Are you interested in learning more about cycling? Want to impress your friends with some fun facts? You've come to the right location! We're as excited about this fun form of transportation as you are, and so we've come up with loads of interesting information to stuff onto this page!

Did you know that...

• The first year that bicycling was an official Olympic sport was in 1896?
• Cycling is one of only five sports competed in since the beginning of modern Olympics? Psst...the other four are fencing, gymnastics, track and field, and swimming.
• The track that cyclists use is called a velodrome?
• A German named Markus Riese once cycled 18km in one hour....backwards?

None of that ringing a bell? Maybe you should read some more of our fun facts!

• Dutchman Fred Rompelberg is not just the oldest professional cyclist in the world but also holds the Absolute Speed World Record Cycling crown after achieving 166.94 miles per hour in the slipstream of a dragster in Salt Lake City in 1995.
• Leonardo da Vinci sketched something that resembled a modern bicycle in 1490, but that invention never made it off the drawing board.
• The bicycle "craze" of the 1890s contributed to women's' liberation from corsets, ankle-length skirts, and other restrictive clothing; the fashion of the day was bloomers. The bicycle also gave women never before heard of mobility and access to personal freedom that was never before possible.

Too much history for you? That's alright! We have some great facts about how cycling affects your health as well.

• Regular exercise keeps your heart healthy and reduces health risks including high blood pressure. A major study of more than 10,000 people found that cycling at least 20 miles a week halved the risk of heart problems.
• A 15 minute bike ride to and from work five days a week would burn 11 pounds over the course of a year, Not to mention the lowered cost of transportation.
• Exercise in any form helps to cut stress, anxiety and depression. So go out there and put the pedal to the pavement!