The Club has a proud tradition of organising racing events throughout the year. As well as the Tuesday evening Time Trials, a great way for novice riders to cut their racing teeth, the club also organises a number of Open Time Trials, Road Races and Cyclo Cross races.
Club Time Trials
To enter a club Time Trial simply turn up on the night. Pre-entry is not required. The cost is £5 per event or £45 for the full series. Consult the Events section of the web site to find out when and where the next Time Trial is.
A rider’s best eight placings in the club Time Trials count towards the various Club Championship Trophies. These include championships for Senior Men and Women, Juniors, School boy and School girl. There are also championship trophies based on handicap times, so you don’t have to be the fastest rider to win. In the event of a tie the trophy will be shared.
For all club Time Trials it is now compulsory for ALL riders to wear an approved HARD SHELL safety helmet. Working front and rear lights are now compulsory in all time trials.
Open Time Trials
Open Time Trials require pre-entry. The closing date for entry is usually ten days prior to the event but some events do have specified closing dates, which may be earlier. All open time trial events are listed on the Cycling Time Trials (CTT) website. A handbook, which lists all the events, is also available to purchase, either through the Club or direct from CTT. Entries must be made either on an official entry form or through the CTT website. Most events now accept entry through the CTT website but you will need to register as a user.
Entry forms can be downloaded from the CTT website here. To complete the entry form you will need to state the event you are entering eg City Road Club (Hull) 10 mile TT, the date the event is on and the entry fee, which may be something in the region of £10. You will also need to provide your personal details and an emergency contact.
You will also need to provide details of your fastest performance over the event distance during the current and past three seasons and also your fastest performance over the event distance since the 1st January last year. If you have previously competed only in club Time Trials then your fastest times in these events can be used on the entry form. If you are entering an event through the CTT website then you will be asked to provide the same information so it always useful to keep a track of your results and fastest performances.
Road Racing
The local East Yorkshire Road Race League (EYRRL) is a great introduction to road racing. These events are run under the governance of The League International (TLI). The EYRRL comprises eight events during the summer months on the Sproatley, Little Weighton, Walkington, Etton and Kilham road race circuits. Riders can enter the full series or just individual races. The races are run on a handicap basis with riders setting off in groups of similar ability. Riders can obtain full membership or just day membership. At one event you will be expected to help out/marshall. The first Little Weighton event is usually assigned to City Road Club (Hull).
There are many road and circuit races run under the governance of British Cycling (BC). The Club organise The Pete Taylor Memorial Road Race each year which is open to 2/3/4 category riders. If you intend to ride a number of road/circuit races through the season then it would be advisable to become a member of British Cycling and obtain a race licence. All details are on the BC website. Day membership and day licence can also be obtained.
On the BC website there is a comprehensive list of road/circuit race events. With the opening of the Ennerdale Cycling Circuit there is now a local venue for circuit races too, but there are a number of circuit race venues throughout Yorkshire and Lincolnshire eg York, Leeds and Blyton Park, which often run a series of races.
As a novice you will initially be 4th Category rider. You can gain points by finishing in the top ten or fifteen positions depending on the category of event eg Regional B. Some races are open only to 4th Category riders, so can be a good way to initially gain points. The categories of rider events are open to are always listed against the event.
Cyclo Cross
The Club organise two series of cyclo-cross events in the Spring and Autumn at the Costello Stadium. These run under the governance of BC. The same BC race licence as used in road racing can be used in cyclo-cross races (as well as track, mountain biking and BMX events). Cyclo-cross events are also listed on the BC website Events section.
Cyclo-cross races take place on a mixture of surfaces but usually grass (which may turn to mud) with the course often going up embankments and over obstacles, which may require to rider to dismount. Ideally a cyclo-cross bike should be used in these events but a mountain bike can also be used. The Spring and Autumn series of races run by the Club are open to all categories of riders from Youth through to Senior Men/Women. This makes these events very inclusive and, above all, great fun.
Track
Whilst the Club do not organise any track events with the emergence of indoor tracks at Manchester and Derby, and the outdoor tracks at York and Scunthorpe, relatively local venues are reachable. Again, many track events can be found listed on the BC website.
As with all these events it requires volunteers for them to go ahead. The Club do require marshalls/helpers for our events to run, so if you can help out, it would be very welcome and can be very rewarding.
