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So I'm going to accompany my boy to do this and was thinking of going along the Downs Link. I don't know the route though and if the surface is smooth enough. Need to do 10 miles in 27 minutes for top points. May just go out early and ride the A23 from Redhill instead, but then there are traffic lights.
That's 22 mph right?
Think we're gonna need an E-bike
Think we’re gonna need a road bike and some decent legs
FTFY
Oh no, that's for girls. For boys it's 24 minutes to do 10 miles, that's 25mph!
Are you sure it’s not 10k? That seems pretty rapid for a gcse requirement.
That’s crazy
So basically risk your neck on a fast dual carriage way for a higher grade
10 miles in 24 minutes, or 15 km in 22 minutes 30 secs
24 mins is a good club 10 level! Seems one hell of a requirement for a GCSE PE!
You sure it's not 10[B]km[/B]?!
Plus if you can buy a fast time trial bike your grade goes up. Also crazy
Have a look at the cycling time trials or local clubs websites for a 10mile TT course?
Does it have to be out and back or a loop? Any nice long downhills locally?
As another Redhill local, what about the A217 from Reigate south to the airport and back? Must be roughly 5 miles each way? But that is a heck of pace you need, can’t be right surely?
You sure?
That's a reasonably decent amateur (non-specialist) 10m time trial time. I'd suggest looking up uk time trial courses for flat, no right turn loops if that's the goal.
No, you won't do that on the downs link. You'd be a liability to yourselves and all the walkers and people not doing 24mph on a bike.
That's in excess of the speed limit in Brighton too. That's one hell of a challenge!
Seeing the suggestion for a time trial route, our club Redhill cc has a route near Horne - quiet country roads…
https://strava.app.link/Dqlf8YCW4nb
How old is your lad and how proficient/confident on a bike? I used to TT from age 15 (often up and down stretches of the A24, eg N Holmwood to Capel and back as it happens) in something like 24-25 mins.
I'm not suggesting use a road bike on the A24 given the number of idiots about, more a case of figuring out age and fitness etc.
It's definitely correct. A217 could be a good idea. Ideally I could go to Avoriaz and ride down to Morzine. He's left it a bit late, we have to do it by weekend after next. Guess we'll have to settle on lower marks.
I'm not a fan of the A217 myself, especially the stretch from Woodhatch to Hookwood (and beyond, as mentioned above) due to close passes.
@bigdaddy - isn’t the Redhill CC time trial circuit 10miles? That might be an option and lower traffic volume.
BUT, like the others have said, that’s quite swift for a 16 year old.
EDIT - you have already beaten me to it!
Was thinking about this, do they really award academic grades based on whether or not you can get to the top of a really big hill to ride down?
Got a velodrome nearby?
our club Redhill cc has a route near Horne
Horne and surrounding area is a good shout. Quiet roads for much of the day and some very flat sections too (east to west more than north to south).
Thanks Bigdaddy. That's nice and flat too. Do you think I could park in the golf club at the start?
@mandog probably! To be fair I’ve only done the official one once, but it’s a big car park and you could be inconspicuous!
Thanks. Will update you all once done
Easiest option might be to sign him up for a Youth / Junior crit race. Perfectly safe and the bunch thing means an average of 20+mph is easily doable.
Or does it have to be a solo effort? If so, can you just to go to Hillingdon or Cyclopark and have him do 10 laps of that?
found the table of required results here
I consider myself a reasonably fit cyclist, but my 25 mile TT would only get me into the bottom part of the table. I suspect most on here wouldn't get a single point. Crazy scoring criteria!
I guess you can rope in a few people to draft him?
That says GCE, not GCSE. You sure you're not looking at A level requirement? Googling G454 suggests it is.
Having just done my mid-week road sprint (well, kinda-sort-of) that was about 25kms in 1hr involving riding at a moderate/brisk pace plus a bit of climibing but riding in away that doesnt imply I have a deathwish, I'd suggest as others have double checking that they meant Kms not Miles.
Otherwise book a velodrome session with a gurney bike to lead out or head to the A259 coast road from around Littlehampton/Rustington to Shoreham on an early Sunday morning with a suitable tailwind and hope that the traffic lights are in your favour...
BTW Is the examiner called something like Van Aert or Ganna?
Can it be downhill?
Do it on Zwift and lie about his weight like everyone else on there 😉
I'd stay off any busy roads personally.
What about Preston Park velodrome?? Open and free to use 
Go early so its quiet.
There is also Cyclopark in Kent, I don't know if they have times you could use it?
Or there is Laughton crit circuit. I'd avoid any busy times though.
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/301641
This seems far in excess of any requirement for the practical element I saw when looking through the GCSE syllabus.
Are you sure that whoever is delivering this course and setting these thresholds is aware of how hard it is to hold 25mph for 10 miles?
What board is the GCSE?
The (e.g.) AQA spec doesn't mention anything about times / distances other than a race being at least 10 miles.
That said, you're supposed to be good to get top marks at GCSE PE
Source: Mrs Dubs is Head of PE and often moans about kids with zero outside interests (or aptitude) picking it as "easy". It isn't.
Interesting thread.
Velodrome would be a good shout. Does it stipulate what kind of route/ride it should be? Eg road vs velodrome? Group or solo ride? 25mph for 24 mins is quite an ask for a 16(?) year old. This site looks useful:
https://www.cyclingtimetrials.org.uk/
Check the results page, it shows the route of each TT which might help you find one near you.
Please let us know how he gets on!
That’s ridiculous. Even a crit race may not be 25mph in the pack, especially at this time of year with the greasy conditions.
That really is rewarding people who have spent money on kit or who have the local routes that allow for this type of speed.
There’s a few routes near me where thats possible on my aero ride bike, but that is still some going.
Can’t you get someone else to do the ride for him?
Failing that, I’d take him to Betws y Coed. There’s a fairly safe straight line downhill where that speed will be possible for just over 6 miles. No roundabouts and not a huge amount of traffic. Start at the top of the hill past the slate works, sprint up to speed, then there’s a mile of little pedalling and 40mph, a flat section for a few miles, then downhill again. It’ll still need some pedalling, but it’s the safest way I can think of.
The (e.g.) AQA spec doesn’t mention anything about times / distances other than a race being at least 10 miles.
It seems more like a checklist of skills rather than a blunt time/distance target.
I wonder if the teacher involved has supplied some footage of the required level of 'descending technique'? 🙂
Have you got any race results or videos of them racing within the past 18 months as that should cover the practical part for GCSE. Check with the school as getting a specific time is more A Level (GCE).
The g10/42 course is at Holmwood on the bypass but a 24 there would be a good time for a club rider tbh. Could you not get up to Richmond park and do a lap and a half?
It's good, but not outrageous - which I suppose is what top marks are meant to represent, no?
As I've bragged about before on here, at that age I did ride 10.5 miles from my house to my mate's in 27 mins, and I rode home in 24.5 mins, with about a 50m elevation difference. I was on my Dad's hybrid in normal clothes, flat pedals and trainers, but I was able to put my elbows on the bars for a good tuck. However I got my MTB shortly after that and got my arse handed to me in Junior in MTB races, so I wasn't some kind of prodigy.
There are people out there who are decent club junior riders and could do this (there's a schoolkid in the club I was doing ZRL with and he's an A with > 5w/kg, tows everyone else round but not me cos I'm B and not even in his races), and surely they should be the ones getting top marks? Aren't we always bemoaning the celebration of mediocrity in the school system on this forum?
The times listed in the link above don't appear any tougher than the other sports.
I think a 3.55 1500 or a 10.9 second 100 would be fair bit harder than a 23 minute 10.
The only
I think a 3.55 1500
Yeah I'd agree with that one - 3.50 would put you in a photo finish for England under 17 men's
molegrips, sorry, you need to recalibrate your measuring devices!
Is a zwift tt permissible? That seems an outrageous ask on an open road
Would he get drug tested at all? It's just that if he wants to get top marks I've got a mate who might know someone who is open to negotiations...
😉