[Closed] Cycling words which annoy you....

Non-French roadies being pretentious and using French.

Its not a bidon its a bottle

Its not a parcours its a course or a route

Its not a musette its a food bag.

A 'quiver' is surf speak for a collection of boards (more than 6). A surfer has a choice of different boards so go and shoot the waves.
So think it's fair enough to use the same lingo in biking. Providing of course that you have more than 6 bikes in your quiver!

Uponthe downs - Great post, chapeau!

the war room ! WTF?
[img] [/img]

uponthedowns I take it you call the current grant tour 'the tour of France'?

Oh and people in mixing mile and kilometres.

Its not a musette its a food bag.

As long as I can remember it's been a musette which is 30 years+

Not heard much now, but how about "spiking", never heard of until somebody developed service components to cure it, and all of a sudden every suspension component suffered from it.

Fork action that is described as [b]buttery smooth[/b].......I blame Marlon Brando 8) .....can't journos' find something else to describe how the bloody things work.

There appears to be no 'in-between' it's either [b]buttery smooth[/b] or the other favourite, [b]stiction[/b] 👿

if we invented a new word on this forum and used it regularly, how long would it take before it appeared in print?

Ghetto - bodging
Sessioning - riding the same bit again and again
Northshore - when it's actually just a wooden bridge
Singletrack - when used to describe a normal "path."
Hardpack/firetrail - when it's just a road
Technical - when it just has a little drop/root

Quiver is for surfboards (or windsurfers) NOT for bikes.

BONK... most of the words mentioned so far have suitable alternatives and/or are easily understood by the majority of the english speaking world..

except for the childish and irreverent bonk

I think you will find that to 'bonk' (to run out of energy), had been in the cycling language long before it came in to common usage (to have sex).

Fork action that is described as buttery smooth.......I blame Marlon Brando .....can't journos' find something else to describe how the bloody things work.

Now there is even "I can't belive it not butterly somooth".

People saying Chapeau

if we invented a new word on this forum and used it regularly, how long would it take before it appeared in print?

Great idea. Lets revive some 80's slang...personally I miss the word 'Kushty'

I'd like to nominate Chad. Not the country, never been there. When I worked in an LBS a student we described poor quality stuff as Chad, as in Chad Valley toy shop quality.

Aye, Bonnk & Musette have been used for years.

@surf-matt. If its in a forest it almost is a firetrail (well, fireroad) though.

Thing I dislike is when words like 'sick' and 'rad' are delivered by Brits with a half-hearted attempt at a North American accent. By all means use the words, but in your 'own' voice, please...

(Queens English):"I was out cycling today on some rather fine singletrack, when I encountered a somewhat rad technical section with a distinct element of gnarl. I was able to complete this section without dabbing. I am happy to report that this experience was somewhat sick in nature and left me feeling rather stoked. I will be home for tea in half-an-hour..."

The first time I heard the term darkside in a cycling reference was when it was used to describe recumbent bikes/trikes, and the riders thereof.

Is it also frowned upon to use the term in that occasion? Because I might otherwise have to revert back to calling them completely ****ing idiotic instead.

i was reading this thread, with increasing comfort that although there are many new 'english' words i dislike, i could think of no biking related words that annoyed me.

and then, thanks to the fork-related post from Graham, i realised that i intensely dislike the word 'plush'

what does it even mean!?!?

at least 'huck' 'gnarly' 'fireroad' etc, are words that mean something; a huck is a drop without a landing transition, gnarly is something technical and intimidating, a fireroad is a gravel forest road - only with 3 less syllables...

but wtf does plush mean? - we already have to deal with words like 'sensitivity' and 'spring-rate' and 'progressiveness' - i cannot think what aspect of fork behaviour can be described at 'plush'

it's even a horrible word to say, unlike 'plinth' and 'peninsula'...

MartinGT - Member

@surf-matt. If its in a forest it almost is a firetrail (well, fireroad) though.

I think you will find that to 'bonk' (to run out of energy), had been in the cycling language long before it came in to common usage (to have sex).

I will concede that a quick google search backs up your theory.. but as this only throws up some chad american dictionary references and a spurious connection to the word being used in reference to cycling on a 1955 film.. I am not convinced that your argument is anything other than outrage and misguided poppycock..

besides which.. my argument was not with the authenticity and provenance of the word.. but with the suitability..

darkside - it's not a vampire movie

Content - warning darkside content inside or or contains slick tyre content - boils my pee that does.

Front Traction
Rear Cassette
Perch
"Radical" to describe something quite conventional eg "Radically Sloped Top-Tube" (C) MBR 1990-2010

"stoked" is an interesting case - 'cos much as americanisms and neologisms annoy me there really is no synonym for "stoked" that I know - you can even say it is a sentance really.

After that ride I was somewhat excited and proud with a surfeit of adrenaline

steel is real -- when quite clearly the differences apart from weight are marginal

Marin

I will concede that a quick google search backs up your theory..

I use the term "the darkside" but to refer to the bits of cannock chase far away from the trail center crowds where it's dark and dank and there are lions and tigers and bears (and black panthers and werewolves if you believe the local press) so what should I use instead to ensure that I don't cause boiling wee amongst the STW massive?
alternatives:

the soggy, rooty off camber bits you have to have good local knowledge of to find ?

or

the bits which make all the trail center stuff over on the other side look Shite, but let's not tell everyone otherwise they'll get trashed?

Steelfreak made me laugh anyway. I do feel he could have worked harder and introduced "crumpets" and "medals" but otherwise a fine effort.

I'm not a big fan of bike reviews that describe a frame as "laterally stiff but vertically compliant" or the other way round. I think they're telling fibs 😉

Nooop, parents where using that term back in the 50's and 60's

That's all very well and good.. and I'm not disputing your info.. only I'm pretty sure that the term bonk as a sexual description pre-dates the bicycle by some considerable time..

I think that YOU will find that you have entirely missed my point.. and this is a silly debate that I cannot prove.. and one that I would not have entered into if I hadn't encountered the distasteful 'I think you'll find.....' earlier in the thread..

I'm off for my lunch..
ciao

darkside
hooning/to hoon
plush (when referring to forks)
ghetto
chainwhip - it's a bit of chain on the end of a stick
hydration pack - dunno why but it just sounds a bit over the top for what is essentially a bag full of water with a tube running out of it.

tazzy, fancy showing us round the good bits of the "darkside" at cannock some time? I'm a bit bored of ftd/the monkey now but I think cannock is the closest half decent off road place to me. Think I've done some that were apparently called "rollercoaster" and "pebbles" which were fun, I don't know if they're what you're on about though.

_tom_ it would be a pleasure mate, drop me an email (in profile) and I'll sort something out to suit your fitness and what kind of riding you like.

cheers

Taz

weekend warrior
SL
darkside
steed

"fail"

"Overbiked"

Colourway.

It's a friggin's colour[b]scheme[/b]!

best price
discount
'my mate knows about bikes'

kushty and chad/chadvalley until they get in print in MBUK then?

Fireroad

It's not a fireroad, it's a forest road. [Actually some forest roads probably also act as fire-breaks and access for fire-fighting peeps. Not that forest fires are common in damp Wales]

"new standard"

Fire breaks are fire breaks, may or may not contain roads, fire roads are for getting the kit in where there are a lot of forest fires. Here they're just forest roads.

My pet hate is still double track.

carbon bikes..(cos i cant afford 1 )

God it must be tough being you lot.

On One

thrutch/thrutching - as used by STW journos

'drift'

when what you mean is 'skid'

or 'my tyre slipped and i cacked my pants'