73 cycling terms you need to know – Cycle Savvy

Blowing up

This is when your body goes into ‘oxygen debt’ and runs out of energy during a bike ride. Blowing up occurs when you’ve reached an unsustainable anaerobic state and can’t keep up the pace you’ve been riding at. Therefore, you need to either slow down or temporarily stop riding to restore your energy levels.

Brain bucket

A simple idiom used to refer to a cycling helmet.

Breakaway

A breakaway is the result of an attack. This is when one cyclist (or a group of cyclists) escapes from the chasing pack and creates a gap for themselves.

C

Cadence

Cadence is the rate at which a cyclist pedals. Cadence is usually calculated in revolutions per minute (RPM) and measures a cyclist’s efficiency and fitness levels.

For context, Lance Armstrong rode at an average cadence of around 110 RPM, while amateur cyclists usually achieve somewhere in the region of 60 RPM.

Cassette

This is one of many cycling terms to pay homage to pop culture. The cassette is the set of sprockets (the small mechanical wheels that rotate and engage with the chain links) on your bike’s rear wheel. Think of the sprockets rotating like the teeth of a tape reel do on a cassette when it’s playing. That’s one easy way to help you remember this term.

Chain suck

While we’re on the subject of teeth, chain suck occurs when your bike’s chain fails to detach itself from the teeth of the chainring. Chain suck is typically caused by grease, grit, worn-out chainrings, or wet and muddy conditions.

Chamois (pronounced sham-wah)

This is the soft cushioning that sits in the crotch section of your bike shorts. It’s designed to wick away moisture, support your sit bones, and prevent chafing, among other things.

Here’s a handy tip: don’t wear this with underwear, as this can lead to blisters, chafing, or saddle sores.

Chasers

A group of riders who are trying to catch the race or stage leader in front of them.

Climb

The clue is in the name. When cycling outdoors, a climb is an ascent up a hill or mountain. When cycling indoors, you can increase your bike’s incline to simulate a climb.

There are generally five types of outdoor climb:

• Category 4: 250 to 500 feet in elevation gain
• Category 3: 500 to 1,500 feet in elevation gain
• Category 2: 1,500 to 3,000 feet in elevation gain
• Category 1: 3,000 to 5,000 feet in elevation gain
• Hors Catégorie (HC) or Above/Beyond Category: 5,000+ feet in elevation gain

Clincher

The clincher is the most common type of tyre in cycling. Its most notable features include:

• a U-shaped rim
• an inner tube which holds the air pumped into the tyre
• a bead that holds the tyre in place on the rim

These tyres ‘clinch’ to the rim with a bead made of hard rubber—hence the name.

D

A derailleur is a mechanism that moves the chain on your bike from one sprocket to another as you pedal. Racing bikes have both a front and rear derailleur. Incorrect derailleur adjustment can lead to accidents and injury, so it’s important that yours are adjusted properly.

Disc brakes

Disc brakes are a braking mechanism which sit at the centre of your wheel. Disc brakes work by squeezing a brake pad against a small rotor attached to the wheel hub. They generate a serious amount of stopping power and are also reliable in wet weather.

However, they’re often quite heavy, adding weight to your bike and can be expensive to replace.

Domestique

Meaning ‘servant’ in French, a domestique is a cyclist whose role is to support and work for their teammates. They will never win the Tour de France or other such major competitions, but they play a vital role in helping their teammates do so.

A domestique usually carries out roles such as neutralising attacks that threaten their teammates, allowing their teammates to draft (see below) behind them to conserve energy, and retrieving food and water for their team.

Drafting

Drafting is when a cyclist rides closely behind another rider to expend less energy than if they were riding against the wind. Drafting is also known as sitting in or wheel-sucking.

Drivetrain

The drivetrain, also called the power train, is the mechanical system of components that converts pedalling power into forward movement. These components include the cassette, chain, pedals, derailleurs, and sprocket. Think of the drivetrain as your bike’s engine.

Drops

The lower part of a down-turned handlebar is typically found on a road bike. They are the parts of the handlebar that curve outward, which cyclists use to give themselves a more secure hold and fight wind resistance.

E

Echelon

A diagonal, staggered paceline of riders in a single-line formation. Each rider is positioned to the side of the rider ahead of them. Cyclists will ride in an echelon to save energy and achieve maximum efficiency when riding in a strong crosswind.

Endo

An endo can mean two things. It can refer to:

• A trick in which the rider lifts the back wheel into the air while keeping the front wheel grounded and applying brake pressure. This trick is also called a ‘front wheelie’
• When a cyclist flips over the handlebars, end over end. Ouch. If you used this term in a sentence, you would say, ‘[insert name] endoed.’

F

Field sprint

A sprint towards the finish line from a large group of the main riders (or peloton) in a road race. This is quite a spectacle to witness first-hand.

Fishtail

Your bike ‘fishtails’ when the rear wheel locks up, causing your bike to skid or slide sideways. This happens when you apply the rear brakes too hard while riding on loose terrain.

Fixie

An informal term used to describe a fixed-gear bike. Fixed-gear bikes don’t have a freewheel mechanism. So, the golden rule when riding a fixie is to not stop pedalling.

If you do, the force and momentum in your wheels are enough to throw you over the handlebars.

Flamme rouge

If you’re a half-decent French speaker, you’ll know what at least one of these words means. Yes, this term refers to something red.

The flamme rouge is the red flag suspended over the road 1km from the finish line of a race to inform the riders that they’re approaching the end.

Fork

The fork is the part of a bike that holds the front wheel in place. A fork is turned via the handlebars whenever you steer your bike and is made up of a steerer tube, crown, fork legs, and dropout.

Fred

A derisive or derogatory term used by ‘serious’ cyclists towards people they deem not to conform to cycling norms.

In essence, a ‘Fred’ is someone who doesn’t look like a conventional cyclist. They either:

• Spend obscene sums of money on their bike, accessories, and clothing (without being very good or understanding the rules)
• Don’t care much about cycling attire and look quite unfashionable

Whichever way you look at it, a Fred stands out for all the wrong reasons. Female cyclists who fit into one of these categories are often called a ‘Doris’.

G

General Classification

The overall standings or timing splits in a multi-stage race. Therefore, the winner of a General Classification, or GC, is the overall winner of the race. In the Tour de France, the GC winner is awarded a yellow jersey; in the Giro d’Italia, they’re awarded a pink one.

Granny Gear

The lowest gear ratio on a bike, with the smallest chainring in the front and the largest in the back. You would use the Granny Gear when cycling up a very steep hill to avoid overexerting yourself. So, just like an actual Granny, this gear ratio will keep you on the straight and narrow.

H

Headset

The bearing system that connects the fork to the head tube (see below). The headset allows the fork to rotate within the head tube, which is essential for allowing you to steer properly. A road bike typically contains one of two types of headset: threaded or threadless.

Head tube

The part of a bike’s tubular frame that holds the headset in place. The front fork steerer tube is mounted within the head tube.

Hybrid

Jump

The start of a sprint. When a cyclist ‘jumps across’, they’ll quickly and aggressively accelerate their bike to gain a significant advantage over their opponents.

K

Kick

The final attack in a sprint. When cyclists kick, they accelerate quickly with a series of pedal strokes in a last-ditch attempt to pass the riders ahead of them.

King of the Mountain

The title given to the best climber in a road race. If a cyclist wins this title, they’re awarded a distinctive polka dot jersey, or ‘maillot à pois’, as it’s otherwise known.

L

Lanterne rouge

We now turn our attention from the King of the Mountain to the pauper in racing terms.

The ‘lanterne rouge’ is the title given to a cyclist who finishes last a race. This title is derived from the French term ‘red lantern’, which refers to the lantern that used to hang on the caboose of railway carriages to indicate to conductors that the couplings hadn’t become disconnected.

Believe it or not, though, winning the ‘lanterne rouge’ can still be a decent payday!

LBS

LBS is an abbreviation for local bike shop. Your LBS is a small, independent retailer, which sells bikes that the manufacturer has often assembled before arrival. When you buy from an LBS, you know you’re getting a safe, good-quality bike that has been examined by a professional mechanic.

Leadout

A tactic used by individual cyclists and teams that involves setting up their teammate for a sprint. When a cyclist or group of cyclists perform a leadout, they’ll line up and set the pace. This strategy allows their teammate (the designated sprinter) to draft behind them and get a head start for an attack or sprint towards the finish line. There’s a real art to the leadout, and positioning and timing are everything.

M

Maglia rosa

The pink jersey worn by the leader of the Giro d’Italia (Tour of Italy) – the world’s second most prominent cycling race behind the Tour de France.

This famous jersey is pink because the paper on which La Gazzetta dello Sport – the newspaper that founded Giro d’Italia – is printed is pink.

Magic spanner

This refers to the scenario whereby a mechanic in a support car appears to be making adjustments to a rider’s bike, but the reality is far different.

Peloton is one of the most popular cycling terms around.

French for ‘little ball’, the peloton is the main (or largest) group of riders in a road race. This group is also commonly referred to as the field, bunch, or pack. The rationale behind a peloton is very simple, though. Staying close to other riders enables each cyclist to conserve much-needed energy for climbs, attacks, and sprints later on in the race.

Presta

A presta is a thin metal valve often found on road and higher-end mountain bikes. It contains a small lock nut at the top that needs to be unscrewed to add to or release air from the valve. A Presta valve is one of two types of valves you’ll typically find on bikes, the other being a Schrader valve, which we’ll cover below.

Prime

Pronounced ‘preem’, primes are intermediate sprints within a road or cross-country race, often with a prize at the end. Depending on the race, this prize could be money, merchandise or points. As such, primes are aimed at encouraging more competitive riding.

Pull

To ‘take a pull’ is to ride at the front of a paceline or peloton. It’s a strategy that’s sure to test your power and endurance, so you need to ensure you’re in peak condition if you want to ‘pull’ this off.

Q

Q-Factor

The horizontal width between your feet when they’re positioned on your bike’s pedals. A cyclist’s ideal Q-Factor is determined by their physiology—taller or broader riders will want a bigger Q-Factor, while smaller riders usually want a smaller one to match.

Queen of the Mountain

The same as the King of the Mountain (see above). The only difference is that this one applies to female cyclists.

Quick release

A device that holds the wheel on your bike. It also allows you to manually adjust saddle height or remove your bike’s wheels without needing to use tools.

R

Randonnée

Another cycling term with French origins, a randonée is a long-distance, cross-country event where riders navigate a prescribed course while passing through intermediate checkpoints. A randonée typically lasts two to three days, with cyclists riding to specific time limits.

Road rash

A road rash can be a cut, scratch, or graze caused by a fall or crash while cycling.

Roller

An indoor training device made up of three rolling cylinders. You place both bike wheels on these cylinders and pedal and steer, just like you would if you were riding outdoors.

Rollers can be tricky to use for beginners, but once you get into the swing of things, they’re a sturdy piece of kit than can help improve your balance, skill, and core stability.

Rouleur

It seems we have a lot to thank the French for when it comes to cycling terms. A rouleur (or roller, to give this term its English meaning) is a cyclist who specialises in riding on both flat and rolling terrain—a great all-rounder, in other words.

They’re powerful, well-organised, and can fulfil a variety of important roles, like setting a high pace in the peloton. George Hincapie, Tom Boonen, and Johnny Hoogerland are all good examples of rouleurs.

RPM

A very common cycling term which is short for Revolutions Per Minute, i.e., the number of pedal strokes you complete for every minute you ride. If you want to calculate your RPM without needing to use an app or computer, set a timer for one minute and count the number of times your right foot reaches the bottom of your pedal stroke.

See ‘Cadence’ above for more background on RPM.

S

SAG wagon

The SAG wagon is the ultimate saviour if a cyclist is up against it in a race. SAG stands for ‘support and gear’, which gives you a clue as to the service a SAG wagon provides.

It’s a support vehicle—be it a car, truck, or van—from which a team follows its riders, providing them with mechanical assistance, food, water, and emergency help if required.

Schrader

We covered Presta valves above and explained how Schrader valves are a direct rival.
A Schrader valve is a type of inner tube valve similar to what you’d find on car tyres. It is wider than a Presta valve, which some cyclists see as an advantage, as this allows you to get greater airflow into tubeless tyres. Opinion is very much divided among cyclists as to which is the better valve option.

Soigneur

This term is French for ‘healer’ and is the cycling equivalent of a trainer. The soigneur (pronounced ‘swan-yea’) is a non-riding member of a team who supports the riders by providing transportation, supplies, food and services such as massages.

SPD

A Japanese multinational manufacturer of cycling components and a global powerhouse. The company’s sales make up an estimated 70 – 80% of the global bicycle component market by value. SPD is short for Shimano Pedaling Dynamics, a style of clipless bike pedals from the manufacturer.

SPDs are most commonly used for mountain biking but are also compatible with road bike shoes. There are multiple advantages of SPDs: they allow for short bursts of power, improve foot stability, and are also ideal for steep climbs.

Spokes

The thin metal rods that connect the centre of the wheel (or the wheel hub) to the rim. Spokes come in various sizes and are typically made of steel.

Stem

Also known as a ‘gooseneck’ or ‘tiller’, the stem is the part of a bike that attaches the handlebars to the steerer tube. Stems are split into two types, ‘threadless’ and ‘quill’, and they come in a variety of lengths, typically between 80 and 140mm for road bikes. However, the most common length is between 100 and 110mm.

T

Tubular

A lightweight, supple, racing-specific tyre. This tyre’s tube is sewn inside the casing, which is why it’s also known as a ‘sew-up’. It only fits tubular-specific rims and has to be specially glued to them using an adhesive.

Turkey

A slang term for an unskilled or inexperienced cyclist.

V

Vélo

The French word for bike.

Now that you know your Presta valves from your Schrader valves, you can consider yourself a knowledgeable, dedicated, and serious cyclist, and start dropping these cycling terms into conversation when you’re out and about.