| Glossary |
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| 69ner, 29ners: Refers, unfortunately, to wheel sizes of mountain bikes as measured in inches. Road wheels typically come in 650 cm (tri-bikes) and 700 cm (road bikes), whereas mountain wheels come in all sorts of sizes, although they all tend to be round—as that still remains a design standard for the wheel. After-market up-grade: Refers to replacing a part that was "stock" – from the factory – on your bike with something more expensive. An after-market up-grade provides a perfect opportunity to slow a rider setting the pace in front of you, as in “Dude, how light are those wheels?” or “Is that a new crank?” Bike Weight: The weight of a bike. Note that a weight weenie will take this weight after removing pedals, water bottle cages, saddle bags, rear view mirrors, aero bars and other components that they would never leave home without. Cat 5 Tattoo: A grease mark on your right calf from rubbing your leg against your greasy chain. Fred: Some refer to a rider with a ton of expensive equipment but no ridings skills as a “Fred.” (To avoid the label, please remove spoke protector, valve stem nuts and caps, and stop being Squirrelly!) Also See Gumby. Fully rigid: Refers, unfortunately, to a bike without rear or front suspension. Gumby: Refers to a new rider (e.g. the rider that still has the spoke protector behind their rear cassette). To avoid this label, wear cycling socks, shorts with panels, and non-cotton jersey. Also remove reflectors and spoke protectors from your bike. See Fred. McShit: When you stop at McDonalds to go to the bathroom before a race. Race ready: The weight of a bike with the exact components and wheels on which you will race (sans water bottles of course). Rookie Tattoo: A scar on your right calf shaped perfectly like three or four cogs on your chain ring (they are sharper than they look). Saddle: Refers to what you sit on; but please do not call it a “seat.” Single Speed: Refers to a bike with only one gear that the rider will change out for different terrains. Owning a single-speed allows you to have endless discussions about what gear combos are perfect for what trails (e.g. “I use 18/32 for Gainesville but go with 16/44 for Morris Bridge.”) Some riders buy bikes with gears and derailleurs so they can shift the ratio with changing conditions. The advantage of a single speed—a part for the discussion about gear combos and feeling special—is that they are easy to maintain, always ready to ride, and sound great in wet, muddy, or wet-sandy conditions. Snot Rocket: Close one nostril, shoot snot out the other; repeat with other nostril. Squirrelly: Refers to a rider visibly nervous in a fast group ride or someone who does not pull through smoothly in a pace line. Stans: Refers to using Stans-No-Tubes products to convert wheels and tires to tubeless or sealing a tubeless wheelset-tire combo for extra protection against flats. Popular among mountain bikes who like riding low air pressure for traction but do no not want pinch flats. Travel: The distance (usually discussed in inches or millimeters) that a front or rear shock compresses on impact. (e.g., “Hey Dude, how much travel you getting.” “Nearly five inches, and my bike only weighs….) Tubeless: Riding with out tubes in your tires—companies make tubeless wheelsets/tires so you do not need tubes. But you can all convert regular tires and wheelsets to tubeless. See Stans. Weight Weenie a.k.a. Gram Counters: Riders obsessed with saving a gram anywhere possible, no matter what the cost or lack of benefit to riding performance. |