Cycling: Then and Now

The bicycle was invented as a means of transport in the early 1800s. It did not take long for people to start racing on their bikes. The first official race - a two-kilometre (1.25 mile) event in Paris - was held in 1868.

Today, Cycling has many different forms and takes place on- and off-road. Modern racing bikes don’t look very different from the original invention, but they are made from hi-tech materials, and are designed to be both lightweight and quick.

How to play – and win

Road:

On the road there are two events: Road Racing and Time Trial.

The Road Race is 239km (150 miles) for men and 120km (75 miles) for women. The competitors all start together and the first past the line is the winner.

The Time Trial is against the clock over a shorter distance: riders start 90 seconds apart and whoever completes the course fastest wins.

Track:

In the Velodrome, Track riders race anti-clockwise round a banked, 250m (273yd) indoor track. There are a number of different events and distances that test speed, endurance and team work. Races are contested both individually, against the clock, and head to head.

Mountain Bike:

Mountain Bike takes place over rough and hilly countryside, with races over 40-50km for men, and 30-40km for women. The riders start together and must complete a set number of laps of the course. The winner is the first past the finish line.

BMX:

BMX (Bicycle Moto Cross) races are held on short outdoor tracks that include jumps, bumps and tight banked corners. Eight riders compete in each heat, with the top four qualifying for the next round. Races take about 40 seconds.

Cycling at the Games

Road and Track Cycling have been part of the Olympic programme since the first modern Games in Athens in 1896. Women first competed in the Road Race at the Los Angeles 1984 Games, with the first women’s Track events held in Seoul 1988. Mountain Bike racing was added in Atlanta 1996, and BMX in Beijing 2008.

Facts about Cycling

• Canada’s Clara Hughes is one of only four people to win medals at the Summer Olympic Games and Winter Olympic Games. In Atlanta 1996 she took Bronze in the Individual Road Race and Individual Time Trial, while in Salt Lake City 2002 she won Bronze in the 5000m Speed Skating.
• Track Cycling was first held indoors at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games.
• The first Olympic Games Road Race was from Athens to Marathon, and back again. Only six riders took part.
• In Mountain Bike events, riders must carry their own tool kits, and are not allowed outside assistance if they have mechanical problems.
• Bradley Wiggins won three Track medals for Great Britain at Athens 2004 - more than any other GB athlete at the Games.

Jargon Buster

• Attack: A sudden acceleration to move ahead of another rider or group of riders.
• Break/breakaway: A rider or group of riders that has left the main group behind.
• Handsling: In the Madison Track event, the way in which team-mates swap positions by one gripping the hand of the other and then pushing him forward.
• Repechage: A round (usually in sprint competitions) in which losers of previous heats race against each other to get back into the competition.
• Velodrome: A smooth-surfaced banked bicycle racing track.

Get involved

Cycling is a great way to keep fit, as well as an environmentally-friendly means of transport.

British Cycling’s club development programme, called Go-Ride, is aimed at encouraging clubs to help young cyclists enjoy their cycling in a safe, off-road environment. For more information, see 'related websites'.