photos Archives - Cycling uphill

Classic Time Trial Photos

August 6, 2026January 8, 2021 by tejvan

This is another collection of classic time trial photos from the Bernard Thompson collection. I have already published some of these on my last cycling blog, but this is a new collection from the 280 images, and bigger sized (640px) than last blog. I hope you enjoy these insights into the ‘golden era’ of domestic British cycling and time trialling.

Thanks to Peter Whitfield for including this CD of copyright free images in his excellent cycling books – ’12 Champions’ and ‘History of Time trialling’

Beryl Burton start with crowds — Beryl Burton at the start with large crowd.

timekeeper-start

A familiar scene for early morning Sunday time trials. Time keeper and pusher-off.

start-open-rd

A road with no markings, must have been relatively quiet.

catford-cc-hill-climb-start

A classic shot from the Catford CC hill climb – the oldest cycle race in the world.

gary-woodward-start-100

At the start of the national 100.

start-2-short

Looks like this rider got a good push from the pusher off. Many people checking watches and looking on.

Time Trial Legends

1967-bbar

The 1960s was the peak of the BAR competition with the best timetriallist competing with the best road men.

Alf Engers set a new competition record of 49.24 for 25 mile TT in 1978, before the advent of tri bars and disc wheels. It was the first sub 50 25 mile TT. He had a habit of annoying the establishment, but he was a class act on the bike. Engers was national 25 mile TT champion in 1969 and 1972-1976.

Cycling to exams in the heat

June 21, 2017 by tejvan

It is 30 degrees plus here in Oxford. It is also exam season with many students making their way to exams on the High Street. Some cycle in sub-fusc to save a few minutes for extra revision. I always remember cycling to exams. Walking from LMH was too far.

Last minute revision or getting a good luck text?

Good to see Oxford Professor’s on their bicycles, but I don’t know what Drag2Zero would make of those cycling clothes.

young, old and students.

At the top of White Horse Hill

March 5, 2017 by Tejvan Pettinger

Yesterday, there was a strong southerly wind, so I headed towards Lambourne.

There is a long 3% drag from Lambourne towards Wantage; it is the kind of climb which is good when there is a strong tailwind. Looking for a new way to get to Lambourne, I tried the technique for taking unknown roads and hoping it would take me into the next valley. From Bishopstone, there was a nice deserted climb. At the top, I found the road was deserted for good reason. It petered out by a pig farm on the top of the Ridgeway. There was nothing to do but go back down and take the main road from Ashbury.

Unfortunately, by the time I got to the top of this climb from Ashbury, it was raining quite hard, and for some reason, my rain jacket wasn’t in my saddle bag. I hid under an old tree for a few minutes and ate an energy bar.

Photos of cycling on quiet roads

March 19, 2016 by tejvan

After images of congestion and congested roads, a few photos of people cycling on quiet roads. This is partly because cars are restricted in these areas or I have waited for the road to be clear.

The cycling idyll.

Dealing with the cold (photos)

January 16, 2016 by tejvan

My never-ending cold has come to an end. Rather appropriately the weather is now really cold (by UK standards) so another potential excuse to give training a miss. Still, I’ve been cycling into town quite a bit. Ten miles is better than nothing.

Wrapping up against the cold

When it’s minus two degrees and everyone is wrapped up in innumerable layers, you always get one person who rocks up in shorts, t-shirts, and no gloves. It really messes with my mind. I didn’t get a photo this morning, but, it was even colder and I overtook a bloke in shorts (0 degrees) You also often see people cycling along trying to put on gloves whilst on the move, but really struggling.

Standing out from grey morning.

Different types of cyclists

September 17, 2015 by tejvan

Different cyclists share the road- The family vehicle, the lone range Brompton and the bike for doing tricks.

The properly dressed cyclists

Ladies from Wantage, Oxfordshire in the Nineteenth Century.

Black and white cyclists and spectators in the road.

Off to exam

The not properly dressed

Cycling off to play rugby.

Cycling to exams in subfusc

June 13, 2015June 12, 2015 by tejvan

It’s not all CdA and lightweight components at Cycling Uphill. I do get a lot of joy seeing students in sub-fusc riding to their exams. Perhaps because:

A) It reminds me of the stress of doing my own exams, but now I have the luxury of being an old man who can sit by the side of the road knowing that exam results don’t really matter than much. (Not for my career path anyway…)

B) Riding in sub-fusc at 8mph down Oxford High Street is about as far removed as you can get from timetrialling along a dual carriageway at 30mph. It’s all very sedate. And that’s cycling

riders exams — Cyclists off to exams by Weston Library (old New Bodleian)

Cyclists and red lights

November 1, 2016April 30, 2015 by tejvan

Mention cycling and red lights and many people will immediately see ‘red’ for want of a better expression. In 2013, over 4,000 cyclists were issued with fixed note penalties for jumping red lights.

Red light jumping is also prevalent amongst motorists. In 2006 the then Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, said 43,500 fines were issued for drivers caught jumping red lights (London.gov.uk).

Given the emotive nature of the issue, some may be surprised to learn that red light jumping is less prevalent than people’s perceptions (like the people who tell you ‘all cyclists never stop at a red light’). This is partly because ‘bad behaviour’ sticks in the mind much more than following the rules.

According to TFL between 1998 to 2007, 4% of pedestrian injuries were the result of red light jumping by cyclists. Whereas 71% occur when a car driver jumps a red light and 13% when a motorcyclist does. (CTC) Which shows that cycling through red lights does put others in danger, at the same time highlights the fact most road casualties are the result of motorised vehicles.

Waiting at the lights

On your marks!

The family car with a difference

April 2, 2015 by tejvan

Family transport. A neat way to carry family around.

Comes with free air conditioning and portable sun-roof.

A birds eye view of traffic

January 28, 2015 by tejvan

Last year I was teaching in a building from St Clements – it gave a birds eye view of traffic down below. The funny thing is that everything seemed so calm and relaxed viewed from above. A very different perspective to ground level!

The amazing thing about this set of photos is that in nearly every case, cars, taxis and buses were respecting the advanced stop boxes. I’m sure this never happens when I’m at ground level.

Advanced stop signs make it easier for cyclists turning in different directions.