The ‘race of truth’ – it solely tests a rider’s individual strength and endurance. It’s just you, your bike and a clock – okay a few rules and a course. But you get the idea. It’s considered the purest test of a cyclists ability. Any form of competitive cycling is hard, but most of us need to see a marker/rider to race against and this is not the case here, so mental strength is probably the biggest asset to be good at TT’s. I’ve just got back into them. I use my road bike, my normal cycle clothes (all be it the tightest I have) – skin suit might come out when it’s warmer… and a little preparation and planning for the event. So far its’s going okay but that can all change; going out too hard or worse still, too soft! I use a power meter and heart rate to gauge my effort and just constantly remind myself to keep as aero as possible while hitting the numbers – bingo. It can be a bit of a faff to get involved as you need to join a club that either does them or is affiliated to the CTT, but it’s not that expensive. And best, you can use your normal road bike as there are separate categories. Until next time; #handlebars_haynes