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The Crest Cycling Club run a Spring Road Race in March at Littlebury and a spring–summer series of evening 10 mile club time trials in conjunction with the Easterley RC at Navestockside using the E14/10a course on Tuesday from 4 May through to 10 August. These are "Come and Try It" club events so just turn up on the night on any type of bike and have a go. You don't need to be a Crest member to take part.

Time trials: riders set off at one-minute intervals over a prescribed course, from ten miles. Any kind of bike may be used. A low-profile time trial bike with tribars is only necessary at top level of the sport. Events may be for practise only, termed club events with minimal entry fees, entered on the day, or for prizes with entry fees around seven pounds, termed open events, entered 2 weeks in advance. Prizes are awarded for fastest time, for top few placings and for categories (junior, women, etc). Time trials are known as the "race of truth" because you race alone without assistance or drafting. Even if you don't win or go fast, you can try again next week and gain satisfaction from beating your previous time by doing a PB (personal best). Slang for time trials is testing and time triallists are called testers.Each January a local London East handbook lists all local club and open events for the coming year, and the CTT website or handbook lists all open events. Most time trials nationwide and all national championships are open-entry with women and juniors guaranteed entries but men need fast times to get into men's championships which are usually over-subscribed. We are affiliated to the 32nd Association, for clubs with club bungalows near Stansted, and to Eastern Counties Cycling Association, both of which run leagues. There are other leagues: Sporting Courses South East and East (SPOCO South East and SPOCO East) and Veterans' Time Trial Association (VTTA) too.

Road races: group races where all riders set off on road racing (drop-handlebarred, no mudguards) bikes at the same time over a prescribed course, usually completing several laps, distance may be 20-70 miles commonly. A British Cycling (BC) licence is needed. Practise roadraces take place at Redbridge Cycle Circuit on weekdays and can be entered on the day. All other road races are open events and must be entered beforehand. Prizes are awarded for first few placings. Riders are categorised according to the amount of placings they have gained in road races. Women, junior men/womenand veteran men/women (over 40s) often have one race and all other men have a separate race. At national championship level, races are split into categories, eg Junior, Women, etc. Essex Road Race League run a season-long series of road races which our members take part in. The Crest Spring Road Race in March is a counting event.

Track racing: when the London Olympic 2012 stadium is built, we will be able to take part in a local track racing league (group and individual races, much as you see on the television in the Beijing Olympics). Meanwhile there is Herne Hill in south east London which runs a track league on Monday evenings, and Welwyn in Herts which runs a track league on Friday evenings. A track racing bike (one fixed gear, no brakes, no mudguards, wheel nuts instead of quick-release levers) and British Cycling (BC) licence is needed. Entry is on the day.

Mountain biking: downhill and endurance are two examples, both requiring specialist mountain biking. An entry-level mountain bike can have just front suspension but for more serious sport, dual suspension is required.

Cyclo cross: a winter sport with a cyclo-cross bike (like a road racing bike but with big gaps between wheels and frame to prevent mud clogging) or a mountain bike can be used. The Eastern Cyclo Cross League is open to anyone with a British Cycling (BC) licence. Entry is usually on the day. A full list of cyclo crosses is on the BC website.