From an original program of seven road races, the sport is now contested on both road and track, and since 2012 the cycling program at the Paralympics is typically the third largest of any sport in the Games, behind athletics and swimming, and running at approximately 50 separate events.

The classification system allows cyclists to compete against others with a similar level of function.

With that restriction, generally every class will have four possible individual events to compete in - a road race and extended road time trial, a track time trial of between 500 and 100 metres and a pursuit between 3000 and 4000 metres.

In some cycling events, cyclists with different classifications compete against each other for one set of medals.

Many (but not all) such events are factored, reducing the times of riders in lower classifications to take their greater impairment into account.