Demystifying Bike Talk
By Scott Martin
www.asimba.com
Parlez-vous bike? Habla
cycling? Even if you’re a multilingual whiz, nothing can prepare you for
bicycling’s vast vocabulary. Fact is, we’re hard-pressed to think of another
sport with so much lingo. Here's a taste to get you started.
Allen Wrench - A
hexagonally-shaped tool that fits into the recessed allen bolts common on bicycles today.
There are L-shaped allens and ones with screwdriver-like handles. Common sizes and uses
for bicycle maintenance include: 2 mm (brake adjustments), 3 mm (some cleats, water bottle
cage bolts), 4 mm (cage bolts, cleats, brake shoes), 5 mm (seatpost binder bolts,
chainring bolts, derailleur and brake anchor bolts), 6 mm (stem bolts), 7 mm (crank bolts)
and 8 mm (crank bolts).
Attack - To pedal
rapidly away from a group of riders to gain an advantage.
Bonk - Slang for
running out of energy due to low glycogen levels usually coupled with dehydration.
Bridge - To leave one
group of riders and pedal rapidly to the next group up the road.
Cadence - The average
rate you pedal when riding. Cadence is counted by how many revolutions of a pedal you do
in one minute. Accomplished cyclists average about 90 to 100 rpm.
Cage -
Used most
commonly to refer to that part of the front derailleur (shifting mechanism near the
pedals) through which the chain passes. And then there’s that thing that holds your
water bottle, also called a cage.
Century -
Any 100-mile
ride. Since the 1880s, it’s been considered prestigious to be able to ride a century
in a day. Today, many clubs hold century rides, which include a great route, rest stops at
regular intervals with food and drink and a bunch of great folks to ride with. Also:
metric century (100 kilometers or 62.5 miles), half-century
and…gulp…double-century.
Chain - That grimy
thing toward the rear of your bike that inexplicably manages to smear your leg with a
black tattoo every time you even think of going riding. More importantly, it connects the
crank (shaft to which the pedal is attached) with the rear wheel so the bike goes
somewhere when you turn the pedals.
Clincher Tire -
Tire
held on rims by a mechanical fit between the edges of the tire and the edges of the rim.
It’s the common tire found today on most mountain and road bikes.
Clipless Pedals -
For
efficient pedaling, you must attach the feet to the pedals. Of course, you also want to be
able to get your feet down in a hurry. For a long time, everybody used pedal add-ons
called toe clips and straps, basically a bolt-on cage and strap that formed a harness to
hold the feet. These are still available. A better option, however, is clipless pedals.
Two parts make up the typical clipless system: the pedal and the cleat. The pedal attaches
to the crankarm, and the cleat attaches to the shoe sole. Then, much like a ski binding,
you simply step on the pedal to click in and ride. To exit, you twist your heels sideways,
which causes the pedal to release the cleat. It takes a little practice to get used to
clipless pedals, but when they’ve mastered them, most riders feel clipless are easier
to ride with and safer than clips and straps.
Draft - To follow
another cyclist closely, so he is forced to break the wind. Drafting at speeds of 15 mph
and higher can save 10 to 20% of the energy required to ride alone. You are not allowed to
draft in an AIDS Ride. It is cause for expulsion from the Ride.
Field - A group of bike
riders in a race.
Hammer - To ride hard.
You can also "get hammered" by a stronger rider.
Noodle - To ride very
slowly to aid recovery.
Quadricep - The large
muscle group on the front of the upper leg. Cyclists rely heavily on quads and typically
have big ones.
Road Rash - Abrasions
from falling off a bicycle and sliding on the road or dirt.
Roadie - Someone who
prefers road riding, on a road bike, as opposed to a mountain biker.
Rollers - A device with
three or four cylinders in a frame. You can balance a bicycle on them and ride indoors to
maintain fitness and work on pedal stroke.
SAG (Support And Gear) -
A
vehicle that patrols a ride route, offering food, mechanical assistance, etc.
Snakebite - A type of
inner tube puncture characterized by two small adjacent holes. Typically caused by hitting
a curb or rock.
Spinning - Pedaling
rapidly and smoothly. Also, an indoor cycling workout available at some gyms and aerobic
centers.
Wind Trainer -
An
indoor trainer for cycling. The bike is mounted on a stand that holds the rear wheel. When
the bike is pedaled, the rear wheel turns a fan that provides resistance. Other models
create resistance with magnets or with a smaller fan turning in an enclosed fluid bath.
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