Richard Oakes on How to Go Fast

Richard has come to the fore in the last three years with victories in the Mens National Championships: 10 miles in 2020, 2021 and 2022, 15 miles in 2022, National 25 in 2021.  He holds a National Age Record at age 52 for 10 miles at 18:08. Here he answers questions on how to ride very quickly!

Q1.            When did you start time trialling?

A1.            My first time trial was 43 years ago when I was eight years old.  A club 10 run by the Beauvale CC.  I remember it like it was yesterday and I loved it!  36 minutes something, on a Dawes Red Feather with 24 inch steel wheels and very smart white walled tyres. 

Q2.            What are your greatest achievements in your time trialling career?

A2.            No doubt getting top twenty last year (at 52) in the Mens’ Elite BC Time Trial Championships, won by Ethan Hayter and competing against pros who had ridden the Tour and World TT champs a few months before!  Closed roads, police motorbike escort and a following car.  Thousands of people watching, it was brilliant. (The picture is of Richard in that event).

Q3.            What is your TT bike?

A3.            I have just upgraded to the new Specialized Shiv TT.  So fast but so stable and safe with disc brakes and handling to match a top-class road bike.

Q4.            What is your approach to training?                   

A4.            Get a good coach, set goals and stick to your plan.  Discipline and focus, but also remember why you love riding a bike.  So, a cafe stop with my amazing dad Roy Oakes, now well into his seventies and still flying, always gets on to the agenda!

Q5.            How do you explain your phenomenal speed for someone your age?

A5.            See A4 above plus I became good friends with Dan Bigham when my company sponsored his team pursuit squad.  He has worked with me a lot to perfect my aerodynamics.  That includes body position, bike and clothing.  I am also still a very competitive individual and do not believe that age means you get slower.  I still think there’s more speed to come.  

Q6.            What have you done (and not done!) to allow you to ride that fast?

A6.            Train smartly with a great coach - Jacob Tipper if anyone wants to know.  Power meter is a must have.  Also invest in aero testing and refine your kit and position.  Use your resources wisely.  Asking what is the most time and cost-efficient way to add speed.  Making sure I have fun and ride with a team of like-minded folks all getting older but wanting to go faster each year.  No alcohol, good food, and rest when you can.

Q7.            What is your favourite type of time trialling event?

A7.            Anything less than 50 minutes!

Q8             What do you think about when you are racing?

A8.            I focus on keeping aero, safe and smooth.  I also tend to break down a race into smaller parts and tick them off in my head as I go.  The power meter also does not lie and gives you great feedback on how you are going.  I have very good concentration, which helps and I never drift off the job in hand.  I love that focus and the purity of a TT.  The race of truth.

Q9.            What sacrifices do you make to perform so well in time trialling?

A9.            The training needed to win TTs is quite different to that needed for masters’ road races, so I cannot compete at the same level in the latter.  I do ok in road races but I do not have the same level of results week in week out as I do in TTs.  Also getting up early at a weekend!

Q10.         What are you aiming to achieve in time trialling in the future?

A10.          17 minute 10, 46 min 25 and keep pushing the young guys in open events. 

Q11.         Do you have any advice for people new to time trialling?

A11.          Mindset and mental discipline are key to a good TT.  So, practice what you focus on,  go out and do 10 miles and break it down into smaller chunks and see how that improves your focus.  Also train on your TT bike as much as you can, invest in aero, with body position and speed suit being the big two.  Then helmet.  Ultimately if you want to go quicker aero is where the biggest gains are to be found.

Q12.         You race for Team Ohten Aveas – what’s the story there?

A12.          The team side of what we do is very important to me.  We are all vets 48 years and older and have won every team prize in every TT we have ridden this year.  Both 10 and 15 VTTA champs and 3 open events.  So, the vets are taking it to the young guns still!

This article originally appeared in the June 2022 edition of The Veteran.