Like most sports, cycling features unique terminology. Below is a list of the most commonly used words and phrases in the sport of cycling.
Abandon: when a rider quits a race
Angel of the mountains: superb climber
Attack: A sudden attempt to get away from another rider
blow up: to suddenly be unable to continue at the required pace due to overexertion.also "detonate", "explode", "popped", "cooked", "shattered"
Bonk: Known as "hitting the wall" in marathon running, this is when a rider completely runs out of energy. I have done this once and I almost cried and threw my bike in the woods. It is no fun at all.
Breakaway: A rider of group of riders who have separated themselves ahead of the main pack
Bridge the Gap: When a rider or group of riders is attempting to reach a group farther ahead
Chasers: Riders who are attempting to "bridge the gap" to catch the lead group
Cadence: the number of times during a minute that a pedal stroke is completed. average is between 60-90.
Century: 100 miles. a metric century is 62 miles
Chainring: a front sprocket. 2 sprockets is known as a "double" and 3 a "triple
Chamois:Chamois is a type of leather made from sheep. It is very soft and supple. Traditional cycling shorts were lined with a pad of chamois leather for comfort.Genuine chamois is expensive and requires extra care in washing and treatment to preserve it, so it is no longer in common use for cycling shorts. Most newer cycling shorts have artificial "chamois" made of specially woven cloth.
Clydesdale: a large rider
Derailleur: The mechanism that moves the chain from one gear to another
Domestique: A rider who sacrifices any individual honors for the team. grabs water bottles, food, rides tempo, protects the leader.
Drops: The lower parts of a drop handlebar, the area below the brake levers.
Drafting: Riding closely behind another rider, which creates a slipstream, or air pocket. The lead rider
expends up to 30 percent more energy than the following rider does
Drop: To leave another rider behind
Fred: a rider who spends a lot of money on a bike and clothing but can't ride. a person who has a mishmash of old gear, doesn't care at all about technology or fashion, didn't race or follow racing
Granny gear: Slang term for the smallest chainring on a triple.
Gap: The distance between individual or groups
Hammering: Very steady, strenuous pedaling.
Hanging On: Barely keeping contact at the back of the pack
Jump: A sudden acceleration, often at the start of the sprint. also known as "snap"
Kick: The final burst of speed in a sprint
Lead Out: An often sacrificial move where one rider begins a sprint to give a head start to
another rider (usually a teammate) on his rear wheel, who then comes around at an even faster speed to take the lead
Mechanical - Slang for a mechanical problem with the bicycle.
Paceline: A line of riders taking orderly turns at the lead so that each rider will get maximum
protection from the wind.
Pannier: A bag that hangs alongside one of the wheels of a bicycle
Peleton: The main group of riders, also known as the "pack," "field," or "bunch"
Pull: To take a turn at the front and break the wind for the other riders in the pack
Puncture: flat tire
Rack: An accessory framework which attaches to a bicycle for carrying baggage, often used with panniers or other bags
Road rash: large abrasions on a rider's body caused by a crash on asphalt
Saddle: bike seat
Saddle sores: skin problems in the crotch that develop from chafing caused by pedaling action. Sores can range from tender raw spots to boil-like lesions if infection occurs
Sag wagon: A car or truck that carries gear and picks up or otherwise assists riders who have had to stop riding, either due to fatigue, injury, or mechanical failure
Shimmy: a term for a harmonic shaking of the bicyle, which usually occurs at a fairly high speed.
Sitting In: When one rider refuses to take a pull and break the wind for the group in which he/she is riding. A derogatory term is "Wheel Sucker"
Sprint: A sudden burst of speed
Squirrel: a nervous or unstable rider who can't be trusted to maintain a steady line
Take a Flyer: When one rider goes off the front of the pack, usually alone
Technical: A descent or other portion of a race that is twisty, steep or otherwise challenging from the point of view of bike handling.
Time Trial: An individual race against the clock, often called the "race of truth"
Full tuck: an extremely crouched position used for maximum speed on descents. Unstable but very fast. I have reached speeds of 54 m.p.h in a tuck before.
Wheel Sucker: A derogatory term, referring to a rider who always sits in and never expends any energy by taking a pull at the front.
