The main early centers for track racing in Britain were Birmingham, Sheffield, Liverpool, Manchester and London.

The most noticeable changes in over a century of track cycling have concerned the bikes themselves, engineered to be lighter and more aerodynamic to enable ever-faster times.

[6] Track cycling is particularly popular in Europe, notably Belgium, France, Germany and the United Kingdom where it is often used as off-season training by road racers who can frequently be seen at professional six-day events (races entered by two-rider teams.)

Frame and other components are designed for rigidity and lightness, to give maximum speed over the distance of the race (sprint or longer).

The length of track endurance events varies by race type, whether it is a part of the Omnium or not, and the gender of the competitors.

Qualification places are determined by different countries performance during the World Cup Classic series held through the season.

The UCI Track Cycling World Cup series consists of six meetings, held in different countries beginning annually in October, and finishing in January.

[13] These meetings include 17 of the 19 events (excluding the omnium for men and women) that take place in a World Championship over three days.

Events won and points scored by the riders throughout this series count towards qualification places individually and for their nation in the World Championships at the end of the season.

Though met with some criticism, Ivy holds her title as transgender athletes are permitted to compete as per the International Olympic Committee.

Handlebars on track bikes used for longer events such as the points race are similar to the drop bars found on road bicycles.

Carbon fiber bars of many shapes, as opposed to lighter alloys, are used by many riders for their higher stiffness and durability.

[29] This fact has led to a variety of racing styles that allow skilled riders or teams to exploit this tactical advantage, as well as formats that simply test strength, speed and endurance.

[30] The history of the hour record has been attempted by some of the greatest names in cycling from both road and track racing (including, among others, Major Taylor, Henri Desgrange, Fausto Coppi, Anna Wilson, Eddy Merckx, Francesco Moser, Jeannie Longo and Tony Rominger).

Innovations in equipment and the rider's position on the bike have also led to dramatic improvements in the hour record, but have also been a source of controversy (see Graeme Obree).

In 2019, the Pan Am Championships held at the newly built velodrome in Cochabamba, Bolivia, Kelsey Mitchell and Nicholas Paul broke the 200 m world records in their respective gender categories.