wall

From Middle English wal, from Old English weall (“wall, dike, earthwork, rampart, dam, rocky shore, cliff”), from Proto-West Germanic *wall (“wall, rampart, entrenchment”), from Latin vallum (“wall, rampart, entrenchment, palisade”), from Proto-Indo-European *welH- (“to turn, wind, roll”).
Perhaps conflated with waw (“a wall within a house or dwelling, a room partition”), from Middle English wawe, from Old English wāg, wāh (“an interior wall, divider”), see waw.
Cognate with North Frisian wal (“wall”), Saterland Frisian Waal (“wall, rampart, mound”), Dutch wal (“wall, rampart, embankment”), German Wall (“rampart, mound, embankment”), Swedish vall (“mound, wall, bank”). More at wallow, walk.

cog

the apples on the other side of the wall are the sweetest

throw enough mud at the wall and some of it will stick

throw things at the wall and see what sticks


tempo

Borrowed from Italian tempo, from Latin tempus (“time”). Doublet of tense.
(truck or cargo van): A genericized trademark, originally associated with the manufacturer Vidal & Sohn Tempo-Werke GmbH.

(cycling) The steady pace set by the frontmost riders.

tempo

cycling: steady pace set by the frontmost riders


stem

From Middle English stem, stemme, stempne, stevin, from Old English stemn, from Proto-West Germanic *stamni, from Proto-Germanic *stamniz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- (“to stand, stay”).

der

the apple does not fall far from the stem

(cycling) A component on a bicycle that connects the handlebars to the bicycle fork.

stuurpen

Component on a bicycle that connects the handlebars to the bicycle fork


jump

en-verb

jump (third-person singular simple present jumps, present participle jumping, simple past and past participle jumped)

jumps (present singular third-person)
jumping (participle present)
jumped (participle past)
jumped (past)
jump (infinitive)
jump (first-person present singular)
jumped (first-person past singular)
jump (present second-person singular)
jumpest (archaic present second-person singular)
jumped (past second-person singular)
jumpedst (archaic past second-person singular)
jumps (present singular third-person)
jumpeth (archaic present singular third-person)
jumped (past singular third-person)
jump (plural present)
jumped (past plural)
jump (present subjunctive)
jumped (past subjunctive)
jump (imperative present)
jumping (participle present)
jumped (participle past)

From Middle English jumpen (“to walk quickly, run, jump”), probably of Middle Low German or North Germanic origin, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *gumpōną ~ *gumbōną (“to hop, skip, bounce”), an iterative verb. The OED suggests an imitative origin. Related to jumble. In the sense “to propel oneself” it displaced leap partially and spring largely.
Cognates
Cognate with German Low German jumpen (“to jump”), archaic German gumpen (“to jump, hop, bounce”), dialectal German gampen (“to hop”), Alemannic German gumpe (“to leap, jump”), Walser dialect kumpu, Old Norse gopta (“to jump; make jump”) Danish gumpe (“to jolt”), Swedish gumpa (“to jump”), Danish gimpe (“to move up and down”), Middle English jumpren, jumbren (“to mix, jumble”).

onomatopoeic

imitative

cog

the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog

(cycling, intransitive) To increase speed aggressively and without warning.


diesel

en-noun

diesel (countable and uncountable, plural diesels)

From German Diesel, named after inventor Rudolf Diesel, who developed a heavy-duty engine in Germany (1892–1897) and perfected it throughout his life.

(cycling, slang) A rider who has an even energy output, without bursts of speed.


RR

RR (countable and uncountable, plural RRs)


chamois

chamois (countable and uncountable, plural chamoises or chamois or chamoix)

chamoises (plural)
chamois (plural)
chamoix (plural)
chamoix (alternative)
shamois (alternative)
shamoy (alternative)

Borrowed from Middle French chamois, from Late Latin camox, from Gaulish camox (5th c. AD, Polemius Silvius), probably from an extinct Alpine language (Raetic, Ancient Ligurian), possibly Proto-Indo-European *kem- (“without horns”). Compare also Old High German gamiza (“chamois”) (whence modern German Gämse).

der

(cycling) A padded insert which protects the groin from the bicycle saddle.


road

From Middle English rode, rade (“ride, journey”), from Old English rād (“riding, hostile incursion”), from Proto-West Germanic *raidu, from Proto-Germanic *raidō (“a ride”), from Proto-Indo-European *reydʰ- (“to ride”). Doublet of raid, acquired from Scots. Cognates include West Frisian reed (paved trail/road, driveway).
The current primary meaning of "street, way for traveling" originated relatively late — Shakespeare seemed to expect his audiences to find it unfamiliar — and probably arose through reinterpretation of roadway (“a way for riding on”) as saying way twice, in other words as a tautological compound.

inh

road tires

road groupset

(cycling) Of or pertaining to a road bike.


attack

en-verb

attack (third-person singular simple present attacks, present participle attacking, simple past and past participle attacked or (obsolete) attackt or (obsolete, dialectal) attackted)

attacks (present singular third-person)
attacking (participle present)
attacked (participle past)
attacked (past)
attackt (obsolete participle past)
attackt (obsolete past)
attackted (dialectal obsolete participle past)
attackted (dialectal obsolete past)
attack (infinitive)
attack (first-person present singular)
attacked (first-person past singular)
attack (present second-person singular)
attackest (archaic present second-person singular)
attacked (past second-person singular)
attackedst (archaic past second-person singular)
attacks (present singular third-person)
attacketh (archaic present singular third-person)
attacked (past singular third-person)
attack (plural present)
attacked (past plural)
attack (present subjunctive)
attacked (past subjunctive)
attack (imperative present)
attacking (participle present)
attacked (participle past)

Borrowed from French attaque, derived from the verb attaquer, from Italian attaccare (“to join, attach”) (used in attaccare battaglia (“to join battle”)), from Frankish *stakka (“stick”). Doublet of attach. Displaced native Old English on rǣsan (“to attack”) and onrǣs (“an attack”).

(cycling) To accelerate quickly in an attempt to get ahead of the other riders.


bridge

bridges (plural)
bridg (alternative obsolete)
brigge (alternative)

From Middle English brigge, from Old English brycġ (“bridge”), from Proto-Germanic *brugjō, *brugjǭ (“bridge”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerw-, *bʰrēw- (“wooden flooring, decking, bridge”).
Cognate with Scots brig, brigg, breeg (“bridge”), Saterland Frisian Brääch (“bridge”), West Frisian brêge (“bridge”), Dutch brug (“bridge”), German Brücke (“bridge”), Danish brygge (“wharf”), Icelandic brygga (“pier”), Gaulish briua (“bridge”).
The verb is from Middle English briggen, from Old English brycġian (“to bridge, make a causeway, pave”), derived from the noun. Cognate with Dutch bruggen (“to bridge”), Middle Low German bruggen (“to bridge”), Old High German bruccōn (“to bridge”) (whence Modern German brücken).
The musical connection sense is a semantic loan from German Steg, from Old High German steg.

ацҳа

construction or natural feature that spans a divide

if someone told you to jump off a bridge, would you do it

(cycling) The situation where a lone rider or small group of riders closes the space between them and the rider or group in front.


spin

en-verb

spin (third-person singular simple present spins, present participle spinning, simple past spun or (uncommon) span or (nonstandard) spinned, past participle spun or (nonstandard) spinned)

spins (present singular third-person)
spinning (participle present)
spun (past)
span (past uncommon)
spinned (nonstandard past)
spun (participle past)
spinned (nonstandard participle past)

From Middle English spinnen, from Old English spinnan, from Proto-Germanic *spinnaną, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)penh₁-. Compare Low German spinnen, Dutch spinnen, German spinnen, Danish spinde, Swedish spinna.

To use an exercise bicycle, especially as part of a gym class.

(cycling, intransitive)
To ride a bicycle at a fast cadence.


bib

Originally verb sense “drink heartily”, from Middle English bibben, either from Latin bibō (“I drink”) or of imitative origin. Noun sense (clothing) presumably either because worn while drinking, or because the clothing itself “drinks up” spills.


control

en-noun

control (countable and uncountable, plural controls)

controls (plural)
Ctrl (alternative)
comptrol (alternative archaic)
comptroll (alternative archaic)
controll (alternative obsolete)
controul (alternative obsolete)
countrol (alternative obsolete)

From Middle English controllen, from Old French contrerole, from Medieval Latin contrārotulum (“a counter-roll or register used to verify accounts”), from Latin contrā (“against, opposite”) + Medieval Latin rotulus, Latin rotula (“roll, a little wheel”), diminutive of rota (“a wheel”).

der

[…] the self-acknowledged stereotype of the audaxer as a socially awkward middle-aged man, […] carefully avoiding eye contact as a volunteer serves him his cup of tea and plate of baked beans in one of the draughty village halls that typically host audax controls.

2019, Emily Chappell, Where There's a Will:

(cycling, countable) A checkpoint along an audax route.


door

en-verb

door (third-person singular simple present doors, present participle dooring, simple past and past participle doored)

doors (present singular third-person)
dooring (participle present)
doored (participle past)
doored (past)
doore (alternative obsolete)
durre (alternative obsolete)

non-rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger

non-rhotic, dough–door merger, African-American Vernacular

dour (in one pronunciation, with the pour–poor merger)

From Middle English dore, dor, from Old English duru (“door”), dor (“gate”), from Proto-West Germanic *dur, from Proto-Germanic *durz, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰwṓr, from *dʰwer- (“doorway, door, gate”).
Cognates
Cognate with Scots door (“door”), Saterland Frisian Doore (“door”), West Frisian doar (“door”), Dutch deur (“door”), German Low German Door, Döör (“door”), German Tür (“door”), Tor (“gate”), Danish and Norwegian dør (“door”), Icelandic dyr (“door”), Latin foris and foras, Ancient Greek θύρα (thúra), Albanian derë pl. dyer, Central Kurdish دەرگە (derge), derî, Persian در (dar), Russian дверь (dverʹ), Hindi द्वार (dvār), Armenian դուռ (duṙ), Irish doras, Sanskrit द्वार (dvāra), Lithuanian durys.

Kerr has acted for numerous clients who have been doored, including one man knocked off his bike and on to spiked railings, and another who ended up hitting a tree.

2018 February 6, Helen Pidd, “I got 'doored' while undertaking on my bike. Was it my fault?”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2023-08-15:

He [Pete Karageorgos] said cyclists who are doored are entitled to claim accident benefits from the driver's insurer if they aren't covered by a policy of their own.

2019 December 15, Ben Spurr, “How an Ontario rule stops 'doored' cyclists from getting drivers' insurance info”, in Toronto Star, Toronto, Ont.: Toronto Star Newspapers Ltd., →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2024-04-27:

To avoid being doored, cyclists such as Vilain, Davis-Overstreet and Michael Schneider monitor as many telltale signs as possible: shadows, brake lights, the actions of people sitting in the driver's seat.

2023 December 19, Angie Orellana Hernandez, “Being doored to death is a cyclist’s nightmare. How can it be prevented?”, in Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, Calif.: Los Angeles Times Communications, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2024-04-22:

(transitive, cycling) To cause a collision by opening the door of a vehicle in front of an oncoming cyclist or pedestrian.

emportiérer

to cause a collision by opening the door of a vehicle in front of an oncoming cyclist or pedestrian


rim

From Middle English rim, rym, rime, from Old English rima (“rim, edge, border, bank, coast”), from Proto-Germanic *rimô, *rembô (“edge, border”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *rem-, *remə- (“to rest, support, be based”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Rim (“plank, wooden cross, trellis”), Old Saxon rimi (“edge; border; trim”), Icelandic rimi (“a strip of land”).

cog

About an hour later, she noticed an all black Phantom with tints and chrome rims riding slowly through the car lot.

2010, Rochelle Magee, No Witnesses: A Perilous Journey, page 36:


hammer

en-verb

hammer (third-person singular simple present hammers, present participle hammering, simple past and past participle hammered)

hammers (present singular third-person)
hammering (participle present)
hammered (participle past)
hammered (past)

From Middle English hamer, from Old English hamor, from Proto-West Germanic *hamar, from Proto-Germanic *hamaraz (“tool with a stone head”) (compare West Frisian hammer, Low German Hamer, Dutch hamer, German Hammer, Danish hammer, Swedish hammare). This is traditionally ascribed to Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱmoros, from *h₂éḱmō (“stone”), but see *hamaraz for further discussion.
(declare a defaulter on the stock exchange): Originally signalled by knocking with a wooden mallet.

sense

the nail that sticks out gets hammered down

Fifteen minutes later, leaving a vapour trail of kitchen smells, I hammered into Obterre.

2011, Tim Moore, French Revolutions: Cycling the Tour de France, page 58:

Running at line-speed, well over 100mph, it hammers through Doncaster on its way south to London.

2019 December 18, Richard Clinnick, “Traction transition: HST to Azuma”, in Rail, page 32:

(cycling, intransitive, slang) To ride very fast.


spider

en-noun

spider (countable and uncountable, plural spiders)

[ˈspʌɪ̯ɾə(ɹ)]

From Middle English spiþre, spydyr, spider, spiþer, from Old English spīþra (“spider”), from Proto-West Germanic *spinþrijō, from Proto-Germanic *spinnaną (“to spin”). Mostly displaced attercop (“spider, unpleasant person”), now a dialectal term.

(cycling) A part of a crank, to which the chainrings are attached.


kick

en-verb

kick (third-person singular simple present kicks, present participle kicking, simple past and past participle kicked)

kicks (present singular third-person)
kicking (participle present)
kicked (participle past)
kicked (past)
kick (infinitive)
kick (first-person present singular)
kicked (first-person past singular)
kick (present second-person singular)
kickest (archaic present second-person singular)
kicked (past second-person singular)
kickedst (archaic past second-person singular)
kicks (present singular third-person)
kicketh (archaic present singular third-person)
kicked (past singular third-person)
kick (plural present)
kicked (past plural)
kick (present subjunctive)
kicked (past subjunctive)
kick (imperative present)
kicking (participle present)
kicked (participle past)

→ German: kicken

→ Welsh: cicio

From Middle English kyken (“to strike out with the foot”), from Old Norse kikna (“to sink at the knees”) and keikja (“to bend backwards”) (compare Old Norse keikr (“bent backwards, the belly jutting forward”)), from Proto-Germanic *kaikaz (“bent backwards”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from Proto-Germanic *kī-, *kij- (“to split, dodge, swerve sidewards”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵeyH- (“to sprout, shoot”). Compare also Dutch kijken (“to look”), Middle Low German kīken (“to look, watch”). See keek.

штовхну́ти

ного́ю; нога́ми

Contador kicks again to try to rid himself of Rasmussen.

(intransitive, cycling) To accelerate quickly with a few pedal strokes in an effort to break away from other riders.


bicycle

→ Burmese: ဘိုင်စကယ် (bhuingca.kai)

→ Central Dusun: bosikol

→ Hawaiian: paikikala

desc

→ Kashubian: bajsykla (Canada, United States)

→ Malay: basikal

→ Maltese: bajsikil

→ Maori: paihikara

→ Papiamentu: baiskel

→⇒ Serbo-Croatian: bajs

→ Sranan Tongo: baisigri

Aukan: baisigii

Saramaccan: baisígi

→ Kari'na: paisiki

→ Swahili: baiskeli

→ Tausug: basikul

→ Urdu: بائیسِکَل (bāīsikal)

→ Welsh: beisicl

Borrowed from French bicycle (modern bicyclette), from bi- (“bi-”) + cycle (“cycle”). First attested in English in 1868, and in French in 1847.
(promiscuous woman): From double meaning of ride ("to transport oneself upon" vs. "to mount someone to have sex with them"). A communal bicycle would have many riders.

a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle

a woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle

In most English villages, as we are informed, bicycles are not allowed on the sidewalks; and the hand-books issued by English manufacturers of bicycles caution their customers that it is a forbidden practice, while in many places bells have to be attached to the bicycles even when ridden in the streets.

1882, “Principle in Small Things”, in Popular Science Monthly, volume 22, page 274:

(cycling) A vehicle that has two primary wheels, one behind the other, a steering handle, and a saddle seat or seats and is usually propelled by the action of a rider’s feet upon pedals.


roadster

(cycling) A bicycle, or tricycle, adapted for common roads, rather than for the racing track, usually of classic style and steel-framed construction.

omafiets

bicycle or tricycle adapted for common roads


fork

Sranan Tongo: forku

→ Dutch: fork

→ Japanese: フォーク (fōku)

→ Kannada: ಫೋರ್ಕ್ (phōrk)

→ Korean: 포크 (pokeu)

→ Maori: paoka

→ Tamil: போர்க் (pōrk)

→ Telugu: ఫోర్క్ (phōrk)

From Middle English forke (“digging fork”), from Old English force, forca (“forked instrument used to torture”), from Proto-West Germanic *furkō (“fork”), from Latin furca (“pitchfork, forked stake; gallows, beam, stake, support post, yoke”), of uncertain origin. The Middle English word was later reinforced by Anglo-Norman, Old Northern French forque (= Old French forche whence French fourche), also from the Latin. Doublet of fourche and furcate. Cognate also with North Frisian forck (“fork”), Dutch vork (“fork”), Danish fork (“fork”), German Forke (“pitchfork”). Displaced native gafol, ġeafel, ġeafle (“fork”), from Old English.
In its primary sense of “fork”, Latin furca appears to be derived from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰerk(ʷ)-, *ǵʰerg(ʷ)- (“fork”), although the development of the -c- is difficult to explain. In other senses this derivation is unlikely. For these, perhaps it is connected to Proto-Germanic *furkaz, *firkalaz (“stake, stick, pole, post”), from Proto-Indo-European *perg- (“pole, post”). If so, this would relate the word to Old English forclas pl (“bolt”), Old Saxon ferkal (“lock, bolt, bar”), Old Norse forkr (“pole, staff, stick”), Norwegian fork (“stick, bat”), Swedish fork (“pole”).

tienhaara

figurative: point in time of making a decision

afsplitsing

computer science: splitting of a process

odnož

computer science: copying and separately developing a project

bifurcació

computer science: a separately developed project based upon a copy of an existing project

a three-prong spear somewhat resembling a pitchfork

The fork can be equipped with a suspension on mountain bikes.

(cycling, motorcycling, by abstraction from a pronged tool's shape) In a bicycle or motorcycle, the portion of the frameset holding the front wheel, allowing the rider to steer and balance, also called front fork.


gear

en-noun

gear (countable and uncountable, plural gears)

→ Japanese: ギア (gia)

From Middle English gere, a borrowing from Old Norse gervi, from Proto-Germanic *garwijaną (“to prepare”). See also adjective yare, yar from the same root via Old English.

der

(countable, automotive, cycling) A particular combination or choice of interlocking gears, such that a particular gear ratio is achieved.

зъбна предавка

a particular combination or choice of interlocking gears


nipple

nipples (plural)
neple (alternative obsolete)
nypil (alternative obsolete)
nyppell (alternative obsolete)
neapel (alternative obsolete)
neaple (alternative obsolete)
neble (alternative obsolete)

→ Dutch: nippel

→ German: Nippel

→ Danish: nippel

→ Norwegian: nippel

From earlier neple, nypil, neble, believed to be a diminutive of nib, neb (“tip, point”), equivalent to nib + -le. Compare Old English nypel (“elephant trunk”), formed analogously as "a protuberance from one's neb" .

Turn the nipples on to the bicycle spokes only one turn, for each spoke on the new wheel all the way around until they are all snug, then check alignment.

These were first constructed by heading the spokes, threading them through a steel felloe or rim and inserting them into screwed nipples which were in their turn screwed into the flanges of the hub.

1921, W. F. Grew, The Cycle Industry, London, page 5:

(cycling) An internally threaded piece which holds a bicycle spoke in place on the rim.

nippel

piece to connect a bicycle spoke to the rim


unicycle

A man rode past on a unicycle, laughing.

2019, Ta-Nehisi Coates, The Water Dancer, Penguin Books (2020), page 194:

(cycling) A pedal cycle that has only one wheel.


knock

en-noun

knock (countable and uncountable, plural knocks)

From Middle English knokken, from Old English cnocian, ġecnocian, cnucian (“to knock, pound on, beat”), from Proto-West Germanic *knokōn, from Proto-Germanic *knukōną (“to knock”), a suffixed form of *knu-, *knew- (“to pound on, beat”), from Proto-Indo-European *gnew-, *gen- (“to squeeze, pinch, kink, ball up, concentrate”). The English word is cognate with Middle High German knochen (“to hit”), Old English cnuian, cnuwian (“to pound, knock”), Old Norse knoka (compare Danish knuge (“to squeeze”), Swedish knocka (“to hug”)).

(cycling, uncountable) Synonym of hunger knock.


hybrid

From Latin hybrida, a variant of hibrida (“a mongrel; specifically, offspring of a tame sow and a wild boar”). Attested since 1601, but rare before c. 1850.

mulard

of a domestic variety of mallard × female muscovy

Something of mixed origin or composition; often, a tool or technology that combines the benefits of formerly separate tools or technologies.

(cycling) A bicycle that is a compromise between a road bike and a mountain bike.


tow

en-verb

tow (third-person singular simple present tows, present participle towing, simple past and past participle towed)

tows (present singular third-person)
towing (participle present)
towed (participle past)
towed (past)

→ Welsh: towio

From Middle English towen, from Old English togian, from Proto-West Germanic *togōn, from Proto-Germanic *tugōną, from Proto-Indo-European *dewk-.
See also Middle High German zogen, German ziehen, Dutch tijgen, Old Norse toga.

(running, cycling, motor racing, etc.) To aid someone behind by shielding them from wind resistance.


ankle

ankle (third-person singular simple present ankles, present participle ankling, simple past and past participle ankled)

ankles (present singular third-person)
ankling (participle present)
ankled (participle past)
ankled (past)
ancle (alternative obsolete)

From Middle English ankel, ancle, ankyll, from Old English ancol (compare anclēow (“ankle”) > Modern English anclef, ancliff, ancley), from Proto-West Germanic *ankul, from Proto-Germanic *ankulaz (“ankle”); akin to Icelandic ökkla, ökli, Danish and Swedish ankel, Dutch enklaauw, enkel, German Enkel, Old Norse akka, Old Frisian anckel, and perhaps Old High German encha, ancha (“thigh, shin”), from the Proto-Germanic *ankijǭ (“ankle, joint”).
Compare with Sanskrit अङ्ग (aṅga, “limb”), अङ्गुरि (aṅguri, “finger”), Latin angulus. Compare haunch and Greek prefix ἀγκυλο- (ankulo-, “joint, crooked, bent”). Doublet of angulus and angle.

(cycling) To cyclically angle the foot at the ankle while pedaling, to maximize the amount of work applied to the pedal during each revolution.


trainer

→ Cebuano: trainor
→ English: trainor

(cycling) A piece of indoor equipment allowing a bicycle to be ridden while stationary.


mechanical

From Middle English mechanical, mechanicalle, mechanycalle, equivalent to mechanic + -al.

The pack are suffering mechanicals and pull up under a lamp post marking a right turn.

2010, Andy Allsopp, Barring Mechanicals - from London to Edinburgh and Back, on a Recumbent Bicycle, →ISBN, page 96:

Equipment back then was less capable than it is today, and we often had to deal with mechanical failures, also called mechanicals and the odd injury which we called 'bio-mechanicals'.

2012, Clive Forth, The Pocket Mountain Bike Trail Guide: Your slope saviour, →ISBN, page 11:

The support can be there when you need it for major mechanicals, other emergencies and to transport all your gear to the next overnight stop.

2014, Vince Major, The Smoke Ring - An Orbital Route Around London, →ISBN, page 12:

(cycling) An instance of equipment failure.


devil

devils (plural)
davil (alternative pronunciation-spelling)
debbil (alternative pronunciation-spelling)
diuel (alternative archaic dialectal)
divel (alternative archaic dialectal)
deuill (alternative obsolete)
devel (alternative obsolete)
devell (alternative obsolete)
devill (alternative obsolete)
diuell (alternative obsolete)

Tok Pisin: tewel

→ Chuukese: tefin

Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁
Proto-Indo-European *dwísder.
Ancient Greek διά (diá)
Ancient Greek δια- (dia-)
Proto-Indo-European *gʷelH-der.
Ancient Greek βᾰ́λλω (bắllō)
Ancient Greek διαβάλλω (diabállō)
Ancient Greek διάβολος (diábolos)bor.
Latin diabolusbor.
Proto-West Germanic *diubul
Old English dēofol
Middle English devel
English devil
From Middle English devil, devel, deovel, from Old English dēofol, from Proto-West Germanic *diubul, from Latin diabolus, ultimately from Ancient Greek διάβολος (diábolos, “false accuser, slanderer”), also as "Satan" (in Jewish/Christian usage, translating Biblical Hebrew שָׂטָן (śātān)), from διαβάλλω (diabállō, “to slander”), literally “to throw across”, from διά (diá, “through, across”) + βάλλω (bállō, “throw”). The Old English word was probably adopted under influence of Latin diabolus (itself from the Greek). Other Germanic languages adopted the word independently: compare Saterland Frisian Düüwel (“devil”), West Frisian duvel (“devil”), Dutch duivel, duvel (“devil”), German Low German Düvel (“devil”), German Teufel (“devil”), Bavarian Teifl (“devil”), Danish djævel (“devil”), Swedish djävul (“devil”) (older: djefvul, Old Swedish diævul, Old Norse djǫfull). Doublet of diable, diablo, and diabolus.

der

better the devil you know than the devil you don't know

better the devil you know than the one you don't know

devil is beating his wife and marrying his daughter

he who sups with the devil should have a long spoon

the devil we know is better than the devil we don't know

the devil you know is better than the devil you don't know

(cycling, slang) An endurance event where riders who fall behind are periodically eliminated.


tour

From Old French tour, tourn, from the verb torner, tourner.

tor (pour–poor merger, horse–hoarse merger)

taw (pour–poor merger, horse–hoarse merger, non-rhotic)

(sports, cycling) A street and road race, frequently multiday.

обиколка

cycling: multistage street and road race


bacon

en-noun

bacon (usually uncountable, plural bacons)

→ Bulgarian: бекон (bekon)

→ Chinese: 培根 (péigēn)

→ Finnish: pekoni

→ French: bacon

desc

→ Hebrew: בייקון

→ Hebrew: בייקון

→ Italian: becon

→ Japanese: ベーコン (bēkon)

→ Maori: pēkana

→ Maltese: bejken

→ Norwegian Bokmål: bacon, beiken

→ Norwegian Nynorsk: bacon, beiken

→ Polish: bekon

→ Portuguese: bacon

→ Russian: бекон (bekon)

→ Spanish: bacon, beicon

→ Swedish: bacon

From Middle English bacoun (“meat from the back and sides of a pig”), from Anglo-Norman bacon, bacun (“ham, flitch, strip of lard”), from Old Low Frankish *bakō (“ham, flitch”), from Proto-Germanic *bakô, *bakkô (“back”), an extension of *baką, whence English back, which see for more. Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeg- (“back, buttocks; to vault, arch”).
Cognate with Old Saxon baco (“back”), Dutch bake (“ham, side of bacon”), Old High German bahho (“ham, side of bacon”), whence German Bache f (“wild sow”), Alemannic German Bache m (“bacon”).
(police): Extension of pig (“police”).

cog

(cycling, slang, uncountable) Road rash.


Everest

en-verb

Everest (third-person singular simple present Everests, present participle Everesting, simple past and past participle Everested)

Everests (present singular third-person)
Everesting (participle present)
Everested (participle past)
Everested (past)

Training for an Everest expedition in 1994, Mallory wrote, he had Everested by cycling eight times up Mount Donna Buang, outside Melbourne.

2020 August 13, Alec Jacobson, “How to Cycle Up ‘Mount Everest’”, in The New York Times:

(climbing, cycling) To repeatedly cycle up steep roads with a total distance equal to the height of Mount Everest.


chase

en-noun

chase (countable and uncountable, plural chases)

From Middle English chacen, from Anglo-Norman chacer, Old French chacier, from Vulgar Latin *captiāre, from Latin captāre, frequentative of capere. Compare French chasser (“to hunt”, “to chase”), Spanish cazar (“to hunt”), Portuguese caçar (“to hunt”)
, see Norwegian skysse (“to hunt”).
Doublet of catch and related to capture. Displaced native Old English ōht, ēhtnes, and wāþ. Broadly overtook Old English huntaþ.

(cycling) One or more riders who are ahead of the peloton and trying to join the race or stage leaders.


kite

kites (plural)
kight (alternative)
kyte (alternative)

The noun is from Middle English kyte, kīte, kete (“a kite endemic to Europe, especially the red kite (Milvus milvus)”), from Old English cȳta (“kite; bittern”), from Proto-West Germanic *kūtijō, diminutive of Proto-Germanic *kūts (“bird of prey”), from Proto-Indo-European *gewH-d- (“to cry, screech”). The English word is cognate with Scots kyt, kyte (“kite; bird of prey”), Middle High German kiuzelīn, kützlīn (“owling”) (modern German Kauz (“owl”)). Possibly a doublet of coot.
Sense 3 (“lightweight toy”) is from the fact that it hovers in the air like the bird.
The verb is derived from the noun.

der

(cycling, slang) A rider who is good at climbs but less good at descents.

катера́ч

cycling, slang: rider who is good at climbs


lace

en-verb

lace (third-person singular simple present laces, present participle lacing, simple past and past participle laced)

laces (present singular third-person)
lacing (participle present)
laced (participle past)
laced (past)

From Middle English lacen, lasen, from Old French lacer, lacier, lasser, lachier, from the noun (see above).

For these and other reasons, you may want to lace a new rim onto an existing hub, or vice versa. For some reason, probably because of the maze and complex angles of spokes, lacing and building a wheel has for years been a virtual mystery to even skilled home bike mechanics.

1973 March 7, Eugene A. Sloane, “How to build and lace a bicycle wheel”, in Popular Mechanics, page 21:

(transitive, cycling) To interweave the spokes of a bicycle wheel.


limit

German: Limit

From Middle English limit, from Old French limit, from Latin līmes (“a cross-path or balk between fields, hence a boundary, boundary line or wall, any path or road, border, limit”). Displaced native Old English ġemǣre. Doublet of limes.

der

(cycling) The first group of riders to depart in a handicap race.


prime

From French prime (“reward, prize, bonus”).

Most primes are won with gaps on the field; most sprints are in bunches.

1997, Arnie Baker, Smart Cycling: Successful Training and Racing for Riders of All Levels:

(cycling) An intermediate sprint within a race, usually offering a prize and/or points.


cager

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Motorcycles can go where cars can’t. Obscure places, remote singletrack trails, off-road tracks too narrow for four wheels – on a bike, you can literally go anywhere and access places no car ever would feeling like an explorer and discovering wild spots off-limits for cagers.

2022 August 5, Eglė Gerulaitytė, “Top 10 Reasons Why We Love Riding”, in Adventure Rider:

(cycling, derogatory) A person who drives an automobile, particularly for commuting.


gyro

/ˈd͡ʒaɪ.ɹəʊ/

/ˈd͡ʒaɪ.ɹoʊ/


steed

Inherited from Middle English stede (“steed”), from Old English stēda (“stallion, stud”), from Proto-West Germanic *stōdijō; (compare Old Dutch stoti (“herd of horses”), Old High German stuot (“herd of horses”)).

cog

silent steed

In the green lanes of Merrie England the bicycle rider in his natty uniform, speeding along on his silent steed, is met with almost as often as vehicles drawn by horses, and it is safe to say that in the various countries of the world not less than half a million bicycles and tricycles are now in use.

1887 July 26, Thomas Stevens, “Bicycle chat for boys”, in Harper's Young People, volume VIII, number 404, page 614:


GC

en-noun

GC (countable and uncountable, plural GCs)

general classification
general classification#English

(cycling) Initialism of general classification.


saddlebag

saddlebags (plural)
saddle bag (alternative)
saddle-bag (alternative)

/ˈsædəlˌbæɡ/

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(cycling, nonstandard, by extension) pannier

(cycling) A seat pack or a seat bag (a pouch or a small bag attached to the seat or seat post of a bicycle)


biker

→ French: biker (noun), bikeur

→ German: Biker

→ Italian: biker

→ Spanish: biker

Lots of pockets help with a commute, a storm hood is great if you get caught in a storm on a hike, weight and packability are essential for backpackers and if you’re a climber or biker, you’ll want a helmet-compatible hood.

2025 January 3, Kai Burkhardt, “The best rain jackets of 2025, tried and tested”, in CNN:


bunch

From Middle English bunche, bonche (“hump, swelling”), of uncertain origin.
Perhaps a variant of *bunge (compare dialectal bung (“heap, grape bunch”)), from Proto-Germanic *bunkō, *bunkô, *bungǭ (“heap, crowd”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰenǵʰ-, *bʰénǵʰus (“thick, dense, fat”). Cognates include Saterland Frisian Bunke (“bone”), West Frisian bonke (“bone, lump, bump”), Dutch bonk (“lump, bone”), Low German Bunk (“bone”), German Bunge (“tuber”), Danish bunke (“heap, pile”), Faroese bunki (“heap, pile”); Hittite [Term?] (/panku/, “total, entire”), Tocharian B pkante (“volume, fatness”), Lithuanian búožė (“knob”), Ancient Greek παχύς (pakhús, “thick”), Kamkata-viri břẽć, břez (“berry tree”), Prasuni vuzra (“berry tree”), Sanskrit बहु (bahú, “thick; much”)).
Alternatively, perhaps from a variant or diminutive of bump (compare hump/hunch, lump/lunch, etc.); or from dialectal Old French bonge (“bundle”) (compare French bongeau, bonjeau, bonjot), from West Flemish bondje, diminutive of West Flemish bond (“bundle”).

cog

(cycling) The peloton; the main group of riders formed during a race.


gravel

en-noun

gravel (usually uncountable, plural gravels)

From Middle English gravel, grauel, from Old French gravele, diminutive of grave (“gravel, seashore”), from Medieval Latin grava, ultimately from Proto-Celtic *grāwā (“gravel, pebbles”) (compare Breton groa, Cornish grow, Welsh gro), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰroh₁weh₂, from *gʰreh₁w- (“to grind”). Compare also Old English græfa (“coal”).

(uncountable, cycling) Gravel cycling, a discipline in cycling different from road cycling, mountain biking or cyclocross, for a large part on gravel roads, typically with a dedicated gravel bike.


criterium

From French critérium (“competition”), from Latin critērium, from Ancient Greek κριτήριον (kritḗrion).

/kɹaɪˈtɪəɹiəm/

(cycling) A mass-start road-cycle race consisting of several laps around a closed circuit, the length of each lap or circuit ranging from about 1 km to 2 km (1/2 mile to just over 1 mile).

（自行車）繞圈賽 /（自行车）绕圈赛

road-cycle race consisting of a closed circuit


blow up

en-verb

blow up (third-person singular simple present blows up, present participle blowing up, simple past blew up, past participle blown up)

blows up (present singular third-person)
blowing up (participle present)
blew up (past)
blown up (participle past)

From Middle English blow up, blowe up, dissimilated forms of earlier Middle English upblowen (> English upblow), equivalent to blow + up. Compare West Frisian opblaze (“to blow up, inflate”), Dutch opblazen (“to blow up, inflate”), German aufblähen and aufblasen (“to blow up, inflate”), Swedish blåsa upp (“to blow up, inflate”), Icelandic blása upp (“to blow up, inflate”), Gothic 𐌿𐍆𐌱𐌻𐌴𐍃𐌰𐌽 (ufblēsan, “to blow or puff up”).

cog

(intransitive, cycling) To succumb to oxygen debt and lose the ability to maintain pace in a race.


cruiser

(cycling) A bicycle designed for low-speed, recreational use, usually characterized by balloon tires, upright seating, a single-speed drivetrain and expressive styling.


neutral zone

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(cycling) A non-competitive segment of a bicycle race during which competitors have to stay behind the lead vehicles.


tandem

en-noun

tandem (countable and uncountable, plural tandems)

PIE word
 *téh₂m
The noun is borrowed from Latin tandem (“of time: at last, at length, finally”), applied humorously in English to two horses harnessed “at length” (that is, in a single line) instead of side-by-side. Tandem is derived from tam (“so, to such an extent”) + -dem (demonstrative suffix).
The adjective, adverb, and verb are derived from the noun.

tandem

carriage pulled by two or more draught animals harnessed one behind the other; two draught animals harnessed one behind the other

tandem-

A thing with two components arranged one behind the other.

(specifically, cycling) Ellipsis of tandem bicycle (“a bicycle or tricycle in which two people sit one behind the other, both able to pedal but only the person in front being able to steer”).


singles

(cycling, Australia) Synonym of tubulars.


BMX

en-noun

BMX (countable and uncountable, plural BMXs or BMXes)

“When I was in Switzerland going through rehab, literally, I was like, ‘What’s the point? I’m going through so much pain right now and BMX has given me a lot of grief,’” said Sakakibara.

2024 July 9, Martynas Ruseckas, “After her brother suffered a brain injury in a bike crash, this Olympic BMX rider has a new perspective on what success means”, in CNN:

(uncountable, cycling) Bicycle motocross, a form of cycling on BMX bikes, originating in California in the 1970s.

In the end, why not be happy with both, with the BMXes and the pentathlons, with the swans of synchro and the Quasimodos of wrestling? Sweet.

2008 August 21, “The old school survives at the Olympics, amid new events”, in The New York Times:


BMX

en-verb

BMX (third-person singular simple present BMXs or BMXes, present participle BMXing, simple past and past participle BMXed)

BMXs (present singular third-person)
BMXes (present singular third-person)
BMXing (participle present)
BMXed (participle past)
BMXed (past)

I BMXed from 1978 (my first race) till not too long ago. Although I don't see too many freestylers in the net, I get in touch with quite a few ex-BMXers like myself on rec.bicycles.off-road (I'm cross-posting to it).

1995 February 21, Joao de Souza, “Re: B.M.X... Flatlanders and Freestylers”, in rec.bicycles.misc (Usenet):

Yeah, flippity trick things are fun. I've got a friend who has BMXed for 15-16 years! He rules, and he used to be sponsored.

1997 June 17, KrUtCh [username], “Re: Skate-boarders...losers?”, in alt.skate-board (Usenet):

(intransitive, cycling) To ride a BMX bike.


monument

From Middle English monument, from Old French monument, from Latin monumentum (“memorial”), from monēre (“to remind”).

(cycling) Alternative spelling of Monument (“prestigious one-day race”).


Fred

Here we have several World Championships every week. There is 'Hill Worlds', and then some other ones. What happens a lot of time^([sic]) is that only a few people who race show up, and you can have your way with the majority of Freds who do the ride (Hill Worlds is fun because people can't wheelsuck).

2001, Andrew Albright, “World Championships (was Re: What is John Eustice cycling backround? ^([sic])”, in rec.bicycles.racing (Usenet):

They called them 'Freds', a pejorative term that implied they were middle-aged and dowdy, and sniped that their only talent was staying awake for long periods. After it had been running for a couple of years, one of Jock's friends challenged him to put the Freds in their place. Jock, his competitive spirit pricked, agreed.

2014, Tim Lewis, Land of Second Chances: The Impossible Rise of Rwanda's Cycling Team:

(cycling, slang, derogatory) A novice cyclist.


Monument

(cycling) Any of the five most prestigious men's one-day road cycling races: Milan–San Remo, Tour of Flanders, Paris–Roubaix, Liege–Bastogne–Liege and Giro di Lombardia.


cassette

cassettes (plural)
casette (alternative dated)

(cycling) A set of sprockets mounted onto a splined shaft on the freehub.


chain gang

chain gangs (plural)
chain-gang (alternative)

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(cycling) A group of cyclists riding in a close-knit formation akin to a road race, normally for the purposes of training.

ryhmäajo

a group of cyclists riding in a close-knit formation


echelon

Borrowed from French échelon (“rung; echelon”), from échelle (“ladder”) + -on (diminutive suffix). Échelle is derived from Latin scāla (“ladder”), from scandō (“to ascend, climb”), from Proto-Indo-European *skend- (“to jump”).

In an echelon, in which several cyclists are sitting in on one another, each rider takes his turn of about 200 meters at the front before dropping to the rear.

1972, Journal of the American Association for Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, volume 43, [Washington, D.C.]: American Association for Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, →OCLC, page 22, column 2:

Cyclists in an echelon take up more room in the traffic lane than they do when riding single or double file.

1989, Fred Matheny, Bicycling Magazine’s Complete Guide to Riding and Racing Techniques, Emmaus, Pa.: Rodale Press, →ISBN, page 99:

(cycling) A line of riders seeking maximum drafting in a crosswind, resulting in a diagonal line across the road.

terezín

(cycling) line of riders seeking maximum drafting in a crosswind


BCD

(cycling) Initialism of bolt circle diameter (a measurement of the various sizes of chainring).


tester

From Middle English tester, equivalent to test + -er.

(cycling) A cyclist who focuses on success in time trials.


roller

→ Welsh: rholer

* From Middle English rollere, equivalent to roll + -er.
* (credits in TV or film): These were originally printed on a physical cylinder that was rotated in front of the camera.

(cycling) One of a set of rolling cylinders allowing a rider to practise balance while training indoors.


cadence

en-noun

cadence (countable and uncountable, plural cadences)

Borrowed from Middle French cadence, from Old Italian cadenza (“conclusion of a phrase of music”), from Latin *cadentia (literally “a falling”), form of cadēns, the present participle of cadō (“I fall, I cease”). The Latin verb is inherited, via Proto-Italic *kadō, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱad-e- (“to fall”, thematic present). Doublet of cadenza and chance.

závěr

(music) chord progression concluding a section or piece

(cycling) The number of revolutions per minute of the cranks or pedals of a bicycle.

rytme

(cycling) number of revolutions per minute


carbide

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(cycling) trivial name for calcium carbide (CaC₂), used to produce acetylene in bicycle lamps in the early 1900s.


cyclometer

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While here at Constantinople I received by mail from America a Butcher spoke cyclometer, and on the second visit to Prinkipo I measured the road which has been made around half the island; the distance is four English miles and a fraction.

1887, Thomas Stevens, chapter IX, in Around the World on a Bicycle, Vol. I: From San Francisco to Teheran, London: Sampson Low […] , pages 244–246:

(cycling) A device that counts the revolutions of a bicycle wheel in order to indicate distance travelled.


ERD

en-noun

ERD (countable and uncountable, plural ERDs)

(cycling) Initialism of effective rim diameter, the maximum distance that spokes need to bridge going from one end of the wheelrim to the other.


time trial

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(cycling, motor racing) An unpaced race in which riders or teams leaving at regular intervals are timed over a preset course or distance, the winner being the rider or team to finish in the fastest time.


manchette

(cycling) A sleeve for the forearm, worn especially by triathletes and made of materials that reduce wind drag.


prologue

From Middle English prologue, prologe, from Old French prologue, from Latin prologus, from Ancient Greek πρόλογος (prólogos).

(cycling) An individual time trial before a stage race, used to determine which rider wears the leader's jersey on the first stage.


clincher

(cycling) A tyre with a bead around the edge to attach to the rim of the wheel when inflated.


mountain bike

mountain bikes (plural)
mountainbike (alternative)

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(cycling) A bicycle specially designed for off-road riding, typically with straight, flat handlebars, a heavier frame than road bikes, higher ground clearance, and wider tires, sometimes with knobs on them for greater traction.

دَرَّاجَة لِلْجِبَال

bicycle especially designed for off-road riding


KOM

King of the Mountains
king of the mountains#English

mountains classification
mountains classification

(cycling) Initialism of King of the Mountains (in the mountains classification of a cycling road race).


feed zone

feed zones (plural)
feedzone (alternative)

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(cycling) A designated place along the course of a bicycle race where it is permitted for the riders to receive food and energy drinks from their team support personnel.


hobby horse

hobby horses (plural)
hobbyhorse (alternative)
hobby-horse (alternative)

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LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-hobby horse.wav

British users rechristened the baron's invention the hobby horse then the dandy horse, because draisines became very fashionable with Regency gentlemen.

2015, Chris Boardman, The Biography of the Modern Bike: The Ultimate History of Bike Design, Hachette, →ISBN, page 10:

(cycling, historical) An early bicycle with no pedals or brakes.


dropout

dropout (countable and uncountable, plural dropouts)

dropouts (plural)
drop-out (alternative)

(cycling) The slot in the frame that accepts the axles of the wheels.

uitvaleinde

slot in a bicycle frame to hold the axle of a wheel


endo

(cycling) A bicycle or motorcycle trick where the bike is ridden on the front wheel.

Stoppie

a bike trick where the bike is ridden on the front wheel

Midway down a winding descent on a dry, rocky trail during a mountain bike race in Maui, I tried to avoid a large rock, jammed on my front brakes and went flying over the handlebars – a judo-style fall known as an "endo". […] To avoid future "endos" on precipitous descents, I stood with my weight over the rear wheel, gripping the seat with my thighs.

2000 November 17, Joe Glickman, “High in the Saddle for a Rousing Ride That's Bumpy, Bruising and Scary”, in The New York Times:

(cycling) A crash in which the back wheel of the bicycle lifts off the ground and the cyclist is hurtled over the handlebars.


endo

en-verb

endo (third-person singular simple present endos, present participle endoing, simple past and past participle endoed)

endos (present singular third-person)
endoing (participle present)
endoed (participle past)
endoed (past)

I remember when disc brakes became a worthwhile investment; from this point on, following Clive became extremely dangerous. He just kept endoing everywhere! Down a steep bank, through a stile, on his dad's bed… […] Clive endos smoothly into the corner while swinging the back wheel out, drops into the switchback and he's away.

2011, Clive Forth, The Mountain Biking Pocket Guide: Your Slope Saviour, London: Bloomsbury Publishing, →ISBN, page 8:

Pro athletes are expected to be Very Online. Some polish their profiles to a high shine; Courtney rides her own line. There are the obligatory golden-hour shots, but her Insta also has quirky strength-training videos and footage of total yard sales—like her endoing on a training ride this spring.

2019 December 9, “The 2019 Outsiders of the Year”, in Outside:


high nelly

high nellies (plural)
high nellie (alternative)
high-nelly (alternative)
High Nelly (alternative)

From the high riding position and Nelly, an old-fashioned name

I don't know what make of bike it was but it was certainly the motor bike version of the High Nelly push bike or the Tin Lizzy car.

1974 July 17, Derry Power, “Spain before it was packaged”, in The Irish Times, Dublin, page 16:

Chinese bikes are bigger and heavier than Western ones, they carry number plates and resemble the old "High Nellies" that are now such a rare sight on Irish roads.

1988 October 8, Deaglán de Bréadún, “The Saturday Column; Stephen Roche's slow bike from China”, in The Irish Times, Dublin, page Weekend 12:

there's an old bike out the back of the barracks. You're welcome to it. It's a bit of a high-nelly, and it needs new tyres, but it will get you around.

1989, Hugh Fitzgerald Ryan, Reprisal: a novel, Wolfhound Press, →ISBN, page 208:

Now Julia Mahon. with two buckets of pigswill slung over the handlebars of her High Nelly, is off again to talk to her mother in St Michael's cemetery.

1989 Fall, Aidan Higgins, “Two from Ronda Gorge”, in Four Quarters, volume 3 [2nd series], number 2, →ISSN, page 53:

A HIGH Nellie bike once used by Irish rock icon Phil Lynott is being lovingly restored by a group of Carlovians, who are hoping to auction it to raise funds for a local cancer support group. Philomena Lynott found her much-loved 1930s bicycle rusting away in the garden shed and decided to put it to better use.

2014 April 1, “Philo’s old high nelly to be lovingly restored”, in Carlow Nationalist, archived from the original on 2017-11-16:

Before the age of the motorcar, practically everyone in Ireland owned a High Nelly.

2014 July 6, Tom Prendeville, “High Nelly bicycles making a comeback on the roads again”, in Sunday Independent:

(Ireland, cycling, formerly derogatory, now nostalgic) An old-fashioned utility bicycle, especially one with a step-through frame and high handlebars providing an erect riding posture; a roadster.

formerly derogatory; now nostalgic; formerly derogatory; now nostalgic


pogo

pogo (third-person singular simple present pogos, present participle pogoing, simple past and past participle pogoed)

pogos (present singular third-person)
pogoing (participle present)
pogoed (participle past)
pogoed (past)

(cycling) To lift the front wheel of the bicycle in the air and jump up and down on the rear wheel while in a stationary position.


pogo

(cycling) The act of lifting the front wheel of the bicycle in the air and jumping up and down on the rear wheel while in a stationary position.


mech

en-noun

mech (countable and uncountable, plural mechs)

front/rear mech

To fit a braze-on front mech without breaking the chain, remove the nut and bolt from the chain cage, as shown.

2011, Fred Milson, Complete Bike Maintenance, MVP Books, →ISBN, page 88:

Campagnolo made one more giant step forward when the company developed the first parallelogram rear mechanism—the Gran Sport—in 1951. Its parallelogram action and double jockey wheels are how all rear mechanisms (or rear mechs for short) operate today.

2015, Chris Boardman, The Biography of the Modern Bike: The Ultimate History of Bike Design, Hachette, →ISBN, page 54:

(cycling) Clipping of (derailleur) mechanism.


scratch

scratch (countable and uncountable, plural scratches)

From Middle English scracchen, of uncertain origin. Probably a blend of Middle English scratten (“to scratch”) and cracchen (“to scratch”). More at scrat and cratch.

Eventually the elephant and camel were despatched by themselves with two laps start of the bicyclist and horse, the motor car being scratch.

1901, “Gleanings”, in The Agricultural Journal and Mining Record, volume 4, number 1, page 31:

(cycling) The last riders to depart in a handicap race.


descender

(cycling) A cyclist who excels at fast descents.


headset

(cycling) On a bicycle, the system of bearings that connects the fork to the frame.

balhoofd

on a bicycle, the system of bearings that connects the fork to the frame


omnium

From Latin omnium (literally “of all”), genitive plural of omnis (“all, every”).

(cycling) A multiple race event in track cycling. Historically the omnium has had a variety of formats. Currently it consists of the following six events: flying lap, points race, elimination, individual pursuit, scratch race, and time trial.


downshift

The noun is derived from down (preposition) + shift (“slight change or movement”). The verb is derived from the noun.

compound

The driver, Lindsay, gave me a regal wave at the top after he had completed a series of perfect downshifts[.]

2000, Bob Foster, Birdum or Bust!, Henley Beach, SA: Seaview Press, page 197:

(automotive, cycling) A shift of a transmission into a lower gear, as dictated by heavier load on the engine, as for example when climbing a hill or strongly accelerating.


downshift

en-verb

downshift (third-person singular simple present downshifts, present participle downshifting, simple past and past participle downshifted)

downshifts (present singular third-person)
downshifting (participle present)
downshifted (participle past)
downshifted (past)

zwalniać

to change one’s career or lifestyle to one which is not as well paid but less stressful and more personally rewarding

落波

to shift the transmission of a car or bicycle into a lower gear

He brought the car to a stop before the bridge, downshifted and then put her at the road again in a rising disciplined snarl along the N.6 to Cannes.

a. 1962, Ernest Hemingway, chapter 27, in The Garden of Eden, New York, N.Y.: Charles Scribner’s Sons, published 1986, →ISBN, page 229:

(automotive, cycling) To shift (a car or bicycle) into a lower gear.

In a stick-shift vehicle, the driver must downshift when necessary; in an automatic, the transmission downshifts as needed.

(automotive, cycling) To shift a transmission into a lower gear.


standover

en-noun

standover (countable and uncountable, plural standovers)

The standover should be less than the height above ground of the rider's groin.

(cycling) The height above ground of the top horizontal tube of the frame of a bicycle.


denivelation

(hiking, cycling, trail running) the difference in level between the highest and lowest part of the track, regardless of starting or ending point

hiking; trail running; hiking; trail running


sportive

Such incidents, part of the cherished mythology of the Tour's early years, are rare in modern cycling, although a 62-year-old local councillor was arrested and subsequently released after tacks had been scattered during the 2009 Etape Caledonia, a sportive held on closed roads in Scotland, causing countless punctures among the 3,500 riders.

2012 July 15, Richard Williams, Tour de France 2012: Carpet tacks cannot force Bradley Wiggins off track, Guardian Unlimited:


sprints

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shelled

(cycling, slang) Unable to keep up in a race, having used up one's reserves of energy.


guttered

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(cycling) Unable to get into the slipstream of the echelon, by reason of the limited width of the road.


BSD

(cycling) Initialism of bead seat diameter, the diameter of the wheelrim where the tire bead sits when mounted.


alley cat

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(cycling) An informal bicycle race with checkpoints.


cushioned

en-adj

cushioned (comparative more cushioned, superlative most cushioned)

more cushioned (comparative)
most cushioned (superlative)

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tubeless

tubeless tyres


road warrior

road warriors (plural)
roadwarrior (alternative)

(cycling) A recreational cyclist who rides a racing bicycle and wears lycra.


draisienne

Borrowed from French draisienne. Named after Karl Drais.

I looked to the right, where velocipedes with huge art-nouveau wheels and draisiennes with their flat, scooterlike bars evoked gentlemen in stovepipe hats, knights of progress pedaling through the Bois de Boulogne.

1989, William Weaver, transl., Foucault's Pendulum, Random House, translation of Il pendolo di Foucault by Umberto Eco, page 10:

(historical, cycling) dandy-horse, hobby horse


brake shoe

brake shoes (plural)
brakeshoe (alternative)

(cycling) A brake lining unit in a coaster brake on a bike.


true up

en-verb

true up (third-person singular simple present trues up, present participle truing up, simple past and past participle trued up)

trues up (present singular third-person)
truing up (participle present)
trued up (participle past)
trued up (past)

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(cycling) To make a wheel level, balanced or even by adjusting the spokes; to true a wheel; ideally, to make it perfectly circular in relation to the hub with no left or right bulges nor 'flat spots'.


truck driver

truck drivers (plural)
truckdriver (alternative)
truck-driver (alternative)

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(cycling) A freestyle BMX move involving turning the bicycle handlebar 360-degrees, akin to spinning the steering wheel of a big truck to turn.


ITT

individual time trial
individual time trial#English

(cycling) Initialism of individual time trial.


shifter

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(cycling) A component used by the rider to control the gearing mechanisms and select the desired gear ratio, usually connected to the derailleur by a mechanical actuation cable.


bunny hop

(cycling) A jump made where both wheels leave the ground.


bunny hop

bunny hop (third-person singular simple present bunny hops, present participle bunny hopping, simple past and past participle bunny hopped)

bunny hops (present singular third-person)
bunny hopping (participle present)
bunny hopped (participle past)
bunny hopped (past)

(cycling) Alternative form of bunny-hop.


stoppie

→ German: Stoppie

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tailwhip

tailwhips (plural)
tail whip (alternative)
tail-whip (alternative)

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(cycling) A trick in which the body of the bike is revolved around the steering column axis going through the handlebar.


bunny-hop

bunny-hop (third-person singular simple present bunny-hops, present participle bunny-hopping, simple past and past participle bunny-hopped)

bunny-hops (present singular third-person)
bunny-hopping (participle present)
bunny-hopped (participle past)
bunny-hopped (past)

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The stunt cyclist bunny-hopped onto the table.

(cycling) To make a jump where both wheels leave the ground


TTT

(cycling) Initialism of team time trial.


flatlander

ridge-runner

antonym(s) of “person who was born or raised by someone outside low altitude mountainous regions”

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training wheel

From training (“relating to the moving of a firearm laterally so that it points in a different direction; relating to imparting and acquiring skills”) + wheel.

compound

(chiefly Canada, US and in the plural, cycling) One of a pair of small wheels, each attached to one side of a bicycle's rear wheel to provide support for new riders.

輔助輪 /辅助轮

one of a pair of small wheels, each attached to one side of a bicycle’s rear wheel to provide support for new riders — see also stabilizer


audax

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[…] the self-acknowledged stereotype of the audaxer as a socially awkward middle-aged man, […] carefully avoiding eye contact as a volunteer serves him his cup of tea and plate of baked beans in one of the draughty village halls that typically host audax controls.

2019, Emily Chappell, Where There's a Will:

Probably the best-known aspect of audaxes is the brevet card. This is a small card you must have stamped at various checkpoints, called controls, along the route, to prove you’ve ridden the audax, completed each section within the time limit and not taken the train.

2023 January 15, Paul Norman, “Everything you need to know about audax riding: events, brevet cards and bike setup explained”, in BikeRadar:

(cycling) A non-competitive long-distance (often over 200 km) cycling event.


BSO

(cycling, slang, derogatory) An abbreviation of Bike-Shaped Object, used to refer to cheaply-made, low-quality bicycles.


non partant

From French non partant (“not leaving, not departing”).

106 JOLY Sébastien FDJ FRA Non Partant (Did not show) dailypeloton.com

(cycling) Not starting; not participating.


non partant

And so on Friday evening, the Tour communique listed Bassons as a non partant. Cyclingnews.com

(cycling) A competitor who has qualified for entry into a race, but fails to attend the start.


MTB

en-noun

MTB (countable and uncountable, plural MTBs)

(cycling) Initialism of mountain biking.


draisine

Named after Baron Karl Drais (1785–1851), who invented a predecessor to the bicycle.

named-after

British users rechristened the baron's invention the hobby horse then the dandy horse, because draisines became very fashionable with Regency gentlemen.

2015, Chris Boardman, The Biography of the Modern Bike: The Ultimate History of Bike Design, Hachette, →ISBN, page 10:

(historical, cycling) Synonym of draisienne.


crit

en-noun

crit (countable and uncountable, plural crits)

From criticism, critique, critical, criterium, and critical hit, by shortening.


palmares

Tour de France race leader Tadej Pogačar's latest devastating climbing performance on the road to Isola 2000 both put the yellow jersey out of reach for his rivals and simultaneously confirmed that come Sunday evening, barring total disaster, a historic Giro d'Italia-Tour 'double' will be forming part of his palmares.

2024 July 19, Alasdair Fotheringham, Cycling News:

(sports, especially cycling) The record of someone's sporting achievements.


frameset

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(cycling) A bicycle's frame plus the front fork.


upshift

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From Middle English upshiften, upschyften (“to raise”), equivalent to up- + shift.

For example, the vehicle starts off in second gear or an upshift takes place at lower engine speeds.

1999, Kurt Neuffer, Kurt Engelsdorf, “Transmission Control”, in Ronald K. Jurgen, editor, Automotive Electronics Handbook, page 323:

(automotive, cycling) A shift to a higher gear


upshift

en-verb

upshift (third-person singular simple present upshifts, present participle upshifting, simple past and past participle upshifted)

upshifts (present singular third-person)
upshifting (participle present)
upshifted (participle past)
upshifted (past)

You can upshift to second gear once the car is moving.

(automotive, cycling) To shift to a higher gear


leg-breaker

leg-breakers (plural)
leg breaker (alternative)
legbreaker (alternative)

Zoncolan is a fabled leg breaker of a 13.3km climb that is one of the toughest ascents ever included in a major stage race.

2003 May 22, Tim Maloney, “First Edition News for May 22, 2003”, in cyclingnews.com, retrieved 2009-01-05:

(cycling) A demanding bicycling competition or the course on which such a competition is held.


downhiller

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(cycling) A cyclist who takes part in downhill races.


étape

Borrowed from French étape, from Middle French estappe, from Old French estaple (“warehouse; a place where merchants bring their wares to be sold”), from Middle Dutch stapel (“warehouse; market”), from Old Dutch stapul, from Frankish *stapul. Sense 5 is a semantic loan from Russian эта́п (etáp). More at the doublet staple.

sl

(cycling) A stage of a multistage bicycle race.


tpi

(cycling) Initialism of threads per inch — a measure of the density of threads in screwable parts (e.g. bottom brackets).


derailer

From derail + -er. Doublet of derailleur.

Very few bicycles are of a different color or employ more gears with derailer sprockets and hand brakes.

2009, Louis G. Perez, “Society in the Twenty-First Century”, in The History of Japan (The Greenwood Histories of the Modern Nations), 2nd edition, Westport, Conn., London: Greenwood Press, →ISBN, page 202:

Through sheer ingenuity and resourcefulness, these men handproduced parts such as derailers, stands, seat posts, cranks, fenders, and all manner of elements used in the production of a functional bicycle.

2009, Christine Elliott, David Jablonka, “Cycles Alex Singer”, in Custom Bicycles: A Passionate Pursuit, Images Publishing, →ISBN, page 72, column 2:

Inside, two bearded men are working on a busted fuel pump, and another is repairing a bicycle derailer.

2016, Erik Reece, Utopia Drive: A Road Trip Through America’s Most Radical Idea, New York, N.Y.: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, →ISBN, page 170:

Recent American attempts to further Anglicize the word to “derailer” have met with little success. In any case, no rails are involved.

[2016, Tony Hadland, Hans-Erhard Lessing, Bicycle Design: An Illustrated History, MIT Press, →ISBN, page 246:

(cycling, uncommon) Alternative form of derailleur.


pushrod

pushrods (plural)
push rod (alternative)

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An internal-gear hub with a hollow axle may be re-oiled by removing the pushrod or indicator spindle and squirting oil into the end of the axle.

2000, 2008, “Internal-Gear Hubs”, in Sheldon Brown's Bicycle Technical Info, archived from the original on 2019-08-23:

Push Rod (81.85 mm) for Axle Length 168 mm

2018, “NEXUS 3-SPEED HUB w/Coaster Brake”, in Manuals & Technical Documents:

mechanical engineering
mechanical engineering

(mechanical engineering) A rigid reciprocating rod that, by its movement, transmits force to actuate a mechanism.

(cycling) A rod in an internal gear hub that actuates the shifting mechanism.


commissaire

Borrowed from French commissaire. Doublet of commissary and commissar.


wheelman

wheelmen (plural)
wheel-man (alternative)
wheel man (alternative)

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Many wheelmen and wheelwomen, riding safeties, tandems and tricycles, stopped there during the evening and we had good opportunity for comparing American and English bicycles […]

1897, American Architect and Architecture, volumes 57-58, page 51:

Old fashioned folks, for whom the horseless vehicle came to late, can but envy wheelmen and wheelwomen as they skim through vista after vista, outstripping one's horse and carriage as a greyhound outstrips a decrepit poodle.

1902, Matilda Betham-Edwards, East of Paris, London: Hurst and Blackett, pages 33–34:


knicks

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(cycling) Lycra pants (usually short) used by cyclists.


sit-up-and-beg

/ˌsɪtˌəpənˈbɛɡ/

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LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-sit-up-and-beg.wav

From sit up + and + beg, likening the position to a dog sitting up on its hindquarters and begging by holding its front paws out.

Manufacturers introduced many incremental improvements, […] By 1930 these changes extended the range of cycles that manufacturers could offer from the ‘roadster’ (steel frame, three-speed hub gears, level-operated brakes and ‘sit-up-and-beg’ handlebars) to lightweight racing bikes (alloy steel frames, ten or more derailleur gears, cable-operated brakes and aluminium alloy drop handlebars).

1992, Vivien Walsh, Robin Roy, Margaret Bruce, Stephen Potter, “Perspectives on Design and Innovation”, in Winning by Design: Technology, Product Design and International Competitiveness, Oxford, Oxfordshire; Cambridge, Mass.: Blackwell Business, Blackwell Publishing, →ISBN, page 33:

The four boys, now safely sitting on the plinth of the War Memorial, turned their attention to the sight of the Vicar who was cycling along the street on his sit-up-and-beg bicycle.

1999 October, Frank Wrigley, “Thursday 7th July [1940] – The Vicar’s Secret”, in The Boy at Willows End: Growing Up in the Fens in 1940, Dereham, Norfolk: The Larks Press, →ISBN, page 59:

To replace my first (secondhand sit-up-and-beg) bike, he insisted that I had another, bigger one. He'd painted it bright blue, the colour of the cover to this book.

2007, Gwyneth Daniel, Trevor Daniel: Doing the Right Thing, Christchurch, Dorset: Willows Press, →ISBN:

There are no specialist cycle-tour companies based in the northeast, but you can find bicycles for hire for local sightseeing. Expect to pay Rs30 to Rs100 per day for an Indian-made sit-up-and-beg bike.

2009, Joe Bindloss, Northeast India, 2nd edition, Footscray, Vic.: Lonely Planet, →ISBN:

(cycling, specifically) Of a bicycle: having handlebars that are rather high and curve backwards, so that the rider sits upright rather than hunching forward; also, of the handlebars of a bicycle: rather high and curving backwards, thus requiring the rider to sit upright.

jossa on korkea ja kaareva ohjaustanko

of a bicycle: having handlebars that are rather high and curve backwards, so that the rider sits upright rather than hunching forward; of the handlebars of a bicycle: rather high and curving backwards, thus requiring the rider to sit upright


sit-up-and-beg

/ˌsɪtˌəpənˈbɛɡ/

I hadn't even found a proper bike shop – the one I did come across was full of the equivalent of our sit-up-and-begs.

2001, Charlie Woods, “From Sepia to Vivid Colour”, in Bikie: A Love Affair with the Racing Bicycle, Edinburgh; London: Mainstream Publishing, →ISBN, page 58:

Studying my bike in detail he then said, 'That's a good sit-up you've got.' For a moment I thought he thought I was riding a sit-up-and-beg when really I had a touring steed complete with drop handlebars. And then I realised my stumbling block. He had pronounced a very Kiwi sit-up for set-up.

2007, Josie Dew, “Dannevirke, 12 February [2004]”, in Long Cloud Ride: A Cycling Adventure across New Zealand, London: Sphere, →ISBN, page 97:

Bicycles over many years have been bought / Something the inventor would never have thought! / From the sit up and begs that left you all shaken / From the old penny farthings did cycles awaken!

2013, Pete Barry, “The Art of Cycling”, in You’re Having a Larf! Fun Poetry for All the Family, [London]: New Generation Publishing, →ISBN, stanza 1, page 52:

(UK, cycling) A bicycle having handlebars that are rather high and curve backwards, so that the rider sits upright rather than hunching forward; a roadster.


lead-out

lead-outs (plural)
leadout (alternative)

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(cycling) The tactic where one cyclist goes ahead at high speed so that a following teammate (the sprinter) can benefit from the slipstream. See drafting.


down tube

down tubes (plural)
downtube (alternative)

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(cycling) A tube in the bicycle frame that connects the bottom bracket shell to the head tube.


clipless

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From clip + -less.
On bicycles, clipless pedals are so called because they do not have toe clips, even though they still have a clip at the bottom of the shoe.

(cycling, of a pedal or shoe) Having a cleat at the sole which can be easily clipped on or off.

automático

having a cleat at the sole which can be easily clipped on or off


door prize

door prizes (plural)
door-prize (alternative)

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(cycling, humorous) A notional prize awarded to a cyclist who collides with the open door of a parked car.


URT

en-noun

URT (countable and uncountable, plural URTs)

unified rear triangle
unified rear triangle#English

(cycling) Initialism of unified rear triangle.


pink jersey

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(cycling) A pink shirt worn by the leader in the Giro d'Italia.


Giro

(cycling, by ellipsis) The Giro d'Italia.


Grand Tour

Grand Tours (plural)
grand tour (alternative)

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(cycling) One of the three most prominent cycling races: either the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España.


Vuelta

(cycling, by ellipsis) The Vuelta a España.


false flat

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(cycling) A low-gradient climb, usually occurring partway up a steeper climb.


chainstay

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(cycling) Alternative spelling of chain stay.


wheelrim

Plainly derived from the well-known T35 shape, it is lower and sleeker, and distinguished by its unique radial-spoked wheels. Twisting forces were taken by the huge brake-drums, whose toothed edges lock directly into the wheelrim.

1992, Gordon Cruikshank, For Millionaires Only […] , London: Apple, →ISBN, page 121:

(automotive, cycling) The rim of a wheel.


groupset

The debate about the pros and cons of the groupset has simmered among cyclists since. The argument in favour is that components are manufactured to work efficiently together, while providing a unitary look to a bicycle.

2011, Robert Penn, It's All About the Bike: The Pursuit of Happiness on Two Wheels, Bloomsbury, →ISBN, page 104:

The makeup of the groupset is another important factor in building a road bike. Groupset is a term for most of the other bits that make up your bicycle—the brakes, shifters, dérailleurs, rear cassette, bottom bracket, chain, cranks and possibly the headset, seatpost and hubs. These components are all lumped together because bicycle manufacturers buy them as a group from one supplier to ease their process of building your bike.

2013, Gavin Wright, Ben Williams, Cycling For Dummies, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN:

(cycling) A complete set of matching bicycle drive control components, including brake calipers, cranks, chainrings, bottom bracket, etc.


derny

Borrowed from French derny, named after the French manufacturer of the original derny bicycle, Roger Derny et Fils.

Of course, a familiar sight in a velodrome is the derny, with its characteristic engine sound. Before the cyclists come onto the track, the derny riders perform a few laps to warm up their engines.

2015, Jan Maes, Merckx 69: Celebrating the World's Greatest Cyclist in His Finest Year, A&C Black, →ISBN:

(cycling) A motorized bicycle for paced cycling events such as keirin.


wheelsucker

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(cycling) A rider who sits on the rear wheel of others in a group or on another rider, enjoying the draft but not working.


pogie

(cycling, motorcycling) A protective hand covering, sometimes insulated, attached to handlebars to protect hands from wind and precipitation.


freeride

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(cycling) A form of mountain biking closely related to downhill biking and dirt jumping, focused on tricks, style, and technical trail features.


cyclosportive

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(cycling) An organised, mass-participation cycling event, often held annually.


detangler

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(cycling) A device used with a freestyle BMX bicycle to allow the handlebars to turn 360° without tangling of the brake cables.


minute man

minute men (plural)
minute-man (alternative)
minuteman (alternative)

I confess that the sight of my minute man ahead, getting closer and closer, gives me a little more drive even when I think I am going as fast as I can.

1986, Fred Matheny, Solo Cycling: How to Train and Race Bicycle Time Trials, page 136:

(cycling) The cyclist starting one minute ahead of, or behind, another rider in a time trial.


water carrier

water carriers (plural)
water-carrier (alternative)

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rock garden

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(cycling) A rock-strewn path, part of a mountain biking racecourse


HC

(cycling) Abbreviation of hors categorie (French HC).

AC

athletics; athletics club; as in all sporting activities

AC

athletics; athletics club; as in track-and-field


tandem bicycle

(cycling) A bicycle or tricycle in which two people sit one behind the other, both able to pedal but only the person in front being able to steer.


kangaroo stoppie

kangaroo stoppie (plural kangaroo stoppies)

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(cycling) A trick involving coming to a stop by rearing up and riding on only the front wheel, then rotating about the vertical axis on that front wheel, to turn about and face the other way, when finally landing the rear wheel.

handbrake turn

a similar maneuver in a car, involving stopping with a flip around to face the opposite direction


bio-mechanical

Even in a bike park scenario, we must be prepared and capable of dealing with mechanicals and bio-mechanicals; a broken chain can easily be mended and a long walk therefore avoided.

2012, Clive Forth, Mountain Biking Pocket Guide, →ISBN, page 43:


bottom bracket

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Crucial to the crankset is the bottom bracket. Of all the bearings on a bike, the bottom bracket is the one that has to bear the heaviest load. Not only does the bottom bracket have to spin while you pedal, but it takes the force of all the twisting and turning that occurs during pedaling.

2009, Dennis Bailey, Keith Gates, Bike Repair and Maintenance For Dummies, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN:

(cycling) A bicycle part that connects the crankset (chainset) to the frame and allows the crankset to rotate freely.


aero bar

(cycling) An extension of a bicycle's handlebars, allowing the rider to rest his/her elbows and benefit from improved aerodynamics.


groupo

From group + -o, probably adapted from Italian gruppo, name of the first Campagnolo groupsets.

These new groupos advance Campy's battle for market share with Japanese component manufacturers […]

Most roadies go for Shimano or Campagnolo groupos.

2006, Marla Streb, Bicycling Magazine's Century Training Program:

(cycling, colloquial) Synonym of groupset.


chain suck

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(cycling) The tendency of a chain to stick to chainrings and be sucked up into the bicycle instead of coming off the chainring, especially if it is worn or if conditions are dirty.


chain slap

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(cycling) The slapping sound of the bicycle's chain against the chainstays while riding over rough terrain.


follow a wheel

en-verb

follow a wheel (third-person singular simple present follows a wheel, present participle following a wheel, simple past and past participle followed a wheel)

follows a wheel (present singular third-person)
following a wheel (participle present)
followed a wheel (participle past)
followed a wheel (past)

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He didn't know how to follow a wheel.

2013, Herbie Sykes, Maglia Rosa 2nd Edition: Triumph and Tragedy at the Giro D'Italia:

But beware if you don't master the group-riding skills: if you are afraid to follow a wheel, or when you are not completely stable.

2015, Suze Clemitson, Ride the Revolution: The Inside Stories from Women in Cycling:

(cycling) To match the pace of riders who are setting the tempo.


wheelsuck

wheelsuck (third-person singular simple present wheelsucks, present participle wheelsucking, simple past and past participle wheelsucked)

wheelsucks (present singular third-person)
wheelsucking (participle present)
wheelsucked (participle past)
wheelsucked (past)

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Here we have several World Championships every week. There is 'Hill Worlds', and then some other ones. What happens a lot of time^([sic]) is that only a few people who race show up, and you can have your way with the majority of Freds who do the ride (Hill Worlds is fun because people can't wheelsuck).

2001, Andrew Albright, “World Championships (was Re: What is John Eustice cycling backround? ^([sic])”, in rec.bicycles.racing (Usenet):

(cycling, intransitive) To sit on the rear wheel of others in a group or on another rider, enjoying the draft but not working.


hunger knock

(cycling, colloquial) Sudden fatigue as a result of glycogen depletion from not having taken in enough nutrition.


half-wheel

half-wheel (third-person singular simple present half-wheels, present participle half-wheeling, simple past and past participle half-wheeled)

half-wheels (present singular third-person)
half-wheeling (participle present)
half-wheeled (participle past)
half-wheeled (past)

Nobody half-wheels Bob and gets away with it. Bob kept forcing the pace by trying to ride next to him, and the pace escalated for almost an hour until Jock finally had to drop back.

1992, Davis Phinney, Training for Cycling: The Ultimate Guide to Improved Performance:

A less structured daily goal for the first example might be to just enjoy a nice talking pace throughout the ride, avoiding the urge to attack your comrades or follow attacks by your comrades and also avoiding half-wheeling.

2010, Robert Panzera, Cycling Fast, page 194:

(cycling) To maintain a distance of half a wheel in front of another rider, regarded as poor etiquette.


laughing group

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king of the mountains

en-noun

king of the mountains (plural kings of the mountains)

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(cycling) The title given to the best climber in a road race.


neopro

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(cycling) A professional in his or her first year.


on the rivet

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When riding at maximum speed, a racer often perches on the front tip of the saddle, where the shell of an old-style leather saddle would be attached to the saddle frame with a rivet.


bit and bit

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puncheur

(cycling) A rider who specializes in rolling terrain with short but steep climbs.


tubulars

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(cycling) Bicycle tires with the inner tube permanently stitched inside the casing.


tubies

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(cycling, informal) Synonym of tubulars.


sew-ups

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turbo trainer

(cycling) A trainer equipped with a fan to simulate pedal resistance and airflow.


soft break

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general classification
general classification

(cycling) A breakaway that is allowed to go from the peloton in a stage race because it poses no strategic threat to any of the main contenders in the general classification.


steerer tube

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(cycling) The part of the fork that is inserted into the head tube of the frame, and is used to attach the fork to the frame using a headset.


head tube

(cycling) The part of a tubular bicycle's frame in which the front fork steerer tube is mounted.


sit in the wheels

en-verb

sit in the wheels (third-person singular simple present sits in the wheels, present participle sitting in the wheels, simple past and past participle sat in the wheels)

sits in the wheels (present singular third-person)
sitting in the wheels (participle present)
sat in the wheels (participle past)
sat in the wheels (past)

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Yes, you /can/ win by sitting in the wheels consistently and never doing any work. But it isn't admirable.

2010, Simon Brooke, “Re: SPOILER (stage 8) - days when you wish the stage was 5k longer....”, in uk.rec.cycling.moderated (Usenet):


service course

(cycling) A location where bicycles are maintained between races.


pedal squares

pedal squares (third-person singular simple present pedals squares, present participle pedaling squares, simple past and past participle pedaled squares)

pedals squares (present singular third-person)
pedaling squares (participle present)
pedaled squares (participle past)
pedaled squares (past)

(cycling) To pedal in an ungainly, choppy fashion without fluid rhythm.


swing off

swing off (third-person singular simple present swings off, present participle swinging off, simple past and past participle swung off)

swings off (present singular third-person)
swinging off (participle present)
swung off (participle past)
swung off (past)

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When the sleigh rider takes up chase, attack him again as soon as he's finished his effort, whether it be because he's caught the breakaway rider, has swung off for someone else to take pace, or is just plain slowing down from fatigue.

(cycling, intransitive) To steer one's bicycle to the side in order to allow other riders to overtake.


bumshoving

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2015, “Rowing,” william-rowing.blogspot.ca, 27 June, 2015,http://william-rowing.blogspot.ca/2015/06/the-catch.html
Bumshoving ¶ […] It will occur if you fail to hold your core whilst driving with the legs, leading to your arse going backwards faster than the blade handle, and thus the angle you're rocked over to increasing.

(rowing, cycling) Giving way of the hips during the drive phase.


fat bike

fat bikes (plural)
fatbike (alternative)

From fat + bike, from the fat tires such bicycles are equipped with, and their correspondingly wider frames needed to accommodate the width of the tires.

(cycling, winter sports) A bicycle equipped with larger than normal tyres and a wider frame to accommodate them, which provides better traction on off-road surfaces such as sand or snow.


bakfiets

en-noun

bakfiets (plural bakfietsen or bakfietses)

bakfietsen (plural)
bakfietses (plural)
bakfiet (alternative)

Borrowed from Dutch bakfiets, from bak (“container such as a box, crate, tray, or tub”) + fiets (“bicycle”). Bak is derived from French bac (“vat; ferry”), possibly from Vulgar Latin *baccu (“container”), from Latin bacar (“type of wine glass”), possibly from Ancient Greek βῖκος (bîkos, “amphora”), possibly from Egyptian bꜣkt (“oil flask”). The etymology of fiets is uncertain; it is possibly derived from regional (southern Limburg) French vietse (“to run quickly”), possibly ultimately from vite (“(informal or obsolete) fast, quick”) (see further at that word).
The plural form bakfietsen is borrowed from Dutch bakfietsen.

Utility bikes are the pickup trucks of the cycling world. […] Imported from the Netherlands, the Bakfiets brand is like a pedal-powered minivan for soccer moms.

2007 November 5, Paul Tolme, “A Minivan With Real Pedal Power”, in Newsweek, page 65:

Still commonly used and manufactured today, the bakfiets typically consists of a frame with a longer wheelbase and a large cargo container positioned either between the wheels or over the front wheel.

2013, Alex Newson, “The cargo bike”, in Fifty Bicycles That Changed the World, Octopus, →ISBN:

Imported bakfietsen have some major advantages: Huge cargo capacity (you can easily carry a reclining adult, or two or more children plus a week of groceries in the box).

2015, Raleigh Briggs, Robyn Jasko, Elly Blue, The Urban Homesteader, Microcosm Publishing, →ISBN, page 94:

Despite a rise of car ownership in the early twentieth century, the bakfiets maintained its role in urban delivery, and soon proved useful for transporting children as well—that is, until the arrival of motorized trucks, vans, and buses, and a corresponding increase in the size of goods being transported.

2018, Melissa Bruntlett, Chris Bruntlett, Building the Cycling City, Island Press, →ISBN, page 110:

(cycling, originally in the Netherlands) A bicycle or tricycle with a long wheelbase between the front wheel and handlebars holding a large box, originally used solely to transport goods but now also commonly for carrying young children.

christianiacykel

bicycle or tricycle with a large box, originally used to transport goods but now more commonly for carrying young children


Everester

/ˈɛvəɹɪstəɹ/

(cycling) One who takes part in Everesting.


Dirty Dozen

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(cycling) A one-day road cycling race founded in 1983 (which originally featured twelve hills, but since 1988 has typically featured a baker's dozen of thirteen hills), held annually in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.


points race

(cycling, speed skating) A mass start race where points are awarded for certain accomplishments, such as winning laps or lapping the field.


scratch race

(cycling) Any race where the winner is the first to cross the finish line.


startlist

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(cycling) The list of cyclists who are to start a race


hors categorie

hors categories (plural)
hors catégorie (alternative)

(cycling) The toughest category of climbs, tougher than category 1. One of six categories of climbs, HC, 1, 2, 3, 4, and not classified; not classified being the easiest.


cushion tire

cushion tires (plural)
cushion tyre (alternative)

(cycling) A bicycle tire made of india-rubber tubing, with india-rubber stuffing.


no-hander

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(sports, cycling) A move performed without the use of one's hands.


tubeset

tubesets (plural)
tube set (alternative)

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(cycling) The set of metal tubes that make up the frame of the bicycle


bonk bag

(cycling, slang) A cyclist's musette or satchel used to carry food to counter "bonk" (sudden glycogen depletion).


downcountry

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(cycling) Being a form of cross-country bicycle designed to perform well on trails, like a mountain bike.


frame lock

frame locks (plural)
framelock (alternative)
frame-lock (alternative)

(cycling) A lock that is permanently attached to the frame of a bicycle.


Idaho stop

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In reference to the US state of Idaho, where this law originated in 1982.

(cycling) The situation, legal in certain jurisdictions, where a cyclist treats a stop sign as a yield sign, and a red light as a stop sign.


chain stay

chain stays (plural)
chainstay (alternative)

(cycling) One of the two frame tubes that run horizontally from the bottom bracket shell back to the rear dropouts.


crank arm

crank arms (plural)
crankarm (alternative)

(cycling) One of the two lever components that attach the bottom bracket spindle to a pedal.


brifter

(cycling) On a bicycle, a lever that combines brake and gear shifter functions.


Everesting

Everesting (countable and uncountable, plural Everestings)

In September 2017 Paul Adler and CyclingTips founder Wade Wallace rode an unofficial ‘Everesting’ together around Annecy. Nearly 320km and 10,000m of climbing (the hight^([sic – meaning height]) of Everest is 8848m), Paul tells the story of his failed and successful attempts at climbing Mount Everest and how it relates to cycling.

2017 November 16, CyclingTips, “How does 'Everesting' on a bike compare to climbing Mount Everest?”, in YouTube:

The first person to undertake Everesting was British mountaineer George Mallory – grandson of the famous explorer and Everest climber of the same name – who ascended Australia’s Mount Donna Buang in 1994, completing eight laps of the 1,069 metre hill.

2020 December 17, Mollie Mcguigan, “Everything you need to know about Everesting”, in Runner’s World:

In the increasingly popular global challenge known as Everesting, the 33-year-old McLaughlin returned to the famed Mamore Gap in his native Donegal and completed the 8,848 metres, 29,029 feet in old money, that being the height of Mount Everest, in a time of 6:40.54.

2021 March 29, Ian O'Riordan, “Mamore power to him: Ronan McLaughlin regains Everesting record in Donegal”, in Irish Times:

(cycling) The challenge of ascending and descending a given hill multiple times on a bicycle, in order to cover a distance of 8,848 metres (the elevation of Mount Everest).


fireroad

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From fire + road, based on their use as an access route for firefighters.

The run began with a basically straight 50 to 60 mph fireroad with just enough hidden rocks to emphasize the strength of the alloy Daido rims.

2003 October, Walneck's Classic Cycle Trader, page 126:

(cycling) A trail that is wide enough for four-wheeled off-road vehicles.


hand-sling

hand-slings (plural)
handsling (alternative)
hand sling (alternative)

(cycling) in the madison, the act of propelling one's teammate into the race by linking hands


long track

long track (countable and uncountable, plural long tracks)

long tracks (plural)
long-track (alternative)
longtrack (alternative)

long-track speedway
long-track speedway#English

(uncountable, cycling) Ellipsis of long-track speedway.


mountain biker

mountain bikers (plural)
mountainbiker (alternative)


IGH

Unlike on a derailleur bike, you must remove the shift cable from your IGH to remove the rear wheel.

2014, Christopher Wiggins, Bike Repair and Maintenance, Penguin, →ISBN, page 119:

(cycling) Initialism of internally geared hub.


sit on someone's wheel

en-verb

sit on someone's wheel (third-person singular simple present sits on someone's wheel, present participle sitting on someone's wheel, simple past and past participle sat on someone's wheel)

sits on someone's wheel (present singular third-person)
sitting on someone's wheel (participle present)
sat on someone's wheel (participle past)
sat on someone's wheel (past)

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Do you mind if I sit on your wheel?

(cycling, colloquial) To sit in the wheels; to wheelsuck.


balloon tire

balloon tires (plural)
balloon tyre (alternative)

(cycling) A wide, large-volume, low-pressure tire associated with cruiser bicycles.


gravel bicycle

(cycling) Alternative form of gravel bike.


audaxer

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[…] the self-acknowledged stereotype of the audaxer as a socially awkward middle-aged man, […] I had fallen in with a crowd of audaxers soon after I took up cycling, and although I had only been on one or two of the shorter rides, I had developed a strong admiration for these riders […]

2019, Emily Chappell, Where There's a Will:

(cycling) One who takes part in an audax.


jump ramp

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(skiing, snowboarding, cycling, skateboarding) A ramp used to be jumped from, and do tricks on the skates/board/skis/bike etc.


unified rear triangle

en-noun

unified rear triangle (countable and uncountable, plural unified rear triangles)

(cycling) A bicycle rear suspension design where the bottom bracket and rear axle are directly connected at all times.


MTBer

While Lacondeguy is established as an indomitable freeride MTBer, he also spends a lot of time ripping up the FMX ramps and has a large bag of tricks to bring to the contest.

2013 January 25, “Farm Jam tipped to be bigger than ever”, in Stuff:


race of truth

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drop handlebar

(cycling, chiefly in the plural) A type of curved handlebar typically used on racing bicycles.


shaftie

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(cycling, informal) Alternative form of shafty.


shafty

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At the rear, you'll find a single, centrally mounted shock, the now-familiar single-sided swingarm and BMW's Paralever shaft-drive system, which does away with most of a shafty's chassis-jacking bugaboos.

1994, Cycle World Magazine, volume 33, number 1, page 49:

(cycling, informal) A bicycle that uses a driveshaft instead of a chain to transmit power from the pedals to the wheel.


sprocket wheel

(cycling) A wheel consisting of cogs or sprockets that interacts with the links of a chain or pitched blocks on a cable.


split-time

split-time (countable and uncountable, plural split-times)

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(cycling) The amount of time required for a cyclist to complete a fixed distance.


time check

(sports, cycling, motor racing) An instance of checking the amount of time required to cover a specific distance, occurring at a prearranged point in a race.


quietway

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Hope came when the street was designated part of a so-called ‘quietway’, a London-wide initiative to create a network of continuous routes on side roads, particularly intended for less experienced riders, or older people, or children.” This in part involves using already-quiet streets, but also seeking to reduce car use on other residential roads. As part of this, residents of my street were consulted on the idea of blocking off the road to all but bikes at one end, thus cutting traffic levels by about 95 per cent. A majority agreed.

2017, Peter Walker, Bike Nation: How Cycling Can Save the World, Random House, page 125:

(London, cycling) A low-traffic cycle route aimed at less confident cyclists or those who want to travel at a more gentle pace.


intermediate time

intermediate time (countable and uncountable, plural intermediate times)

(cycling) A type of race or ride where the objective is to complete a course in the fastest average speed.


bunny hopper

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XCO

XCO (countable and uncountable, plural XCOs)

(cycling) Initialism of Cross-Country Olympic.


XCM

XCM (countable and uncountable, plural XCMs)

(cycling) Initialism of Cross-Country Marathon.


wheel lock

(cycling) A low security mechanism mounted on the frame that immobilizes the rear wheel of a bicycle by moving a steel bolt through the spokes to prevent motion.


Cote d'Azur

From French Côte d'Azur, from côte (“coast”)+azur (“azure”)
* (cycling): From being a light blue coloured margin; light blue being akin to azure and a margin being akin to a coast; also seeming like a band of water, reminiscent of the waters of the French Riviera.

(cycling, informal) The warning track at the bottom of a velodrome, a non-racing surface representing the base of the banked oval course.


brakeset

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(cycling) The complete set of brakes on a bicycle.


cross-chain

en-verb

cross-chain (third-person singular simple present cross-chains, present participle cross-chaining, simple past and past participle cross-chained)

cross-chains (present singular third-person)
cross-chaining (participle present)
cross-chained (participle past)
cross-chained (past)

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(cycling) To ride in the smallest or largest cassette sprocket and the corresponding chainring at the same time.


French valve

Invented by Frenchman Etienne Sclaverand.

(cycling) A type of tyre valve used in bicycle inner tubes.


vehicular cycling

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(cycling) The practice of riding bicycles on roads in a manner that is in accordance with the principles of driving in traffic.