Cycling terminology
Term | Description |
| Attack | An aggressive acceleration (jump) to cycle away from another rider or group of riders. |
| Bidon | A commonly used French word meaning water bottle. |
| Blocking | A legal method of impeding the progress of the riders in a bunch in an effort to allow team mates to break‑away. |
| Breakaway | A rider or group of riders that are a distance from the main group 1 bunch of riders in a race. |
| Bridge a gap | Getting across to a rider or number of riders ahead of you. |
| Bunch | A group of 6 or more cyclists. The main bunch in a race is often referred to as the peloton or pack. |
| Bunny hop | To lift both front and rear wheels at the same time to get the bike airborne, to avoid or get over an obstacle. |
| Cadence | The rate of pedalling. Pedal revolutions per minute (rpm). |
| Clincher | Conventional tyres with inner tube. Also called high pressure tyres. |
| Dropped | Describes rider(s) that have failed to keep pace with the group/bunch they were riding with. |
| Drops | The curved section on Road and Track bike handlebars where the rider grips for the best racing position. |
| Gilet | French word for wind vest. |
| Hammering | Going your absolute hardest, giving it your maximum effort. |
| Half wheeling | Is when another rider continues to ride slightly in front of the rider next to him/her. You will usually find the pace increases as the rider slight behind try's to draw level with the rider in front. This behaviour can sometimes irate the person being half wheeled if the person doing the half wheeling continues to push the pace as the other rider attempts to draw level. |
| Jump | The initial acceleration before a sprint or break away. |
| Massed start | Events where all competitors line up together and leave the starting line at the same time. |
| Knicks | Padded lycra bike shorts. |
| Leadout | A race tactic in which a rider accelerates to top speed for the benefit another rider. The following rider uses the drafting effect to race past for the final sprint. |
| On the rivet | The term refers to when you are riding at the limit of your physical ability. |
| Prime | A special prize awarded to the race leader on selected laps of a Criterium race or the 1 st rider to reach a specified land mark in a Road race (Pronounced Preem). |
| Peleton | A group of 6 or more riders |
| Sitting on/drafting | This where a cyclist rides directly behind another to conserve energy by slip streaming. A rider sitting‑on/ drafting, is shielded from the wind, which makes riding easier. |
| Sprint | Is a term used when a group of riders contest the finish of a race. |
| Throwing the bike | A technique used in the final metres of a sprint finish where the rider attempts to push the bike as far forward as possible, hoping to edge out another sprinter. |
| A great sit | A term used when the rider in front of you blocks a lot of wind. |
| Singles | Tyres that have the tube sewn inside the outer tyre casing. |
| Turns | "Taking a turn" is where each cyclist rides at the front of their respective bunch or group in turns of 100 to 200m. |
| Toe clips | Clip and strap system to connect a riders feet to the pedals. |
| Time trials | A race which individuals or small teams ride the same route and distance for elapsed time. |
| Upstroke | To pull up on a pedal. Opposite to down stroke. |
| Valve stem | Where the pump is attached to fill the tube with air. |
| Velodrome | A velodrome is a sporting arena purpose-built for track cycling bicycles. It has slopes to help riders corner. |
