CLUB RUNS

Routine club life is centered around the club run.  Every Sunday of the year, except on rare occasions when everyone is away riding or marshalling and supporting an event, we meet at 9 a.m. by the Harrow pub on the Ridge above the A21.  Some weeks four groups of riders (seriously fast, fast, steady and off road) will have set off by 9.15 a.m.  The rides are typically 40 to 60 miles with a brunch stop, for the majority, at a designated cafe mid-morning.  The idea is that each group sticks together, riding two abreast when road conditions permit.  On hills a group is liable to fragment but those first to the top, and club runs are NOT races, will stop or ride slowly until all regroup.  Sometimes those at the back will agree to break off as a smaller group and take a short cut to the cafe.  Any newcomers to club cycling should contact the Club Secretary so that we can ensure that some one is available to meet you and ride with you as you get to know everyone.  No two runs are ever the same so you need to come out a fair number of rides to get a real feel for what they are about.

TIME TRIALLING

The club promotes time trials on Wednesday evenings from the beginning of May to the end of August and a hill climb on a Sunday morning in early October.  Riders must be twelve years old or over and members of a club affiliated to Cycling Time Trials (CTT).  Parental consent is needed for the under 18's.  One timekeeper sets each individual off at minute intervals and another records the time taken at the end of a fixed distance (e.g. 8, 10 or 14 miles) on the open roads.  There is rivalry between individuals of comparable ability but most are competing for fun and aiming to attain their personal best times for the distance.  There is a trophy for the top points scorer in the series.

The CTT produces a handbook listing time trials that are promoted throughout the country every weekend from March to October.  Entries, on a standard form (download it from www.ctt.org.uk) together with a cheque for about  £5.00, must be sent to the organizer at least two weeks before an event so that a start sheet listing each individual's start time, course details and HQ location can be printed and sent to every competitor.  Local courses are mainly to the west of Hailsham or east of Rye, the most common distances being 10, 25 or 50 miles.  Nearly all events have age related handicaps for veterans (40 plus).  There are several riders in their seventies knocking out good times in Sussex, Surrey and Kent events!  Some events are for under-18's and women only.

ROAD RACING

The local Surrey Cycle Racing League (www.surreyleague.co.uk) and South East Road Race League events are not quite the same class as the Tour de France but the idea is similar!  Most Sundays from March to September the Leagues and others promote races at various distances, typically from 25 to 75 miles, for different categories of riders.  Some races have unlimited fields on closed circuits such as the Goodwood motor racing track.  In other races the fields of up to 60 riders will ride several laps of a 6 to 10 mile circuit on open roads with a convoy of lead and follow cars warning the general public that a cycle race is in progress.  If you can manage our fast club runs you should be able to handle the shorter races but you will have to gain confidence of riding in bunch and be able to cope with rapid changes of pace.  Most races are run under British Cycling (www.britishcycling.org.uk) rules but the League of Veteran Racing Cyclists (www.lvrc.org.uk) also promotes in the region.