There is more than one way to ride a bike for sport. There are in fact many types of cycling including road racing, mountain-biking, cycle speedway, BMX racing, track racing and cyclo cross.
All sports carry an element of risk and cycling is no different. It is therefore essential that the correct protective equipment is worn and the cycle is checked both before and after any event to ensure that it is safe.
Road Racing
Road racing is massed-start cycle racing on roads or circuits, with anything between 20 to 200 competitors depending on the event. The winner is the first rider over the finish line. In the UK, events range from short races of 20k or less for Juvenile groups up to races between 40k and 100k for adults. Elite races for athletes can reach up to 200k or more.
The majority of adult races take place on public roads and are a test of the rider’s stamina, fitness and tactical acumen. Some road races are contested over several days and stages. These Stage Races often feature prizes for each stage winner, amongst others for best climber, and best sprinter as well as overall winner. The Tour de France is an example of this kind of race and is the worlds most prestigious, lasting three weeks.
Mountain Biking Racing
There are several types of mountain bike racing. Downhill racing involves riders racing individually against the clock pitting themselves against a challenging succession of jumps, bumps, corners and drop-offs on a course that is downhill. It is a test of nerve and machine control. Races usually last between two and five minutes.
For this type of race a full-face helmet and body armour is recommended. The bicycles used are highly specialised featuring several inches of suspension to the front and rear, strong and light frames and very broad tyres. .
Four Cross or 4X is another type of racing. This pits four riders at a time against each other over a short, downhill course usually with obstacles including stutter bumps, double jumps and gap jumps among others. The winner is the first over the line. Clothing is protective like in Downhill. In 4X physical contact and crashes are frequent and it is also perhaps the most spectator friendly cycle racing of them all.
Cross Country and Marathon
Endurance, fitness and machine control all combine to make a cross-country race. Competitors start together and compete on a marked lap between 3-6km with climbing, descending, single-track and technical sections. Elite cross-country riders can race for up to two-and-a-half hours whilst marathons can be much longer up to 150km in length. The clothing worn by marathon riders is light with an emphasis on cooling and comfort. The bicycles used are also light and very technically advanced.
Another variation on cross-country racing has become popular in recent years. Enduro racing is usually competed in two or four man teams and lasts up to 24hours.
Cycle Speedway
Cycle speedway is the most intense cycle sport. The races are very short lasting, usually consisting of four laps around a 10-90 metre outdoor circuit, lasting around 35-45 seconds. Physical contact is both legal and necessary in this sport.
It is essentially a club sport and four riders contest a race, usually in pairs from opposing clubs, within leagues. Each match consists of around twenty races. The overall winning club is the one with the most races wins. There are also individual championships held.
Cycle speedway is all about sprinting and therefore riders need to be extremely fit, but also with high levels of stamina for long matches. The bikes are simple and are similar to those used in BMX and Track racing. They have no gears, brakes or brackets. The clothing worn by riders is protective against falls and a helmet must be worn. Contact with other riders is common and so many riders wear additional protection such as knee, elbow and hip pads.
Cyclo-Cross
Cyclo-cross is mostly an autumn and winter sport. Cyclo-cross races are massed start races and are usually multi lap events, held on short, grassy courses. Less technically demanding that mountain biking, but cyclo-cross often requires riders to dismount to clear artificial obstacles. The ability to swap smoothly form riding to running is a key skill for advanced riders.
Cyclo-cross bicycles area similar to road bikes, with dropped handlebars and thin tyres.
BMX Racing
BMX racing is an exciting sport open to all ages and has now become an Olympic sport. The race is usually contested by up to eight riders, with the first over the finish line the winner. A race meeting usually consists of a series of ‘Motos’ or qualifying rounds, from which the winners of each category will progress to a series of ride-offs culminating in a final to produce an overall winner.
There are two different types of BMX bike. There is the everyday 20 inch BMX with 20 inch wheels and the 24 inch wheeled BMX. Safety wear is important in BMX and riders wear helmets, knee and arm pads.
Track Racing
Track racing takes place on short specially built tracks consisting of two tight, banked corners joined by two short straights. Tracks range in length-outdoor are usually longer with shallower bankings, whereas as Olympic and World Championship tracks are held on indoor 250m wooden tracks.
Track races are split into two main types, sprint events, which generally last for less than two minutes, and endurance events, which can be up to 40km in length. Track bikes are extremely simple. They have no gears or brakes and have a fixed wheel, forcing the rider to peddle continuously. The speed is controlled by pressure applied to the pedals by the rider.
