LWCC
Time Trial Glossary
Closing Date : (not always clear in handbook) - An open event closes normally on one of 2 dates - if the event is on a Fri/Sat/Sun/Mon then it closes the Tuesday a week beforehand (11 to 14 days before). If midweek, it closes the Saturday the weekend before (11 to 13 days before). If it is not the standard date of closing then it will show as NS against the listings in the handbook, together with the closing date. National Champ events have a longer closing period - 3 weeks.
Clothing : Currently you must use clothing that is clean and tidy and covers you from neck to mid-thigh and has at least quarter sleeves. You can only have advertising on your clothing if your club/team has registered as a sponsored club with the CTT.
Drafting : Often called pacing. No drafting is allowed in time trials between riders (in solo events). If caught you must drop back to prevent this happening.
Drag Strip : A slang term for fast course, usually on a dual carriageway. Also Ski-Slope - a drag strip course that typically starts higher than the finish and has a (long) hill soon after the start that you do not come back up to finish. This gives an advantage due to the gravity assisted section being faster.
Handbook : A book where all the rules, regulations and event listings are published, together with records, courses and various other information - issued annually.
Helmet : Safety Helmets are only compulsory for riders aged under 19 and junior riders over 18 in CTT events. You may use a helmet if you want. Some still use non safety helmets (aka fairings) to aid aerodynamics.
Hilly : Like a Sporting event, but a bit hillier. Will probably need some low gears as there will be long or steeper hills.
HQ : Headquarters. Either 1. The event headquarters - changing rooms, results, etc. or 2. Headquarters of the CTT (Cycling Time Trials) the governing body of the sport in England and Wales.
LTS : Literally 'Last Three Seasons' - an acronym. In reality it is a way of saying what your best time is for the last 3 seasons - or in fact current and last 3 seasons (so for 2007 that means back to 2004).
Medium Gear : An old reference to the size of the gear used - usually measured as inches. A Medium gear is 72 A gear is worked out as the number of teeth on the chainwheel divided by the teeth on the sprocket times the diameter of the wheel - in olden days that was generalised as 27 inches, so a chainwheel of 48 teeth on a sprocket of 18 teeth means 48/18x27=72
Middlemarkers : Another older reference to someone who is not a fast rider. In typical terms this is applied to events where they restrict entry to those who have not beaten a certain time for the distance (eg 1 2 00 for 25 miles - but the time varies from event to event and will be mentioned in the entry conditions in the handbook - look for MM next to a time).
Minute Man : Normally means the rider starting one minute in front of you (time trials have riders starting at one minute intervals). Sometimes is also referred to the person starting one minute behind you (so can be confusing!). Seeding is such that you usually don't catch them and it is just you against the watch.
Number : Each rider (or machine in the case of tandems) must ride with a number visible from behind. The numbers also often indicate a seeding pattern with the fastest riders seeded in order from the highest number to lowest number starting with the 0 numbers fastest, then 5's, then 1's & 6's, etc down to the 9's who are normally the slowest. There are some variations in the seeding pattern for some events, with the National 10 and 25 Champs being seeded with a simple fastest to slowest.
Open : An event open to all riders. Some are semi-open that are restricted to riders of certain clubs (see Association), or a middle marker (MM) or similar. If the event is listed with SC (Special Conditions) in the handbook, then it will have some sort of restriction - hopefully it will say so, othersise you will have to ask the organiser. Otherwise events are open to the fastest entrants, up to the limit (usually 120, but there are exceptions). See Club Events too.
Pacing : See drafting. Although some can also claim you are taking pace even without drafting by staying some way behind a rider and just using them as a carrot.
Sporting : Usually an event held on a circuit or rolling course and often of a non-standard distance. May use many smaller roads that require better handling than a typical out and home event on a dual carriageway course.
VTTA : A National Association for riders aged 40 or over. Veterans Time Trial Association (acronym)
Clothing : Currently you must use clothing that is clean and tidy and covers you from neck to mid-thigh and has at least quarter sleeves. You can only have advertising on your clothing if your club/team has registered as a sponsored club with the CTT.
Drafting : Often called pacing. No drafting is allowed in time trials between riders (in solo events). If caught you must drop back to prevent this happening.
Drag Strip : A slang term for fast course, usually on a dual carriageway. Also Ski-Slope - a drag strip course that typically starts higher than the finish and has a (long) hill soon after the start that you do not come back up to finish. This gives an advantage due to the gravity assisted section being faster.
Handbook : A book where all the rules, regulations and event listings are published, together with records, courses and various other information - issued annually.
Helmet : Safety Helmets are only compulsory for riders aged under 19 and junior riders over 18 in CTT events. You may use a helmet if you want. Some still use non safety helmets (aka fairings) to aid aerodynamics.
Hilly : Like a Sporting event, but a bit hillier. Will probably need some low gears as there will be long or steeper hills.
HQ : Headquarters. Either 1. The event headquarters - changing rooms, results, etc. or 2. Headquarters of the CTT (Cycling Time Trials) the governing body of the sport in England and Wales.
LTS : Literally 'Last Three Seasons' - an acronym. In reality it is a way of saying what your best time is for the last 3 seasons - or in fact current and last 3 seasons (so for 2007 that means back to 2004).
Medium Gear : An old reference to the size of the gear used - usually measured as inches. A Medium gear is 72 A gear is worked out as the number of teeth on the chainwheel divided by the teeth on the sprocket times the diameter of the wheel - in olden days that was generalised as 27 inches, so a chainwheel of 48 teeth on a sprocket of 18 teeth means 48/18x27=72
Middlemarkers : Another older reference to someone who is not a fast rider. In typical terms this is applied to events where they restrict entry to those who have not beaten a certain time for the distance (eg 1 2 00 for 25 miles - but the time varies from event to event and will be mentioned in the entry conditions in the handbook - look for MM next to a time).
Minute Man : Normally means the rider starting one minute in front of you (time trials have riders starting at one minute intervals). Sometimes is also referred to the person starting one minute behind you (so can be confusing!). Seeding is such that you usually don't catch them and it is just you against the watch.
Number : Each rider (or machine in the case of tandems) must ride with a number visible from behind. The numbers also often indicate a seeding pattern with the fastest riders seeded in order from the highest number to lowest number starting with the 0 numbers fastest, then 5's, then 1's & 6's, etc down to the 9's who are normally the slowest. There are some variations in the seeding pattern for some events, with the National 10 and 25 Champs being seeded with a simple fastest to slowest.
Open : An event open to all riders. Some are semi-open that are restricted to riders of certain clubs (see Association), or a middle marker (MM) or similar. If the event is listed with SC (Special Conditions) in the handbook, then it will have some sort of restriction - hopefully it will say so, othersise you will have to ask the organiser. Otherwise events are open to the fastest entrants, up to the limit (usually 120, but there are exceptions). See Club Events too.
Pacing : See drafting. Although some can also claim you are taking pace even without drafting by staying some way behind a rider and just using them as a carrot.
Sporting : Usually an event held on a circuit or rolling course and often of a non-standard distance. May use many smaller roads that require better handling than a typical out and home event on a dual carriageway course.
VTTA : A National Association for riders aged 40 or over. Veterans Time Trial Association (acronym)
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