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There are no more items in your cart Discover these little-known disciplines that take cycling to another level. They’ll inspire you to try something new!
A bicycle is much more than just a means of transport, a piece of exercise equipment or a companion for sunny Sundays. It’s also a passport to unexpected worlds, a starting point for new ways of playing, competing and exploring. Today we bring you five cycling disciplines that you may not have heard of — but that might just steal your heart (or at least an afternoon of your life).
5 surprising cycling disciplines you -perhaps- didn’t know about
1. Bike Polo: juggling, mallet and lots of strategy
Imagine a small court, two teams, a ball, and cyclists charging the attack with mallets in hand. It’s not a science fiction scene: it’s bike polo, an urban sport that combines skill, balance and speed.
The rules are simple (though not so much when you’re on two wheels): score goals by hitting the ball with the mallet, without putting your feet on the ground. The result is a vibrant spectacle that combines the best of cycling with the adrenaline of hockey.
It’s played on urban courts, basketball courts, or wherever there’s space and good vibes. The rest is made by the community, which tends to be as intense as it is welcoming.
Competitions bring together teams from across the peninsula, attracting both experienced players and beginners eager to learn and have fun.
2. Fixed gear races: no brakes, no fear
Fixed gear is the purest and rawest form of urban cycling. No gears, no brakes (in many competitions), just you, the bike, and the perfect cadence. Fixed gear races or fixed gear racing started on the streets but now have organised events on closed circuits, velodromes, and even improvised tracks inside abandoned spaces.
Here you pedal with a hypnotic rhythm and nerves of steel. Winning isn’t just about legs: you also have to read the race, manage your energy, and move with millimetre precision between tight corners and close overtakes.
Among the most iconic competitions is the Red Hook Crit, which marked a turning point in the global fixie scene. This series of night races in cities like Brooklyn, Milan, and Barcelona combined speed, adrenaline, and an unmistakable urban style. Although no longer organised, its legacy lives on in fixed gear culture.
In Europe, a standout event is the Rad Race Last Man Standing in Germany, with a spectacular atmosphere and course.
It’s not for everyone, but those who try it often stay... or at least come back for more.
3. Brompton Races: speed and foldable style
Yes, those folding bikes you see around the city also have their own competitive world. The Brompton Races are a quirky and charming phenomenon in major cities like London or Tokyo, where executives in suits and ties line up for a start as chaotic as it is fun.
Before they start, each participant must unfold their bike, which begins fully folded, then mount it as quickly as possible to launch into the race. The scene is as British as it is absurd, but the level of competitiveness is very real. It’s not just about who pedals the hardest, but who masters the unfolding technique and moves confidently amidst a crowd of cyclists dressed for the office.
These races, organised by Brompton, the iconic British brand, mix sport, humour and a good dose of urban eccentricity. Some even include strict dress codes: no lycra here, the office look is mandatory. And yet, there are cyclists who train seriously to win, pushing to the limit what many see as just a cycling curiosity.
Because not everything in cycling life is aerodynamics and carbon. Sometimes, what counts is ingenuity, creativity... and the ability to laugh (a little) at yourself.
4. Hike & Bike: when the bike isn’t enough
There are routes you can’t conquer by pedalling alone. That’s where “hike & bike” comes in, an adventure style combining cycling and hiking in the same journey. The idea is simple: you take your bike as far as you can… and when you can’t go any further, you carry it on your shoulder or push it on foot. No rush, no clear finish line, just a path inviting you to adapt to the terrain and keep moving forward.
This style of exploration blends the best of two worlds: the freedom of the bike and the intimacy of walking. It’s ideal for those who enjoy gravel, bikepacking or mountain cycling, and feel that conventional trails no longer offer the same challenge. Here, maps don’t always have all the answers, and often it’s intuition that guides you.
It’s not about performance or speed. In hike & bike, what matters is the experience of the journey, the changing scenery, and that feeling of truly being far away from everything. Some do it for the physical challenge, others for the connection with nature, or simply for the thrill of reaching places few cyclists have been before.
The reward isn’t always a summit or a spectacular viewpoint. Sometimes, it’s simply that moment when you stop, look back, and see the impossible trail you managed to overcome with your bike on your shoulder. A reminder that the body can do more than we think, and that true adventure begins right where marked trails end.
5. Ultra bikepacking races: little sleep, lots of pedalling
You already know bikepacking: bike, bags, self-sufficiency, long routes. But there’s a more intense, rawer, crazier version: ultra-distance bikepacking races. We’re not just talking about travelling, but pushing body and mind to the limit for days or weeks on end.
Examples? The legendary Silk Road Mountain Race in Kyrgyzstan, crossing remote mountain passes in Central Asia with extreme weather conditions and total isolation. Or the Transcontinental Race, which crosses Europe from end to end with a free route, mandatory checkpoints, and thousands of kilometres of freedom (and suffering) ahead.
But there are also closer events gaining fame for their toughness and beauty. In Spain, the Badlands has become a benchmark in European bikepacking: more than 700 km across deserts, mountain ranges and forgotten roads in Andalusia, all without assistance and with landscapes that seem out of this world. And if your thing is free navigation, the Transiberica proposes crossing the country without a fixed itinerary, only mandatory checkpoints. You choose the path, you deal with the consequences.
These are events with no set stages, no external support, where everything you need must be with you: food, tools, sleeping bag, solar chargers... and lots, lots of patience. Here, the enemy isn’t the stopwatch, but sleep, wind, accumulated fatigue, and your own mental limits. The body wants to stop. The mind looks for excuses. But you keep going, because that’s why you came.
There are no crowded podiums, almost no audience, but there is something deeper: the feeling of being alone against the world, with your bike as your only ally. And when, after hundreds or thousands of kilometres, you cross that improvised finish line, there are no applause... but there is certainty: you’ve gone further than you thought possible.
Cycling is a much broader world than it might seem at first glance, full of stories, curiosities and unexpected ways to enjoy the bike. If this article has sparked your curiosity, we invite you to explore more content on the Eltin blog.
You'll find practical guides and tips to improve your experience on two wheels, along with features on alternative disciplines, interviews and the latest cycling trends.
Keep riding with us!