Cycling Terms
This glossary defines non-branded cycling terminology: race and event structure, riding disciplines, bike fit and components, aerodynamics and power, and group riding etiquette and tactics. Sensor hardware, including power meters and GNSS chipsets, is defined on the Sports Sensors glossary page rather than here.
Quick answers
What is an attack in cycling?
An attack is a sudden increase in pace by one or more riders intended to break away from the group.
What is audax or randonneuring?
Audax, also called randonneuring, is long-distance, non-competitive cycling ridden against a time limit rather than other riders.
What is BB drop?
BB drop is the vertical distance between the centre of the wheel axles and the bottom bracket, affecting a bike’s stability and cornering clearance.
What is bikepacking?
Bikepacking is multi-day, self-supported cycling that carries camping and touring equipment directly on the bike rather than in panniers.
What is BMX?
BMX is a discipline of cycling performed on small, single-speed bikes, covering racing and freestyle riding.
What is a bonification (time bonus)?
A bonification, or time bonus, is a reduction in a rider’s overall race time awarded for finishing a stage or intermediate point in a leading position.
What is a bottom bracket?
The bottom bracket is the bearing assembly that allows the crankset to rotate within the bike’s frame.
What is a breakaway?
A breakaway is a rider or small group that has ridden clear of the main field during a race.
What is bridging in cycling?
Bridging is riding across the gap between the main group and a breakaway or chase group ahead, to join it.
What is a bunch in cycling?
A bunch is a general term for a group of riders riding together, used interchangeably with peloton in everyday language.
What is a cassette (bike)?
The cassette is the cluster of sprockets mounted on the rear wheel that the chain runs across.
What is CdA in cycling?
CdA is the combined measure of a rider’s frontal area and drag coefficient, used to quantify aerodynamic drag.
What is a chain gang?
A chain gang is a group riding formation in which riders take turns leading at the front in rotation.
What is a chainring?
A chainring is a toothed sprocket attached to the crankset that the chain engages to drive the rear wheel.
What is a chase group?
A chase group is a group of riders positioned between the main field and a breakaway, attempting to close the gap to the leaders.
What is a cleat (cycling)?
A cleat is the hardware fitted to a cycling shoe that clips into a compatible pedal.
What is cycling commuting?
Commuting is cycling used as transport for a regular journey, typically to and from work.
What is a counterattack in cycling?
A counterattack is an attack launched immediately after a previous attack has been brought back, intended to catch the group off guard.
What is crank length?
Crank length is the distance from the centre of the bottom bracket to the centre of the pedal axle, affecting leverage and leg extension.
What is a crankset?
The crankset is the assembly of crank arms and chainrings that converts pedalling force into chain drive.
What is Crr in cycling?
Crr is the coefficient of rolling resistance, a measure of the energy lost to tyre deformation and road contact at a given speed.
What is cross-country (XC) mountain biking?
Cross-country is a mountain biking discipline raced over varied natural terrain, emphasising sustained aerobic effort over technical descending.
What is cyclocross?
Cyclocross is a discipline raced over short laps combining road, off-road, and obstacle sections that often require dismounting.
What is cycle touring?
Cycle touring is multi-day cycling for travel and exploration, typically supported by panniers rather than the minimal bikepacking setup.
What is a derailleur?
A derailleur is the mechanism that moves the chain between chainrings or sprockets to change gear.
What is a disc brake?
A disc brake is a braking system that clamps a rotor mounted at the wheel hub, rather than the wheel rim.
What is DNF in cycling?
DNF means “did not finish” and records a rider who started a race but did not complete it.
What is DNS in cycling?
DNS means “did not start” and records a registered rider who did not begin the race.
What is a domestique?
A domestique is a rider whose role is to support a team leader or sprinter, through pacing, fetching supplies, or blocking for position, rather than to contest the result themselves.
What is DQ in cycling?
DQ means “disqualified” and records a rider removed from the results for breaking a race rule.
What is drafting in cycling?
Drafting is riding directly behind another rider to shelter from the wind and reduce the effort needed to maintain the same speed.
What is a drivetrain?
The drivetrain is the complete system of components, chainrings, chain, cassette, and derailleurs, that transmits pedalling power to the rear wheel.
What is an echelon in cycling?
An echelon is a diagonal riding formation used in crosswinds, allowing riders to shelter from wind that is not directly a headwind.
What is effective top tube (ETT)?
Effective top tube is the horizontal distance from the head tube to the seat tube, measured level regardless of the actual top tube’s slope, used to compare frame reach across bike designs.
What is enduro mountain biking?
Enduro is a mountain biking discipline timed only on descending stages, with untimed transfers between them.
What is a feed zone?
A feed zone is a designated section of a race course where riders can collect food and drink from team support staff.
What is fixed-gear cycling?
Fixed-gear cycling uses a drivetrain with no freewheel mechanism, meaning the pedals turn continuously whenever the bike is moving.
What is a freehub?
A freehub is the ratcheting mechanism built into the rear wheel hub that allows the bike to coast while the cassette remains stationary.
What is FTP in cycling?
FTP, or functional threshold power, is the highest power output a rider can sustain for approximately one hour.
What is a gap in cycling?
A gap is the distance or time separating one group of riders from another; gap closure is the act of reducing that distance.
What is general classification (GC)?
General classification is the overall ranking in a multi-stage race, based on cumulative time across all stages.
What is gear ratio?
Gear ratio is the relationship between the number of teeth on the chainring and the sprocket in use, determining how far the bike travels per pedal revolution.
What is a gran fondo?
A gran fondo is a long-distance mass-participation cycling event, typically timed but run alongside genuine racing categories.
What is gravel riding?
Gravel riding is cycling on unpaved roads and mixed surfaces using bikes built for a blend of speed and off-road durability.
What is a groupset?
A groupset is the collective term for a bike’s drivetrain and braking components sold as a matched set.
What is guttering in cycling?
Guttering is the effect of a crosswind echelon that pushes riders unable to find shelter into the road’s gutter, at a significant power disadvantage.
What is half-wheeling?
Half-wheeling is the etiquette violation of persistently riding half a wheel ahead of a riding partner, forcing them to work harder to stay level.
What is handlebar drop?
Handlebar drop is the vertical distance between the top of the handlebars and the lowest point of the drop section.
What is a headset (bike)?
The headset is the bearing assembly that allows the fork to rotate within the frame for steering.
What are hoods, drops, and tops?
Hoods, drops, and tops are the three principal hand positions on a drop handlebar, the brake lever covers, the curved lower section, and the straight top section respectively.
What is Intensity Factor (IF)?
Intensity Factor is the ratio of normalized power to functional threshold power, expressing how hard a ride was relative to a rider’s threshold.
What is KOM/QOM?
KOM and QOM stand for King of the Mountains and Queen of the Mountains, the event-based classification awarded to the rider who leads over categorised climbs in a stage race; the same initials are also used by ride-tracking platforms for a leaderboard achievement on a mapped segment.
What is a leader's jersey?
A leader’s jersey is a distinctive garment worn by the rider currently leading a race classification, such as the yellow jersey in the Tour de France.
What is a lead-out in cycling?
A lead-out is a tactic in which a rider paces a teammate at high speed in the final stretch of a race to position them for a sprint.
What is mountain biking?
Mountain biking is cycling over off-road and often technical terrain on bikes built for that purpose.
What is a neutral zone in cycling?
A neutral zone is a section at the start of a race, before racing officially begins, in which riders travel together at a controlled pace.
What is neutralisation in cycling?
Neutralisation is a temporary suspension of racing during an event, often due to a hazard, during which the race result is unaffected by position.
What is normalized power?
Normalized power is a power figure adjusted to reflect the physiological cost of a variable-intensity ride, weighted more heavily toward higher efforts than a simple average.
What does it mean to be on the wheel?
Being on the wheel means riding in the direct draft immediately behind another rider.
What is a pack finish or bunch sprint?
A pack finish, or bunch sprint, is a race result in which the main group arrives together and contests the finish as one field.
What is a paceline?
A paceline is a line of riders taking turns at the front to share the workload of breaking the wind.
What is the peloton?
The peloton is the main group of riders in a race.
What is points classification?
Points classification is a competition within a stage race awarding points at intermediate sprints and stage finishes, typically favouring sprinters over climbers.
What is a prologue (cycling)?
A prologue is a short individual time trial held before the first standard stage of a multi-day race, used to establish an early leader.
What is pulling through?
Pulling through is taking a turn at the front of a paceline before moving aside to let the next rider lead.
What is Q-factor?
Q-factor is the horizontal distance between the outer faces of the crank arms, determining a rider’s stance width while pedalling.
What is a race category?
Race category is a classification system used to group riders or races by ability, experience, or license level; the specific numbering and rules vary by governing body and region.
What is road cycling?
Road cycling is cycling performed on paved roads, covering both racing and recreational riding.
What is saddle height?
Saddle height is the vertical distance from the pedal spindle to the top of the saddle, a primary bike fit measurement affecting leg extension.
What is saddle setback?
Saddle setback is the horizontal distance the saddle sits behind the bottom bracket, affecting a rider’s position over the pedals.
What is a seatpost?
The seatpost is the tube that connects the saddle to the frame and sets saddle height.
What is the difference between electronic and mechanical shifting?
Electronic shifting uses motorised derailleurs triggered by an electrical signal, while mechanical shifting uses a physical cable to move the derailleur.
What does sitting in mean in cycling?
Sitting in is riding in the shelter of a group or paceline without taking a turn at the front.
What is a slipstream in cycling?
A slipstream is the area of reduced air resistance directly behind a moving rider, exploited through drafting.
What is a sportive?
A sportive is a long-distance, mass-participation cycling event, typically timed for personal reference rather than competitive ranking.
What is a sprint train or lead-out train?
A sprint train, or lead-out train, is a coordinated sequence of teammates who each take a turn pacing a sprinter toward the finish, peeling off in order.
What is stack and reach?
Stack and reach are two frame geometry measurements, the vertical and horizontal distance from the bottom bracket to the head tube, used to compare rider position across different bike models.
What is a stage race?
A stage race is a multi-day event made up of individual stages, with an overall winner decided by cumulative time or points across all stages.
What is stem length?
Stem length is the horizontal length of the component connecting the handlebar to the fork’s steerer tube, used to fine-tune reach and handling.
What is a team time trial (TTT)?
A team time trial is a stage in which an entire team rides together against the clock, with the team’s time typically taken from a specified rider crossing the line.
What is a thru-axle?
A thru-axle is a wheel attachment system using a removable rod threaded directly through the frame or fork and hub, replacing the traditional quick release skewer.
What is a time cut in cycling?
A time cut is the maximum time allowed to finish a stage or race, calculated relative to the winner’s time, beyond which a rider is eliminated.
What is a time trial?
A time trial is a race format in which riders start individually or in small groups and race the clock rather than each other directly.
What is trail (bike geometry)?
Trail is a frame geometry measurement describing how far the front wheel’s contact point sits behind the steering axis, influencing a bike’s handling stability.
What is track cycling?
Track cycling is racing held on a velodrome, a banked oval circuit, typically on fixed-gear bikes without brakes.
What is Training Stress Score (TSS)?
Training Stress Score is a single figure combining the duration and intensity of a ride, derived from normalized power and intensity factor, to quantify training load.
What is a tubeless tyre system?
Tubeless is a tyre and rim system that seals air directly against the rim, without an inner tube, typically using a liquid sealant.
What is tyre clearance?
Tyre clearance is the maximum tyre width and tread depth a frame and fork can physically accommodate.
What is tyre pressure?
Tyre pressure is the air pressure inflated into a tyre, a key variable affecting rolling resistance, comfort, and grip.
What is tyre width?
Tyre width is the inflated width of a tyre, affecting its rolling resistance, comfort, and the tyre clearance a frame requires.
What is ultra-distance cycling?
Ultra-distance cycling covers races and rides that extend well beyond a single day, often self-supported and raced continuously with minimal rest.
What is Variability Index (VI)?
Variability Index is the ratio of normalized power to average power, indicating how steady or erratic a rider’s power output was during a ride.
What is wheelbase?
Wheelbase is the horizontal distance between the front and rear wheel axles, affecting a bike’s stability and manoeuvrability.
What is a wheelset?
A wheelset is the matched pair of front and rear wheels fitted to a bike, including rims, spokes, and hubs.
What is wheelsucking?
Wheelsucking is an informal, often pejorative term for persistently sitting in the draft of another rider without contributing to the pace-setting.
What is yaw angle?
Yaw angle is the angle between a rider’s direction of travel and the apparent wind, which changes a bike and rider’s real-world aerodynamic drag.
