Bouncing: Excessive up and down movement which happens when there is not enough tension on your flywheel. Bouncing can occur in the saddle or on the pedals. In seated positions make sure your hips are always firmly pressed into the saddle and that your pedal stroke is a smooth revolution.
Boxed in: To be trapped in a group of riders and unable to go forward, back or sideways.
Break, breakaway: A rider or group of riders that has left the main group behind, gaining an advantage.
Bridge: To leave one group of riders and join another group or rider that is further ahead.
Cadence: Pedaling rate, in revolutions per minute of the cyclist's feet.
Caravan, race caravan: The official and support vehicles in a race.
Chainring: A large toothed ring (part of the chainset) that drives the chain via the pedals and cranks.
Chase, chasers: Riders trying to catch a breakaway group or rider.
Clipless: A type of pedal and matching shoe in which the shoes lock into the pedal via the sole of the shoe. The system does not use the old "toe clip" (toe strap) style; hence "clipless."
Cranks: The arms which drive the chain wheels. Cranks are bolted to the crankshaft.
Crosswind: Wind that comes from either side.
Dead Spots: Felt during your pedal stroke when there is not enough tension on your flywheel. The pedal stroke should feel smooth and continuous not light in some spots and heavy in other spots. The light spots are the dead spots.
Derailleur: The mechanism that moves the chain from one chainring or sprocket to another. A racing bicycle has a front and a rear detailer.
Domestique: A team rider who will sacrifice his/her individual performance to help a designated teammate. Duties can include giving up one's bike for another rider, supplying refreshments to teammates, catching breakaway riders. French for "servant."
Draft: To ride closely behind a competitor, saving energy by using that racer as a wind break. Riding behind a rider is much less strenuous and can give a 30% energy-savings advantage.
Drop, dropped: When a rider can no longer maintain contact with another rider or group of riders and trails off the back.
Echelon: A staggered line of riders, with each rider positioned downwind and off to the side of the rider ahead, creating a diagonal effect. In strong crosswinds, a large group will form into echelons.
Feed station/zone: An area where riders can pick up both food and liquid refreshments, usually placed in a slower-paced area such as an uphill section. It's an unwritten rule that riders do not attack a group in the feed zone.
Field sprint: A sprint at the finish among the main group (peloton) of riders in a road race.
Force the pace: To increase speed to make the group go faster.
Gap: The amount of time or distance between a rider or group of riders and another rider or group.
Gear: The mechanism on a bike that changes its rate of motion via a combination of front chainring and rear sprocket; 'low' gears are easier to pedal (usually used when riding uphill), and 'high' gears are harder to pedal (usually used on flats or for faster speed).
General Classification, GC: The overall time rankings in a race. The rider with the lowest cumulative time is first place on the GC.
Granny gear: The smallest front chainring combined with the biggest rear sprocket to make the lowest (easiest to pedal) gear.
Hammer: To ride hard.
Jersey: A bicycling shirt with pockets in the back, often decorated with team colors and sponsors' logos. Special colored jerseys in races such as the Tour de France denote the leader in a certain category.
Kick: A burst of acceleration for the final sprint.
KOM: King of the Mountains. Award for the best climber.
Lactic, lactic acid: Describes the byproduct in the muscles that causes the burning sensation after strenuous physical exertion.
Lead out: A sacrificial race tactic in which you allow a teammate to draft immediately behind you ("on your wheel") as you accelerate to high speed, to give them a head start for their own impending attack or sprint.
Mechanical: Slang for a mechanical problem with the bicycle.
Paceline: A string of riders moving at high speed, with individuals taking turns setting the pace at the front and then dropping back into the draft of the others.
Pedal Stroke: The way your feet and legs move around the crank.
Peloton: The main group of riders in a race; also called the pack, bunch or field. Can also refer to pro cyclists collectively: "He's respected in the peloton."
Prologue: A short time trial held on the first day of a stage race, before Stage 1.
Pull: To take a turn at the front of the group or paceline.
Pull off: To move out of the front position in a group or paceline, so that a following rider can take over.
Puncture: Flat tire.
Push Point: Located when your foot comes forward between the 2:00 and 4:00 positions. When pedaling at a specific cadence or beat of the music, you increase your resistance or “gears” until you find the resistance that appropriately challenges you at the fixed pace of the song or cadence. You should always be able to feel the pushpoint no matter what cadence you are pedaling at.
Resistance: Refers to how much resistance is being applied by the brake pad to the front wheel and is used to replicate specific terrain (hills, climbs, flats, etc.), forces (headwinds, tailwinds, etc.) and gears (bigger, slower gears versus smaller, faster gears).
Road rash: Skin abrasions resulting from a fall or crash onto the road.
Saddle: The bicycle seat.
Sitting in, Sit on a wheel, Sitting on: Drafting, or riding closely behind the rider immediately in front to save energy.
Soigneur: A member of the team staff who cares for the riders, including physical therapy, food preparation, transport, etc. French for "care giver."
Sprint: The final high-speed dash for the finish line in a race of any distance.
Sprocket: One of the cluster of toothed cogs comprising the "cassette" or "block" attached to the rear wheel. Often referred to by the number of teeth on each cog (the higher the number, the easier the gear): "She's riding in the 21 going up this hill."
Stage race: A bike-race format in which different races (stages) are held on different courses in the same geographical region over a period of consecutive days -- all of the stages together compose the "race." The rider with the lowest cumulative time after all of the stages wins the race. The Tour de France, Giro d' Italia, etc, are stage races.
Team captain: A seasoned rider within a team, who directs the team's strategy during a race.
Team leader: The rider who is the focus of a team's tactics and strategy -- the rest of the team rides in order for the leader to win a stage or race.
Tempo: A brisk speed or pedal cadence. ("The team is riding tempo at the front of the group.")
Time trial: A race in which riders start individually at given intervals, and race the course against the clock. Also known as "the race of truth."
Team time trial: Same idea as an individual time trial [see above], but with teams of riders racing together against the clock, each team riding in unison as a group. Usually a set number of team members must cross the line before a finishing time is recorded.
Train: A fast moving paceline of riders, often comprising teammates working together for tactical purposes.
Tuck: A riding position with the head and torso low, back flat, and arms close to the body, for best aerodynamics and maximum speed. Most riders will get into a tuck position on a very steep descent to save energy and increase speed.
UCI: Union Cycliste Internationale, the international governing body of cycling.
Velo: French word for "bike."