Vocabulary question

[annie]

I have yet to be clear on what a peleton is, but I think I've figured out it's Italian for "pack" or "group".

Is it Italian of French? Not sure. An "echelon" is a peloton that is strung diagonally across the road in order to draft in a crosswind.

Here's a _short_ list of biking lingo (found by googling). Just scratches the surface. There's so much out there! And MTB'ers have quite a bit of their own language, apart from roadies.

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.

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. (I LOVE this description of an easy ride! - annie's comment)

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: A vehicle that patrols a ride route, offering food, mechanical assistance, etc. No one's quite sure what the letters stand for, if anything.

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.

-- Scott Martin,

[Runner13]

Peloton is French and it means squad.

[Trek420]

we had another vocabulary lesson here:

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showt...ght=vocabulary

[KnottedYet]

Oh, Trek, that was beautiful! Thanks for posting the link! I laughed out loud and dropped some of my chips!

(Bean especially liked that part, and asks that you post more funny stuff so I drop more food on the floor.)

[Quillfred]

The STP is a popular west-coast race/ride between Seattle and Portland - its about a double century (Yankee measurements).

SPD is Shimano pedal dynamics--basically the clipless Shimano system.

As far as I know STD still only means --sexually transmitted diseases.

What is like like to ride in Finland? I tried a search but only turned up defunct links.

[RoadRaven]

Yeah... in Middle Earth a century is a 100km ride... though we do have 100 mile rides too - the 1 day "fun" ride round Lake Taupo - the Wattyl Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge is probably the most well-known internationally (though I stand to be corrected, and realise it is a fun ride - not a world event!!) with over 10,000 cyclists in 2005!

As for glossary words... bonk is the one I had most difficulty with - particularly when my partner first started and the word became part of his vocab... and I was wondering ... "What? Whose he been out bonking with? And... why is he telling me in such a relaxed way????"
...because outside of cycling circles, in this country bonking is actually something two consenting adults do in the boudair! (or other places... )

[KnottedYet]

Here that version of bonk is "boink".

[Pedal Wench]

'Cage' also is a derogatory term for cars - metal 'cages', and drivers are sometimes called 'cagers'.

And, I always thought that a SAG vehicle stood for 'Support And Gear' vehicle.

Not 100% sure though.

[madisongrrl]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"]Yeah... in Middle Earth a century is a 100km ride... though we do have 100 mile rides too

In the states....

100k = metric century

100m = century

[Deanna]

In the states....

100k = metric century

100m = century

I've also heard a 100 mile century referred to as an imperial century. Not very frequently, but enough for me to cram another random fact into my brain.

[margo49]

- ...because outside of cycling circles, in this country bonking is actually something two consenting adults do in the boudair! (or other places... )

Where, pray tell, is this boudair to which you refer?
And where do I find the other consenting adult? All ready and waiting there?

[kiwi girl]

...because outside of cycling circles, in this country bonking is actually something two consenting adults do in the boudair! (or other places... )

heh heh heh I like that one too.

A few years ago I read an article in a cycling magazine that had the theory that bonking would teach you valuable lessons about nutrition.

The cover had the headline 'Bonking: why everybody should try it once' - you have no idea how funny that is to a kiwi - I think I still have that magazine somewhere

[Duck on Wheels]

SAG: A vehicle that patrols a ride route, offering food, mechanical assistance, etc. No one's quite sure what the letters stand for, if anything.

I thought SAG stood for Support And Gear, but maybe the acronym source was an afterthought ...?

Meanwhile, here's another vocabulary question. What, in web forum parlance, is a "troll"?

[Lise]

What's a "hardtail" bike?

[Popoki_Nui]

What's a "hardtail" bike?

"Hardtail" refers to a bike with a suspension front fork, and a rigid rear frame triangle. (as opposed to "full rigid"..a bike with no suspension, and "full suspension"...a bike with suspension fore and aft).
~S.