Bike speak

Alloy - it makes frames and rims lighter and stronger

Bar ends - metal extensions to the handlebars

Big ring - the largest of the front chainwheels

Butted tubes - either double or triple - frame tubing which has walls which go thin at the centre to reduce weight

Cadence - the speed at which you pedal, aim for 80-100 rpm

Cleats - the mechanism that is screwed to the sole of the shoe to fit clipless pedals

Clipless pedals - your shoe is attached to the pedal with cleats

Computer - measures your speed, distance travelled, cadence etc

Cro-mo (chromoly) - short for chrome-molybdenum. This is high tensile, steel alloy used for making cycle frames

Granny ring - the smallest of the chainwheels

Groupset - collective term for all the main components of the bicycle

Halogen - a very bright, white light

Honking - not what you think! - the term used for pedalling out of the saddle when going up hill, sprinting, or just to stretch your legs

Knobblies - the term given to deep tread tyres often found on mountain bikes

LED - light emiting diode - a small but very bright light

Pannier bags - cycle luggage which attaches to the bike rack

Pilot (or captain) - the rider on the front of a tandem

Presta valve - the long thin valve found on road, touring and hybrid bikes

Quick release (QR) skewers - a means of tightening and releasing a wheel quickly

Schraeder valve - the fat valve, mainly found on mountain bikes

Semi-slicks - tyres with partial or shallow tread found on hybrid, touring and
citybikes

Slicks - sticky tyres with no tread

Shifter - gear changing lever

Snell - the 'Snell Foundation' carries out safety tests on helmets

SPD - 'Shimano Pedalling Dynamics' - Shimano's term for its clipless pedals

SPUD's - slang term for SPD's

Stoker - the person on the back of the tandem

Twist shift - method of changing gear by twisting part of the grip on the handlebar

Wheelbase - the distance between the wheel axles