It's all ludicrously top-secret, isn;t it? I mean, any rider not on this forum wouldn't have a clue what to expect.
I'm doing a 25 on Sunday, and the "official" word doesn't even include whether the start time is am or pm. (start sheet not arrived yet). [we phoned the organiser cos we thought this was getting silly.]
To be honest, I think this is going to be rather PBP-like - impossible to get all the info you need without hindsight (and I'm not knocking all the advice already handed out by helpful posters here). Has anyone ever won at their first attempt?
Still, I don't expect to be bothering the podium girls so I'm not too worried!
They do have to check the course before the event. There is a lot of planning in a 24 hour. You'll probably appreciate how much planning is involved when you ride the event. They get virtualy no help from cycling clubs or CTT. Some CTT people have tried to stop it being run. That's why I try and encourage people to have a go. The more people ride, the less excuse the CTT have for not running it. Having Charlotte and Liz set a new ladies tandem record will be a very good argument for it to be kept running. We can now say that 24 hour TTing is breaking new ground.
I think that in the past, most people riding a 24 would have done a considerable amount of time trialing before they rode their first 24 and knew what to do and expect. But for 24 hour TTers these days, AUK is bringing a number of riders to the scene, who wouldn't normally ride a TT, so have a much steeper learning curve.
We do have this forum, but in the old days, you got this advice down the cycling club room or on clubruns.
First timers winning?
Brian Walker came second in his first 24. Very impressive, he beat Gethin Butler, who came thrid. Andy Wilkinson won the event with his record breaking 525 mile ride!
Whoever won the first ever 24. They won their first 24 hour TT.
I think that Roy Cormack's record breaking 509 mile ride, which stood for 27 years (broken by Wilko) was his one and only 24.
Ian Butcher may have won his first ever 24. His 1998 North Road 24 was his second 24, I think.
Ian Dow may be another. Both, I think (Ian Butcher definitely) broke the 500 mile barrier on one of their rides.