So it is 33 weeks since the end of the 2012 Time Trial season and now only a week away from the start of the 2013 season, life is good and the sun must be due to shine soon. Will all the winter miles be enough to help you improve on 2012 or will you regret the times that you should have been on the Club run but weren't?

Have a look at your times on the attached spreadsheet which shows the full results for 2012, and if you are a new member have a think about where you would like to be by the end of the 2013 season. Mark up your diaries and calendars now for every Thursday evening to be at the St Neots Cycling Club Time Trial and to get you in the mood have a read here about what happened in 2012.

If you are reading this and thinking that time trialling is not for me, then put this thought aside and just come and give it a go. It adds a different dimension to your cycling activity and it is also a very enjoyable evening.  There are sure to be some new bikes, new wheels and aero bars on display as people strive to find those extra few seconds but the purists will still be out setting good times without the need for any artificial aids :-)

Remember that time trial entry fees this year are £2 for members and £4 for guests.

For many years, John and Brian have been the club timekeepers and without them, we would not have been able to run our time trials. This year, Brian’s health is not so good and he is going to skip at least the early part of the season. We might see him in the summer when it is warmer. Colin Mullins has agreed to be John’s wingman this year and he is looking forward to the first TT on the 25th April.

For the record the times recorded by John and Colin will be the only times that will be used for the TT. You may have your own timing device or gadget and this might show a different time to that of the timekeepers - however please do not dispute the time that you are given. The timekeepers will always be right.

Initial Handicaps

Richard Hancock      0.23
Ian Turner              0.42
Justin Lomas           1.55
Tim Pennell             2.46
Tom Stead              2.50
Richard Ostler         2.57
Chris Ritchie           3.10
Wayne Tunnah        3.44
Geoff Smith            3.54
Adrian Taverna       4.06
Mick Lawrence        4.11
Steve Rodley         4.37
David Lindsay        4.47
Steve Muchmore    4.58
Steve Blows           5.03
Keith Ritchie          5.03
Andy Kinglake       5.08
Adrian Bloxham     5.33
Jonathon Pang       5.41
Ashley Cooper       5.57
Jane Stapleton      6.04
Andrew Kluth         6.15
Steve Pleasance    6.23
Jeremy Griggs       6.26
Alistair Henderson   6.27
Adrian Lancaster     6.35
Phil Laycock           6.35
Richard Wales        6.39
Adrian Lewis           6.58
Chris Preston         7.15
Mark Colmer         7.32
Leon Bradford        7.42
David Smith          8.04
Jason Dixon          8.32
Rob Black             8.43
Dan King              9.11
Paul Reece           9.19
Phil Tily               9.40
Ruth Stapleton     9.46
Morgan Bacon      9.54
Kevn Holditch       9.54
Andrew Poodle    10.05
Dave Standring    10.37
Anne Lawrence    10.44
Dan Baxter         10.48
Jon Keefe          11.39
David Wilson     12.42
Craig Jalall        13.01

The Handicap Times are taken from the 2012 season only and the above will be treated as your Handicap until you improve on your time.

The Handicaps are based on a standard of 25 minutes. On the night, your Handicap Time will be deducted from your Actual Time and we then sort the times in order. Take Chris Preston as an example.
 
If he does an actual 32 minute TT then his Handicap Time will be 24.45 (32 - 7.15) and he would (depending of course on how the other riders perform) probably be in the top 2 or 3 on the evening. His Handicap for the next TT however will be updated and would be 7 minutes for future TTs (32 actual - 25 standard) and if he did another 32 minute his Handicap Time would be 25 minutes and he may not be as well placed as the previous week. If he then did an actual 31 minute on his next TT his Handicap Time would be 24 minutes and his Handicap for the following TT would drop to 6 minutes.  Handicaps can only drop during the season - they cannot increase.

New riders who do not yet have a handicap, have their initial handicap set on their first ride with the club.

The points on the night are awarded on the number of Club members attending. So if 25 riders ride on the night, including 3 guests, there are 22 points on offer and the best Handicap Time would get 22 points and so on down to 1 point for the poorest Handicap Time.

Of course you can just come along and enjoy the evening and not worry too much about the esoteric mathematics of the Handicap system.

Here is to another enjoyable TT season for St Neots Cycling Club .