London Phoenix riders are planning to ride in the following road races and events:
– September 9th – Southern Cyclosportive
– L’Etape du Tour
– Team Quest womens’ series at Hillingdon over the summer
and probably some other events that we decide to ride the night before we go!

Sometimes thought of as the purest form of cycle sport or the “race of truth”. Time trialling involves trying to cover a set distance in the lowest possible time. Distances vary depending on the event.

Standard races are held over 10, 25, 50 and 100 miles. Beyond this the measure changes to trying to cover the most miles in a set time. Events are then held over 12 and even 24 hours. Events are also held over other distances. These are usually run over sporting courses covering quiet circuits. They can sometimes be quite hilly.

Time trialling is easy for beginners to get into. Beginners should be looking to break 30 mins for a 10 mile as an initial target. This equates to 20mph average and is achievable by most people with a bit of training.

Aerodynamics is very important and experienced riders will use triathlon bars, disc wheels and teardrop helmets the help lower their times. They are looking to ride in a position that maximises power output and aerodynamics, as Tom is doing in this picture.

For beginners the great thing is that none of this matters. Any bike is fine to start on as you will have a personal target to try to beat next week.

With a bit more experience Open events can be attempted. These have to be entered in advance, at least 2 weeks before the event. They are listed in the CTT handbook.

Variations on these time trial formats are sometimes held. These include early season two ups where two riders start together and share the pace making. Late season hill climbs are held if you like climbing. There are some London Phoenix members who take part in time trials and if you’re interested please contact Pete Richardson.

London Phoenix racers Alex Christians and Abi Armstrong achieved podium places in this year’s Beastway mountainbike race series at Hainault park. In addition, six other London Phoenix riders raced in this year’s series and found that the quality of the course and the real life beasts alongside it made the weekly journey to Hainault worthwhile.

See the Beastway website for full details, more photos and results.

London Phoenix had two teams racing at the Bonty Twentyfour12 this year, both in the 24 hour event. Despite having just 3 team members (reducing to 2 for the last few hours), the women were determined to retain their 2006 title, and raced through the night while the course got muddier and muddier in the rain.

London Phoenix riders are planning to ride at the following off-road races and events:

– Beastway at Hainault Country Park over the summer
– Bontrager 24/12 – July 14-15
– 3 peaks

and plenty more!

Not one, not two but three teams from London Phoenix swam through the mud at Mountain Mayhem! If you saw a gorilla out there, you may have been hallucinating, but the red jerseys were for real.

If anyone found a USE Exposure light somewhere in the ferns, or a walkie talkie at the top of the Kenda climb, please do get in touch…

Next Page »