Addiscombe Cycling Club

A Brief Historical Background to Cycling Time Trials

Time trials had been held as far back as 1895 when F. T. Bidlake promoted the first North Road 50. An official ban on such events on the highway was brought in by the National Cyclists’ Union in 1897 but not to be outdone cyclists continued ‘secret events’, riding early morning in ‘inconspicuous dress’, a black alpaca jacket and black tights.

In 1922 the Road Racing Council was formed to administer this discipline. Early starts and inconspicuous clothing remained. In 1930 the Cycling magazine introduced a seasonal All-Rounder Competition concluded annually by a lavish prize presentation and concert in London’s Royal Albert Hall. An article on the Albert Hall in the programme for the 1933 season contains an apology for having to return money “to thousands who applied for tickets, the Hall only having seating accommodation for 7,000”!

The Road Racing Council underwent a change of name and constitution in 1937 to become the Road Time Trials Council. The new body carried on in the tradition of its predecessor, even to the retaining of all black racing costume until the introduction of club vests in 1950. The All-Rounder Concert and Prize Presentation was suspended during the war years but resumed in 1945 and while the function was held in London the Addiscombe were keen supporters. The Concert part of the programme was discontinued after 1963 and in 1979 due to spiralling costs in London the RTTC moved the ‘Champions Night’, as it had now become known, to Derby.

In 1944 the RTTC officials “undertook to examine all claims to the establishment of Competition Records in events at specified distances and times under the jurisdiction of the Council”. They accepted the fastest time or distance on record prior to 1944 and from thereon accepted responsibility for checking and confirming all subsequent claims. A full list of Competition Records is published annually in the CTT Handbook.

When the Ministry of Transport introduced regulations governing cycle racing on the public road in 1960, the then Chairman of the RTTC, Will Townsend worked hard behind the scenes to ensure time trials were recognised in their own right, and despite greatly increased traffic, with carefully planned timing it has been possible to maintain the use of the highway. A public change in attitudes to risk management decided the RTTC to change to a limited company in 2003 and in doing so was obliged to remove the word ‘Council’ from their title, hence the new nomenclature Cycling Time Trials. This change gives greater legal protection to both riders and officials but also means an increased duty of care when promoting.

The governing body is currently made up of twenty-one District Councils that oversee local events and the Addiscombe has given them valuable support over the years both as serving committee members and officers. Percy Huggett was the London South District Treasurer for 15 years. Christine Watts was the first woman nationally to take on the duties of a District Secretary and National Councillor and served in the former capacity for a total of 26 years. Linda Good was appointed District Treasurer in 2004 while others have served as committee members since the formation of the Body in 1937.