Road racing is adrenaline - fuelled, exciting and a lot of fun. There are many variables in a road race that can make the difference between winning and losing. This keeps you going back for more as next week may be your lucky week.

The Basics: Road Racing is massed-start cycle racing on roads or tarmac circuits. First rider over the finish line wins, with anything from twenty to almost 200 competitors, depending on the event. In the UK, events range from short Youth and Juvenile (under16) races of 20km or less, through club level events for adults of between 40km and 100km, to Elite-level one day races of 200km or more 

The majority of adult racing takes place on public roads, though there are an increasing number of circuit events, either on roads closed to other traffic or on specially constructed circuits, some which are shared with other sports like motor racing and kart racing, others are purpose built for cycling. All under-16 racing takes place on traffic-free closed circuits.

Road Races: The classic Road Race is a test of stamina, fitness and tactical acumen. Team tactics often come into play. Riders often have particular strengths: some can climb hills and mountains very quickly; others have a devastating turn of speed or sprint; other have the ability to ride very well  against the clock in Time Trials (which often form part of multi day or stage races). The art is to restrict your rival's gains in the areas where they are strong and maximise your gains in your preferred terrain.