Leisure Cycling : Bike Talk

Alloy	it makes frames and rims lighter and stronger
Bar ends	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