Cycling, much like the thrill of online casinos, offers a range of experiences tailored to different preferences and thrill-seeking levels. Since its beginnings on June 12, 1816, cycling has developed into various forms, each presenting its own set of challenges and rewards. Whether you’re navigating the rugged terrain of mountain biking, clocking miles in road cycling, or performing stunts in BMX, cycling embodies the essence of adventure and competition.
This sense of adventure and pursuit of rewards in cycling mirrors the excitement found in online casinos. Just as cyclists choose their discipline based on personal preference and skill, online casino enthusiasts seek out platforms that offer the best experiences and rewards. For instance, discovering an online casino that offers a Slotozen casino is akin to finding a cycling route that perfectly suits your style—it enhances the experience without requiring an initial commitment, allowing you to dive into the excitement risk-free.
1. Downhill
Downhill is an extreme discipline in cycling, the essence of which is to descend a mountain on a bicycle that is more complicated in design. Downhill tracks are used as difficult as possible, using dirt, mountain and other roads. The bicycle used here is a two-suspension bike (occasionally a hardtail).
2. Enduro
Enduro is a motorbike and bicycle discipline similar to Downhill but much longer and more difficult. The bike used here is the same as in Downhill (necessarily two-suspension) and with a longer suspension travel “150mm”.
3.Slopestyle
Slopestyle is a downhill with drops, jumps, etc. and the rider decides which obstacle to ride on. He must also do tricks to score points (backflip, barspin, nafin, etc). Riders ride MTB bikes with a sophisticated design that allows them to ride down the hill safely and still perform a variety of tricks.
4. Dirt Jumping
Dirt jumping – earth mounds (radiuses) built specifically for dirt bikes are used for take-offs. Dirt tracks consist of several jumps, one after the other, at different angles. They can be up to three metres high and about five metres long between them. Here, as well as in slopestyle, tricks and their complexity are valued (the more complex the better). The bikes used here are BMX and MTB (Dert).
5. Street
Street is a purely urban style of riding. Overcoming obstacles in the form of benches, kerbs, pipes, parapets, fences, stairs, often with the performance of tricks, including sliding on the front sprocket or rockering. The bike is used BMX and MTB (Street) bikes
6. Road Racing
Road cycling is a discipline of cycling that involves racing on paved roads on road bikes. It has been an Olympic discipline since 1896. Road cycling is mainly a summer sport, with the season starting in early spring and ending in autumn. The most prestigious competitions take place between March and October. The history of road cycling began in 1868, and the first major cycling race, the “grandmother of all one-day races” – Liège – Bastogne – Liège – has been held since 1892. The bicycle used is a road bike (lightweight).
7. Freeride
Freeride is a free style of cycling. It is a mixture of different types of cycling. Freeriders should be perfectly prepared, as this direction is very difficult and injury-prone. Freeride bikes have a strong frame, and reliable disc brakes, their weight is usually less than the weight of a DH bike because the riders have to climb uphill;
8. Cross-country
Cross-country, XC – is probably the most popular type of cycling. It is a race on a track with descents and ascents, a lot of natural and sometimes artificial obstacles (rough terrain). Cross country is included in the Olympic Games programme.
9. Sprint
Sprint – A cycling race of two to three laps on a track, traditionally the last 200 metres of the race are decisive. Sprint is the oldest discipline in cycling, in the programme of competitions that appeared in the XIX century. Athletes are selected in qualifying races, in which the first to finish wins. It is considered that the cyclist starting behind the opponent takes the winning position, as the leading cyclist does not see the manoeuvres of the opponent;
Others
Of course, not everything is mentioned here, but nowadays there are so many cycling disciplines that it is almost impossible to mention all of them. But all of them can be divided into 4 main disciplines (of each, at least one type of cycling is named in this article).
- Track racing – Such a kind of cycling as track racing is held on closed oval-shaped paths (tracks). For the convenience of cyclists, the track has a slope to the horizon, on turns of 42°, and on straight sections of 12.5°. The length and width of the track may vary depending on the type of competition being organised. The track surface may be wood or concrete.
- Road racing – A type of cycling in which cyclists compete to cover a distance at speed on roads. Road cycling is the sport that attracts the most sponsorship and is considered a commercial discipline. Olympic forms of road racing include individual and group racing. The non-Olympic types, criterium, multi-day race, team race, uphill race.
- Mountain biking – Mountain biking (from mountain bike; mtb, mtb) is an extreme form of cycling, which is a competition on mountain bikes. A mountain bike is designed for riding in conditions where there is no road surface. It is the most common type of bike nowadays and many cyclists use it for city riding as well.
- BMX (Bicycle Motocross or bicycle motocross) – is a type of cycling sport that is characterized by spectacle and extreme sports. Athletes perform various tricks on special BMX bikes. Presumably, this discipline appeared in the 70s of the twentieth century as a result of imitation by teenagers of their idols from motocross.
A few interesting facts about cycling
- All of Europe has been obsessed with cycling for a hundred and fifty years. In Italy, France, Belgium and Holland, cycling is a religion. Every week there are dozens of amateur races in which anyone can take part, and the relationship between cyclists and motorists in these countries is distinguished by enviable civility.
- One of the most sensitive issues in cycling is leg shaving. Showing up in public in a cycling uniform but with hairy legs is not cool. Abrasions and scratches on smooth skin are easier to treat and easier to massage. There is also a theory that shaved legs improve the aerodynamics of the rider on a bicycle. In any case, leg shaving, no matter how wild it may seem to you, is a sacred act, a rite of passage into cycling.
- Interestingly, bicycle is a French word that has been in common usage since the 1860s. However, the first bicycle was invented in Germany in 1817. It had a wooden frame and no pedals, which made the riders’ shoes wear out very quickly. This problem was solved by a French mechanic who added a foot drive to the bicycle, creating the basis of the classic bicycle.
- At first, bicycles had a disproportionately large pedal-driven front wheel and a small rear wheel for support, riding such giants was quite difficult and falling high.
- Beginning in the 1890s was the golden age of bicycles. New designs had the same size wheels, rear chain drive added speed, and mass production brought down the cost. And bicycles were brought up like hotcakes.
- The early models were imperfect and were called “bone shaking”. To eliminate the defect, the bicycles had to be equipped with moulded rubber tyres.
- There are 250 bicycles per car in China. Half of all journeys in China are made by bicycle. In cities in Denmark, Germany and Holland, 30% of journeys are made by bicycle. 15% of working Japanese commute to work by bicycle.
- One million electric bicycles are now in use in the world. In Switzerland, an electric bicycle has been built that can reach speeds of 100 kilometres per hour.
- Jewish and Arab women are not forbidden to ride a bicycle, but it must be a special bicycle with a low frame that allows them to ride in a long dress.
- The first round-the-world journey by bicycle was made in 1884-87 and was unique in its difficulty. Firstly, it was made on a bicycle of the old design – with a huge front wheel. In addition, bicycles did not yet have tires.
- The oldest and one of the most gruelling cycling races in history is the Paris-Brest-Paris Marathon. It is 1200 kilometres long. It is still being held today.
- The lung volume of cyclists is large not only compared to ordinary people, but also compared to professional athletes: 8 litres with an average of 6 litres. Blood circulation allows cyclists to pump up to 7 litres of oxygen per minute through the body instead of 3-4 litres in normal people.
Like PEZ? Why not subscribe to our weekly newsletter to receive updates and reminders on what’s cool in road cycling?
