Tandem cycling is a sport for individuals interested in competitive bicycle racing. The sport has two discilplines. Track racing and road racing. Track racing takes place on steep banked track called a velodrome and road racing is as it sounds, on the road.

Track bikes have no brakes and only one fixed gear, which is sized according to the riding style of the cyclist and the event. Road bikes vary widely between events and are specialized in nature, often incorporating aerodynamic design elements and sporting as many as 27 gears. Both types of racing, however, share a common ground - the winner is not always the fastest rider. Strategy and knowing an opponent's strengths and weaknesses, can be important as speed.

Tandem cycling consists of two riders, the rider on the front, the pilot or captain, is sighted. The rear rider, the stoker, is visually impaired or totally blind. Events range from a few minutes for the kilometer on the track to a few hours on the road. Track events include the kilo (kilometer timed trial), sprints and pursuit races. Road events consist of road, time trials and criterium races.

Those who practice cycling as a sport participate in important classic races in which they can find themselves in the midst of hundreds of cyclist pedaling along flat sections or attacking mountainous stretches.

The three visual impairment categories (B1, B2 and B3) compete together in road races, one-day competitions or competitions by stages which last several days.

Men compete over distances ranging from 100 to 135 km, on circuits of among 5 or 10 km., or in races between two towns.
Women compete in similar events over shorter distances (among 50 and 70 km.).

In the "mixed" category (a man and a woman together), the distances range from 60 to 85 km. There are also time trial races for individuals or teams of three tandems for the men, where the distances covered are those appropriate for each category.

There also exist competitions in velodromes, where classic U.C.I. (International Cycling Union) events are held:
- Sprint, an event in which two tandems compete over a distance of 1,000 meters.
- Individual pursuit, over 4,000 meters for men and 3,000 meters for women and mixed teams.
- 1 km. time trial (standing start) in mixed races and 500 meters for women.

For men, there is also a pursuit known as olympic pursuit, in which two teams of three tandems compete over a distance of 4 km.
Some countries in which tandem cycling is practised stage national championships, organized every year. At the international level, regional champioships are organised on odd years (e.g. European Championships), whilst the world championships and the Paralympic Games are held every four years, falling on even years. Tandem cycling is currently practised on the five continents.