Road RacingRoad Races are held on held on open roads with an out and back route or a point to point start and finish. They vary in length but are usually between 30 and 250 miles depending on the level of the race. Ideally the roads are closed to traffic but in local and smaller races the riders must share the road with traffic.
Equipment: Each of the three road disciplines: road race circuit race and criterium use the same basic bike design. The bikes are built to be fast light stiff and to absorb road vibration. Typically the bikes are made out of steel aluminum carbon fiber titanium or some combination of these. Personal preference plays a large role in what type of frame the rider will ride. Developments in carbon fiber titanium and even aluminum have brought the overall weight of the bike down while allowing the bike to remain stiff and shock absorbent. There are many fine subtleties in frame design that one cannot understand until many miles are spent riding. There are a wide range of wheels and tires used in road cycling. Most are 700cm in diameter and only 1cm wide. The road bike in its various forms can range anywhere in price from a couple hundred dollars to over $20,000Circuit RacingCircuit races are similar to road races but are scaled down and held on a closed course with the start and finish in the same location. Usually the length of the courses is anywhere from a mile up to ten miles in length and the athletes compete by completing a required number of circuits. CriteriumsCriteriums are held on a closed course usually.5 miles to 1 mile in length. They are shorter in length compared to the road and circuit races (20-50 miles) but they are extremely fast technical tight corners fast sprint finishes and they are notorious for crashes. Criteriums have been refered to as Nascar on two wheels! The final sprint to the finish can reach speeds of 40 or even 50 miles per hour! The exhileration felt when you take a 90 degree turn at 40 mph bumping elbows with 50 other riders can only be experienced in cycling. Time TrialsKnown as "The Race of Truth" due to their extreme difficulty there is no hiding in packs drafting off others team work or relief. It is the rider versus the clock. The riders start in intervals of 30 seconds up to 2 minutes depending on the race length and the fastest rider from the start to the finish is the winner. Common race lengths include: 10K. 20K and 50k. This discipline is known for the extreme mental and physical conditioning it takes to win. As my coach once told me. "Go as hard as you can until you feel like throwing up then hold it to the finish" that is what it takes to win a time trial The races are usually run on a closed course with an out and back format or a point to point race. Equipment: Basically a modified road bike the time trail bike is built to cut through the wind. It is the most aerodynamic bike of any of the disciplines. The bikes are fitted with special "aero" handlebars that allow the rider to achieve a much more aerodynamic position on the bike. Since the amount of wind resistance increases exponentially as speed increases it is important to cut down on wind resistance and frontal area as much as possible. Everything the rider wears and rides is designed to slip through the air with the least amount of resistance. Helmets glasses wheels shoes even body suits are designed to allow air to flow over the rider as smoothly as possible. These bikes are not legal to race in any group start race because they are difficult to control. These bikes are made to go in a straight line fast. Think of the TT (Time Trial) bike as a dragster.
DownhillDownhill mountain biking is exactly what it sounds like..... Go to the top of a mountain point your bike towards the bottom get to the bottom as fast as you can. Downhill competitions are usually held on ski slopes during the summer. The riders can reach speeds of 70mph while flying down the mountain side. Cross CountryCross Country Mountain Biking is a little tamer than down hill. It is run on a dirt course usually in a wooded and hilly area. The competitors compete to be the first across the finish line. Speed finess and endurance are all important in this event. Free RideFree Riders compete on man made courses or use mother nature (i e. CLIFFS. TREES. RAMPS) to perform jumps stunts slides etc and earn points based on the difficulty of their routine. RE:Sane-INSANE. Types of Cyclocross Races:
CyclocrossCyclocross is a strange mix of road and mountain biking. Using a modified road bike with a wider wheel base for stability and a raised bottom bracket for better ground clearance the riders compete on a course usually held in a city park or something similar that consists of a mix of dirt grass sand and whatever else the terrain may consist of. The riders must also navigate over or around obstacles on and off of their bike so bike handling and dismount/remount skills are a necessity.
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Related article:
http://cyclesmart.blogspot.com/2007/11/want-to-know-more-about-racing.html
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