Cycling has its own language. So it can be difficult to blag your way as an expert if you can't get your head around some of the key terminology. Here's just some (and by no means an exhaustive list) of the phrases you might need to if you're going to thrive in the cycling crowd
This is what getting dropped looks like, as presented by Igor Anton (Watson)
(Image credit: WATSON)
One means you're probably doing quite well, the other means you're definitely not.
2. Through-and-off/Chaingang
The chaingang is daunting prospect. Particularly if you don't know what it is.
No not a group of prisoners, but a slipstreaming formation of riders out for a hard ride. Can be quite confusing for the beginner, and requires a fair amount of practice so the other riders in your group can trust you not to surge at the front and or cause an accident.
3. Half-wheeling
We couldn't find any pictures of half-wheeling, so here's this.
The perennially annoying habit of having a riding companion stick half of their wheel in front of yours. This ends up pushing the pace up and up until you're all blowing, in which case, you might end up...
4. Bonking
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So that's what bonking is...
(Image credit: chris catchpole)
Easily misinterpreted during your first experience among other cyclists, but get that out of your mind you dirty sod. You may be more familiar with the term 'hitting the wall', but either way this is something unpleasant and more likely to hit you early in your cycling life. If you want to get all scientific about it, it's all about depletion of glycogen stores or something. Get to grips with it here.
5. Chammy
Extracted chamois pads
"What is a chammy and why do I need to cream it?"
To a regular Joe, this is a perfectly legitimate question, but once you've been riding for a while or even a few days straight in fact, you'll start to realise why. The chamois is that padding inside your shorts FYI, and the cream helps to prevent chafing, saddle sores and possibly worse.
If you prefer to carry a dirty bike rather than riding a clean one, cyclo-cross might be for you
(Image credit: Andy Jones)
Like riding a road bike in the mud, but also you run over stuff as well. Some of us still don't quite get the attraction of this, but it's big in Belgium in the winter.
Caused by crosswinds and there's no point just riding in lines anymore. Big groups start to split and spread across the road as riders try to shelter at the side of one another. Generally a daunting experience for any newbie when you have no idea what's happening and your heart rate is at 190, no matter what it's called.
8. 53x11 (or any other gear ratio)
Gear ratios - who knows and who cares?
This will mean literally nothing to you when you start out, and it doesn't really matter. Eventually you'll know what's what, and then you can lord it over the next newbie.
9. Peloton
PelOton
(Image credit: Watson)
Frequently incorrectly written as peleton, this is just a fancy French term for a bunch of riders.
10. The Race of Truth/Contre-la-montre/Testers
Time trialling, just because.
These are words for a time trial and those sadistic enough in nature to punish themselves by riding one. Check your local bypass for more.
Richard is digital editor of Cycling Weekly. Joining the team in 2013, Richard became editor of the website in 2014 and coordinates site content and strategy, leading the news team in coverage of the world's biggest races and working with the tech editor to deliver comprehensive buying guides, reviews, and the latest product news.
An occasional racer, Richard spends most of his time preparing for long-distance touring rides these days, or getting out to the Surrey Hills on the weekend on his Specialized Tarmac SL6 (with an obligatory pub stop of course).
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