Road Cycling
Bike Style
Skinnier tires and drop handle bars
Season
Early spring through mid-summer.
Race formats
Time Trial, Road Race, Criterium and multi-day stage races.
Bikes used in Time Trials on the road are typically outfitted with aerobars. Aerobars are not allowed in Junior Time Trial events for Juniors age 14 and under.
Cyclocross
Bike Style
Looks like a road bike but with knobby tires. A mountain bike may also be used in many Cyclocross Races
Season
Fall and winter months
Race formats
Cyclocross is like a steeplechase, but on a bike, with off-road courses that can consist of grass, dirt, sand, mud, pavement, short, steep hills, off-camber sections and a few obstacles. The obstacles may include low, wood planks called barriers, stairs, steep hills or logs. These force the rider to get off and remount their bike multiple times a lap. Racing within a set time, the riders will make multiple laps of the course.
Track
Bike Style
Fixed gear, not single-speed, no brakes.
Season
Summer
Race formats
Cyclists make their way around a velodrome in Track cycling – a closed, banked oval. Velodromes vary widely in total distance, shape and degree of banking, giving each velodrome its own personality.
There are roughly 29 velodromes in the U.S. Frequently, beginner race programs are held at velodromes which can offer track bike rentals as riders experience the discipline.
Mountain Bike
Bike Style
Suspension frames, fat knobby tires, flat bars
Season
Spring, summer and fall
Race formats
Cross-Country, Short Track Cross- Country, Ultra-Endurance, Downhill, Dual Slalom, Four-Cross, Super D, Enduro and Observed Trials.
Modern Mountain Biking got its start in the late 1970s in Northern California and today serves as a popular form of recreation, as well as competition. Oftentimes mountain biking events are grouped together over a weekend or during festivals.
BMX
Bike Style
Hardtail frames, small wheels, flat bars
Season
Spring, Summer
Race formats
BMX racing, BMX Flatland
BMX racing is one of the most exciting disciplines to race in and watch. Riders typically compete on a designated BMX track that is made up of both concrete and dirt. The goal is to make it to the finish first.
Virtual
Bike Style
Virtual bike via smart device
Season
All-seasons
Race formats
Virtual racing is a relatively new form of racing. Riders connect their bikes to a computer via a smart trainer or smart device and race against other riders in the virtual world.