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It's a little known fact but Grand Prix circuits are not designed by a team of experts who sit around discussing brakes and wind slip. Oh, no! All you need to design a track is a piece of string. Lay this flat on the table and mess it about so there are hardly any straight bits. This is obviously the method that programmers, Distinctive Software, used to create The Cycles. Straight stretches of track are kept to a minimum, so there are lots of curves. There are fifteen of these curvy circuits in each race and there are fifteen races to get through; that makes, erm... 225 circuits. Your aim is to complete all 225 tracks in record speed and become the world number one; not an easy task.

You can make things easier for yourself by choosing the beginner level (bye, bye pride) and a 125cc bike. Because you're only a beginner, the other cyclists tend to keep out of your way and you can wander off the track as much as you like (checking out the terrain, I call it) without being disqualified or ruining your bike.

The outcome of a race seems to depend on how you take all these turns. The idea is to slow down as you approach the curve and then, as the roads straightens out, speed up and whizz past a couple of helmet heads. Once you've perfected this technique, things start getting a bit more exciting! Your bike moves smoothly and the colour scheme means you can see where you're going (always helps, that!). As you take the curves, you lower your head over the keyboard and your whole body sways to one side. If you take your eyes off the screen and look down you'll see the bedroom carpet looming towards you. (You'll also go crashing off the track into a cast iron barrier, so it's not a hot idea.)

As soon as you feel that you've mastered your 125cc, it's time to move on up. Now, as well as looking out for tough corners and barriers that appear out of nowhere, you'll also have to watch out for nine very hard men who want you out of the race. The best way to deal with these speedway freaks is to upgrade your wheels, man. What you need is a 500cc machine with flair and style (and four cylinders and a 165mph cruise).

There are five levels of difficulty and, from three onwards, things get damn tough. But while the tracks get harder, they certainly don't get any more exciting. As you go by yet another finishing post you get the feeling that you've done this before, (225 tracks are bound to get a bit samey after a while) If you can complete a few circuits on a 500cc cycle then you deserve to be up there with the best. But it's a difficult task. And I've got better things to do - like eat and sleep.

1. Takes too long to get to the end.
2. Not enough variety in the track layouts. They're all curved. Period.
3. It would have been nice to be able to try bigger bikes on beginner's levels, instead of toy ones.

1. Fast and smooth graphics so you can feel the speed.
2. Nice blocky colours and a clear view (so if you come off your bike, it's your fault).
3. The races are absorbing, for a while at any rate.
4. You can upgrade your bike.
5. 255 bendy tracks to get your wheels around.
6. Responsive controls.
7. Reasonably priced.
8. Hours of fun for speed fiends and time chasers.