hard-riding exponents. He sought the help and advice of the discipline’s veterans, and dived right in…

Andy on the Aslackby TT event

Before 2021 I’d only ridden once in a team time-trial – as part of the 2018 Tour of Cambridgeshire, as a last minute stand-in for a friend. After that I wasn’t in a rush to do it again. It was a brutal effort that really took me by surprise.

In the spring of 2021 a work colleague indicated that his club, Bourne Wheelers, were running time-trials beginning in April. The first “come and try” event would be a five mile out-and-back time-trial. It went well. I was the only person on a steel road bike in a field of weapon-level, sculpted, disc wheeled, time-trial specific rigs, and I was very pleased with my result: My time over the five miles was 12.33 at an average speed of 23.7mph. I was placed eighth in a field of 30.

My interest in time-trialling had been firmed, and I was speaking to anyone I knew who’d previously time-trialled, in search of information and words of experience to be able to better my approach, my technique and my speed.

It turns out there is a depth of time-trialling experience within Audax UK, and it was John Gallagher of Crewe Clarion Wheelers who pointed out a similarity between Audaxing and timetrialling.

In fact, for a Briton to be able to ride Paris-BrestParis (PBP) back in the early 1970s, the qualifying criteria was to have ridden over 375 Miles in a 24-hour TT. Thankfully, Audax UK was formed and a successful Super Randonneur (SR) Award has superseded the earlier requirement for PBP qualification.

I’d trawled through back copies of Arrivée in search of articles on the 24-hour TT, and as recently as 2020 a piece by Greg Melia on the 2019 Mersey Roads National 24-hour TT was featured in issue 147, and going further back issue 122 had two accounts of the 2013 24-hour TT. I read these articles with interest. John Gallagher dispensed some thoughts to me based on his history of time-trialling, which consisted mostly of racing his club 10s. He suggested I recce different courses, keep a log of my ride data, eat well before a ride, ride on full gas until over the line – and not to be hard on myself if my times were slower than the field. He also said that I should remember that if you’re hating it, so is everyone else.

I knew my friend Jim Churton had ridden many time-trials. When I told him I was considering dipping my toes into the discipline, his words were helpful, and came from years of experience against the clock.

He said that if you pass the chequer board without being all in, you haven’t tried hard enough. There was only one way to ride a TT, he said – total concentration coupled with maximum effort. You must discipline yourself to fast pedalling.

He added that the TT was “a conflict between mind and body” – when they are in tune “you can do anything”. He made the point that the TT is a combination of concentration and strength, not big gears you can barely turn over, but a gear that propels you at speed, turned with strength, and an ability to conquer its resistance.

Jim doesn’t openly talk about his palmarès but when you chat with him you gradually learn that his cycling experience is vast, and now I was understanding that Jim had laid down fantastic Personal Bests for each of the fixed standard time-trial distances and times (10, 25, 50, 100 mile, 12 and 24-hours). He’d done these times in the 80s and 90s on steel TT bikes of the day; very short wheelbase frames, made to measure with limited clearances and no additional aero accoutrements. For me, having ridden a handful of time-trials at this point, my understanding of Jim’s performances was deepened – and I had a very long way to go.

Throughout April, May and into June, I continued to race the midweek TTs organised by Bourne Wheelers, and I continued to place respectably. I was trying to put into practice some of the advice I’d been given, particularly around position on the bike (low/aero) and on pedalling speed. During the races I would concentrate on: speed, keeping it as high as possible; power, not blowing up but keeping it as high as possible; and cadence, keeping it over 90rpm minimum.

As John had suggested, I kept a log of all my races and the key stats so I could study each performance, weighing up what went well and what didn’t.

Throughout this time I was listening to podcasts, watching YouTube videos, reading blogs and forums, and talking to Jim and others, immersing myself in material. I was really enjoying learning more about the discipline, and through racing regularly, was becoming more familiar with the hard efforts required.

I’d heard of “open” events and “nationals” but didn’t really have a clue what these meant other than what is given away in the name. I learned that Cycling Time-Trials (CTT) was the governing body for these events. The CTT website provides lots of information on courses, riders, clubs, results, competitions and news. It seemed that there were in excess of 1,000 open time-trials being run throughout the year, and to ride in them you needed to be a member of a club affiliated to CTT. I discovered that Audax UK was affiliated to CTT. The next step was to find a local open event to enter.

As a member of Audax UK, it was easy, and free, to register with CTT, set up a profile and start looking for events to enter. I quickly found an open 10 Mile event run by Bourne Wheelers – the club whose

If you read only one book on TTs, make it Adam Topham’s 2012 publication, “Timetrialling: Fly through the pain barrier”. It’s an excellent resource which comprehensively explains the many elements of timetrialling. It is written in a way which is accessible and aimed at the rider who has to balance work, family and an interest in time-trialling. It becomes clear through reading this book that timetrialling is a power and endurance event, and getting faster at it will require a person to push oneself hard in their training sessions.

WHAT’S IN A NUMBER?

Jim Churton explained the time-trial numbering hierarchy. When I was allocated number 59 in my first open TT, I just assumed that was the number given on an application basis, but I was wrong. The number 59 indicated me as a slow rider. This is how it works; In a field of 120 racers the numbers work like this: ● 1 – The organising club’s slowest rider in the race. ● Numbers ending in 0 – The 12 fastest riders on paper, with the fastest being 120, then 110, 100 etc. ● Numbers ending in 5 – Second wave of fast riders, with the 13th fastest being 115, then 105, 95 etc. ● Numbers ending in 8 – Next quickest after the 5s, with the 26th fastest being 118, then 108, 98 etc. ● Numbers ending in 9 – The slowest in the field. All other numbers are field fillers. The numbering protocol is designed to keep riders well separated when on the course, such that similarly paced riders don’t end up on top of each other during the race. mid-week TTs I’d already been riding. The course was near Grantham and was an east/west out-and-back on the A52. I paid up and awaited the next step, which was to be accepted to race by the organisers.

Ten days before the event, I was notified that I’d been accepted to race, and a few days after that the start list was published along with details of the race HQ, exact course details and timings for the day. There were 71 people on the start sheet, and a good representation of clubs from the South Lincolnshire, Peterborough and Cambridgeshire areas.

At the event there were riders on weapon-level carbon bikes, some were warming up on rollers and turbo trainers in the car park and all of them had a level of focus while getting themselves ready. I felt like this would be a step up in terms of competition and seriousness, and it was difficult not to feel a little amateurish with my steel-framed Kalavinka and normal kit. At this point I was really hoping that I wouldn’t be absolute last on the results sheet.

The race went fairly well, even though I was passed by three riders. Later in the day the results were published on the CTT website. I’d placed 41st out of 60 riders, with 11 riders of the 71 who entered, either not starting or not finishing. My time was 24:59, and I was very pleased with that, mainly because I’d not finished last, and had just beaten my target – which was to be under 25 minutes.

Time-trialling kit is a big and expensive subject. I’ve ridden nine TTs on my steel bike with clip-on aero bars and it’s been perfectly adequate. As the TT discipline took greater hold I found myself looking for second hand TT bikes. I bought a second hand Ridley TT bike and rode it on a couple of TTs. The difference between my steel bike and the TT specific carbon bike is very noticeable. I’ve also bought a cheap aero helmet. The next “threshold” items on the list are a skin suit, a deep section front wheel and a rear disc wheel. All of which can wait a while.

In terms of training, I’ve not been particularly structured. I do sufficient to be in good enough shape to do the things I want to do. I tend to just do more when there are bigger rides on the horizon.

I’ve also looked for methods to improve my speed and technique, to help give me an advantages in the TTs, and also provide a benefit in the long distance rides I like to do. I needed to increase my Functional Threshold Power (FTP), which would mean increased power, and hence speed, for TTs. It would also work for longer rides. I’d operate at a lower power for a given speed, which is a good thing for Audax and randoneurring.

Through the time-trialling forum I found a link to a good blog site (wattkg.com) – an excellent resource for accessing research studies on training methods. I settled on a polarised training plan lasting nine weeks. This would see me mixing tough intervals with longer, easy rides each week. I had weekly TTs to squeeze in too and I knew that life would get in the way of absolute plan compliance and execution, but having a plan was the first step.

These intervals were very tough indeed – eight minutes at 102 per cent of my FTP (300Watts) repeated four times, which is daunting. You need to be prepared in your head to let some hurt in to be able to complete the workout. It took me five attempts before I could fully complete the last interval, and from then on I was able to complete each session. I could feel it was doing me good.

What’s next? My initial interest in the 24-hour TT had naturally come from my Audax and long distance riding. I thought I’d like to experience its emotion one day, maybe. But to me it was more accessible to start out by riding in shorter local races. By doing that I have a better appreciation of how hard it must be to ride a good distance at a 12 or 24 hour TT.

I want to build to the longer TT distances through structured training, and as I write this piece I have another open 10 mile TT scheduled in July 2021 along with my first open 25 mile TT in August. I’d also like to enter a 50 mile TT before the season’s end.

My longer term aspirations are to ride a 100 mile TT, a 12 and a 24 hour TT. I’ve ridden several times at these distances and times through Audax but I now realise there is a huge difference between riding and

INSPIRATIONAL DAMON PEACOCK

In 2021, after deciding to write up my 2005 LEJOG ride, I found myself re-watching Michael Broadwith’s record-breaking attempt on the classic route. Damon Peacock made an excellent video of Michael’s attempt and as Damon made many interesting videos, I veered into watching some of his Mersey Roads 24 hour TT videos. This is what first inspired me to line up on a TT start line. I was very saddened to learn of Damon’s passing, and watching the online funeral service was moving, but it was great to learn about all the good Damon had done in his life, hearing from the many people he had touched. I didn’t know Damon, but I’d met him at PBP 2019 where I talked with him and his partner Heather at the start, and then later on day three when he was quick to point the camera at me and my friend Phil to ask us for some thoughts. (Damon Peacock’s obituary is on page 8 of the Autumn issue 153 of Arrivée)

racing such a distance or time. I think it would be rewarding to race a 24 hour TT, and I know that when the time comes for me I will have the backbone of a decent support crew behind me.

Thanks to Jim Churton, John Gallagher and Rick Smith for their encouragement and generous sharing of advice and experience.

NOVEMBER 2021 – UPDATE

I was unable to make the 50 Mile TT work with family commitments, but I did compete in two 25 Mile TTs towards the end of the season. Both were a brutal effort, but in my first 25 I was able to get under the hour and produce a 58:26! It represented a huge amount to me, that I was able to ride 25 miles at a speed of 25Mph or more seemed incomprehensible earlier in the year, but I was able to do it, and I feel there could be more in me as I refine my position, technique and kit to develop in the discipline of TT…

THE LEGENDARY F.T. BIDLAKE

Jim Churton introduced me to F.T. Bidlake. He told me of the significance of Bidlake, as a record-setting rider in the 1880s, who went on to carry out administration activities as a timekeeper, and is credited by many as a major component in establishing time-trialling as it’s known today. I was so engaged in learning about Bidlake that I made a 220Km DIY Audax out to the Bidlake memorial garden near Eaton Socon on the A1 in Bedfordshire. Each year, the Bidlake prize is awarded for outstanding achievements in cycling, and a list of winners is can be found at www.bidlakememorial.org.uk.

Andy on his third TT with Bourne Wheelers