A
| aero |
| An abbreviation for aerodynamically efficient.
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| aero-bars |
| A handlebar extension which rests the hands close together over the front hub, which is a very aero tuck.
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| aerobic |
| An intensity of exercise where the body flushes lactic acid faster than it produces it. Most endurance riding is aerobic.
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| aero levers |
| Road bike brake levers employing hidden cables that travel ou the back of the level body and under the handlebar tape.
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| air |
| Space between the tires and the ground. (Both tires must be off the ground or it isn't air.) Said to be caught or gotten. Roadies don't normally get much air.
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| all-rounder |
| A person who excels in both climbing and time trialing, and may also be a decent sprinter. In stage races, an all-rounder seeks a top-10 place in the General Classification.
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| Alpe d'Huez |
| The most famous climb in the Tour, it's the most prestigious stage for any climber to win.
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| Amgen |
| Makers of synthetic recombinant EPO, a red blood cell booster used by anemia patients.
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| anaerobic |
| An intensity of exercise past the point where the body can cope with its production of lactic and need for oxygen.
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| Anaerobic threshold |
| The point just below the body's energy production switches from aerobic to anaerobic. Interval training raises the heart at which the threshold is crossed. Also called the lactate threshold LT.
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| anchor |
| Your child, or children anchors that keeps you from riding.Wait till you anchors grow up, you'll have road rash for breakfast and prunes for dinner To be used as an endearing, not demeaning, phrase.
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| ano |
| Abbreviation for "anodized".
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| ANSI |
| Bicycle helmet standard set by the American National Standards Institute. ANSI-1984 is less strict than any current standard.
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| apex |
| The apex is the middle or sharpest point of a curve; to plan your line around a bend to touch the inside of the lane at the apex, starting and leaving the turn at the outside of the lane, to flatten out the required curve and increase allowable speeds.
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| Armstrong, Lance |
| Seven-time defending Tour de France champion.
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B
| big ringing it |
| The chain on the big chain ring, going for maximum speed. |
| bonus sprints |
| On each stage, race organizers designate several intermediate points along the route where bonus points are given to the first three riders that cross the line. These sprints are a race within a race during each stage. |
| Beater |
| "A bike of such little value as to be able to beat on, or a bike after a prolonged beating. |
| a bloc |
| Riding or going "a bloc" means giving it all you've got, going all out, riding as hard as one possible can (which can be dangerous for it leaves one in a state where recovery is needed, and therefore vulnerable to being attacked).
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| baby heads |
| Small boulders about the size of a baby's head.
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| bacon |
| Scabs on a rider's knees, elbows, or other body parts.
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| bagger |
| A person that habitually bags out.
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| bail |
| or bail out. To jump off in order to avoid an imminent crash; To give up on a ride because of bad weather coming in.
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C
| cadence |
| The rate of pedaling, measured in revolutions per minute (rpm) of one foot.
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| cage |
| On a front derailleur, a pair of parallel plates that push the chain from side to side; on a rear derailleur, a set of plates in which pulleys are mounted to hold and guide the chain from cog to cog.
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| campy |
| Short for Campagnolo, the famed Italian road bike component manufacturer.
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| Canadian Standards Association |
| A bike helmet standard originating in Canada.
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| cantilever |
| 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).
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| captain crash |
| To "go down with the ship".
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| caravan |
| or race caravan. The official and team support vehicles in a race. Each team has a car in the official race caravan. The team cars follow the peloton and riders will often go back to their team car for food, extra clothing or to speak to their team director. |
| carbohydrate |
| Simple sugars and starches that provide a quick source of muscle energy. One gram has four calories. Carbo is plentiful in fruits, grains, potatoes, breads, pasta, etc., and is stored in the liver and muscles in the form of glycogen.
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| cardiovascular |
| Pertaining to the heart and blood vessels.
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| carve |
| To ride with great speed around the corners of a twisting fire road.
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| cassette |
| The assembly of gear cogs on the rear hub. Also called a freewheel, cluster or block.
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| cashed |
| To be too tired to ride any farther; bonked.
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| catch air |
| To ride with both wheels off the ground when your bike hits a natural rise or dip in the trail. On road bikes, air is frowned upon.
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| categories |
| The division of racers into groups based on ability and/or experience. Also the rating of climbs in the Grand Tours.
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D
| DNF |
| Short for Did Not Finish. |
| dab |
| To put a foot down in order to catch your balance on a difficult section of trail.
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| danseuse |
| French: dancer - to dance-to ride out of the saddle, standing up, usually in a taller gear than normal, and rocking side to side for leverage.
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| death cookies |
| Fist-sized rocks that knock your bike in every direction but the one you want to proceed in.
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| death grip |
| An overly tight grip on the handlebars caused by fear of terrain, resulting in an endo or other unfortunate mishap.
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| death march |
| A ride that turns into an investigation of your endurance limit.
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| derailleur |
| A lever-activated mechanism that pushes the chain off of one sprocket and onto another, thus changing the gear ratio.
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| dialed in |
| When a bike is set up nicely and everything works just right.
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E
| echelon |
| A staggered, long line of riders, each downwind of the rider ahead, allowing them to move considerably faster than a solo rider or small group of riders. In windy sections where there are crosswinds, a large peloton will form into echelons. Also called a "pace line".
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| elite |
| Used to describe top-of-the-line racers.
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| endo |
| The maneuver of flying unexpectedly over the handlebars, thus being forcibly ejected from the bike. Short for "end over end".
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| enscarfment |
| A food break at the edge of a cliff.
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| etape |
| A stage of a stage race.
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| Euell Gibbons Trail |
| Means that some parts (of the trail) are rideable.
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| excedrin descent |
| Bone jarring downhill that rattles your brain.
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F
| face plant |
| Hitting the ground face first.
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| fair grunt |
| An expression exclusively used non-chalantly by others to describe a death march, in hopes others will try it, fail, and revere them as bike gods.
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| Fartlek |
| Swedish for "speed play". It's a training technique based on unstructured changes in pace and intensity. It can be used instead of timed or measured intervals. Rated second-funniest cycling term in the world.
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| feed zones |
| A designated point on a stage where team personnel called "soigneurs" can pass up musettes of food and water bottles to riders. The food is often little pastries or finger sandwiches that the riders ask for; solid food is kinda crucial during a multi-day race. There's always a huge group of kids waiting after the feed zones because riders toss away empty bottles and the musettes once they've gotten all the chow out of them.
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| feeling nedly |
| When older riders are having a particular strong outing.
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| field |
| The main group of riders, also known as the "pack," "peloton," or "bunch".
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| field sprint |
| A sprint for the finish line involving a large group of riders. Also known as a bunch sprint or pack finish.
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| filet brazing |
| The magical art of welding high-end metal bikes. The tubes fit together with almost invisible seams.
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| first blood |
| Credit to the first rider in a group who crashes and starts bleeding as a result.
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| fishtail |
| When the rear end locks and slides about behind you. Occurs during strong braking on loose terrain.
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| fit kit |
| A great set of equipment and instructions to measure the components of a correct bicycle fit.
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| fixie |
| A fixed-gear bicycle.
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| flail |
| To ride badly and out of control.
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| flamme rouge |
| or red kite. The red pennant hanging from an archway at the start of the final kilometre (it may not always be exactly one kilometre from the finish; it is roughly 1000 metres from the finish, sometimes before where a crash may be likely, and/or where the erection of a large, tent-like inflatable arch is easiest).
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| flash |
| Clearing a technical pitch without dabbing, especially if the rider has no previous experience on the route.
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G
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