There were plenty of questions ahead of the first event. Would time trialling suit the circuit? Would riders enter? And could a 16km (10-mile) race be run safely on a 1km loop?

By the end of the evening, any doubts had disappeared. The event ran seamlessly, and feedback from riders was overwhelmingly positive

What’s more, half of the field was made up of women and girls, with a great cross-section of the cycling community represented.

The format proved simple to run, requiring only a small volunteer team, making it easily repeatable. Shorter race options also provide a strong entry point for riders new to time trialling.

Could events like this help revitalise time trialling in Scotland? With a safe, traffic-free venue, there’s real potential to introduce new riders to the sport and build a thriving time trialling community.

The event was pitched as a coached session with a short drill at the beginning of the evening followed by some coach-led racing which was timed using electronic chips. The format meant that anyone could take part, even if they’re not a member of a club or registered with British Cycling.

Organiser Matthew Ball said:

“I’m really pleased with how the event played out. It showed we can run a safe TT on the circuit, with no issues around overtaking or congestion.

“It didn’t require a great deal of work, and the volunteer team needed isn’t large, which makes the format easy to deliver again.”

Rider feedback included:

“It was a great first event – the system worked well and there was plenty of space on track.”

“Really straightforward from a logistics point of view, with no issues around overtaking at any stage.”

“A great format that worked really well on the circuit – just a shame about the headwind.”

A 5 race series is planned, so the next step is to build an organising committee to develop series.

Please email cyclecircuitwestlothian@gmail.com if you want to help out

Results

16-lap race

1. Geoff Martin – 00:24:18 (Course record for TT)
2. Stephen Miles – 00:25:49
3. Sarah McCormac – 00:25:54
4. Derek Simpson – 00:26:27
5. Karen Outram – 00:27:17
6. Danny Farrell – 00:28:00
7. Stephen Beecher – 00:28:20
8. Alex McDonald – 00:28:26
9. Alison Caldwell – 00:30:17
10. Alasdair Fulton – 00:31:41
11. Mike Thomas – 00:36:33

8-lap race

1. John-Michael Howison – 00:13:33
2. Jill McGilvery – 00:14:50
3. Aileigh Easton – 00:15:04
4. Iona McDonald – 00:15:24

3-lap race

1. Charlotte Kyles – 00:05:48
2. Esmeralda Sirey – 00:06:04

Thanks to everyone who came along to race and support the event – and especially to Colin Chisholm for timekeeping, and Scott at InView Images for the stunning photography.