Cycling: Find Out More About Its Origin And Existing Categories

By Stewart James


One of the popular sports activities that is great for our body is cycling. Mainly an aerobic activity that is great for the heart and lungs, this sport can either be a competitive activity or simply a pastime. Various categories are also included in this sport and various gears such as cycling helmets and elbow and hand pads are necessary when practicing this kind of sport.

It was in 1817 when cycling started with the invention of the first actual bicycle by Karl Drais. Said bicycle was patterned to the first human powered vehicle invented in the 1400s by Giovanni Fontana. It was said that the development of the bicycle was a response to the widespread starvation and horse slaughtering in the region. Drais bike has been modified over the years. Come 1890, a safety bike with one wheel bigger than the other and is made from metal yet light and small enough to be operated has been created. It is during this time as well when bicycles were mass produced as cycling has become popular not only as a part of business especially for mail delivering but also as leisure and sports.

The four general categories of cycling are off-road, on-road, cyclo-cross, and BMX or stunt riding. Off-road, also popularly known as mountain biking is a type of cycling that generally uses mountain bikes. This category of cycling was made popular in 1970 when mountain bikes were introduced. These bikes were said to perform optimally on rough terrain are made to handle the rigors and stresses of large obstacles and uneven terrain. The boundaries of this category of cycling were further pushed with the mountain bikes' rapid-shift gears, drum brakes, and suspension.

On-road or road biking is the second type of cycling which mainly focuses on speed and distance and ranges from commuting and fitness to multistage tour racing and also have a specific bike designed to be used. The third type of cycling is the cyclo-cross which is a combination of the first two kinds. Cyclo-cross racers and participants usually ride in groups over an off-road course which are unpaved and sometimes have obstacle-heavy courses that slow down the overall pace and add new challenges.The fourth and final kind is the BMX which is often overlooked as a kind of cycling since the techniques and equipment's used are a bit different. This kind of cycling also focuses more on stunts instead of speed and speed and was said to be an answer to the youngsters need for excitement and energy of motocross but are under age and cost limitations. BMX became more popular due to a number of main stream competitions it is usually played and its addition in the recent Olympic Games in China.

Cycling is a sport that is great for the body. As cyclists are fueled by food, a renewable energy resource, they are required to maintain a proper and balanced diet which includes lots of vegetables and fruits, as well as foods high in carbohydrates and protein. It is also considered as an aerobic activity and thus is good for the lungs and help the heart. This is important because a strong heart and powerful lungs help to form the basis of general fitness. Riding to work, school, university or college, or taking your bike on short neighborhood trips is a convenient and practical way to incorporate regular exercise into your busy day. Nonetheless, it is important to always wear safety gears such as cycling helmets when performing this activity.

Cycling is definitely a sport worth knowing. It can be enjoyed as part of leisure time and at the same time act as part of ones daily exercise or take it seriously and become a full time cyclist. Do not forget to always wear safety gears such as cycling helmets in order to fully enjoy the benefits of the said sport.




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