What is a Time Trial?
Time trialling is the simplest of competitive formats: a race against the clock, over a set course, with riders starting a minute apart. It’s known as the ‘race of truth’ because there’s nowhere to hide, no one to draft behind, just you, your bike and the thumping of your heart. Oh and a clock ticking!
What do I need to get started?
Not much.
- A roadworthy bicycle with working front white and red rear lights
- A cycling helmet made to an internationally recognised safety standard
- Clothes and shoes suitable for cycling in
- Some grit, determination and a desire to answer the question “just how fast am I?”
If you have ever done a spin class you will know the sort of effort involved. If you have ever run a Parkrun, you will understand the time trial format. Don’t just be curious, come and join us, pin on a race number and give it a try, you might be surprised at how much you enjoy it!
Take a look at the CTT website for more advice on getting into time trialling:
Where and when?
The South East has plenty of TT opportunities for riders with teardrop helmets, disc wheels and skinsuits. Cycling Time Trials (CTT) run hundreds of open events all across the country that you can enter if you want to race TTs. At Penge we believe that cycle sport should be for everyone, so we set up a laid-back event for club members to test themselves against the clock (basically a short race against yourself, a load of chat and banter, and an excuse to tuck into tea and cakes at a local village hall). The Penge CC Time Trial series was born..
Penge Time Trial series 2026
This year we will be running two events, effectively at the start and end of the British cycling season , on Sunday 19th April and Sunday 20th September 2026. Ride the first then see if you can improve your time after a summer of cycling, in September.
Enter April here. The April event is a come and try it event so open to non-club members and Penge members alike..
Enter September here. The September event is a PengeCC only event.
When our events are for Penge CC members only, we welcome our ‘2nd claim’ members or Guest riders. When it’s a ‘come and try’ event anyone can enter. Penge CC club records and silverware are limited to First -claim club members only.
The course
All time trials sanctioned by Cycling Time Trials use set courses with esoteric names and various distances, with 10 and 25 miles being the most common. Their origins date from the early 20th Century when competitive cycling was a clandestine affair, not wanting to draw the attention of the authorities, and riders were known as “scorchers”. Our home course is QS/30, a non standard 9.3 mile course on rolling roads in the Kent countryside, with marshalls.
The start/finish is adjacent to Cudham recreation ground car park, just south of the Bricklayers Arms. It’s a rolling course starting with an uphill section. The course takes the first left turning towards Knockholt. Follow the road through Knockholt and descend Rushmore Hill. Take the first exit at the roundabout onto the A21. Left again at the next roundabout to climb back to the start/finish in Cudham. Take a look at the route map and profile below.
We’ve even made a video of the course with music to take you back a few decades.
Your safety
We want all of our riders to feel and to be safe at our time trials. While a time trial does take place on open public roads and carries some risk, the following mitigations are in place
- Each and every TT course is risk assessed and events must be approved by the police
- The risk assessment is reviewed in the run up to the event and on the day to check for any changes
- The route is signposted with warning signs for motorists to alert them to cyclists
- Marshalls are posted at crucial points on the course to direct riders and ensure their safety
- All CTT approved events provide Cycling Time Trials’ third party liability insurance which covers riders and officials during the event.
- A safety briefing is given to all riders pre-event to inform them of any issues with the course.
- The event organiser’s number is given to all competitors as a contact, in case of incident, accident or emergency.
Records and results from previous years
- Men: Avinash Mahandru 22:58:00 (2023)
- Men: Luke Marshall-Waterfield 23:09:00 (2023)
- Men (Guest rider WoolwichCC): Alex Pearson 22:26:00 (2026)
- Women: Lucy Benezet Minns 23:08:00 (2023)
- Women: Victoria Randall 25:52:00 (2019)
- Youth (F): Lucy Benezet Minns 29:55:00 (2019)
- Youth (M): Colin Benezet Minns 27:13:00 (2023)
- 2015–2026 results
What does it cost?
The cost of entry is £8 in advance (+ booking service fees if applicable). This covers insurance and the levy to Cycling Time Trials to make this a sanctioned event.
Further information
We will love it if the experience encourages you to go on and wear the Penge colours in other time trials. Penge CC is affiliated with Cycling Time Trials, the governing body for time trials in the UK, entitling you to enter any open time trial organised by another club.
Take a look at the CTT website for more advice and getting started on time trialling:
Take a look at the CTT Handbook for more details about everything to do with time trialling
Email pengecc@gmail.com with any queries.