MCCC have active men’s and women’s racing teams who participate in local events and competitions across a range of racing disciplines and are always happy to welcome and support any members who are interested in getting involved, or just want to know a little more before making any commitment.
The racing teams organise various group training rides throughout the year: race pace training with chain gangs, endurance training with non-stop rides, racing circuit recce rides, and even virtually using Zwift.
MCCC club is fully affiliated to British Cycling (BC) and Cycling Time Trials (CTT) organisations allowing access to a wide range of events.
If you have any questions, queries, or require further information on anything race related contact a member of the working group who will put you in touch with the right person.
British Cycling: As a club we actively promote, and strongly recommend, club members take out their own individual memberships with British Cycling. If you intend to race (road, circuit or CX) you will need a BC Racing Licence (Valid from 1st Jan - 31st Dec) in addition to a ‘Race Silver’ or ‘Race Gold’ BC membership.
Time Trials:
Time trials are a great entry into the world of cycle racing. The simplest form of racing: ride a specified distance as fast as you can on your own. All you need is a bike (Any racing bike. Doesn’t need to be a special TT machine), helmet and a rear light. The standard distances are 10 and 25 miles ridden on official open road routes.
Have a go. Set a personal best time (PB), then come back to try and beat it. Simple!
Several local clubs organise events where you can just turn up, sign-on and race. Other events, managed nationally by CTT, require prior registration. All event details can be found on the CTT web site.
Oxonian CC organise and run the Oxfordshire Time Trial League each summer using a range of local courses. Bicester Millennium CC (BMCC) host a regular event at Weston on the Green which is great for beginners on a closed circuit.
Separate to the individual time trials are team time trails (TTT) where a team of usually 2, 4, or 9 riders complete the course riding in close formation to achieve the fastest time. A number of events allow a separate entry for teams but the annual TTT highlight is a 9-up event hosted by BMCC on the Silverstone Grand Prix racing circuit with over 80 teams of all abilities taking part.
Road Racing:
A road race is a mass start event, over a specified distance, where the first person across the finish line is the winner – think Tour de France.
In a regional race a bunch, or ‘peloton’, of 60-80 riders will normally ride several laps of an official route on the public highway within a convoy of vehicles including a BC Commissaire and motorcycle escort. They are supported by a team of Accredited Marshalls who manage traffic at junctions to make the event safe for everyone. A typical regional road race is around 40-60 miles long and can be quite technical depending upon the type of roads and amount of climbing included.
MCCC participate in the Oxfordshire Road Race League (ORRL) which is a season long team event (men’s & women’s competitions) with points awarded for best team performance and individual results at each race. A very popular and highly contested series amongst local clubs, MCCC have been overall winners of the league in 2016 and 2019 and had the highest-ranking individual rider in both winning seasons.
Criteriums:
Also a mass start event (known as ‘crits’) around a short, closed circuit with a specified time, or number of laps, typically 45-60 minutes as the race distance usually making for some fast and furious racing. A criterium race may also have ‘prime’ laps where an extra prize is awarded for the first rider to cross the finish line on a specified lap.
Abingdon Race Team (ART) host spring, summer and autumn crit racing series at Dalton Barracks for all levels and is a great place to test your racing legs.
Details for all road races and criterium events can be found on the BC web site events section.
Cyclocross:
Cyclocross (CX) is a form of off-road racing usually held in a field or parkland and includes negotiation of various obstacles, natural and man-made, with the winner being the rider covering the most laps/distance over a specified time.
CX races are mass start events but riders are grouped into age categories, from 8 to over 70, making this a very social and accessible introduction to racing. You can ride on any bike, but wider, knobbly tires are usually the best option as this is generally a winter event with the season running September – February. There is usually a ‘Novices’ race for first timers meaning no previous experience is necessary.
Locally events are hosted by clubs as part of the Wessex and Central Leagues. All details can be found on the BC web site events section.