Boston Road Club

Aerobic — Literally, “with oxygen.” Aerobic exercise is the body’s process of producing energy with oxygen in the bloodstream. Byproducts are carbon dioxide and water (breathing and perspiration). It’s great for burning fat and strengthening your heart and lungs.

AheadSet — Trade name for a type of headset that fits on a fork that has a nonthreaded steerer. Many used on mountain bikes, though more road bikes are using them as well.

Allen Key (Allen Wrench) — A small L-shaped hexagonal wrench that fits inside the head of a bolt or screw.

Alloy — Aluminum alloy. Perhaps it’s the brevity of speech required when panting up a steep hill, but bicyclists don’t use the term for steel or other metal alloys.

Anaerobic — Literally, “without oxygen.” In anaerobic exercise, energy is produced without oxygen, usually because the exercise intensity is such that the heart and lungs can’t get enough oxygen to the muscles. Anaerobic exercise creates a byproduct called lactate, which builds up in the muscles and causes soreness and fatigue.

ANSI — American National Standards Institute. They specify 1 of the 2 main standards for helmet safety. The other is Snell.

ATB — All-Terrain Bicycle. Another name for mountain bike.

B
Bar Ends — Extensions of variable shape and size that connect to the ends of a mountain bike’s handlebars. They provide leverage when climbing hills and give you more places to rest your hands while riding.

Bars — Handlebars.

Bead — One of the 2 inner edges of a clincher-type tire. It includes a strengthening metal or fiber cable to prevent the air pressure from stretching the tire larger than the rim.

Bike Lane — A separate lane on a street or road set aside for bicycles.

Bike Path — A usually paved path, separated from any highway, for bicycle traffic.

Bike Route — A street or road recommended for bicycle traffic.

Binder Bolt — Name given to the bolt or quick-release skewer that attaches the seatpost and handlebar to the bike.

Bit It — Crashed.

BMX — Bicycle motocross. A type of off-road racing over a prepared obstacle course, patterned after motorcycle motocross. BMX bicycles look similar to mountain bikes, but have smaller wheels and frames.

Bonk — To exercise to the point of depletion of the body’s energy stores, leaving one extremely weak.

Bottle Cage — A bracket for holding a water bottle on a bicycle frame.

Bottom-Bracket — The bearing assembly that allows the crankset to rotate in the bottom-bracket shell.

Bottom Bracket Shell — The portion of the frame that contains the crankset bearing, called the bottom bracket.

Brake — General term for the whole brake assembly. Used as a verb, it is the action of stopping the movement of the bike.

Brake Booster — Horseshoe-shaped add-on that reinforces the frame or fork around a cantilever or direct-pull brake to prevent flexing during hard braking.

Brake Bridge — The short piece of tubing joining the 2 seatstays together just above the rear wheel. Also called the brake-cable hanger.

Brake Caliper — The mechanisms that squeeze against the rims to control the bike’s speed.

Brake Hood — The cover for the top of the brake lever assembly on a bicycle with drop handlebars. It provides a convenient place to rest your hands when riding in a more upright position.

Brake Lever — The levers that are operated by the rider to control the braking function.

Brake Pad — A block of rubberlike material fastened to the end of a brake caliper or direct-pull brake; it presses against the wheel rim when the brakes are applied.

Brake Shoe — The metal part that holds a brake pad and is bolted to the end of a brake caliper or direct-pull brake.

Braze-On — Any small fitting attached to a bicycle frame (typically by brazing or silver soldering) for guiding brake and shifter cables or for attaching water bottle cages, racks or the like.

Break a Chain — Action of taking a chain apart for cleaning or repair.

Breakaway — Suddenly riding away from a pack of racers, quickly enough that opponents cannot keep close enough to draft.

Bunny Hop — To hop a bicycle over an obstruction, with the front wheel leaving the ground first.

Butted Tubing — Tubing with a wall thickness that is thinner in the center and thicker near the ends. It has a better strength/weight ratio than straight tubing.

Cable End (Cap) — A small aluminum or plastic cap installed on the ends of brake and shift cables to keep them from fraying.

Cable Guide — A tube, mounted on the frame, that guides a brake or shift cable.

Cable Housing — Flexible tubing that contains a brake or shift cable.

Cadence — Pedaling rate, measured in revolutions per minute (rpm).

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.

Caliper — Brake arms that reach around the sides of a wheel to press brake pads against the wheel rim.

Cantilever Brakes — Caliper brakes in which the pivot point is below the rim and attached to the frame or fork.

Captain, Driver — The front rider on a tandem, who has control of the handlebars, gearshift levers and brakes.

Carbon Fiber — A composite material used in making bicycle frames, composed of carbon fibers embedded in a polymer matrix.

Cartridge Bearings — Sealed bearings. They’re more watertight than conventional bearings — saving on wear and tear — but are generally nonserviceable and must be replaced as a unit.

Cassette — A cog cluster designed to be used with a freehub.

Cassette Hub — A type of rear hub that has a built-in freewheel mechanism

Century — A 100-mile bicycle ride.

Chain — The loop of links that connects the chainrings to the rear cogs.

Chainline — The path the chain takes between front and rear sprockets.

Chainring — A sprocket attached to the right crankarm to drive the chain. On many mountain and road bikes there are 2 to 3 chainrings.

Chainring Nut Spanner — A special tool used to loosen the slotted chainring bolts (the ones behind the inner ring) that fasten a chainring to a crankarm.

Chainset — British term for a crankset.

Chain Skip — Term for when the chain slips off the sprocket teeth when pedaling hard.

Chain Slap — Term for when the chan bangs against the chainstay. Usually caused by riding fast over rough terrain.

Chain Splitter — Same thing as a chain tool.

Chainstays — The 2 tubes of the frame that go from the lower end of the seat tube and meet the seatstays at the center of the rear wheel.

Chain Stretch — Lengthening of a chain beyond the standard half inch per link. It is not really caused by stretching, but by wear in the chain link bearings.

Chain Suck — Trapping of the chain into the gap between the chainstay and the chainring due to “sticking” of the chain to the chainring as it turns.

Chain Tool — A tool used to take the chain apart for removal, cleaning or repair.

Chainwheel — A chainring.

Chromoly (chrome molybdenum) — A type of high-quality steel tubing.

Cleat — The mechanism on the bottom of a bicycle shoe that locks into a clipless pedal.

Clincher Tire — A tire that stays on the rim by the tire bead being captured between the rim walls. While widely used, the term “clincher” is actually a misnomer: It correctly refers to an obsolete tire type with extended sidewalls clinched between two movable parts of the rim.

Clipless Pedal — A pedal designed to lock to a mating device (cleat) on the bottom of the cyclist’s shoe by means of a special spring-loaded mechanism. Clipless pedals are so called because they replace toe clips as a means of securing your feet to the pedals.

Cluster — The set of rear cogs.

Coaster Brake — A brake built into the rear hub that is actuated by pedaling backwards. Some versions also contain a multi-speed transmission.

Cog — A rear sprocket. (The normal meaning of “cogs” is “teeth,” but bicycle parlance uses “cogs” to mean rear “cogwheels” or sprockets.)

Component Group — Same as group or gruppo.

Composite — A material consisting of 2 or more distinctly different materials, such as carbon fiber.

Cottered Crank — A crankset in which the crankarms are fastened to the axle by means of threaded cotters and nuts.

Cotterless Crank — A crankset in which the crankarms are fastened to the axle by means of a taper and nuts or bolts (instead of cotters).

Crank — Action of pushing and pulling hard on the pedals and handlebars in order to make it up a hill or over an obstacle. Used as a slang term meaning great effort. “I cranked on that hill.”

Crankarm — A part, one end of which is attached to the bottom bracket axle and the other to a pedal, whose forward rotation provides the leverage needed to power the bicycle.

Crankarm Bolt — The bolt that holds a crankarm on the end of the axle in a cotterless crankset.

Crankset — Includes the bottom bracket, 2 crankarms, and 1 or more chainrings.

Crash — The surprising/alarming condition of being suddenly separated from your bike and tumbling or sliding over the ground.

Criterium, Crit — A bicycle race, generally around a short loop on city streets.

Cross Bike — A bicycle that shares road and mountain bike features. Used in Cyclocross racing. It typically has a frame similar to a road bike, drop handlebar and skinny, knobby tires. Also known as a hybrid bicycle.

Crossover Gearing — Gearing in which the chainwheels differ substantially in size. Small changes in gear ratio are done with the rear cogs, using the front derailleur when the rear runs out of range.

Crown — The top part of the fork, which connects the 2 fork blades.

Cruiser — A bike designed for casual and comfortable riding that features a relaxed frame, fat 26-inch tires, a wide saddle, wide handlebars and rubber pedals.

Cruising — Riding a cruiser.

Cup — The cup-shaped part of a ball or roller bearing within which the balls roll.

Cyclocross Racing — A type of off-road racing over a rugged, muddy course.

Cyclometer — An electronic device that clamps to the handlebars and indicates speed, distance, elapsed time and sometimes cadence, altitude, heart rate, etc.

D
Damping — The process of controlling suspension action, without which a suspended fork would bounce, like a pogo stick.

Dehydration — The abnormal depletion of body fluids, easily detected by dark, concentrated urine. Prevented by drinking water or sports drinks before, during and after exercise. When you are fully hydrated, urine is plentiful, pale and odorless.

Derailleur — There are 2 such mechanisms: a front derailleur and a rear derailleur. The front derailleur moves the chain between the selection of chainrings on the crankset; the rear derailleur moves the chain between the selection of cogs on the rear cassette.

Diamond Frame — The traditional frame shape consisting of 2 triangles. The front “triangle” includes the top tube, seat tube, down tube and head tube. The rear triangle consists of the seat tube, seatstays and chainstays.

Direct-Pull Brake — Typified by longer brake arms, they provide better leverage thus multiplying the power applied by the rider. Also called side-pull and V-brakes.

Dish — The rear wheel hub on a bicycle is off-center from the rim to make room for the cluster. This is called “wheel dish.”

Double-Butted Spokes — Spokes that are thicker at the ends than in the middle.

Double-Crown Fork — A type of suspension fork that resembles a motorcycle fork due to crowns above and below the head tube, which increase stiffness.

Downhill Bike — A bike designed for racing down mountains; features include long-travel dual suspension, disc brakes, single chainring, long saddle and riser handlebars.

Down Tube — The lower tube of the frame that extends from the bottom of the head tube to the bottom of the frame (the bottom-bracket shell).

Down-Tube Shift Levers — Shift levers that are mounted to the down tube of the bike. Old-style road bikes most commonly had these.

Drafting — Tucking in closely behind another rider so he/she blocks the wind, saving you energy.

D-Ring — A D-shaped ring found on some models of shift levers, used to adjust the level of tension on the inner parts of the lever.

Driver, Captain — The captain of a tandem. He/she is in control of the steering, brakes and shifter.

Drivetrain — The derailleurs, chain, freewheel and crankset of a bike

Drop-Center Rim — A rim for clincher-type tires with a pair of shoulders on each side between the rim walls to support the tire beads. Between the shoulders is a dropped channel to allow easy tire removal.

Drop — The vertical distance from the horizontal line connecting the 2 wheel axles and the bottom bracket, one way of determining the location of the bottom bracket in relation to the rest of the bicycle frame. Also used in mountain biking to describe a significant change in trail elevation.

Drop Handlebars — Racing-style handlebars with curving, swept-down ends, which facilitate a low, aerodynamic riding position.

Dropout — The fittings at the end of the fork, and at the juncture of the seatstays and the chainstays, to which the wheels are attached.

Dropout Hanger — A threaded metal piece that extends below the right rear dropout, used as a mount for the rear derailleur.

Drops — The lower, straight portion of a turned-down-type handlebar.

Drop a Chain — Action of having the chain fall off a chainwheel (on either side).

Dual-Suspension Bike — A bike with front and rear suspension.

Dualie — Another term for dual-suspension bike.

Dump — Crash.

Dustcap — A metal or plastic cap that fits into a hub shell to keep contaminants out of hub bearings; a metal or plastic end cover for an axle in a pedal or a cotterless crankset.

Elastomer — Usually a urethane material used in suspensions to provide shock absorption and damping, favored due to its low cost and simple maintenance requirements.

Elastomer Suspension — A shock absorber that uses a rubbery material (Elastomer) to absorb shock for a smooth ride.

Electrolytes — Minerals such as sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium that act to keep your nerves firing and muscles moving, especially during exercise. They are lost through sweating and can be replaced by drinking sports/energy drinks.

Endo — A fall on a bicycle in which the rear end lifts off the ground and the rider goes over the handlebars.

End Plugs — The caps that fit onto or into the ends of the handlebars.

Energy Bar — A high-carbohydrate, usually low-fat food bar specially formulated for bicyclists.

F
Face Plant — Face-first crash.

Fairing — A windshield mounted on the front of a bicycle to reduce wind resistance. Often used on recumbent cycles.

Fall-Off — Crash. Falling off can also refer to falling behind on a group ride. A trail will also fall off or drop.

Feeder Bag — A bag of food carried by long-distance racers.

Ferrule — A short bushing that attaches the end of a cable housing to a cable guide. Also, a socket in the wheel rim into which the spoke nipple fits.

Fixed Cup — The right-hand cup in a bottom bracket.

Fixed Gear — A cog attached to a hub without a freewheel; it always turns with the wheel — no coasting.

Fixed Wheel — Same as fixed gear, the kind of rear wheel found on track bikes.

Fixing Bolt — A bolt used to hold a crankarm on an axle in a cotterless crankset.

Flange — The parts of a hub shell to which spokes are attached; also sometimes used to designate the circle of metal inside the teeth on a chainring.

Float — The amount of foot rotation available on a clipless pedal.

Foldable Tire — A clincher tire with nonmetallic Kevlar® beads. It folds for easy storage but is more difficult to change.

Fork (Front Fork) — The structural piece that attaches the frame to the front wheel. The fork turns to allow the rider to control the bicycle. The term is also sometimes erroneously applied to the part of the frame where chainstays and seatstays join to hold the rear axle. This is generally called the rear fork.

Fork Blades — The parallel, sometimes curved tubes that hold the front wheel.

Fork Column — The tube at the top of the fork that rotates inside the head tube. The fork column may also be called the steering tube or steerer tube.

Fork Crown — The horizontal piece on the upper part of the front fork to which the fork blades attach.

Fork Rake (Rake) — The shortest distance between the front axle and an imaginary line extending through the head tube downward toward the ground

Fork Tips — The slotted tips of the fork blades into which fits the front wheel axle.

Frame — The structure, usually a number of tubes joined together, that forms the foundation for a bicycle and holds all of the components.

Frame Pump — A tire pump that mounts on a bicycle frame.

Frameset — The frame-and-fork combination.

Freehub — This applies to the complete integrated hub/freewheel mechanism with or without the cogs attached.

Freeride Bike — Cannondale’s name for a type of mountain bike (offered by many companies) that marries cross-country-compatible componentry with a long-travel-suspension frame.

Freewheel — A removable component on the rear hub; it carries cogs on the outside and contains a ratcheting mechanism inside that allows the wheel to rotate forward while the pedals, chain, and cogs remain still or move in reverse.

Freewheel Cluster — A cluster with a built-in freewheel.

Friction Shifters — A shifter in which the gear shift lever moves continuously; lever position determines which gear you are in.

G
Gas — The air or nitrogen trapped in a cylinder that acts as a spring in some suspension systems.

Gear — One position on a drivetrain. For example, being on the largest chainring and smallest rear cog is the largest gear.

Gearing (Gear Ratio) — Generic term to refer to the ratio between pedal and wheel rotation. The term “gear” is not a synonym for “cog,” even though both are wheels with teeth. A gear mates only with another gear; a cog mates with a chain.

Get Dropped — When the pace gets too fast and you can’t keep up and your “buddies” pedal away up the road or trail.

Glucose — A sugar, the usual form in which carbohydrates are assimilated by the body.

Glycogen — The form carbohydrates take when stored in the muscles.

Gnarly — Bad or extreme conditions on a trail caused by roots, rocks, mud or severe drop-offs.

Gooseneck — Slang for stem.

Grade — The incline of a hill, measured in percent. Equal to feet of vertical rise per hundred feet of horizontal distance.

Granny — Colloquial term for the tiny inner chainring on a triple chainring crankset.

Granny Gear — The lowest available gear ratio. Implies a very low gear, often with a triple crank.

Grips — The rubber or foam sleeves that fit on the ends of upright handlebars that you grip when riding.

Group, Gruppo — The collection of components that includes the front/rear derailleurs, front/rear sprockets, crankset, bottom bracket, headset, hubs, chain, brakes, brake and shift levers and sometimes the seatpost. Not usually included are the wheels/tires, pedals, saddle, fork, stem and handlebars.

Hardtail — Slang term for a bike without rear suspension.

Head Angle — The angle of the head tube, measured from the horizontal.

Headset — The bearings inside the head tube that support the steer tube.

Head Tube — The near-vertical and shortest tube in the main triangle; the one in which the fork column rotates.

Hood — Brake hood.

Hook-Bead Rim — A rim for clincher tires with a hooked rim wall. The hook prevents the bead from being pulled over the rim wall by the air pressure. Tires are easier to change than with drop-center rims.

Housing — The plastic covered tubing inside which cables run.

Hub — The center of a wheel consisting of a shell to which spokes attach; contains an axle along with 2 sets of bearings, bearing cones, lockwashers, locknuts, and parts for attaching the wheel to the frame.

Hydration Pack — A backpack used to hold water. Uses a long tube and a bite valve to deliver water to the user.

Hydration System — A reservoir that holds water. Found in 2 main forms: water bottle and hydration pack.

Hydraulic Brake — A brake relying on a sealed fluid system instead of a cable for operation.

Hybrid — A bicycle with characteristics of both road and mountain bikes.

Hyperglide — A Shimano trade name for a system that allows easier shifting. It uses small ridges or ramps on the sprockets to lift the chain into place.

I
IMBA — International Mountain Bicycling Association (this organization protects the trails we ride on).

Indexed Shifter — A shifter with a click stop for each gear position.

Interval Training — Training with short periods of very intense exertion.

J
Jersey — A bicycling shirt, often emblazoned with team logos and advertisements. Usually includes pockets in the back.

K
Kevlar — Trade name for tough plastic material used to make tires or tire liners. It resists punctures better than regular tires.

Knobby Tires — Also known as knobbies, these are heavy-duty tires with large rubber knobs spaced relatively far apart to provide traction in wet, muddy terrain.

L
Lactic Acid (Lactate) — A byproduct of anaerobic (or high-intensity) exercise that collects in the muscles and causes soreness, stiffness and fatigue.

Long-Cage Derailleur — A rear derailleur mechanism that can handle large cogs.

Long-Travel Suspension — Front and rear shocks that have more than 3″ of travel. Normally used in downhill racing.

M
Massed Start — A race in which competitors start at the same time (as opposed to a time trial).

Master Link — A special link on a bicycle chain that can be opened by flexing a plate, removing a screw, or some other means besides driving out a rivet.

Microfiber — Fabric of tightly woven polyester or nylon fibers that offers good resistance to wind and light rain, as well as breathability. Shells used for high-energy, outdoor workouts are frequently made of this lightweight fabric.

Mogul — A bump in the road or path.

Monocoque — A bicycle frame (usually carbon fiber) molded in a single piece, rather than made from tubing, as in a conventional bicycle.

Mountain Bike, MTB — A bicycle intended for riding off-road. A mountain bike usually has a heavy-duty frame, fat (often knobby) tires, upright handlebars, and a longer wheelbase, lower top tube and greater clearances than a road bike. Also called ATB.

N
Nipple — A spoke nipple.

Noodle — The L-shaped tubing piece found on the side of V-brakes.

NORBA — National Off-Road Bicycle Association. Sponsors off-road races.

P
Panniers — Bags that attach to the sides of a bicycle, via rear or front rack, for carrying things.

Pedal — The power-transfer point from foot to bike. Usually comes with toe-clips or clipless configuration to maximize power transfer.

Presta Valve — A special air filler valve used on most high-pressure bicycle tires. It is thinner than Schraeder-type valves.

Pulley — A tension roller.

Q
Q-Factor — The horizontal distance between the outside faces of the crankarms measured at the pedal holes.

Quick-Release Brakes — Brakes with a method to easily open up the calipers for quick wheel removal.

Quick-Release Lever — A lever used on a wheel hub, and sometimes a seatpost, that replaces the locknut for easy, no-tool removal or adjustment.

Quick-Release Skewer — A thin rod that runs through the center of a wheel axle; a cam lever is attached to one end and the other end is threaded to receive a nut.

Rear Triangle — The portion of the frame that encloses the rear wheel, consisting primarily of the seatstays, chainstays and rear dropouts.

Recumbent Bicycle — A bicycle meant to be ridden in a supine position.

Regular Thread — Found on almost all bike parts; turn to the right to tighten, to the left to loosen.

Relaxed Geometry — A bicycle geometry that emphasizes comfort and stability, achieved by such features as a smaller head-tube and seat-tube angle (measured from the horizontal), ample trail and extra clearance between the wheels and the frame.

Rim — The outer part of a bicycle wheel that supports the tube and the tire.

Rim Brake — Any type of brake that slows or stops a wheel by pressing its pads against the sides of the wheel rim.

Rim Tape, Rim Strip — A strip of plastic or cloth placed inside a clincher-type rim to protect the tube from sharp spoke edges.

Rings — Chainrings.

Riser Handlebars — A mountain-bike handlebar that bends up on the ends; found on downhill, freeride and some cross-country bikes. Also called riserbars.

Road Bike — A bicycle designed for riding on the road. It has “dropped” handlebars, narrow tires and a light frame with relatively tight geometry. Once known as a “10 speed,” most now have 14 or more gears.

Road Rash — Abraded skin caused by a crash.

Rollercam Brakes — Mountain-bike brakes that affix to frame posts and employ a cam and pulley system to control pressure on the rims.

Rollers — A type of training stand in which the rider must maintain his balance to keep the bicycle upright.

Rooster Tail — A spray of mud or water slung off the rear wheel in wet conditions. Prevented by fenders. The muddy streak on the back of the rider’s jersey caused by the aforementioned spray.

S
Saddle — A bicycle seat.

Saddle Sore — An abrasion, boil or pressure sore caused by contact with the saddle.

Sag Wagon — A motor vehicle used to pick up tired riders in an organized bicycle ride.

Schraeder Valve — Type of air filler valve used on automobile and some bicycle tires.

Seatpost — The removable tube that slides into the seat tube and to which the saddle is mounted.

Seatstays — The tubes that connect the rear wheel to the top of the seat tube.

Seat Tube — The frame tube that connects between the top tube and the bottom bracket. The seatpost inserts into the top of the seat tube.

Semi-Slick Tire — A type of mountain-bike tire with limited tread. Popular for not-too-technical courses because they roll so fast.

Sew-Up Tire — Tubular tire.

Shifter — A lever or other mechanism operated by the rider to shift gears.

Shift Lever — A lever that is rotated about a pivot to move the inner wire that operates the derailleur.

Side-Pull Brakes — A brake caliper that has hte cable runnint down along the side. Both cable arms are on the same side of the caliper, one being pulled by the inner cable, the other being pushed by the cable housing.

Single-Sided Pedal — An all-metal pedal with teeth on only one side, used with a toe-clip and strap.

Single track — An off-road trail wide enough for only a single bicycle.

Skewer — The portion of a wheel quick-release mechanism that extends through the hub axle.

Skid — Locking up the wheels so that the bike slides, rather than rolls, to a stop.

Slickrock — Featureless, smooth sandstone. Exceptional for mountain biking.

Snakebite Flat — A flat tire caused by pinching the tire and tube between the rim sidewalls and a rock or other obstruction. It usually causes 2 parallel punctures in the tube that look a like snakebite.

Snell Memorial Foundation — An organization that develops standards for safety helmets. Defines 1 of the 2 main standards for bicycle helmets.

Solvent — Liquids used to cut grease and grime for cleaning components or chains.

Spin — To pedal with a high cadence.

Spindle — The axle in the bottom bracket to which the cranks connect.

Split/Break a Chain — To disconnect a chain link so the chain may be removed from the bicycle.

Spokes — The wires that go between the hub and the rim.

Spoke Key, Spoke Wrench — A small wrench for adjusting spoke tension by turning the nipple.

Spoke Nipple — The flanged nut that threads onto the end of a spoke to attach it to the rim.

Spring-Loaded Shocks — Front and rear suspension that uses springs and some type of oil or air damping system.

Sprocket — One of the toothed wheels that mesh with the chain to transfer power from the cranks to the drivewheel. Bicyclists generally use the term to refer only to the rear sprockets.

Stage Race — A race in which a different course is traversed each day. The winner is the racer with the lowest total time.

Stay — Supporting frame or frame material for brakes, seats and handlebars.

Steerer Tube (Steering Tube) — The tube that goes through the head tube and connects the fork to the handlebar stem.

Stem — The tube that connects the handlebars to the steer tube.

Stoker — The rear rider on a tandem bike.

Swag — Free promotional gear.

Suspension Fork — A fork with shock absorber(s).

Suspension Geometry — Frame geometry designed to accommodate a suspension fork.

Suspension Hub — A rugged hub designed to be used with a suspension fork.

Swingarm — The movable rear end of a suspended bicycle.

Tandem — A bicycle built for 2 (or more) riders, one behind the other.

Technical — A term used to describe difficult off-road trails that require good “technique” to traverse.

Tension Roller, Pulley — One of the 2 small sprockets in the rear derailleur.

Ten-Speed — An older name for a road bike, so called because most road bikes used to have 10 available gear ratios.

Third Hand — A tool to hold the brake calipers together for easy brake repair.

Threadless Headset — A type of headset that fits on a fork whose steerer tube is unthreaded; often found on mountain bikes. AheadSet™ is a manufacturer of such stems.

Tight Geometry — Bicycle geometry that emphasizes speed and maneuverability. The opposite of relaxed geometry.

Time Trial — A bicycle race in which cyclists race against the clock rather than directly against each other. Racers start at set times and are prohibited from drafting each other.

Tire — The flexible (usually rubber) outer part of a wheel that attaches to the rim and contains the inner tube.

Tire Levers, Tire Irons — Little crowbars used to help remove a clincher tire from the rim.

Toe-Clip — A plastic or metal holder for straps that tie your feet to the pedals.

Top Tube — The top, horizontal frame tube, which connects between the head tube and the seat tube.

Tour de France — The world’s most famous bicycle race. It covers a couple thousand difficult, mountainous miles.

Touring — Traveling long distances, usually over more than one day.

Touring Bike — Compared with a standard road bike, a touring bike has a sturdier frame; more extended, relaxed frame geometry; and clearance and braze-ons for fenders and racks.

Tourist — A cyclist who takes short or long excursions by bicycle, often carrying several bags containing clothing and camping equipment.

Track Bike — A bicycle built for track racing. It is generally built as light as possible, with a fixed gear and no brakes. (A brake may be added for riding on the road.)

Track Racing — Racing over a short, banked oval course, as in a velodrome.

Trackstand — The act of balancing a bicycle without significant motion, by means of small forward-and-backward movements.

Trail — The distance between the point where the front wheel contacts the road and the imaginary point where the extension of the steer tube would meet the road. In other fields, this is called “caster.” Also, any path through wilderness or rural country.

Trainer, Training Stand — A frame that converts a bicycle into an exercise (stationary) bicycle. Allows training indoors in bad weather.

Tread — The surface area of the tire typified by grooves or knobs. Used as a verb it’s another way of saying “ride.”

Trials — Competitive event in which cyclists ride special bikes around an obstacle course.

Trials Bike — A bike used for competition on obstacle courses.

Triangle — There are 2 triangles that make up the standard diamond-frame bike. One is made by the top tube, down tube and seat tube, the other by the seat tube, seatstays and chainstays.

Triathlon — A race combining swimming, bicycling and running.

Trick — High-tech or snazzy components. Also, an acrobatic style of bicycle riding.

Triple Crank — A crankset with 3 chainwheels.

Truing a Wheel — The process of making a wheel truly round by adjusting spoke tension by rotating the spoke nipples.

Truing Stand — A fixture for holding and measuring a wheel while it is being trued.

Tube — Long, usually round and hollow; they make up the frame of a bike. Also, the tire inner tube.

Tubular Tire, Sew-Up — A tire in which the casing is sewn shut around the tube. Rather than using a wire-reinforced bead gripped by the rim wall, as in clincher tires, tubular tires are glued to a wall-less rim.

Twist Shifter — A shifter in which the gear is changed by twisting the grip.

U
U-Lock — Type of secure lock to protect against bicycle theft. The “U” is made of case-hardened steel that is hard to cut.

USCF — United States Cycling Federation. Sanctions bicycle races.

V
V-Brake — Technically, these are side-pull designs also, but this term is not normally used for them, since they are a type of cantilever, not caliper brake.

Velodrome — A stadium for bicycle racing, usually in the shape of an oval, with heavily banked turns.

VO2 Max — The largest volume of oxygen your body can take in and assimilate. This figure is very high in trained endurance athletes.

W
Water Bottle — A container for holding fluids. Usually has a pull spout to facilitate ease of use.

Wheel — The term used to represent, in general, the rim, tire, tube, spokes and hub.

Welch Rim — A drop-center rim.

Wheelbase — The distance between the front and rear axles.

Wheelie — Riding a bicycle with the front wheel continuously off the ground.

Wind Trainer — A training device consisting of a frame in which a bicycle is fastened for stationary riding and a fan that creates wind resistance to simulate actual road riding.

Wired-On Tire — A clincher tire.

Workstand, Repair Stand — A frame that holds a bicycle off the ground for convenient repair.

X
XC, X-C — Cross-country.

Y
Yellow Jersey — The jersey worn by the current overall leader during the Tour de France.