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Road Cycling - Wikipedia

Road cycling is a popular form of cycling on paved roads, encompassing recreational, racing, and commuting activities, with cyclists expected to follow similar laws as motorists. The sport has evolved from heavy steel bicycles in the 19th century to modern lightweight materials, with a significant increase in participants worldwide. Safety is a key concern, as cyclists must navigate shared roadways while adhering to varying state laws.

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38 views1 page

Road Cycling - Wikipedia

Road cycling is a popular form of cycling on paved roads, encompassing recreational, racing, and commuting activities, with cyclists expected to follow similar laws as motorists. The sport has evolved from heavy steel bicycles in the 19th century to modern lightweight materials, with a significant increase in participants worldwide. Safety is a key concern, as cyclists must navigate shared roadways while adhering to varying state laws.

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somethingworks56
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Road cycling

Road cycling is the most widespread form of cycling in


which cyclists ride on paved roadways.[1] It includes
recreational, racing, commuting, and utility cycling. As
users of the road, road cyclists are generally expected to
obey the same laws as motorists, however there are certain
exceptions.[2] While there are many types of bicycles that
are used on the roads such as BMX, recumbents, racing,
touring and utility bicycles, dedicated road bicycles have
specific characteristics that make them ideal for the sport.
Road bicycles generally have thinner tires, lighter frames
with no suspension, and a set of drop handle bars to allow Aleksandr Vlasov riding a Specialized S-
riders to get in a more aerodynamic position while cycling WORKS road bike
[3]
at higher speeds. On a flat road, an intermediate cyclist
can average about 18 to 20 mph (29 to 32 km/h), while a
professional rider can average up to 25 mph (40 km/h).[4] At higher speeds, wind resistance
becomes an important factor; aerodynamic road bikes have been developed over the years to
ensure that as much as possible of the rider's energy is spent propelling the bike forward.[4]

History
In 1817, Karl von Drais created the first bicycle which used heavy steel and wood, but since then,
the road bicycle industry has adopted aluminum, carbon fiber, and titanium as the main materials
for production.[5] The first steel bicycles weighed as much as 80 pounds,[5] whereas the lightest
carbon fiber road bikes now can weigh as little as thirteen pounds.[6]

On May 31, 1868, cycling officially became a sport with the first race occurring at Saint-Cloud Park
in France.[7] While this first race was not considered a road race, road cycling races began to pop
up throughout Europe in the 1870s.[7] Road cycling as a form of recreational activity as well as a
way to commute began to gain traction shortly after these first road races.[7] Since its origins,
millions of people have adopted road cycling for either recreation or commuting.

In 2020, it was estimated that about 44.5 million people worldwide participate in road cycling,
which is an increase of about five million people since 2019. Demand for road bicycles as well as
other types of bicycles continued to increase throughout 2021.

Riding safety
Sharing the roadways with other motorists is an unavoidable aspect of road cycling, so road cyclists
are generally expected to follow the same laws as their motorist counterparts. That being said, road
cyclists also have the same fundamental rights as motorists.[8] In the U.S., laws for cyclists vary by
state, so it is important to keep up to date on your state's road cycling laws.[9] You can find a
breakdown of all cycling laws by state here.

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