Cycling

Cycling on the road

Cycling is a sport in which a bicycle is used to travel circuits in the open air or on indoor tracks and encompasses different specialties.

Types of cycling

Competition

Competitive cycling is a sport in which different types of bicycles are used. There are several modalities or disciplines in competition cycling such as road cycling, track cycling, mountain biking, trial, cyclocross and BMX and within them several specialties. Competition cycling is recognized as an Olympic sport. The International Cycling Union is the world governing body for cycling and international competitive cycling events.

Tour de France 2010

Road Cycling

It is characterized by being played on asphalt although in certain tests it is traveled on unpaved roads. Within road cycling there are the following tests:

1 Day Online Test. The most successful tests of this type are called classic and within them the so-called monuments of cycling stand out.

2 Test by stages. They are disputed in a minimum of two days with a time classification. It consists of stages online and trial stages. The Vuelta a España, Giro d'Italia and the most prestigious Tour de France stand out. The goal is to finish all the stages in the shortest time possible.

• Critériums: Proof of route in a closed circuit to the circulation.
• Test individual counterreloj.
• Try counter-reloj by equipment.
• Scald counter-reloj or chronoescalated.

Track Cycling

It is characterized by being played in a velodrome and with track bikes, which are modified road bikes. There are several types of tests, among which are:

• Individual speed
• Speed by equipment
• Kilometer against clock
• Individual persecution
• Team persecution
• Race by points
• Keirin
• Scratch
• Madison
• Disposal race
• Omnium

Mountain Biking

Mountain biking

• Field through (Cross Country)

Typical mountain biking speciality. Bicycles usually carry front suspension only, although they also start using rear suspensions. This test consists of giving a certain number of returns to a circuit, whose length is usually between 8 and 11 kilometers.

• Marathon

Speciality where bicycles are of equal characteristics than Cross Country, but races are not performed on short circuits. They are usually routes of 40-100 km in natural environments.

• Rest (Downhill (DH))

Speciality in which you compete on a totally down road, with both natural and artificial jumps and obstacles. Bicycles carry front and rear suspensions with dampers and hydraulic oil, as well as disc brakes, larger tires and plate protectors or chain guide. The protective equipment is very similar to that of motocross as it has a closed helmet, peto, coderes as well as forearms, thorn-robbers, goggles and gloves. It is the most extreme mode in the sport of cycling.

• Four Cross (4X)

Speciality similar to the descent in which four cyclists compete simultaneously in a downhill circuit with spectacular obstacles and jumps. Win the first to reach the goal.

Cyclocross

Cycling modality, born in the middle of the 20th century that consists of completing a certain number of laps on a circuit with stretches of asphalt, roads and meadows with a series of obstacles (natural or artificial) that must force the runner to get off the the bike to get around them. The main characteristic is the use of road bikes, although with some differences, such as wider tires to improve traction on dirt and mud or the use of mountain bike pedals, among others. It is frequent in the winter preparation of some of the route professionals.

Trial

It is a form of cycling derived from motorcycle trials. The objective is to try to arrive without speed and, trying to perform the minimum number of foot supports, from the ground to the top of an obstacle such as a vehicle, a barrel, a handrail, rocks, etc. There are different categories according to the number of inches of the wheels:

• 20"

Original measurement of trial bike wheels. This measure had the wheels of the first bike designed specifically for this modality, built by Montesa, a Spanish motorcycle brand.

• 24"

In this way they belong increasingly well-known and accepted bikes, and are a mix of the best aspects of 20" and 26".

• 26"

Great trial category. Bicycles have undergone dizzying evolution and have gone from being heavy and unsightly to being a benchmark for this sport. This type of bike allows a pilotage completely different from that of 20 and overcome much greater obstacles by helping with its larger wheel radius.

Cycling indoors

This is sub-divided into two categories:

• Artistic cycling

Interior sports similar to the artistic skating on ice and gymnastics, practiced with special bicycles and recognized by the International Cycling Union. It is a discipline that requires skill, balance, concentration and courage. This sport is very popular in Germany, where there are 10 000 licenses.

• Cyclobol

exclusively male sports, in which two teams are facing trying to put goal in the opposite goal. It comes from football, but bicycles are used.

BMX (Bicycle Moto Cross)

BMX Cycling

In the bici motocross (known by its acronym BMX, and by the Spanish term 'bicicrós') there are two modalities: BMX RACE. The first is practiced on circuits with curves and obstacles; It is currently an Olympic sport, where the last champion in London 2012 was the Latvian Māris Štrombergs in the men's branch and the Colombian Mariana Pajón in the women's branch while the last world champion was the French Joris Daudet. The second is to do tricks on the bike.

Freestyle

Practiced with a BMX bike, usually with a 20 rim. This sport consists of doing tricks on the bike. There are two types of freestyle:

* Urban Freestyle: it consists of doing tricks in the street, squares, stairs, etc.

* Ramp Freestyle: this is practiced on a previously made circuit.

Recreation

Cycle touring

Cyclotourism in Patagonia

It is the practice of cycling without competitive spirit, using the bicycle as a means of physical exercise, entertainment, transportation or tourism. Short trips are made during the day, or longer trips that can last days, weeks and even months; In this modality, you travel taking with you the necessary elements to survive, although some carry the house on their backs (tent) and others prefer to spend the night in hostels, shelters, etc. It is quite common for it to be done solo. A great project to encourage cycling tourism in Europe is EuroVelo.

Cycling competitions

Although due to its name it is not considered competitive cycling, there are "tests" or organized routes in which some of the participants compete against each other, such as the Quebrantahuesos cycling tour and the Treparriscos, lighter than the Quebrantahuesos but still This is quite demanding, and both have their departure and arrival points in Sabiñánigo (Huesca-Spain), the Perico Delgado march marches through the mountain passes of Guadarrama with departure and arrival in Segovia, the birthplace of the cyclist who gives his name to walk or in the "ultramarathon cyclist" (randonneur) tests, among others, but in them it is assumed that you have to be totally autonomous without assistance, unlike in road cycling that is everything much more controlled. The Cruce del Lagarto is considered one of the toughest endurance events in Panama. It consists of crossing the Isthmus of Panama from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, traveling on Off-Road roads, and crossing the great Gatun Lake (in canoes) all this in a single day. It is one of the most respected events in Panama and tests mental strength, stamina and bicycle handling skills.

Urban

Urban Cycling

Urban rider in Cascaes, Portugal

Urban cycling is not necessarily a sport, although it favors the health of those who practice it. It consists of the use of the bicycle as a means of urban transport, whether to work, shopping, to do business or for leisure; Therefore, these are short or medium distances traveled in and around urban areas. His followers are, along with cyclists, those who experience the bicycle as a means of transport. Cities with excellent cycling infrastructure are Amsterdam in the Netherlands, Copenhagen in Denmark among others. Spain and Argentina, which traditionally did not occupy relevant positions in the field of urban cycling, are gradually improving. Barcelona was recognized in 2011 as the third best city for urban cycling in the world according to the ranking prepared by The Copenhagenize Index and Seville deserved in 2013 the fourth position in the world and first in Spain. Both cities, together with Buenos Aires, continue to maintain leadership positions in the 2015 classification, ranking among the fifteen best in the world. Bogotá, Colombia was once ranked as the third most cyclist-friendly city in the world, behind Amsterdam (1) and Copenhagen (2).

A few years ago they were a mole on the skin of the city, a situation that qualified them as fashion. Today they are an alternative to the motor whirlwind that condemns cities as well as their inhabitants, who succumb more and more to the pressures of work.

Although the bicycle still demands the public space it deserves due to the benefits it generates, such as being a clean vehicle capable of helping the physical condition of those who drive it. So the number of users —among which students, workers, housewives and even morning tamales stand out— suggest that at least that society, victim of its daily grind, is beginning to recover its space-time by riding on two wheels.

And it is that the initiative of these postmodern riders to recover the streets has caused them to come together in weekly events called 'rodas', endless competitive races but with the common goal of having a good time on the bike. And social networks have as much to do with this, facilitating programming as the spread of more urban cyclists. Their response has led state and municipal governments to sponsor their events such as making bicycles available to anyone.

In the Federal District, the program called Smart-Bike extended its opening hours a couple of months ago. While in cities like Puebla, it has led to the creation of more bike stations. Perhaps, in a few years, both cities will begin to consider establishing a day without trucks and cars in favor of bicycles, as is already thought in London, England.

Training

During the last decades, cycling training and nutrition techniques have been perfected, providing all kinds of resources to fans to be able to advance in their preparation.

History of cycling

First Bicycles

All human inventions are the result of trying to satisfy a need. Although, sometimes, the lack of ingenuity or the lack of technology, may not allow us a certain satisfaction.

There are also cases in which inventions appear as an evolution of what was initially an intellectual amusement. The bicycle did not begin to develop as such until the end of the 18th century.

From the first tests to professionalism

The first recorded competitive cycling test in history was held on May 31, 1868 in a small circuit of 1,200 meters in the Saint-Cloud park, on the outskirts of Paris, in which 7 cyclists and it was won by British expatriate James Moore on a fixed-gear wooden bicycle with iron wheels.

A year later the first race itself was held, specifically on November 7, 1869, between Paris and Rouen. A hundred cyclists participated in it with the aim of completing or winning the test consisting of 123 km and finally they managed to finish it with 33. Again the British James Moore won the test with a time of 10 h and 45 min. The intention of the organizers was to demonstrate that the bicycle was worth as a means of transport for long distances.

First cycling organizations

The first cycling associations were created in Florence (Italy) on January 15, 1870 and in Holland in 1871 and later in Great Britain and Spain (Sociedad Velocipedista Madrileña and Club Velocipédico de Cádiz) in 1878 but they were humble associations of small clubs. The first national association was the French one in 1881 that created the first French cycling championship.

In 1892 the International Cyclists Association was created in London, being the first international cycling association. But divergences between the countries that formed it led to the creation of the International Cycling Union on April 14, 1900, the current governing body, founded in Paris. They were made up of the national federations of France, Belgium, the United States, Italy, and Switzerland. In Spain, the first national cycling body was the Unión Velocipédica Española, created in 1895.

These associations were practically based on track cycling and road cycling since there were hardly any other modalities. Without any type of specialization since the runners disputed both disciplines indistinctly from the 333 meters of track to the more than 100 kilometers of the route. However, it can be said that track cycling took a certain advantage when its first World Cup was organized in 1895, since it was possible to control it better when it was held in a velodrome, apart from being able to charge admission.

First competitions

In track cycling, the first race is considered the London Six Days created in 1878, and in 1895 the first World Championship of this discipline was held, with sprint and middle distance tests.

Between 1890 and 1900, great road cycling events were born, which over the years have become monuments, some of which still exist today, such as Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Paris- Roubaix...

Tests in Spain and America

In Spain, the first state tests would arise from a group of bicycle manufacturers from Éibar during the Republic. From 1932 to 1935 the Éibar-Madrid-Éibar was held in 4 stages, before the Tour of Spain. Although races had previously been held in small clubs, the oldest officially being the Volta a Cataluña (1911) and the Clásica de Ordizia (1922) due to French influence as it was close to said border.

In America, the first recorded race was the Uruguay Cycling Tour, the first edition of which was in 1939.

FIAC and FICP

In 1965, under pressure from the International Olympic Committee, the UCI (International Cycling Union) split into the "International Amateur Cycling Federation" (FIAC) and the "International Federation of Professional Cycling" (FICP), coordinating both institutions. The amateur was set in Rome, the professional in Luxembourg, and the UCI in Geneva.

The Amateur Federation was the larger of the two organizations, with 127 members on five continents. It was dominated by the Eastern European countries, which were basically amateurs. In addition, they represented cycling at the Olympic Games, and they only competed against the members of the Professional Federation on rare occasions.

In 1992, the UCI unified the FIAC and the FICP, merging them into the UCI. The joint organization moved to Lausanne.

Olympic sport

Cycling has been part of the Olympic program since the first modern edition of the Athens Olympic Games in 1896, when 5 track events were held (sprint, sprint, 12-hour track, 10,000 m and 100 km) and 1 event of route (87 km).

In the 1912 Stockholm Olympic Games, only tests were held in the road discipline, the only time such a circumstance occurred.

Until the 1984 Los Angeles Games, participation was only male. Women began to participate in the road events at these Olympics and in the track events at the 1988 Seoul Games.

In the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, professional cyclists participated for the first time and mountain biking was introduced.

In the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, another modality of this discipline was added, "BMX SX" (BMX Supercross), this descendant modality of BMX incorporates new difficulties such as a steeper starting ramp and larger jumps, with considerable speeds.

All Olympic cycling events have been sprint events, there have never been any acrobatic or trial events.