So where's all the Newbies/4th cats?

[Toks]

There were loads of races available last weekend. Apart from Kieran none of them feature ACC 4th cat riders. Reading club run reports there are obviously quite a few competitve guys around. Common stop destroying group dynamics (18s/19s) on the club run and give racing a go

[Snoop Doug]

Toks - every man, woman, child and wee tim'rous beastie's gone TT crazy mate. There's 14 team ACC in the Southern Counties this Sunday, coooooooommm onnnnnnnnn you Addiscommmmmmmmbe it's gonna be rockin

[Toks]

[quote="Snoop Doug"]Toks - every man, woman, child and wee tim'rous beastie's gone TT crazy mate. There's 14 team ACC in the Southern Counties this Sunday, coooooooommm onnnnnnnnn you Addiscommmmmmmmbe it's gonna be rockin

[MJ_1993]

doing coursework and reading this forum

[-Adam-]

[quote="Mo Jaffer"]doing coursework and reading this forum

[quote="Mo Jaffer"]doing coursework and reading this forum

[MJ_1993]

Indeed, when training that is. Pointy hat hmmm...are there addiscombe skinsuits?
I asked Peter Luttenburger to see if I could shadow a DS during the summer or at the ToB. Good times.

[Andrew G]

First rider off at 7:05 Toks so make sure you leave plenty of time to get down and cheer us all on.

[Toks]

[quote="Andrew G"]First rider off at 7:05 Toks so make sure you leave plenty of time to get down and cheer us all on.

[Marky Mark]

I'm going to be a bit negative now, but not too much, well none at all really.

Just a few notes, comments and questions on what it feels like to be a NEWBIE. We don't like asking some really stupid sounding questions because we don't want to come across as thick! O.K. most of them are common sense and we could probably do research to find the answer. I think there are large number of ACC members that have forgotten what it's like to be a novice. I for one would love to face for my club as I am proud as punch to be member of the agreeables, I know I'm not ready yet but you have to start somewhere don't you. I don't want to enter the wrong thing and make a fool out of myself and the ACC.

I hope I can ask some stuff on here to help ALL of us newbies. Bearing in mind that everything I have ever asked on here has been answered, so don't let me down now folks.

I wouldn't have a clue where to go or what to do on a time trial or even if I'm allowed to enter, so I'll be there on the 10th May to do OUR unofficial TT10. Do I need to make any changes to my bike or can I just go with the flow for now? And what is the bit that follows the number TT10/36 (age limit, field limit, inside leg??). There should in my opinion a data base on our forum so us lazy people can use it as a one stop shop to get information. Clearly displaying the address, the date, route if possible and the start time. We the newbies are not stupid but would really love some backup from our fellow experienced riders.

Now we move swiftly onto the race thingey. I keep hearing about cats, I won't go with the obvious joke there. I assume Cat1 is superman or woman, Cat4 or 5 sounds like the worse one, that will be me then and how do they work it out? Are races split into male and female? Different age groups as I am now in the Cough cough 40 bracket. Do I have to get a licence? So many questions

Can I just say that I do understand about cake, now there's a relief!

As always, many thanks form Marky Mark

[Toks]

Hey Marky Mark we're not called the agreeables for nothing. There's no such thing as a stupid question. If its something you don't know and need to know then its important to you and not stupid. I'll let others answer the TT questions. Re Road Racing write out any questions you have in number or bullet point style and I and others will definitley answer them. If you're really embarassed you could always PM someone. I look forward to your questions

[Ivor]

[quote="Marky Mark"]I wouldn't have a clue where to go or what to do on a time trial or even if I'm allowed to enter, so I'll be there on the 10th May to do OUR unofficial TT10.

[Ivor]

[quote="Marky Mark"]And what is the bit that follows the number TT10/36 (age limit, field limit, inside leg??)

[Andrew G]

[color=#0000BF]
1 - Do I need to make any changes to my bike or can I just go with the flow for now?
2 - what is the bit that follows the number TT10/36 (age limit, field limit, inside leg??). 3 - There should in my opinion a data base on our forum so us lazy people can use it as a one stop shop to get information. Clearly displaying the address, the date, route if possible and the start time. .

1 - I assume Cat1 is superman or woman, Cat4 or 5 sounds like the worse one, that will be me then and how do they work it out?
2 - Are races split into male and female? Different age groups as I am now in the Cough cough 40 bracket. Do I have to get a licence? So many questions [/color]

I'll have a stab Mark and as Toks said no questions are too stoopid, blimey I've asked enough really daft ones.

TTs
1 - You don't need to do anything to your bike. Last year, and about 6 months of the previous year, all my TTs were done on my standard road bike. No clip on tri-bars or anything. The race is just how far can you cover a set distance on a set course. At any TT you will see a ton of drool-worthy aero kit, but the most important bit of kit is your legs. I would argue it's best to race for a 6 months to a year on your normal bike first as you know you're comfortable on it, and you'll find out if you like TTs and then if you think it's worth investing some cash in kit.
2 - The codes are largely there due to historic reasons (when racing was banned and you had to have a code for a location to the police wouldn't know where it was going to be) and also to allow to define the different courses which may be close together or overlapping in places.
Using the course Snoop is going to do the test TT on - G10/57: We are in London South district which is coded G (South East for Kent courses is Q etc...) so that's the G taken care of. The 10 tells you it's 10 miles long. The 57 is the specific number for that course. There is a CTT (Cycling Time Trials) Handbook which has a list of the codes and a rough detail of where the course covers. It also gives you the HQ. This is also on the [url=http://www.cyclingtimetrials.org.uk/courses.asp]website[/url]. This handbook also has a list of all the events that you can enter, which course the event is on, how much it costs to enter, and who you send your entry off to. These are called open events as they are open to anyone who is a member of a club which is affiliated to the CTT - Addiscombe is. You enter an event by filling in a CTT entry form which is downloaded from the website ([url=http://www.cyclingtimetrials.org.uk/forms/CTTEntryFormFrontOnly.doc]This is one though[/url]. You send that to the organiser with your cheque about 2 weeks before.
You can probably work out easily enough what to fill in in most of the boxes but anyone who needs to know just ask on the forum.
If you have a scoot around the CTT website then it will give you lots of info and should help, any questions stick 'em here. The site does have course details and event info but it is much easier to work from the handbook (Jon Hemming may still have a spare one or two if you want to buy one).
The week of an event you'll get sent a start sheet which has all the info of the event on it - HQ, detailed course description (although the route will be signed and marshaled technically it is the rider's responsibility to know where they're going), Start order and at what time. Also what the prizes are.
As you are 40+ you are a vet (sorry) but it doesn't make much difference bar the chance to win the odd vets prize (but there are some seriously fast vets).

Remind me nearer the time and I'll bring a start & results sheet and the handbook to Snoop's tester TT and everyone can have a looksy at the cafe.

In short with a TT you fill in a form and send it off - turn up and ride as quick as you can over the course - stuff your face with cake and tea (the best bit ).

Jon will be running the club 10s on the Holmwood course (which is G10/42 and near Dorking) over the summer so there will be a chance to ride a couple of those in a club only environment. Then if you want to there will still be some open events you can enter for the later part of the season and be a bit more aware of what's going on.

Nearly forgot the most important bit of kit for any open TT is a bog roll in the boot of your car . The HQs are normally small(ish) village halls so with up to 120 riders suffering from "pre-race nerves" it's best to go equiped .

In road racing you start as a cat 4 just by buying a license (that's me) and then get points for placings in races. Points make jumps up the categories. Stu, George, Sylv, Paul H are all currently 2nd cats to give you an idea of how quick that is. Up from 2nd is 1st and then Elite. You race within category (or similar cats) normally so as a 4th you'll only race against other 4ths, or 3rds and 4ths in crits like Palace or Hillingdon.

I'll let Toks give you the full low down on all the details as I'll probably get something wrong or miss out something vitally important.

[Andrew G]

Ooh nice link to all the descriptions Ivor. I've never had a proper shufty through the London South blogsite.