Competitive Cycling for Life ^
The VTTA is governed by its Constitution, Rules and Regulations which may be amended by proposals to the Annual General Meeting.
The full Constitution, Rules & Regulations as updated by the 2024 AGM is available as a pdf in the Documents section here.
The Rules cover the management of the Association, the National Executive, the Financial Year, the Formation of Regional Groups, Subscriptions, Life Membership, and the National Annual General Meeting.
The racing Regulations are shown below.
3. REGULATIONS
3.1 Time Trials Regulations
3.1.1 All VTTA time trials shall be run in accordance with the rules and regulations of CTT or SC. VTTA time trials will be Type A events: either ‘Open’, ‘Semi-open’ or ‘Association’, as defined in the CTT regulations.
3.1.2 Any member wishing to enter a time trial shall submit to the Event Secretary a standard CTT entry form, properly completed, or enter via the Cycling Time Trials Entry System. Any member wishing to enter a time trial held in Scotland shall enter via the Cycling Time Trials or Scottish Cycling entry system as appropriate.
3.1.3 In all VTTA events, only VTTA members will be eligible for any of the awards made on Age Adjustment (or on Standard).
3.1.4 Only first-claim members of a club are eligible for team awards in events promoted by the VTTA.
3.1.5 Overall prizes in all VTTA events shall be decided on the basis of the official VTTA Age Adjusted Tables (or Standard Tables). Other prizes may be awarded at the discretion of the organiser.
3.1.6 12 hours and 24 hours distances should be calculated in miles to two decimal places.
3.2 Regulations for Standard Awards
3.2.1 Standard Medals will be awarded for rides at 10, 15, 25, 30, 50 and 100 miles, 12 hours and 24 hours based on the VTTA Age Adjusted Tables. Riders’ improvements on the website will be shown on both age adjusted time (or distance) and also on plus (or minus) using the Standard Tables. Groups may allow standard medals to be engraved with actual times, age adjusted times, or plus.
3.2.2 Any VTTA member may attempt to gain VTTA standard medals in any Open, Semi-Open or Association event authorised by CTT or the SC. Events that are eligible for Standards shall also be eligible for Records, Best All Rounder Competition (BAR), Three Distance Competition, Short Distance Competition and Trophies.
Scotland Group may allow its members to claim standard awards in Scottish Cycling club events and CTT ‘B’ type events. Such events must be run on type ‘A’ classified courses and with due timekeeping and recording requirements. Results from such events will not be recognised for VTTA Season Long Competitions or Records.
Note to above: Scotland members would need to submit a documented result to the Group Recorder, eg an image of club facebook/website page or an image/copy of the paper result. The Group Recorder would verify the result as adequately documented and manually upload claimed results onto the national website for the purpose of standards claims only.
3.2.3 Applications for standards may be made as follows:
Any number of attempts per season at all distances or times on one type of machine.
3.2.4 Members competing for Standards must have linked their CTT and VTTA accounts, so their improvements can be notified on the website. (Members without IT access may approach their Group Secretary or Recorder for assistance.) The Standards automation system will show baselines and improvements for all members with linked accounts.
3.2.5 Members’ applications and payments for Standards must be made online or by post prior to any event for which they subsequently claim a standard.
3.2.6 Each Group shall be allowed to determine its own standard ride entry fees. Payment of one fee covers only one type of machine.
3.2.7 Only one award for a ride at each distance will be made during any one year, but there is no limit to the number of attempts that may be made.
3.2.8 Claims for Standards must be submitted via the website at the end of the racing season or not later than 31st October. (Members without IT access may approach their Group Secretary or Recorder for assistance to process their claim.) Successful claims will be rewarded with medals or plaques as determined by each Group.
3.2.9 Each VTTA Group may elect to have either Standard or Actual times engraved on Standard Medals/Plaques.
3.2.10 Once a rider has won a Standard Award, the rider must improve on their previous best Age Adjustment (or Standard plus/minus) in order to obtain another award in a later age group. However, if a rider has not claimed in the three calendar years since their last award they may request their group recorder to change their baseline from their last award to their current Age Adjustment/ Standard.
3.3 Regulations for Age Records
3.3.1 Road record rides will be recognised only when achieved in events authorised by CTT or the SC, timed on watches complying with the requirements of those bodies and run in conformity with their regulations.
3.3.2 Record Certificates are awarded for rides at 10, 15, 25, 30, 50 and 100 miles, 12 hours and 24 hours to riders of solo bicycle, solo tricycle, tandem bicycle or tandem tricycle (Open, Women and Mixed) in any Open, Semi-Open or Association event authorised by CTT.
3.3.3 The VTTA also recognises Indoor and Outdoor Track records on solo bicycle and tandem bicycle at the following distances: 5, 10 and 25 miles; 1 hour; 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 km. Records in the VTTA Handbook are as at 31st October of the previous year. Indoor track records must be set on a track (fixed wheel) bike. Outdoor track records may be set on a track (fixed wheel) bike or on a road/time trial bike.
3.3.4 A claimant for any records must be a paid-up member of the VTTA at the time of the ride.
3.3.5 No record will be considered if a better time or distance has already been achieved by a record holder of a greater age.
3.3.6 Provisional road time trial record claims from 2023 are automatically identified from CTT results once they have been loaded to the CTT website and transferred to the VTTA system. Provisional claims are notified to both the provisional record holder and to the relevant Group Recorder for a group age record and to the National Road Records Secretary for a national record. Once ratified by the Group and/or National Recorder, the holder is notified automatically and the record is marked as ratified.
Note on records claimed in Scottish Cycling events – a group or national record claimed in a Scottish Cycling event must continue to be submitted manually on a claim form to the Group Recorder and National Road Records Secretary if applicable.
3.3.7 Claims for national track records must be made manually using the form available on the website. Track record attempts should be notified in advance to the National Track Records Secretary. The National Track Records Secretary will ratify a record claim, and if approved, will enter it onto the Age Records system. Track records claims must be made not later than 31st October of the current year giving full details of the record together with a detailed hard copy or electronic version of the lap timings.
3.4 Regulations for National Championships
3.4.1 National Championships will be promoted on behalf of the NEC at 10, 15, 25, 30, 50 and 100 miles, 12 hours and 24 hours. The dates of all National Championships will be published in the VTTA Handbook.
3.4.2 To be eligible for Championship awards, riders must be paid-up VTTA members at the closing date for entries and have linked online VTTA and CTT accounts (so their membership can be automatically verified). Riders who are aged 39, but who will be aged 40 by the day of the Championship, may apply to the Championship organiser to be included on condition that they will have completed an online membership application prior to the day of the championship which the organiser can check.
3.4.3 Each of the Championships will incorporate open and female classifications, and include bicycles and tricycles. Where the event is run by a VTTA Group and it is oversubscribed, acceptance of entries shall be in order of fastest Age Adjusted performance at the time or distance, or on best on Standard with preference given to VTTA members.
3.4.4 The open and female classification riders with the fastest Age Adjusted Time (or Age Adjusted Distance for 12/24 hours) will be declared National Champions and will each receive a championship jersey.
3.4.5 Medals will be awarded to the first three open classification and to the first three female classification riders overall on fastest Age Adjusted Tome (or distance). The first will receive a gold medal. The second will receive a silver medal. The third will receive a bronze medal.
3.4.6 Club teams shall consist of three first-claim members of the same club. Group teams shall consist of three members of the same Group. In each case, the team with the fastest aggregate of its three fastest Age Adjusted Times (or Distances) shall be the Championship Team and a medal will be awarded to each member of the team.
3.4.7 Tandem Championships will be run in conjunction with the solo Championships and the pair with the fastest Age Adjusted Time (or distance) will be the Tandem Champions and will receive VTTA gold medals.
3.4.8 All VTTA awards will be made regardless of the number of entries and irrespective of any prizes given by the promoting Group.
3.4.9 The NEC may endorse other events to further the development of veterans’ time trialling. These may use the term ‘championship’ but are not covered by the ‘National Championship’ regulations as stated above (paragraphs 3.4.1. to 3.4.8) and therefore have flexibility in what awards are provided by the organiser (e.g. closed circuit championships).
3.5 Regulations for the BAR Competition
Qualifying events must be Type A events approved by CTT or approved SC events.
3.5.1 A Best All Rounder competition is promoted annually by the VTTA and is open to all its members. Riders must be paid up members at the date of all their eligible rides. They must also, prior to any eligible ride, have linked online VTTA and CTT accounts and registered in their website Member Profile the competitions they wish to enter. Eligible rides must be done in events authorised by CTT or SC and shall be over 25, 50 and 100 miles and 12 hours.
3.5.2 The closing date for eligible events to count will be 31st October.
3.5.3 The BAR competition will be based on the rider’s average ‘Age Adjusted’ speed across 25, 50, 100 miles and 12 hours.
The rider’s average speed will be calculated by adding together the ‘age adjusted’ speed for their best performance at each of the four events and dividing by 4.
For 25, 50 and 100 miles the average speed is the distance divided by the ‘age adjusted’ time.
For the 12 hour the average speed is the ‘age adjusted’ distance divided by 12.
The four average speeds are added together and divided by 4, calculated to 3 decimal places rounded down. The rider with the highest ‘age adjusted’ average speed will be the winner of the BAR Competition.
Age adjusted times and distances will be calculated using the Age Adjustment Tables for classification and type of machine.
3.5.4 The status of the competition is reported on the website throughout the season. At the end of the season members should check their reported performances. In the event of any query or omitted result they should report the amended or additional performance, appropriately evidenced, to their Group Recorder. If the Group Recorder accepts an amended or additional result, they should update the website results, and also notify the IT Manager of the change. Any amendments must be notified by 31st October of the current year.
3.5.5 BAR Certificates shall be presented to all riders completing the four distances. Tandem riders who complete all distances with the same partner are eligible for certificates, but not for any other awards. Medals will be awarded to the first three open classification riders and to the first three female classification riders on age adjusted average speed. The first will receive a gold medal. The second will receive a silver medal. The third will receive a bronze medal.
3.5.6 Club teams shall consist of three first-claim members of the same club. Group teams shall consist of six members of the same Group. Medals will be awarded to each member of the winning teams.
3.6 Regulations for the Three Distance Competition
3.6.1 A Three Distance Competition will be promoted annually over 25, 50 and 100 miles.
3.6.2 The Three Distance competition will be based on the rider’s average ‘Age Adjusted’ speed across the three events comprising 25, 50 and 100 miles. The rider’s average speed will be calculated by adding together the ‘age adjusted’ speed for their best performance at each of the three events and dividing by 3.
For 25, 50 and 100 miles the average speed is the distance divided by the ‘age adjusted’ time
The three average speeds are added together and divided by 3, calculated to 3 decimal places rounded down. The rider with the highest ‘age adjusted’ average speed will be the winner of the Three Distance Competition.
3.6.3 All other conditions of qualification to this competition shall be those of the BAR Competition. Awards shall be the same as for the BAR Competition.
3.7 Regulations for the Short Distance Competition
3.7.1 The Short Distance competition will be based on the rider’s average ‘Age Adjusted’ speed across the four events comprising two 10 mile and two 25 mile events. The rider’s average speed will be calculated by adding together the ‘age adjusted’ miles per hour for their best and second best performances at 10 miles and at 25 miles and dividing by 4.
For 10 and 25 miles the average speed is the distance divided by the ‘age adjusted’ time.
The four average speeds are added together and divided by 4, calculated to 3 decimal places rounded down. The rider with the highest ‘age adjusted’ average speed will be the winner of the Short Distance Competition
3.7.2 All other conditions of qualification to this competition shall be those of the BAR Competition. Awards shall be the same as for the BAR Competition.
3.8 Entry to, and Claims for, the BAR, Three Distance and Short Distance Competitions
3.8.1 There are no entry fees for the BAR, the Three Distance and the Short Distance Competitions. Members will be automatically included in the Competitions if they have linked VTTA and CTT accounts and are registered for one or more of the Competitions.
3.8.2 In the three season long competitions riders can only make one solo claim and/or one tandem claim.