Start time 18:40 – please try to be at start line by 18:30-18:35 in case of technology failures
Please read the joining instructions below very carefully!
Lottery 2-up
Race #6 will be a team affair, with riders paired at random – although you can ride solo if you want. If you wish to take part in the lottery 2-up time trial, or simply race the course solo, please let us know either way by commenting on this post or messaging Simon Cox. The pairings for the 2-up will be drawn at random – hence lottery!
Signing on
Step 1: Sign up for RGT Cycling, if you are not already registered, and get the free Covid-19 Premium unlock (see separate post for how to do this + hints and tips on using RGT)
Step 2: Sign up for the race on RGT, using the link below, by 7pm on the night before the race is due to take place. The start sheet will usually be up by lunchtime on the day of the race on the CDW Facebook Page, and will be sent to the Facebook Messenger Group Members. So if you want a late entry, or if you are going to pull out, please let us know as soon as you can either way. Here’s the link for the 29 April 2-up race:
http://app.rgtcycling.com/event?code=uGmOhS6Pju
Joining our Messenger Group
If you are signing up for one of our VTTs for the first time please put a comment below this post to let us know you are signing up, and whether you are happy to be added to our Virtual Time Trials Facebook Messenger Group. This will enable us to send you the start sheet directly with your starting time, to manage the race starting sequence, and to keep in touch with you about future events. You can opt out of the group altogether, of course, or leave it at any time. We will post rider start times on the CDW Facebook Page ahead of each event anyway, so you can simply check there ahead of the race. It will normally be posted after lunchtime on race day. However, RGT only shows us the first initial of your surname, so if we don’t know you then your full name may not be displayed on the start sheet (just first name and initial of surname).
Start sequence
The rules are simple – pretty much exactly as per a normal club evening TT – i.e. riders will start at 1 minute intervals – except that you are being relied on to start yourselves at the correct time (and to be honest about that, not trying to grab some extra seconds!), as the app does not currently cater for these staggered start times (though we hope it may in future).
Rider number 1 will start pedalling only when the race clock hits 1 minute. This means when the race clock starts running at 18:40 BST no one should be pedalling for the first minute! Rider 1 should only start pedalling when the time is at 01:00 on the race clock. By doing the start sequence in this way, your virtual race number is also your start time. So, Rider (or team) 1 goes on 01:00, Rider (team) 2 on 02:00, Rider (team) 3 on 03:00, Rider (team) 4 on 04:00 and so on.
All riders must not start pedalling until your allotted start time – otherwise you will roll forward off the start line (you may find you drift forward a bit anyway). However – you may need to adjust your trainer or power meter sensor settings to enable them to stay awake for 10 or 15 mins with no activity while you sit on the start line/pedal backwards/kick the pedals now and then to stop your power meter/trainer from going to sleep. Just try not to wander too far down the track from the start line!
In RGT you may notice a few seconds delay between the start of pedalling and your avatar moving, but just be patient – it’s the same for all of us.
If you are in our Virtual Time Trials Messenger group we will invite you to join a group call starting at 18:35 to manage the start countdown. You can opt to join the call by pressing the green ‘join’ button, or stay out of it if you want. If you can’t or don’t want to use the call we will try to give each rider a heads-up of their impending start slot using the in app message board (messages pop up on the right hand side of the screen), but you will be able to see the clock for yourselves in the top right of your screen display, so make sure you memorise your start number/minute! If you join the voice call I recommend leaving it once you’ve started the race (trainer noise makes hearing the call difficult for the rest of us).
At the end we will subtract your start minute from your recorded finish time to get your actual time over the course, and thereby determine the rankings. We will post these results on the CDW Facebook page in the comments section of the original race invite post.