# whats a handicap ?



## Cuchilo (27 May 2015)

with regards to a club at a tt .


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## CallumMcQueen (27 May 2015)

Hi, Im a track cyclist and a handicap is when younger children get if you may a 'head-start' for example more older and stronger riders would be handicapped while the younger weaker riders are sent forward being given a head start. Hope this helps


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## SWSteve (27 May 2015)

Is this like Vets +40 or something that was raised last year during TT season? Or where you would be set off based on PBs and aim to all finish at the same time? (I doubt this is the case)


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## jazzkat (27 May 2015)

Do you mean at a time trial? 
If so it's a calculation supposedly to even up the difference between a slower and faster cyclist so that when the handicap is applied then it makes the results closer giving weaker riders a real chance of "winning". Gawd knows how the 'powers that be' work it out though. It must be an average of your previous ride times.


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## Cuchilo (27 May 2015)

jazzkat said:


> Do you mean at a time trial?
> If so it's a calculation supposedly to even up the difference between a slower and faster cyclist so that when the handicap is applied then it makes the results closer giving weaker riders a real chance of "winning". Gawd knows how the 'powers that be' work it out though. It must be an average of your previous ride times.


Sorry yes at a tt . It was the first one ive done with the club and it says i took the handicap .


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## jazzkat (27 May 2015)

Cuchilo said:


> Sorry yes at a tt . It was the first one ive done with the club and it says i took the handicap .


Hey, well done! How much was your handicap? I wouldn't have thought they'd have given you a handicap without having done one before, but I'm no expert on these things.


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## Cuchilo (27 May 2015)

jazzkat said:


> Hey, well done! How much was your handicap? I wouldn't have thought they'd have given you a handicap without having done one before, but I'm no expert on these things.


I have no idea what it was , done two 10's before so i guess it came from that ? oh well , i'll take the glory anyway even if i am confused


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## midlife (27 May 2015)

When I rode for Hull Thursday we had a member who was the nominated handicapper. He judged what handicap time people should have so if it was added to your actual time everyone would be equal.

The entry form had your personal best and last 3 "perfomances", Hull Thursday copied a million forms with that word misspelled and they circulated for years lol

Well done on winning the handicap 

Shaun


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## Justinslow (27 May 2015)

At our club we get points for beating our target time although as a rookie I didn't have any target times as they are based on the previous years times, so had to wait untill I'd completed the four courses to get base times. Then each week you get points for beating your previous time. I beat my time on the only course that I have done twice so far by 1 minute and 9 seconds so I got 69 points + 5 for starting and 5 for finishing (I think). This means you can win by improving your own times but not necessarily being the quickest. I think there is also a championship for being the outright quickest aswell. The only issue I can see for me as a rookie is that having done four "base" rides to set a time, I only received 10 points per ride for starting and finishing, whereas the regulars have been accruing big points for beating their target times since the first TT (assuming they were quick enough, which many were).
Or something like that! I just turn up and ride................


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## Cuchilo (27 May 2015)

So the handicap is the amount of time you are slower than the fastest time done on a course ?
edit . I think ill stick to just turning up and riding !


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## Sharky (27 May 2015)

The handicapper estimates what every rider is likely to do based on their entry form details. Usually fastest this year etc. He then identifies the expected winner and makes him the "scratch man", with a zero handicap. Then all other riders are given a handicap being the difference between their expected time and the scratch man's estimated time. On the result board you will have an actual time and a handicap time which is your actual minus your handicap. 

If the handicapper is accurate and every body rides to form, everybody would have the same handicap result. But riders improve and the one with the biggest gain will take the prize.

My avatar on the left is me finishing my first 50 in 1967. Wasn't very fast. Did I think a 2hrs 36 mins? But a couple of weeks later, on a new bike, I stormed round another 50 in 2hrs 17 mins and picked up first handicap. I think I won a voucher for about 30/-!


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## Pikey (28 May 2015)

Cuchilo said:


> Sorry yes at a tt . It was the first one ive done with the club and it says i took the handicap .



Sounds like that tt bike tinkering is paying off.
Well done mate


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## Joshua Plumtree (28 May 2015)

This:


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