Cycling and bike terminology, like the language used in many sports, can be confusing, and even amusing, for an outsider. For example, the term "bonk" means a cyclist is completely exhausted, usually due to insufficient nutrients during a long race. Learning some key words and phrases can have you sounding like a bicycling expert.
Racing Terms
Bike racing has a variety of terms for certain types of racers and races. A "stage race," for example, is a race consisting of one-day races or stages. A "criterium" is a multilap race on a course that's only about a mile long. The total distance for a criterium could be from about 25 to 75 miles. Similarly, a "circuit race" is also a multilap race on a course that's about two miles long and is conducted at a fast pace, often as a final stage of a multistage race.
The Bike Itself
A bicycle isn't just a bicycle with parts you may be used to identifying. Riders sometimes refer to a bike as a "velo," which is French for "bicycle." The seat on a bike is actually a "saddle" and a racing tire can be either a "tubular" or a "clincher." A tubular is a lighter tire with an inner tube sewn into the tire, which is then glued onto the rim. They are harder to change and maintain than clinchers, which are heavier, but are more like traditional bike tires. And the mechanism that changes one gear to the next is a derailleur.
Strategy
In bike racing, many terms are used to describe the action of riders and the strategy they employ. For example, "blocking" is a term to describe the action in a team race when one teammate in front of a group of riders slows down and tries to keep the "field" of racers from catching up to his teammate who has broken away from the pack. "Bridging the gap" refers to a rider's attempt to pull away from one group of cyclists to catch up to another group that is ahead. "Drafting," as in other types of racing, describes the line of racers behind the leader who are enjoying slightly less headwind and the "slipstream," which is the area of less wind resistance behind the leader.
Riders
A bicycle rider can be a "chaser," who is trying to bridge the gap, or perhaps a "squirrel," who rides erratically in a pack of riders. A "neo-pro" is a professional cycling rookie, and an "equipe" is a team of racing cyclists. The main group of riders in a race can be called several things, such as the "field," "pack," "bunch" or "peloton."
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