Cycling

Cycling is a means of transport, a form of recreation and a  sport. It's the most efficient form of transport on the planet. Some people have, through creative accounting, tried to show that cycling is as "polluting" as a small, economical family car, but this is essentially sophistry as it includes all the CO2 emitted by the cyclist but ignores the fact that most people need to breathe anyway, that the growing and consumption of food is more or less carbon neutral (give or take the cost of transport, which also applies to oil of course), and that the distance travelled per unit effort expended is greater than for any other mode of transport.

Introduction
As a sport, cycling is governed internationally by the Union Cycliste Internationale in (for s) and by the International Human Powered Vehicle Association (for other HPVs, or human-powered vehicles). Cycling for transport and touring is promoted on a European level by the, with associated members from the USA, Japan and elsewhere. Regular conferences on cycling for transport are held under the auspices of, whereas global conferences are coordinated by.

In the UK, the largest national cyclists' organisation is the, aka the Cyclists' Touring Club (or Café To Café after their legendary cake-fuelled Sunday runs). Wherever you are in the UK there is probably a CTC group near you, and you'll often find a number of different types of ride from the leisurely to the adventurous. My local "district association" (DA) is Reading, and you'll see from their website that they have a wide variety of lengths and styles of ride. For the beginner, returner or less-confident cyclist, CTC rides are a great place to find the hoary old-timers who can pass on the folk wisdom of ages. Like Stuart, from whom I finally learned how to ride downhill safely on green lanes.

Types of bike

 * Utility bikes. World-wide, the vehicle most commonly used for transportation is a .  These have frames with a "relaxed" geometry, placing the rider further behind the pedals and with a greater curve or angle in the front forks. Both these factors reduce shocks from the road surface and make the bicycle easier to steer at low speeds.  They also tend to sit the rider more upright.  The ultimate in upright cycling is the classic Dutch bike.
 * Mountain bikes. These are popular in the US and UK, where cycling is predominantly a leisure activity.
 * Audax / touring bikes typically have dropped handlebars, mudguards, derailleur gears, a rack to carry luggage and lights. Frame angles are reasonably relaxed, the main difference between touring and audax being the elusive quality of "sportiness" - narrower, higher pressure tyres, for example, make a bike faster over the ground and less effort to ride, but are more puncture prone especially when heavily loaded.
 * Road bikes are for racing, they have narrow tyres, lightweight components and frame angles which encourage faster riding.
 * s are the living embodiment of maxim: "cheap, light strong - pick any two".  They are cheap, and the frames are usually strong.  But they are heavy, and the components are generally made of.

Equipment
The components of the bike should also be considered. A middle grade is most likely sufficient for a beginner, although many utility bikes come equipped with s.  If the rider plans a significant amount of hill climbing, a triple- (three chainrings) front  may be preferred. Otherwise, the relatively lighter and less expensive double-crank (two chainrings) system may be a better selection. Many road bikes include s to which special shoes attach via a mechanism, permitting the rider to pull on the pedals as well as pushing them.

A variety of accessories may be purchased for the bicycle and the cyclist. These include s, mudguards /fenders, luggage racks and pannier bags, s and s. For basic maintenance and repairs, cyclists can choose to carry a , a spare inner tube, a , a puncture repair kit and. Cycling can be more efficient and comfortable with special s,, and or pantleg clips. Riding in wet weather can be more tolerable with waterproof clothes, such as cape, jacket, trousers and overshoes. Items legally required in some jurisdictions, or voluntarily adopted for safety reasons, include s, generator or battery operated, and audible signaling devices such as a bell or horn. Extras include and a. 

What to learn
Learning to ride efficiently and safely in traffic is important. Some cyclists act like s who just happen to be on wheels while some cyclists have learned to operate their s (i.e., by the  for vehicles). In the, many primary school children are given the opportunity to take the , to help them travel more safely on the road. In countries such as the Netherlands, where cycling is popular, cyclists sometimes ride in bike lanes at the side of, or frequently separate from, the main highway. Many primary schools participate in the national road test in which children individually complete a circuit on roads near the school while being observed by testers.

City
Cyclists and motorists make different demands on road design which may lead to conflicts both in politics and on the streets. Some jurisdictions give priority to motorised traffic, for example setting up extensive one-way street systems, free-right turns, high capacity roundabouts, and slip roads. Other cities may apply active traffic restraint measures to limit the impact of motorised transport. In the former cases, cycling has tended to decline while in the latter it has tended to be maintained. Occasionally, extreme measures against cycling may occur. In, a city where bicycles were once the dominant , bicycle travel on city roads was actually banned temporarily in December 2003.

In areas in which cycling is popular and encouraged, cycle-parking facilities using s, lockable mini-garages, and patrolled cycle parks are used to reduce theft. Local governments also promote cycling by permitting the carriage of bicycles on public transport or by providing external attachment devices on public transport vehicles. Conversely, an absence of secure cycle-parking is a recurring complaint by cyclists from cities with low modal share of cycling.

Extensive systems may be found in some cities. Such dedicated paths often have to be shared with in-line skaters, scooters, skateboarders, and pedestrians. Segregating bicycle and automobile traffic in cities has met with mixed success, both in terms of safety and bicycle promotion. At some point the two streams of traffic inevitably intersect, often in a haphazard and congested fashion. Studies have demonstrated that, due to the high incidence of accidents at these sites, such segregated schemes can actually increase the number of car-bike collisions.

In the Netherlands bicycle paths are widespread and are (in the cities) not allowed for scooters. Cyclists in the Netherlands are well protected as the law assumes the stronger participant (i.e. the car) guilty party in all accidents involving weaker traffic unless evidence of the opposite is provided. Furthermore, drivers know to expect bikes, which are plentiful and treat traffic rules more as guidelines. Due to these issues the number of car-bike collisions with serious consequences is not alarmingly high in the Netherlands

Commercial
The s of many countries have long relied on bicycles. The British first started using bicycles in 1880; now bicycle delivery fleets include 37,000 in the, 25,700 in , 10,500 in  and 7000 in. The has recently introduced bicycling paramedics, who can often get to the scene of an incident in  more quickly than a motorised ambulance.

officers adopted the bicycle as well, initially using their own. However, they eventually became a standard issue, particularly for police in rural areas. The police purchased 20 bicycles in 1896, and by 1904 there were 129 police bicycle patrols operating. Some countries retained the while others dispensed with them for a time. Bicycle patrols are now enjoying a resurgence in many cities, as the mobility of car-borne officers is becoming increasingly limited by traffic congestion and. They also have the advantages that the officers are inherently more open to the public, and the transport is quieter to permit a more stealthy approach toward suspects. The pursuit of suspects can also be assisted by a bicycle.

Bicycles enjoy substantial use as general delivery vehicles in many countries. In the UK and North America, generations of teenagers have got their first jobs delivering newspapers by bicycle. London has many delivery companies that use bicycles with trailers. Most cities in the West, and many outside it, support a sizeable and visible industry of who deliver documents and small packages. In, many of 's s use bicycles to deliver hot lunches to the city’s workers. In, the city’s largest bakery recently replaced most of its delivery trucks with bicycles. Even the car industry uses bicycles. At the huge factory in,  workers use bicycles, colour-coded by department, to move around the factory. 

Recreational
Bicycles are used for recreation at all ages. , also known as cyclotourism, involves touring and exploration or sightseeing by bicycle for leisure. A or randonnée is an organized long-distance ride.

One popular pleasure is the enjoyment of relaxed cycling in the  of the. The land is very flat and full of public where cyclists aren't bothered by  and other traffic, which makes it ideal for cycling. Many subscribe every  to an event called  &mdash; four days of organised cycling through the local environment. (PBP), which began in 1891, is the oldest bicycling event still run on a regular basis on the open road, covers over 1200 km and imposes a 90-hour time limit. Similar if smaller institutions exist in many countries.

Organized rides
Many cycling clubs hold organized rides in which bicyclists of all levels participate. The typical organized ride starts with a large group of riders, called the mass, bunch or even. This will thin out over the course of the ride. Many riders choose to ride together in groups of the same skill level to take advantage of.

Most organized rides, for example s, or s, include registration requirements and will provide information either through the mail or online concerning start times and other requirements. Rides usually consist of 25, 50 and 100 mile routes, each with a certain number of rest stops that usually include refreshments, first aid and maintenance tools.

Mountain
grew in the late 20th century, including recreation and racing.

Racing
Shortly after the introduction of bicycles, competitions developed independently in many parts of the world. Early races involving style bicycles were predictably fraught with injuries. Large races became popular during the 1890s "Golden Age of Cycling", with events across Europe, and in the U.S. and Japan as well. At one point, almost every major city in the US had a or two for  events. However since the middle of the 20th Century cycling has become a minority sport in the US whilst in Continental Europe it continues to be a major sport, particularly in France, Belgium and Italy. The most famous of all bicycle races is the. This began in 1903, and continues to capture the attention of the sporting world.

As the bicycle evolved its various forms, different racing formats developed. Road races may involve both team and individual competition, and are contested in various ways. They range from the one-day road race,, and time trial to multi-stage events like the Tour de France and its sister events which make up cycling's. s were banned from bike races in 1934 after set a new  in his Velodyne streamliner (49.992 km on  ). s are used for in s, while  races are held on rugged outdoor terrain. In the past decade, has also reached international popularity and is even an Olympic sport.

Professional racing organizations place limitations on the bicycles that can be used in the races that they sanction. For example, the, the governing body of international cycle sport (which sanctions races such as the ), decided in the late 1990s to create additional rules which prohibit racing bicycles weighing less than 6.8 kilograms (14.96 pounds). The UCI rules also effectively ban some innovations (such as the ) by requiring a double triangle structure.

War
The bicycle is not suited for combat, but it has been used as a method of as well as transporting soldiers and supplies to combat zones. In this it has taken over many of the function of. Bicycles were used in the, where both sides used them for scouting. In, France and Germany used bicycles to move troops. In its 1937 invasion of China, Japan employed some 50,000 bicycle troops, and similar forces were instrumental in Japan's march through in. Germany used bicycles again in World War II, while the British employed airborne "Cycle-commandos" with folding bikes.

In the, communist forces used bicycles extensively as cargo carriers along the. There are reports of mountain bicycles being used in scouting by U.S. Special Forces in the and in subsequent battles against the. British troops, designated Light Bicycle Infantry LBI, used bicycles to patrol in, in January 2005.

The last country known to maintain a regiment of bicycle troops was, who disbanded their final unit in 2003.

Activism
Two broad themes run in bicycle activism: one more overtly political with roots in the ; the other drawing on the traditions of the established bicycle lobby. Such groups promote the bicycle as an alternative mode of transport and emphasize the potential for energy and resource conservation and health benefits gained from cycling versus automobile use. Activists in both camps also argue for improved local and inter-city rail services and other methods of mass transportation, and also for greater provision for cycle carriage on such services. Many cities also have s that promote cycling, especially as a means of inner-city transport.

Controversially, some bicycle activists (including some traffic management advisers) seek the construction of for journeys of all lengths. Other activists, especially those from the more established tradition, view the safety, practicality, and intent of many segregated cycle facilities with suspicion. They favour a more holistic approach based on ; education (of everyone involved), encouragement (to apply the education), enforcement (to protect the rights of others), and engineering (to facilitate travel while respecting every person's equal right to do so). In some cases this opposition has a more ideological basis: some members of the oppose segregated public facilities, such as on-street, on principle. Some groups offer to help cyclists integrate themselves with other traffic. This is part of the ongoing.

is a worldwide activist movement of mass bicycle protest rides. It incorporates the themes of increasing the road- and mind-share given to bicycle transport, and has drawn support from environmentally minded campaigners and other schools of political thought. According to participants in Critical Mass, "We aren't blocking traffic, we are traffic!" However, their particular forms of protest has drawn criticism from the broader streams of activism. Such activists are sometimes referred to as "bike Nazis".

is a massive established bicycle ride in Los Angeles based on recreational activism. The ride incorporates themes and ride routes designed to maximize fun and comraderie without any overt political agenda that might fracture the group of diverse riders. The one goal of Midnight Ridazz is to have fun riding a bike and thus inspire others to ride and have fun as well.

There is a long-running among activists. The most heated controversy surrounds the topic of.

Associations
Cyclists form associations, both for specific interests (trails development, road maintenance, urban design, racing clubs, touring clubs, etc.) and for more global goals (, pollution reduction, promotion of fitness). Some bicycle clubs and national associations became prominent advocates for improvements to roads and highways. In the, the lobbied for the improvement of roads in the last part of the 19th century, founding and leading the national. Their model for political organization, as well as the paved roads for which they argued, facilitated the growth of the.

Health
Bicycles are commonly used by people seeking to improve their fitness and cardiovascular health. In this regard, bicycling is especially helpful for those with of the lower limbs and who are unable to pursue sports such as running that involve more impact to joints such as the knees. Furthermore, since cycling can be used as a form of transportation, there can be less demand for self-discipline to maintain the exercise because of the practical purpose of the activity.

Cycling while seated is a relatively non-weight bearing exercise that, like, does little to promote bone density. Cycling up and out of the saddle, on the other hand, does a better job by transferring more of the rider's body weight to the legs. However, excessive cycling while standing can cause knee damage. It used to be thought that cycling while standing was less energy efficient, but recent research has proven this not to be true. There is no wasted energy from cycling while standing.

Benefits
Cycling makes use of the largest muscles in the body (the and ) so it is good for people who are trying to lose body fat. Exercising at low intensity is better for people who want to lose weight as the body doesn't have the chance to burn fat at high work rates and will burn glycogen instead (although the body will replace the burnt glycogen by metabolising body fat as soon as it can - see ).

cycling is an, is an , however both types involve both forms of exercise to some degree and can improve cardiovascular health. One measure of cardiovascular health is.

The gained from cycling is generally linked with increased health and well-being. According to the, physical inactivity is second only to as a health risk in developed countries, and this is associated with many tens of billions of dollars of healthcare costs. The WHO's report suggests that increasing physical activity is a public health 'best buy', and that cycling is a 'highly suitable activity' for this purpose. The charity reports that investment in cycling provision can give a 20:1 return from health and other benefits. It has been estimated that, on average, approximately 20 life-years are gained from the health benefits of road bicycling for every life-year lost through injury.

Injuries
Cycling is not generally considered as a high-risk activity. In the UK, casualty rates per kilometer are comparable with walking, but are higher than for car occupants. Most cycle deaths result from a collision with a car or heavy goods vehicle. A Danish study in 2000 concluded that cycling to work was linked to a 40% reduction in mortality rate; this included all causes of death, including road deaths.

Injuries can be divided into two types:
 * (extrinsic)
 * Overuse (intrinsic).

physical trauma includes injuries to the head and extremities resulting from falls and collisions. Since a large percentage of the collisions between motor and pedal vehicles occur at night, is required for  at night.

The most common cycling overuse injury occurs in the knees, affecting cyclists at all levels. These are caused by many factors:
 * Incorrect bicyle fit or adjustment, particularly the saddle.
 * Incorrect adjustment of clipless pedals.
 * Too many hills, or too many miles, too early in the training season.
 * Poor training preparation for long touring rides.
 * Selecting too high a gear. A lower gear for uphill climb protects the knees, even though your muscles are well able to handle a higher gear.

Overuse injuries, including chronic nerve damage at weight bearing locations, can occur as a result of repeatedly riding a bicycle for extended periods of time. Damage to the in the palm,  in the wrist, the genitourinary tract or bicycle seat neuropathy may result from overuse.

Note that overuse is a relative term, and capacity varies greatly between individuals. Someone starting out in cycling must be careful to increase length and frequency of cycling sessions slowly, starting for example at an hour or two per day, or a hundred miles or kilometers per week. Muscular pain is a normal by-product of the training process, but joint pain and numbness are early signs of overuse injury.

Cycling has been linked to sexual impotence due to pressure on the perineum from the seat, but fitting a proper sized seat prevents this effect. In extreme cases, can be a source of intractable perineal pain. Some cyclists with induced pudendal nerve pressure neuropathy gained relief from improvements in saddle position and riding techniques.

Riding a or  where  principles are more closely respected will largely address these health issues, particularly those related to chronic nerve damage at weight bearing locations, simply because the body is supported in the normal sitting position.

Also your back can suffer from strain this can be induced by pushing big gears, incorrect positioning on the bike, poor core strength and a poor riding style.