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Mountain Biking Articles

 




Beginners
    Mountain Biking - The Basics  
    The Dictionary of Mountain Bike Slang   
    Downhill Mountain Biking Skills   

Mountain Biking - The Basics

By Robert Earle Howells

In the backcountry, it’s not always easy to set up sag-wagon service, snack stations, or provide the luxury accommodation that roadies are accustomed to. It might be a while before that sag wagon appears on the horizon, which is as it should be. Mountain biking is, after all, a wilderness experience. But those days in the rough make for lively conversation around the evening campfire. Thankfully, the excitement of penetrating wild country is well worth it.

Can You Handle It?
Naturally, you’ll enjoy your tour more if you get in some riding beforehand. At the least, a couple of months of pedaling a few days a week on an exercise bike, with outdoor outings on the weekends. If nothing else, you need to get your butt in shape, or days in the saddle will be murder.

Essential Skills
If you aren’t familiar with the phrase "technical singletrack," you probably shouldn’t ride it. If a description of a tour boasts a lot of it, it will appeal to experienced mountain bikers who have the skills to handle things like rock ledges, tight turns, stream crossings, and obstacle-strewn paths. If you’re certain of your fitness, but not of your technical prowess, look for key words such as "doubletrack" or "fire roads." Such built-for-vehicles pistes will generally be non-technical. Some trips, by the way, have a learning component. In other words, they’ll teach you the technical skills you need.

Gear Up
If you’re a recreational mountain biker with a good bike of recent vintage, use your own, but ask the tour company what kind of tires they recommend for the terrain you’ll be riding. (Any good shop can pack a bike for shipping. If the tour’s in your home country, sending it ahead is usually less expensive than taking it on the plane.) Most companies, though, do offer decent rental bikes. If there’s a lot of hill climbing involved, make sure the bikes have a decent low-gear ratio, such as 22 x 30 or better (you want low numbers in the front, high in the rear). Too many come with macho bottom gears like 24 x 28. You’re in for some tough climbing if that’s the case. Also, be sure that the rental bikes include front suspension. Some even offer full-suspension bikes--shocks in front and rear--which can render a rough ride almost cushy. Worth the extra charge.

You’ll definitely need at least two sets of bike clothing: Padded bike shorts (you can get some that look like hiking shorts, but with a built-in liner) and a couple of synthetic or wool jerseys. Add a water-resistant windbreaker--I like a windproof vest for in-between weather and cool descents-- and a pair of tights. Gloves and a helmet will be required by your tour operator. Don’t ride in sneakers; get bike shoes, which are stiffer and stronger. And you must be attached to the pedals to ride safely. Old-fashioned toeclips and straps are OK, but consider getting some clipless (SPD) pedals and attaching cleats to your shoes. If the rental bikes don’t have SPDs, just bring your own. I strongly recommend wearing a backpack-style hydration system such as a Camelbak; it not only makes water-delivery convenient, but it’ll also incorporate a pouch for carrying windbreaker, camera, and snacks.

Speak the Language
Bonk: To run out of gas, to hit the wall. It can happen quickly if you don’t steadily ingest calories and water as you ride.

Clipless pedals: Pedals into which a rider clicks a special cleat (mounted to the bottom of bike shoes), thereby assuring a positive attachment and easy entry/exit. Also known as SPDs, a Shimano trademark. Contrast with old-fashioned toeclips and straps: A rider would insert shoes into a metal cage and cinch down leather straps.

Gear ratio: The combination of teeth on a bike’s front and rear cogs that determines how hard or easy it will be to pedal a bike. The first number in a gear ratio (e.g., 24 x 30) indicates the number of teeth on the front cog, or chainwheel; the second number represents the number on the rear cog. For those all-important low, get-up-the-hill gears, you want a small number in the front and a high number in the rear. An excellent low gear is 22 x 32.

Singletrack: A narrow, one-lane route through woods or wilderness, preferred by most riders over doubletrack routes, which are generally created for vehicles. Warning: Singletrack might be technical (see below).

Suspension: Shock-absorbers for mountain bikes, usually in the form of front fork blades that compress and rebound over rough terrain. More-expensive full-suspension bikes add a single shock in the rear. Suspension adds a moderate amount of comfort and a great deal of control to a bike, because it ensures that tires stay in contact with the ground...most of the time.

Technical: Terrain that is challenging to ride in terms of bike-handling skills. Usually characterized by such obstacles as big rocks, stream crossing, tight turns, ruts, roots, and logs.

Return to Top

The Dictionary of Mountain Bike Slang

Compiled by Doug Landauer and Jim Frost

Based on the MTB Dictionary, version 1.8 26 Jul 1995 10:03:06
Last modified Aug 20, 1999

Introduction

Many of the slang terms used in mountain biking come from the off-road motorcycling culture, from "trials" bicycling and BMX, and from road cycling. And some of the (numerous!) terms for "crash" came from skiing, snowboarding, surfing, or skating (inline or boards). Other subcultures have also contributed terms now used in MTBing -- for example, the word unobtanium had been used for decades before the advent of mountain bikes, both in auto racing and in the space program.

There's a little Internet history behind this dictionary. In February ('95), Tom Purvis, from Colorado State, posted a message to the rec.bicycles.off-road newsgroup that said, in part:

Offroading needs more lore. More culture. More vernacular. [...] Let us use the 'net for something really valuable -- let's compile a list of bikey slang. Biff, face plant, gravity check, endo; those are pretty good terms, but let's get some of the really clever ones.

So a lively thread ensued; and I assume Jerry Dunn made another, similar request a bit later. He (Jerry) summarized some of it in April, for a book he has in the works...

Thanks so much for all the responses to my request for off-road bike slang, for my book ( -- to be published in fall 1995). Here's the summary I said I'd post. (Any corrections? Please e-mail me: jerryd@rain.org). Thanks for everything! You're a great group of people, very helpful, articulate, and funny. All the best -- Jerry

Jerry's summary is in the exact style of, and is almost a total superset of, a list that my brother Mike sent me by e-mail in May or June (some of the entries were edited down; only one was added). He said he'd found his list in the LA Times Sunday magazine. The format and wording is too similar to be a coincidence. So ... a question for Jerry Dunn, I guess: did the LA Times Mag article appear under your byline? (I'm just curious.)

Jerry's original chapter title was "Off-Road Bike Riders Offer a Crash Course in Slang".

The Dictionary

- A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M -

- N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z -

- A -

acro-bratn.little kids who use thier bikes like pogo sticks, with pegs coming out of the front axle. Should be confined to the Circus or other freak show reviews.

afterglowv. to hang out after a race discuss what you experienced on the trail.

age marksn. the holes in a rider's apparel that reveal the age of the garment and the longevity of the rider's participation in mountain biking.

airn. space between the tires and the ground. (Both tires must be off the ground or it isn't "air".) Said to be caught or gotten. See sky.

anchorn. your child, or children (anchors) that keep(s) you from riding. "Wait till you anchors grow up, you'll have road rash for breakfast and prunes for dinner!" To be used as an endearing, not demeaning, phrase.

anoadj. frequently-misspelled abbreviation for "anodized". See purple.

ATBn.All-Terrain Bike or Biking. A synonym for MTB.

augerv. to involuntarily take samples of the local geology, usually with one's face, during a crash. See face plant.

- B -

babyheadspl. n. roundish rocks which tend to be found in a loose jumble on hairpin corners or other dificult-to-negotiate sections of trail. Similar to death cookies, but bigger.

baconn. scabs on a rider's knees, elbows, or other body parts.

baggern. one who always agrees to ride, party, gather, etc. but rarely shows. bagv. to fail to show. "Tom swore he'd be there but he bagged."

bailv. to jump off in order to avoid an imminent crash.

balance blackoutn. that short time during almost every ride when you start to fall, lose your balance without reason, or seem to be unable to clean even the simplest obstacle.

banana scrapern. low hanging branches, the kind that smear the guts of that banana you put in the pouch on the back of your camelback when you don't duck low enough.

beartrap 1) v. to slip off a pedal, causing it to slam one in the shin, when one gets kracked with a pedal. 2) n. the toothlike scars resulting from being beartrapped.

betty n. any female rider.

biffn. a crash. Synonyms: wipeout. v. "I biffed and then wiped away the blood."

biopaceadj. a now-discredited Shimano techno-fad where the chainrings were made intentionally not circular -- instead, they were elliptical, in order to (allegedly) smooth the power delivery, by giving the rider an effectively lower gear for part of the spin cycle. Now used to describe any uneven pedaling motion. Also used as a synonym for pogo-ing.

boing-boingn. a bike with full (front and rear) suspension. Might possibly be considered offensive by certain owners of said bikes.

boinkv. same as bonk.

bolt-onn. a woman with breast implants. Derived from the term for after-market bicycle parts that are literally bolted on.

bombv. to ride with wild disreagard to personal safety.

bombersn. the earliest mountain bikes, converted from cruiser roadbikes to race down mountains.

bonk v. to run out of energy or grow exhausted on a ride. "I bonked so early it was embarrassing."

bootv. to expel pre-ride stomach fillers due to extreme physical exertion. "That climb was hairy, I think Brian had to boot back there."

bran. the rubber strip placed inside the rim to protect the tube from the nipples.

brainn. a biking computer, usually featuring an odometer, speedometer, clock, and other "important" display modes.

brain bucketn. helmet.

brain sieven. a helmet featuring more vents than protective surface.

brand whoren. a rider that will only buy high-end parts/gear with name recognition. Wouldn't be caught dead using LX level parts or wearing a pair of Nashbar shorts.

bring home a Christmas treev. to ride (or crash) through dense bushes, so leaves and branches are hanging from your bike and helmet. See prune.

BSGn. acronym for "Bike Store Guy".

bunnyn. 1) same as betty, but used to emphasize the female rider's body; could be considerd insulting to some. 2) female novice rider.

bunny hopv. to lift both wheels off the ground by crouching down and then exploding upward, pulling the bike with you. Useful for clearing obstructions, such as curbs, potholes, logs. Differs from its older BMX & trials meaning -- see jump.

burriton. a rim braking surface that's bent inward towards the tube, forming a section that looks rolled like a burrito.

buzzn. euphoric feeling. Commonly used after a particularly hard passage is successfully completed. "I got such a buzz after that uphill grunt."

- C -

carvev. (from skiing) to ride with great speed around the corners of a twisting fire road.

captain crashv. to "go down with the ship". Usually the result of a novice spud-user failing to clip out in time.

cashedadj. to be too tired to ride any farther; bonked.

chainring tattoon. the dotted-line scar you get from gouging your shin on the chainring. See rookie mark.

chainsuckn. condition when the bike chain gets jammed between the frame and the chain rings, or when the chainring is so worn that it holds onto the chain and lifts it up to meet the incoming part of the chain.

chi-chin. extravagant parts used to dress up a bicycle to make it more impressive looking.

chinese toe cuffsn. see toe clips.

chunderv. to crash.

cleanv. to negotiate a trail successfully without crashing or dabbing. "I cleaned that last section."

cleanien. one who desires to remain clean; a wimp who will not have fun, stays on the clean trails.

cliplessadj. misleading name for a pedal-and-shoe system where the clips or cleats clip onto the soles of special shoes. Called "clipless" because they replaced toe clips.

clip out (or, sometimes, click out) v. to disengage one's spuds.

cloonn. slamming into the ground, resulting in a ringing head, or a delay in the action. Term used in biking, skiing, and snow boarding.

clotheslinedv. the act of catching an upper body part (e.g. the neck) on a low piece of vegetation, resulting in separation of the rider from the bike.

cob clearern. the lead rider who has to clear out all the spider webs for following riders. May experience wang chung while trying to get the spiders off his face. Similar to spider patrol.

cockrottern. one who allows his bike to fall in disrepair, and whose bike invariably fails him at some point in every ride. These people don't know why their bike always breaks, and often would rather buy new parts than keep their bike in good condition.

condomn. the little plastic or rubber thing that protects your tube's valve stem from rim damage.

corndogv. to become covered in silt, usually after a fall.

cranial disharmonyadv. how one's head feels after augering. "When my lid nailed that rock, I had a definite feeling of cranial disharmony."

crotch-testingn. sudden impact between a male rider's private parts and something very hard and pointy, such as a handlebar stem or seat.

curb grindn. expensive erasure of low-hanging, shiny parts of the bike on a curb or rock.

curb slidev. to place the front wheel up on a curb and allow the rear tire to scrape along the curb, usually resulting in a loud tearing sound.

cyclephernalian. the parts used to upgrade/dress-up a mountain bike". See also chi-chi.

- D -

dabv. to put a foot down in order to catch your balance on a difficult section of trail. "I made it without crashing, but I had to dab once."

death cookiesn. fist-sized rocks that knock your bike in every direction but the one you want to proceed in.

death marchn. a ride that turns into an investigation of your endurance limit. "The bridge was out, and I had to go all the way back the way I came. So the morning's nice, easy ride turned into a Bataan death march."

dialed inadj. when a bike is set up nicely and everything works just right.

diggern. a face plant. "Look at that guy on that gnarly single track... he's going to go over the bars and do a digger."

dirt biken. an off-road motorcycle. Usually louder than MTBs.

drilliumn. any part with lots of holes drilled in it to make it lighter.

dual boingern. a full-suspension bicycle.

dual-trackn. a dirt road used by four-wheeled vehicles rarely enough that their tires have made ruts that became parallel singletracks. Also called doubletrack. See singletrack.

- E -

endon. the maneuver of flying unexpectedly over the handlebars, thus being forcibly ejected from the bike. Short for "end over end". "I hit that rock and went endo like nobody's business." See "superman". In BMX riding, "endo" used to be a synonym for front wheelie.

enginen. the rider.

enscarfmentn. a food break at the edge of a cliff.

epicn. a ride that must last for at least six hours and include at least three mechanicals that add at least an extra hour to the ride time. Epics are usually started with a statement like "the trail is buff, should only take three hours." Similar to death march.

- F -

face plantn. hitting the ground face first. "Joe hit a tree root and did a spectacular face plant." Synonyms: auger, digger, spring planting.

fair gruntn. an expression exclusively used non-chalantly by others to describe a death march, in hopes others will try it, fail, and revere them as bike gods.

first bloodn. credit to the first rider in a group who crashes and starts bleeding as a result.

flying trapezen. when you endo into a clothesline.

foot faultn. when a rider can't disengage his cleats from the pedals before falling over. See horizontal track stand.

fredn. 1) a person who spends a lot of money on his bike and clothing, but still can't ride. "What a fred -- too much Lycra and titanium and not enough skill." Synonym for poser. Occasionally called a "barney". 2) (from road riding) a person who has a mishmash of old gear, does't care at all about technology or fashion, didn't race or follow racing, etc. Often identified by chainring marks on white calf socks. Used by "serious" roadies to disparage utility cyclists and touring riders, especially after these totally unfashionable "freds" drop the "serious" roadies on hills because the "serious" guys were really posers. According to popular myth, "Fred" was a well-known grumpy old touring rider, who really was named Fred.

front wheelien. what endo used to mean in BMX: a trick where the rider applies the front brake and lifts the back wheel off the ground; this is the basis for many BMX tricks. Most riders cannot pedal effectively while doing a front wheelie. Also called a "nose wheelie" or "stoppie."

FS or F/Sadj. an ambiguous term, can mean Front Suspension or Full Suspension. Not used by anyone who wishes to be understood.

- G -

gear mashern. someone who always rides in too high a gear, stomping on the pedals.

gevertn. (regional) a really long period of time. Derived from the name of a LBS that was a little slow getting work done. "Man, that roadclimb to the trailhead was almost a gevert long."

gibletsn. all the colorful parts and pieces that you can add or change out on a bike.

gonzo adj. treacherous, extreme. "That vertical drop was sheer gonzo."

gnarln. extreme technical sections. Characterized by very rough, rooty, slippery, or rocky sections. Commonly found in the Pacific Northwest and New England. "He has got some great bike handling skills and can really scream through the gnarl."

granny gearn. the lowest gear available on a bike, which only a grandmother would need to use; designed for steep uphill climbing, but extremely easy to pedal in on flat ground.

gravity checkn. a fall.

grindern. a long uphill climb.

grindiesn.e.g., "All that dried mud and sand left me with a loud case of the grindies in my drivetrain."

gruntn. a very difficult climb, requiring use of the granny gear.

gutter bunnyn. a bicycling commuter.

- H -

half-trackn. a trail so narrow and/or overgrown that you'd hesitate even to call it singletrack.

hamburgern. the condition of skin, post auger, when geological contact was made with sharp rocks such as on a shale skree slope.

hammerv. to ride fast and hard. n. someone who hammers.

hardtailn. any bike with front suspension but no rear suspension. Contrast with rigid and F/S.

hiker logn. an obstacle (e.g. a log or boulder) placed in trail by biker-hostile trail users.

HOHAn.Hateful Old Hikers Association. "HOHA members hate mountain bicyclists with a fervor exceeding that of rabid wolverines."

honkv. to vomit due to cycling exertion.

horizontal track standn. a foot fault that happens at a stop sign.

- I -

IMBAn. International Mountain Biking Association. An organization for trail advocacy.

impedimentian. all the junk on a bike that impeeds performance and looks bad.

involuntary dismountn. a crash.

- J -

jetv. to accelerate quickly; to go very fast.

John boy'edv. when a riders face gets covered with spots of mud, making him look like "John Boy" on the Waltons. "I hit that mudhole and got John boy'ed big time."

JRAn. acronym for "Just Riding Along," a phrase universally uttered by people bringing both halves of their frame and the remains of their fork in for warrantee replacement.

jumpn. or v. where we now say bunny hop, BMXers used to say "jump".

- K -

kackn. an injury to the shin received while doing trials, a kack can be the result of any injury receive during technical riding.

kick-outn. a bunny hop in which the rider pushes the back tire to one side.

- L -

LBSn. acronym for Local Bike Shop.

lidn. helmet.

linen. the desirable path or strategy to take on a tricky trail section.

- M -

male blindnessn. when a male rider watches a beautiful female ride over rough terrain and stares intensely at all the jiggling parts, making him too dizzy to see straight when it's his turn to ride the same terrain.

mandibular disharmonyadv. how one's jaw feels when it and the handle bars attempt to occupy the same space and time. "Fuck!" "Pray, whats wrong?" "I've got mandibular disharmony."

mantrapn. hole covered with autumn leaves, resembling solid earth and effective at eating the front wheel of the unsuspecting rider.

Marinn. (muh RINN') the county in Northern California where MTBing is said to have been invented. Just north of the Golden Gate Bridge.

metal headn. see organ donor.

mon. momentum. "If you don't get in gear at the bottom of that hill, you'll lose your mo."

mojon. charm or icon worn by a biker or attached to the bike.

monkey-motionadj. magazine writer speak for a full-suspension bike.

MTBn. the activity of MounTain Biking. Or a mountain bike itself. v. "MTBing". See ATB, OHV, ORV, VTT.

mud divingn. what happens when a bike slows abruptly in mud, throwing the rider into wet goo.

mud-ectomyv. 1) a shower after a ride on a muddy trail. 2) the act of becoming clean.

- N -

nard guardn. used to prevent wang chung.

nipplen. the nut at the end of a spoke that nobody knows the real name for.

nirvanan. the state of being in absolute control and totally in tune with your bike, the trail, and your physical strength. "I was just doing it all so smoothly and delicately and quickly, it was nirvana!" Synonym for The Zone.

NORBAn.National Off-Road Bicycling Association. They organize most of the larger races.

nosepickiumn. the crusties you pick from your nose after a ride in a dusty environ.

nose wheelien. see front wheelie.

- O -

OHV, ORVn. Acronyms for Off-Highway Vehicle and Off-Road Vehicle. These have motors and are not bicycles.

organ donorn. someone who rides without a helmet. Also called a "metal head".

over-the-bar blood donorn. a rider who is injured while doing an endo.

- P -

panic skidv. to try with all one's will and strength to prevent an impending stack by attempting to implant one's heels as deeply as possible in the ground. Usually a dumb idea.

pimpn. a Bike Store Guy who is always trying to sell stuff on the trail. "Blow off, pimp. If I want your opinion, I'll give it to you."

Pirelliologyn. the noble art of being able to identify tires from the tracks they leave on the ground.

PODn.Potential Organ Donor..

pogov. to bounce on a full-suspension bike like a pogo stick. Also, for a full-suspension bike to bounce annoyingly and uncontrollably.

POSn.Piece Of Shit. The antithesis to real bicycles, typified by Huffy, Murray, and any of a number of other bicycles that are poorly designed, manufactured, and assembled.

posern. derogatory term for people with $7,000 bikes that never see an actual trail. Usually found near a trail head and never dirty. Seinfeld may be an example. Synonym for fred.

potato chipn. a wheel that has been bent badly, but not taco'd.

powersliden. a two-wheel sideways slide, with the foot opposite the direction of travel kept on the ground.

prangv. to hit the ground hard, usually bending or breaking something.

prunev. to use one's bike or helmet to remove leaves and branches from the surrounding flora. Usually unintentional.

purple anoadj. anodized aluminum in purple. Some riders need to obtain as much of this as possible. It comes in other colors, but they are of no consequence here.

push-pushn. 1) a novice's pedaling motion, consisting of alternately pushing each foot down, instead of spinning. 2) a Shimano techno-fad shifting system.

- R -

RA#n.Return Authorization number. A number a vendor gives you to return the "defective" part you broke while JRA.

R&Dn. Ripoff & Duplication, or Research & Development.

rag dollyv. to wreck in such a way that one's person is tossed like a flimsy scrap of cloth. "Did you see me rag dolly back there? I think I pierced my ear on a tree branch."

redsocksn. hikers who always block the best singletracks, so named because they're always wearing those funny red socks. Also known as HOHAs.

retro-grouchn. a rider who prefers an old bike with old components and isn't fond of new, high-tech equipment.

'rhoid buffingv. going down a hill so steep that your butt touches the rear wheel.

Ride On!n. a parting phrase used by riders with out much else to say.

rigidn. a bike with no suspension.

roadien. a rider who prefers riding on paved surfaces.

road rashn. contact dermatitis; an allergic reaction of skin to moving asphalt.

rock-ectomyv. removing rocks, dirt, gravel from one's person after a yard sale. "Some betty stopped by and performed a rock ectomy on my knee after the wreck, I think she digs my scene." rocket fueln. the mandatory pre-ride coffee.

rockwellv. an unintentionally performed hardness test rendered by a trial side object on your anatomy or possesions. Requires the use of a number to rate the event. "I 50 Rockwelled on that last buster." "No way, dude, it was at least a 60!"

rookie markn. chain grease on a rider's pant leg. "Give that guy extra points for his rookie mark. It's even on the wrong leg!" See chainring tattoo.

roostv. to go fast or accelerate quickly. Or, to stop suddenly.

- S -

schmoozv.the act of reaching a trail head and not riding. What is done when one really can't stand the thought of starting a ride. Talking. Bullshitting.

schwagn. free stuff. "Hey, they're handing out scwag over at the Rock Shox booth."

scream 1) n. a real biker's dream ride. 2) n. a long, straight, and deceptively steep hill. 3) v. to bomb so fast one can't pedal fast enough to make a difference.

singletrackn. trail just wide enough for one person or bike -- the MTBer's holy grail. Contrast with dual-track.

sharkbiten. the mark that your large chainring makes in your calf or other exposed body part when you fall.

skid lidn. helmet.

skid rown. that section of trail that nobody ever expects or remembers that always appears too suddenly when riding too fast. Usually switchbacks. Named after all the skid tracks left there from previous riders.

skyv. to jump extremely high. To get big air.

snake biten. a double puncture of an inner tube, caused by hitting an obstacle too hard or by under-inflation of tires.

sneakersn. tires.

snowminen. an object hidden by snow on the trail. "Be careful of the snowmines -- you know, rocks, logs, hibernating bears..."

soil samplen. a face plant.

spider patroln. lead rider, or first rider to run into a mongo banana spider. Similar to cob clearer.

spikev. to obtain a chainring tattoo on the back of the calf, usually the result of a newbie trying to dab or panic skid at high speeds.

spinv. smooth pedal motion. Opposite of push-push.

spring plantingn. a face plant.

spuddedv. crashing as a result of not being able to unclip from spuds in time to avert disaster.

spudsn. "SPD" (Shimano Pedaling Dynamics) clipless pedals.

stackn. crash. v. crash.

steedn. your bike, the reason for your existence.

STIadj. "Shimano Total Integration" -- a marketing ploy that forces you to buy new brakes when you replace your shifters.

stokedadj. euphoric feeling of enlightenment, caused by adrenaline rushing to the brain during a gonzoclean.

stonedadj. describes a rider after a crash which imbeds stones into the rider's skin.

stoppien. see front wheelie.

supermann. a rider who flies over the handlebars and doesn't hit the ground for a long time. This may result in injury, but when it doesn't, it's really funny for everyone else.

swagn. the stuff that manufacturers and vendors donate to be given away at bike related events. When you race, go to bike shows, help put on events, write bike articles, you are often rewarded with swag. Sometimes called "schwag".

- T -

table-topn. a jump in which the rider throws the bike sideways in mid-air. Less commonly, a jump made over a hill that reaches a plateau and goes back down.

tacov. to bend a wheel over on itself, in the shape of a taco. "I taco'd my wheel, and it cost me a hundred bucks." Worse than a potato chip.

tea partyn. when a whole group of riders stops and chats, and nobody seems to want to ride on.

technicaln. a section of trail that is difficult to ride because of rocks, tree roots, steep drops.

techno-fadn. a screwy or unique technology that a dominant company (usually Shimano) tries to foist upon the innocent cycling public. Past techno-fads include Biopace chainrings, and overly complex "thumb-thumb" or "push-push" shifters.

techno-weenien. a rider who knows more about the newest MTB parts and techno-fads than about the trails. Someone who buys lots of gadgets to add supposed iotas of performance to the bike. Greeting a friend whom we haven't seen in a year, I might say "Hi, Marta!" A techno-weenie might say "Oooh, you got White Industries hubs on that bike now?"

thrash 1) v. to cause severe ecological damage to a trail, usually during the wet season. 2) adj. a damaged trail "That trail's really thrashed after last winter."

three-hour tour n. a ride that looks like a piece of cake at the outset but turns out to be a death march. Derived from the theme song to "Gilligan's Island."

tin. titanium. Some riders would replace their watches, rings, glasses frames, and gold tooth-fillings with titanium if they could afford to.

toe clipsn. a clip-and-strap system that connects a rider's feet and toes to her pedals. Toe clips usually don't require special shoes.

tombstonen. one of those damn little rocks protruding out of the trail which you don't notice because you are having a heart-attack climbing the hill.

tornadov. to balance on your front wheel while turning your back wheel 90-180 degrees in either direction.

track standn. (from road-cycling) a maneuver where the rider stops the bike and attempts to remain standing.

trail mixn. the involuntary release of last night's dinner by the way it came in, usually with the assistance of too many adult beverages and accompanied by a long grinder.

trail swagn. equipment or accessories dropped by other bikers and found on the trail.

tricked outadj. when a bike has the latest and hottest components.

tweakn. a jump during which the rider twists the handlebars back and forth in mid-air, the more times the better. v. 1) to slightly injure a part of the body or the bike in a crash. "I tweaked my wrist when I fell." 2) to make a minor adjustment. "My brake pads were rubbing but I tweaked the cable and it went away."

- U -

unobtaniumadj. describing a bike or accessory made from expensive, high-tech material. A play on "unobtainable" and "titanium." n. a piece (of god knows what) that has come off from the inside of something else and rattles around, impossible to retrieve to stop the rattling. E.g. a piece of weld comes off of the inside of a bike frame.

- V -

vegetable tunneln. a singletrack that is heavily overgrown with foliage, so a rider must duck and bend to get through it.

voidn. 1) to empty the contents of one's bladder. "Where were you, man? We waited for at least two minutes." "Sorry, dude, I had to void, my back teeth were floating." 2) a deep chasm that you have to clear or you will die.

VTTn.Velo Tout-Terrain, the French term for mountain biking. Velo = bike, Tout = all, and don't even ask me about terrain. :-)

vulturesn. spectators who line up at dangerous obstacles in hopes of seeing blood.

- W -

wang chungn. what you might get when your stem has no nard guard. See crotch-testing.

washboardn. small, regular undulations of the soil surface that make for a very rough ride.

wash outv. to have the front tire lose traction, especially while going around a corner.

weight-weenien. a MTB owner (not even necessarily a rider) who is more concerned with how many milligrams a certain component saves off the bike's total weight than with how to be a better rider.

wheelien. lifting the front wheel off the ground, usually with some combination of pulling on the handlebars, pedaling harder, and balance.

wheelie dropn. a combo of a wheelie and a jump, used to negotiate a large drop with little speed due to a limited run-out.

whoop-de-doosn. a series of up-and-down bumps, suitable for jumping.

wild pigsn. poorly adjusted brake pads that squeal in use.

winky a reflector. "Nice winky set, fred!"

wipeoutn. a crash. v. ("wipe out") to crash.

WOMBATSn. "WOmen's Mountain Biking And Tea Society", a Marin-based organization founded by writer and former MTB racer Jacquie Phelan.

wonkyadj. not functioning properly. "I bailed, and now my wheel is all wonky and all I hear are wild pigs."

wrenchv. to work on one's steed, to adjust or repair. n. a bike shop mechanic. "I blew my shock but the wrench at Charlie's dialed it back in for me."

- Y -

yard salen. (from skiing) a horrendous crash that leaves all your various "wares" -- water bottles, pump, tool bag, etc. -- scattered as if on display for sale.

- Z -

The Zonen. a state of mind experienced while riding. You don't think, you just do. A truly mystical experience that can't be fully explained, but when you get there you'll know it and strive to reach it again.

zone outv. a state of mind where you think you've reached The Zone, but you really just stopped paying attention to what you're doing. Usually used as an excuse for a particularly embarrassing biff.

zonkv. same as bonk.

Cast Of Characters

The following people and groups contributed to this dictionary:

Matt Assenmacher

Kevin Axt

Arlen Bankston

Tom Beltran

Jay and Tracy Bothwell

Alistair Brennan

Michael Butler

Brian Crawford

Jeff Del Papa

Jeff Deskins

Shannon & Ginger Dog

Jerry Dunn

Joby Dynneson

Kelly Flannery

Jim Frost

Bill Gifford

Alan Goldman

Catherine Heggtveit

Bill Horst

Mark Howard

Doug Landauer

Mike Landauer

Dan Lehman

Mike "Speed" Leska

Pat Loughery

James Martin

Dave McSpaden

Mike Mitchell

Osan Outcast Pedaling Society

Todd Ourston

Jeff Paul

Tom Purvis

Joshua Putnam

Mark "mojo" Radford

Norman Schiele

Todd Scott

Matthew Silvia

Lois Sommerfield

Ed Snyder

Greg Stuck

Rob Sutter

Nathan Trainor

Henry Troup

Tadeusz F. van Wollen

Andreas "Karle" Zeller

 

 

 

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Downhill Mountain Biking Skills

- By Bryan Louviere

Here are some pointers for those who are new to downhill and want an edge in the learning curve of fast and stable riding!

Cornering at Speed

When taking fast corners get your weight back and scrub off speed before you enter the turn. As you reach the entrance to the corner release the brakes, but do not take you fingers from the levers just in case you need to feather a bit, lean into the turn, shifting your weight back and down onto the outside pedal. Press down on the inside grip to assist in steering through the turn while you feel your weight on the outside pedal. Carve the turn with a bit of a twist of your right ankle--not too much, just a bit. As you carve past the apex of the turn, and as soon as you are upright enough to pedal, turn on the speed once again and hammer out. Setting up correct body position is very important in every aspect of mountain biking, but during high speed corners it is very important to maintain your center over the bike by being loose yet controlled. Watch video of downhill racers and study their body position. Feel it.

Rough Stuff on Nearly Flat Ground and Mild Downhill Grades

Babyheads, sand, and combinations of loose rock and anchored bedrock on slightly downhill grades are best assaulted under power. This technique is very similar to sand. Momentum is important. Do not use your brakes. If you are running big travel, and you should be, it is more important to keep the gyros going than to pick a smooth line. The steeper the downhill, the more you will be able to coast, but we are talking about pedaling ground here. You should be in one gear too hard to pedal, rather than gearing down to spin. This makes the rough trail smooth out. Stay loose, stay back a bit, keep powering those pedals to maintain control. Keep your weight well back, floating your front wheel over the rudest obstacles. Let your rear end travel absorb most of the punishment, but do not stiffen your legs. Let them act as secondary suspension members.

Steep Rough Technical

Look for the smooth line. Put your front wheel on it and don't make any mistakes. Don't worry about your rear wheel.

Down a ledge, off a ledge ~ When riding off of a ledge you always have your weight balanced slightly back. Pull back on the bars and keep your bike level as you leave the ledge. As the rear wheel rides off of the ledge shift your weight forward. This is so that the bike falls evenly as you leave the ledge. Long travel full suspension means you want to land to distribute the weight to both wheels on impact. The less travel you have the more you will want to favor landing on the rear wheel first. If you find yourself in an endo, lock your REAR!!!! brake, keep your weight back and your rear wheel will drop more rapidly because you have turned off your rear gyroscope. This allows the weight to fall faster.

Up a ledge ~ Pull back on the bars as if you were going to ride a wheelie and once you get your front wheel up as high as the ledge you are trying to get up, jump your weight forward and throw your bars up and forward. This will bring your rear wheel up. Pedal as your tire hits the ledge. Keep your weight centered over the wheels.

Ruts ~ Stay out of ruts! If you are in a rut and your front wheel is on the right side of the rut, your weight has to be on the left side of your wheel. The rear wheel will just follow the front wheel, so forget about it. You want to use the side of the rut as a berm and try to get out as fast as you can. Use the berm to launch out. Modern downhill race courses are now more rut than trail, so learn how to approach a rut as a place to ride, but don't do it unless you have to. I have seen truly talented downhill racers, world champions, use deep, steep and wide ruts as a way to stay off of the brakes. I have seen a fellow named Nicholas V. bounce from side to side of a deep rut, staying on the wall of the rut, using momentum and body weight to spring off each side repeatedly, much like a surfer uses the inside curl of a wave. Like this; left side rut, weight on the right side of the front wheel, hop to right side of rut, use the side of the rut like a berm, weight on left side of front wheel, hop to the other side, and so forth.

Loose stuff on a turn ~ Slow down, control your speed BEFORE you hit the crap. As you enter the rough loose stuff be it gravel or loose rocks, hit it at a slower speed, then just treat it like a turn as described above. Weight the inside bar, the outside pedal. OK, now, if you are racing, here is the deal: Racers ONLY!! Disregard this advice if you are not a DH racer! Same as any turn. Weight your inside bar and outside foot. Maybe take the inside foot off of the pedal to use as an outrigger or to dab a bit. If there is no berm, you slip the rear wheel by locking the brake to force a small skid. Hold the brake too long and you will skid out. Just enough please, to change your direction.

The Importance of Body Armor

Jake Watson, a daring downhill racer, died a few years ago for the simple reason that he was practicing a very tricky jump in a boulder field without a chest protector. Always wear body armor and a downhill specific helmet when attacking a speedy descent. Dainese makes the best. If you can afford it, Dainese's stuff rules, but it is hard to find. There are quite a few good helmets out there, but we prefer Louis Garneau and Giro. DH stuff can be hot and may not be so practical in the heat of summer, so balance your body protection with the possible results of a high speed crash. The Giro Switchblade is awesome in hot weather, but they discontinued the helmet in 2004. You may be able to find one in a shop, though. A typical body armor set up is what looks like a motorcycle helmet but is really a DH mountain bike helmet, knee and shin guards, elbow guards, a chest, shoulder and back protector (like the Dainese). Keep it snug, but not restricting. You will feel a bit more comfortable about hitting that ledge when you are armored up.

The best advice we can give to anyone who wants to go faster is to find another person who IS faster and follow him carefully and with attention to his body. Watch where he (or she) goes and why he goes there. Watch body position and change of momentum with body weight. Read body language. Instead of braking, he will approach a turn wide and cut nice and easy through the apex of the turn. He will look for places where he can launch over the worst obstacles and not loose momentum. That is what Jake was trying to do, by the way, but without a chest protector. Wear your body armor and get some health insurance, just in case.

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