Leisure Kicks - The essencial sport and leisure guide

BMX: there are two different types of BMX, they are dependent on the tyre size, one 20 inches, the other 24 inches. A BMX track is usually between 300 and 400 metres which consist of various jumps, bumps and banked corners. 

Mountain Biking: mountain biking consists of three varying disciplines; cross country, downhill and 4-Cross. Downhill is about getting from the top to the bottom of the course as quickly as possible; the course will usually be approximately 2.5 kilometres and include drops between 300 and 600 metres. Cross country is more endurance-based and will include laps up to 150 kilometres on difficult terrain including rocks and mud. 4-Cross has manmade and natural obstacles in it, and can sometimes include table tops, stutter bumps, drop off and more. 

Road: road cycling is more about stamina; a typical route can be anything from 20 to 200 kilometres.  Road racing is arguably the most well known discipline with major tours including the Vuelta a Espana, The Giro d’Italia and the most famous of all – The Tour de France. 

Track: track cycling takes place on either an indoor or an outdoor track consisting of two tight, banked corners, joined by two short straights. The indoor track is usually shorter, but with steeper banks, and is usually around 250 metres long. 

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British Cycling Insight has all the info you need