MyOAN! Cycling Jargon

A

Aerodynamics the study of the motion of air and its influence on moving objects. The ability of an object to move through the air with the least wind resistance.

Air Space between the tires and the ground when both tires are off the ground. (Catching air)

ATB All Terrain Bicycle auger to involuntarily take samples of the local geology, usually with one's face, during a crash.

B

Babyheads small boulders about the size of…. A baby's head.

Bacon scabs on a rider's knees, elbows, or other body parts.

Bagging a Peak making it to the summit of a mountain.

Bagging Out canceling a ride for something else to do.

Bagger a person that habitually bags out. Also known as a loser.

Bail to jump off in order to avoid an imminent crash.

Ball Bearings small steel spheres in the joints of machines (including bicycles) to allow rotation of the parts.

Basecamp rides setting up camp and using it as the start and finish of tours.

Bead the part of your tire that fits onto the rim, either wire (heavy and cheap) or Kevlar (light and expensive) biff wipe out, crash, or eat it. Become one with the trail.

BMX bicycle moto-cross.

Bonk reaching the point of exhaustion. Running out of energy from low blood sugar.

Bottom Bracket point at which the seat tube and down tube connect; incorporates the axle for the crankset.

Boulder Garden section of road or trail that is covered with basketball sized or larger boulders.

Brake Pads the rubber blocks that attach to your brake cantilever arms and make your bike stop or slow down braze -ons threaded attachments welded to the bike frame to accept the mounting of brake sets, water bottle cages, rear racks, etc.

Bring home a Christmas tree to ride (or crash) through dense bushes, so leaves and branches are hanging from your bike and helmet.

Bunnyhop lifting both wheels of the bike off the ground to clear an obstacle while riding.

Butted Frame bike frame on which tubes are thicker at the ends--where they connect with other tubes and bear the most stress-and thinner in the middle.

Buzz euphoric feeling

C

Cadence the rate at which the crank arms are spun while riding (revolutions per minute of a pedal).

Caliper Brakes common brake design using connected arms that squeeze around the outside rims of the wheel to stop the bike.

Cantilever Brakes most common type of brake found on mountain bikes today. Named for the two cantilever arms that pivot on the forks (front) or seat stays (rear).

Carve to ride with great speed around the corners of a twisting road. cashed to be too tired to ride any further century 100-mile bike ride or race (sometimes 100 kilometers, called a metric century).

Chainring Tattoo the dotted-line scar you get from gouging your shin on the chainring (chainwheel) sprockets held around the bottom bracket and turned by the cranks.

Chainstays the bottom part of the frame that the rear wheel passes through, low parallel to the chain.

Chain Suck a sucky situation when the chain gets caught between the chain rings and the chain stay, usually from worn out chain rings or an excessively dirty chain.

Clean the ability to negotiate a technical section of trail without dabbing, or a state of being unfamiliar to mountain bikers.

Clincher Tire common tire design in which the tire has beads that hook into the rim and is held in place by the pressure of the inflated innertube.

Clipless Pedal Systems a shoe/pedal system in which the shoe is held in place on the pedal with a release able cleat. clip out to disengage one's spuds.

Cloon slamming into the ground, resulting in a ringing head, or delay in the action.

Coast to ride without pedaling

Cog Sprocket located around the rear wheel hub, connected to the chainwheel sprockets by the chain.

Components the moving parts of a bike that are attached to the frame.

Corndog to become covered in silt, usually after a fall.

Crankarm the metal arms to which the pedals attach and revolve around the bottom bracket to turn the crankset.

Crankset mechanism consisting of the pedals, crankarms, chainwheels, and axle, located a the bottom bracket.

Criterium multi-lap circuit race, typically held on a few city blocks.

Crotch-testing sudden impact between a male rider's private part and something very hard and pointy, such as a handlebar stem or saddle.

Curb Grind expensive erasure of low-hanging, shiny parts of the bike on a curb or rock.

Curb Slide to place the front wheel up on a curb and allow the rear tire to scrape along the curb, usually resulting in a loud tearing sound.

D

Dab to put a foot down to prevent a fall.

Death Cookies fist-sized rocks that knock your bike in every direction but the one you want to proceed in.

Death Grip an overly tight grip on the handlebars caused by fear of terrain, resulting in an endo or other unfortunate mishap.

Derailleur mechanism operated by the shift levers that moves the chain between chainwheels in front or cogs in rear to change gears.

Development distance a bike in a certain gear travels in one complete turn of the pedals.

Dialed in the blissful state of perfect harmony with the trail, handling terrain appropriately and competently

Diamond Frame standard bike frame design in which the four main tubes form a diamond shape.

Digger a face plant.

Dirt Bike an off-road motorcycle.

Doubletrack overgrown road that is like two parallel trails.

Down Tube the part of the frame that connects the head tube and the bottom bracket

Draft to ride behind another vehicle (often another bicycle) to reduce wind resistance.

Drivetrain Propulsion mechanism of a bicycle, made up of the entire crankset, plus the chain, cogs, derailleurs, and shift levers.

Dropouts slots located at the ends of the front fork and rear stays where the wheel axles attach.

Drop Handlebars handlebars with extensions that curve downward to enable a lower riding position.

E

Echelon staggered group riding formation used to block wind resistance.

Endo going over the handlebars.

Engine the rider.
Euell Gibbons trail means that "some parts (of the trail) are rideable."

Excedrin Descent bone jarring downhill that rattles your brain (providing you have one).

F

Face Plant a common result of an endo

Fender bike part, usually made of metal, sometimes found directly above the upper rim of the wheels; used to keep water and mud sprayed by the wheels off the rider.

First Blood credit to the first rider in a group who crashes and starts bleeding as a result.

Flash clearing a technical pitch without dabbing.

Folding Bike bicycle with a frame that folds for more compact storage and ease in carrying

Foot Fault when a rider can't disengage his cleats from the pedal before falling over.

Fork component that extends down from the head tube, then splits into two blades that connect to both sides of the front wheel; consists of a steering tube, or fork shaft, fork blades, and dropouts. fred a person who spends a lot of money on his bike and clothing but still can't ride.

Freewheel mechanism on the rear wheel hub that allows the wheel to continue turning forward while the frivetrain remains stationary or moves in reverse.

FS or F/S an ambiguous term, can mean Front Suspension or Full Suspension. Not used by anyone who wishes to be understood.

Full On Conditions (foc) biking with the chance of running into severe foul weather conditions.

G

Gear combination of a cog and one chainwheel turned together by the chain.

Gear Cluster an assembly of gears. Usually described by their configuration: "My rear cluster is 13 -30"

Gear Ratio ratio between the size of the chainwheel and the size of the cog in a particular gear; determines the development and pedaling difficulty.

Giblets all the colorful parts and pieces that you can add or change out on a bike.

Gnarly an 80's term for a particular steep and rough section of trail.

Gnarly Dude Southern Californian for gnarly.

Gonzo riding with reckless abandon. Not generally appropriate for singletrack.

Granny Gear the easiest gear combination on your bike (the one that Granny would use).

Gravity check a fall.

Grunt a very difficult climb, requiring use of the granny gear.

Gutter Bunny bicycling commuter.

H

Half-Track a trail so narrow and/or overgrown that you'd hesitate even to call it singletrack.

Hammer to stand up on the pedals and go all out.

Hammerhead someone in great shape, who goes all out most of the time.

Hammered exhausted.

Hardtail any bike with front suspension but no rear suspension. Contrast with rigid and F/S.

Head Tube the short frame member that attaches the top tube to the down tube, and holds the headset in place

Head Tube Angle angle formed by the top tube and the upper extension of the head tube.

Header going over the handlebars.

Headset the bearing assembly that attaches the fork to the head tube

High Gear gear with a larger development and more difficulty pedaling; used for level ground and downhills.

HOHA Hateful Old Hikers Association. "HOHA members hate mountain bicyclists with a fervor exceeding that of rabid wolverines."

Honking riding out of the saddle; standing up shile pedaling, for better acceleration.

Horizontal Track stand a foot fault that happens at a stop sign.

Hub the center piece of a wheel that rotates around the axle and through which the spokes are threaded.

I

IMBA International Mountain Biking Association. An organization trail advocacy.

Indexed Gearing gear shifting system in which shift levers click and derailleurs move the chain precisely into preset positions.

Involuntary Dismount a crash.

J

Jump where we now say bunny hop, BMXers used to say fliumply

K

Kack an injury to the shin received while doing trials.

Kick Out a bunny hop in which the rider pushes the back tire to side.

Kicker a steep section of road or trail.

L

LBS acronym for "Local Bike Shop".

Line the desirable path or strategy to take on a tricky trail section.

Loop Trip ride that forms a loop with no backtracking.

Low Gear gear with a smaller development and greater ease in pedaling; used for climbing hills.

Lugs reinforced metal joints that strengthen the connections of tubes on the bike frame.

M

Mantrap hole covered with autumn leaves, resembling solid earth effective at eating the front wheel of the unsuspecting rider.

Marin (muh RINN') the county in Northern California where MTBing said to have been invented. Just north of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Mo short for momentum.

Mojo charm or icon worn by a biker or attached to the bike.

Mountainbike-aneering off shoot sport of mountain biking where peak bagging is a prime consideration. Another sport featuring the "because it's there" attitude.

Mud diving what happens when a bike slows abruptly in mud, throw the rider into wet goo.

N

Nard Guard used to prevent wang chung.

Nirvana the state of being in absolute control and totally in tune with your bike, the trail, and your physical strength.

NORBA National Off-Road Bicycling Association. They organize most of the larger races.

O

O.D. this is short for "Off Day". Even the best riders have them. It is important to recognize the symptoms and to back off when you are having an O.D. out and back tour where the return is a retracing of the route in.

Over The Bars (otb) unexpected dismount over the handlebars.

P

Paceline a riding formation in which riders draft in line behind a leader.

Pannier touring bag mounted on the sides of the rear and front wheels.

Picking a Line planning the path of the bike by anticipating approaching terrain.

Pinch Flat flat tire caused by the tube being pinched between the rim and a hard object, usually due to under -inflated tires.

Pitch a short section of technical road or trail.

Pogo to bounce on a full-suspension bike like a pogo stick.

Point-To-Point Race noncircuit race with separate start and finish lines.

Pokes short for slow pokes. This is someone that always lingers in the back of the pack. This is not a crime.

Portage to carry your bike.

Poser derogatory term for people with expensive clean bikes seemingly never ridden. Often emulating the look of Southern California magazine bike geeks.

Potato Chip a wheel that has been bent badly.

Powder Run extremely dusty section of trail.

Powerslide a two-wheel sideways slide, with the foot opposite the direction of travel kept on the ground.

Prune to use one's bike or helmet to remove leaves and branches from the surrounding flora. Usually unintentional.

Pump how to get air in your tube, or how to get excited about riding .

purple ano anodized aluminum in purple.

push-push a novice's pedaling motion, consisting of alternate pushing each foot down, instead of spinning.

Q

Quick-Release Lever located on wheels, brakes, and seats that allows fast and easy adjustments without tools.

R

Racing Bike bike with thin tires and drop handlebars, designed for racing.

Rag Dolly to wreck in such a way that one's person is tossed like a flimsy scrap of cloth.

Rake the amount of forward slope in the fork.

Rear Triangle the triangle formed by the chain stays, seat stays, and seat tube.

Recumbent Bike bicycle operated from a reclined position.

Retro-Grouch a rider who prefers an old bike with old components.

Riding The Pegs standing on the pedals through rough terrain.

Rigid a bike with no suspension.

Rim outer frame of a wheel that the tire is attached to.

Road Geek someone that predominately rides on the pavement. Other names include lycra lizards, roadies, bike nerds, etc.

Road Rash large abrasions on a rider's legs and body caused by a crash, particularly on asphalt.

Roadie a rider who prefers riding on paved surfaces.

Rock Garden section of the trail that is completely covered with grapefruit (baby head) size to basketball sized rocks.

Rocket Fuel the mandatory pre-ride coffee.

Rookie Mark chain grease on a rider's pant leg.

Roost to go fast or accelerate quickly. Or, to stop suddenly.

Rude Drop-off a sudden drop on the trail of two feet or more.

S

Saddle the bike seat.

Sag Wagon motorized support vehicle accompanying a bike tour or race, often carrying supplies, equipment, and food.

Seatpost the post that attaches your seat to the frame at the seat tube.

Semi-loop loop trip with a section of out and back attached.

Seatstay the two frame members through which the rear wheel passes that meet the chain stays at the rear dropouts.

Seattube the part of the frame that accepts the seat post, and attaches the top tube to the bottom bracket.

Seattube Angle angle formed by the seat tube and the top tube.

Shifter the lever that activates the derailleurs

Singletrack narrow trail.

Slicks mountain bike tires with no tread for lower rolling resistance, used on pavement or on Slick Rock Trail

Skid Lid helmet.

Sky to jump extremely high.

Snakebite same as "Pinch Flat" so called because of the two fang-like punctures left by the rim.

Snowmine an object hidden by snow on the trail.

Soft-tail a fully suspended bike.

Soil Sample a face plant.

Spin the act of turning the pedals. See "Cadence".

Spindle axle that attaches to the crankarms, located in the bottom bracket.

Spinout loss of traction in the rear tire, resulting in the wheel spinning with no forward movement of the bike, usually while climbing on loose gravel spokes network of thin metal rods that connect the rim to the hub on a bike wheel and support the wheel through tension.

Spuds clipless pedals.

Stack crash..

Stage Race multi-day bike race consisting of a string of point-to-point races.

Stays thin tubes connected to the main tubes of the frame that connect the frame to the rear wheel.

Stem the piece of metal that attaches the handlebars to the headset.

Stoker rear cyclist on a tandem.

Stoned describes a rider after a crash which imbeds stones into the rider's skin.

Superman a rider who flies over the handlebars and doesn't hit the ground for a long time.

Suspension ability to absorb bumps and shock from the road.

Swag the stuff that manufacturers and vendors donate to be given away at bike related events.

T

Table-Top a jump in which the rider throws the bike sideways in mid-air. Less commonly, a jump made over a hill that reaches a pla and goes back down.

Taco to bend a wheel over on itself, in the shape of a taco.

Tea Party when a whole group of riders stops and chats, and nobody seems to want to ride on.

Technical Route section of road or trail that is very demanding of bike handling skills.

Technical section a difficult section of trail that requires mountain bike specific technique to negotiate.

Techno-Weenie someone who buys lots of gadgets to add performance to the bike

Ti titanium.

Toe Clips a clip-and-strap system that connects a rider's feet a toes to her pedals. Toe clips usually don't require special shoes.

Top Tube the part of the frame that attaches the head tube to the seat tube.

Topo short for United States Geological Survey topographic map.

Track Stand (from road-cycling) a maneuver where the rider stops the bike and attempts to remain standing.

Trail Swag equipment or accessories dropped by other bikers and found on the trail.trials a competitive skill-based event where riders are rated for their ability to clean an ultra-difficult section of trail.

Tricked Out when a bike has the latest and hottest components.true the ability of a wheel to spin with no lateral wobble.

Tweak a jump during which the rider twists the handlebars back a forth in mid-air, the more times the better.

U

Ugly Geek Jerseys shirts worn by posers that are covered with advertising logos to which they are receiving no compensation.

V

Valve Stem where the pump is attached to fill the tube with air.

Valve Stems come in two types, Shraeder - (standard American style, like the valve found on you car tire), or Presta (funny-looking Italian style; tall and skinny)

Vegetable Tunnel a singletrack that is heavily overgrown with foliage, so a rider must duck and bend to get through it.

W

Wang Chung what you might get when your stem has no nard guard. crotch-testing.

Washboard small undulations of the soil surface that make for a very rough ride.

Wash out to have the front tire lose traction, especially while going around a corner.

Wheelie riding a bike with the front wheel off the ground. Usually with some combination of pulling on the handlebars, pedaling harder, and balance.

Wild pigs poorly adjusted brake pads that squeal in use.

Wipeout a crash.

WOMBATS "Women's Mountain Biking And Tea Society", a Marin-based organization founded by writer and former MTB racer Jacquie Phelan.

Wonky not functioning properly. "I bailed, and now my wheel is all wonky and all I hear are wild pigs."

X

Y

Yard Sale (from skiing) a horrendous crash that leaves all your various "wares" -- water bottles, pump, tool bag, etc. -- scattered if on display for sale.

Z

The Zone a mystical state of mind experienced while riding.

Zone Out a state of mind where you have stopped paying attention to what you're doing.