Road bicycle and
Paul Masson at the
1896 Summer Olympics. Road bicycle racing involve both team and individual competition, and races are contested in various ways. They range from the one-day road race,
criterium, and
time trial to multi-stage events like the and its sister events which make up cycling's
Grand Tours. The races typically take place from spring through to autumn. Many riders from the Northern Hemisphere spend the winter in countries such as Australia to compete or train. Professional races range from the three-week "Grand Tour" stage races such as the , and the to multi-day stage races such as the
Tour de Suisse and
Tour of California, to single day "Classics" such as the
Tour of Flanders and
Milan–San Remo. The longest one-day road race sanctioned by
USA Cycling is
LOTOJA which covers the from
Logan, Utah, to
Jackson, Wyoming. Criteriums are races based on circuits typically less than a mile in length and sometimes run for a set time (60 min, 90 min, etc.) rather than a specific distance. Criteriums are the most popular form of road racing in North America. In Belgium,
kermesses are popular, single-day events of usually over . As well as road races in which all riders start simultaneously,
individual time trial and
team time trial events are also held on road-based courses.
Track cycling postage stamp depicting
Täve Schur, 1960 Track cycling has been around since as early as 1870. The riders competed on wooden indoor tracks that closely resembled the modern velodromes of today. Unlike road racing, which is dependent on environmental factors, indoor tracks ensure the sport can be competed all year round. It encompasses races that take place on banked tracks or
velodromes. Events are quite diverse and can range from
individual and
team pursuits, two-man sprints, to various group and
mass start races. Competitors use
track bicycles which do not have brakes or freewheels.
Cyclo-cross Cyclo-cross originated as a sport for road racers during the off season, to vary their training during the cold months. Races typically take place in the autumn and winter (the international or World Cup season is September–January) and consist of many laps of a course featuring pavement, wooded trails, grass, steep hills, and obstacles requiring the rider to dismount, carry the bike and remount in one motion. Races for senior categories are generally between 30 minutes and an hour long, the distance varying depending on the conditions. The sport is strongest in traditional road cycling countries such as Belgium (Flanders in particular) and France.
Mountain bike climbing up "The Gap" to
Omeo Mountain bike races are held off-road and involve moderate to high degree of technical riding. There are several varieties; the main categories are
cross-country,
enduro and
downhill but also
4X or four-cross racing.
BMX BMX takes place off-road. BMX races are sprints on purpose-built off-road single-lap tracks, typically on single-gear bicycles. Riders navigate a dirt course of jumps and banked and flat corners.
Cycle speedway Cycle speedway is bicycle racing on short outdoor dirt tracks, in length.
Motor-paced racing Motor-paced racing and
keirin use motorcycles for pacing, so cyclists achieve higher speeds.
Gravel racing of the Gravel racing is one of the newest disciplines of bicycle racing, emerging in the 21st century. For example, one of the premiere gravel races,
Unbound Gravel, started in 2006. Some precursors to gravel racing in its current form include road races like the
Tour of the Battenkill and Boulder–Roubaix (named after
Paris–Roubaix) which are road races with gravel sections. The distinguishing features of gravel racing include long distances, often , and mass starts that include all categories of racers, similar to
Gran Fondo rides. The bicycles and courses in gravel racing vary widely, from road bicycles with wide tires used on smooth gravel roads to bicycles that are similar to mountain bike used on courses that include technical trails.
Average speeds Speeds achieved on indoor tracks are usually greater than those on roads. Other factors affecting speed are the route profile (flats and hills), wind conditions, temperatures and elevation. At a 2013 event in Mexico,
François Pervis achieved an average of with a flying start over . The top average speed over the men's time trial at the
2004 Summer Olympics was recorded by
Chris Hoy. Average speeds clearly drop with increasing distance, so that over the
Cootamundra Annual Classic it is . In the
2010 Paris–Roubaix,
Fabian Cancellara set a speed of , while over the
Furnace Creek 508, the speed drops dramatically to . For an extreme road distance such as the
Race Across America, the average speed of the record holder is , while the
Freedom Trail over mountainous terrain in
South Africa is at a record speed of .
Mountain bike trials Mountain bike trials is a sport where riders navigate natural and human-made obstacles without putting down their foot, or "dabbing". It is similar to
motorcycle trials. Points are awarded for bike handling skills. The first
UCI Trials World Championships took place in 1986. ==Non-racing disciplines==