Road+Cycling

Road Racing
Road Racing is the most basic form of racing. They are typically a mass start event, featuring up to 180 participants. The first team to make it from "Point A" to "Point B" wins. Road racing, surprisingly, is a team sport. Teams usually have around 10 riders (except for the Olympics, where teams are required to have no more than 4 for women and 5 for mens teams).

Before the race begins, the teams elect a leader. This is determined based on factors such as fitness level of the rider, weather conditions, and the terrain. The other team mates will do everything in their power to help the leader, such as letting the leader draft behind them (riding directly behind when faced with a headwind to lower wind resistance).



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Criterium Racing
A different style of racing is the Criterium (also known as Crit). The Criterium is held on short circuits usually in urban environments. The fast paced riders will average up to 30 miles per hour for entire races. Tight turns and many people make Crit racing a fast paced spectator-friendly sport.

The events are usually a half-hour to an hour long. As soon as the gun rings, the riders are off and up to thirty miles per hour. In the event of a flat tire, mechanical failure, or crash, the team mecahnic may make a quick repair in the time of a lap. Proceeding the fix, the participant is put back in the same position before the mishap.

The Road Bike


Road Bikes are made for paved roads and road racing. They can be made from many different materials, including steel, aluminum, titanium, or even carbon fiber. The type of material has individual pros and cons, with the factors being stiffness, weight, and overall feel. Here is a list of some parts of the road bike and what they do:

The Rear Derailleur is the metal object that hangs down from the middle of the rear wheel that shifts the cassette(back gears) up and down.

The Front Derailleur does the same thing as the rear derailleur, but changes the front two chainrings near the pedals.

Clipless Pedals are essential to any road-racer. They are small metal pedals in which you " clip in" with special shoes. Clipless pedals gives you more power and efficiency while pedaling.

The Bottom Bracket is where the chainstay and downtube meet up. It is a tube-like part that allows the crankset (crank arms attached to the pedals) to move freely.

Headsets go below the handlebars and connect the fork to the bike. This allows the rider to rotate the fork, allowing for turning.

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