Biking 101: Basic Terms
If you’ve never ventured into the world of cycling before—or at least beyond around town—going on a long-distance ride can sound intimidating. Cycling may feel inaccessible - there’s lingo to know and bike maintenance to figure out. You might feel like throwing in the towel before you’ve even started. Here’s the thing though: being self-sufficient on a bike is a magical feeling.
With biking, there’s some lingo that might seem intimidating. We want to clarify some of the terms you might encounter when you’re starting out. Knowledge is power, so with these terms under your belt, cycling will feel a whole lot more accessible.
Cycling: This is used interchangeably with biking. Cycling is often used by those who regularly head out on two-wheels, but is nothing different than what you’ve done on your own bike around your neighborhood.
Frame: A bike frame refers to the medal structure of your bike (so, no wheels). Bike frames can be made of many different materials depending on how much you wanna spend on a bike and what you plan to do with it. Carbon fiber and aluminum are lightweight, meaning you’ll go faster, but they are pricey and bend/break easier. Steel frame bikes are less expensive, but they are heavy.
Rack: Though you may hear the term ‘bike rack’ referring to something that holds your bike (ie. a bike rack on the back of your car or a place to store your bike on a wall at home), a rack on your bike refers to a metal bracket you fasten to the bike frame above the back wheel. This is where you attach your panniers, with one hanging on each side of your bike. This is a rack that we’ve used and like.
Bike Jersey: A jersey is simply a shirt designed for biking. They are sweat-wicking and usually zip up the front. Jersey’s are close-fitting to minimize any flapping while you’re pedaling away. You don’t need to wear a shirt underneath a bike jersey.
Bib: A bib is a pair of shorts with built in suspender straps. These shorts have a few benefits: they are meant for biking so they’re lightweight and sweat-wicking; they have no waistband so they’re more comfortable than something that pinches on your middle; if you want padding, the bib helps keep the padding right where it needs to be; since bibs extend further up your backside, they won’t slip down. Again, these aren’t necessary to get started and there are plenty of cyclists who don’t use them. Another tip: don’t wear underwear. It causes chafing.
Biking Kit: This is a term for your biking outfit, and a more concise way to talk about your jersey and bib/shorts.
Bike Shorts: Bike Shorts are padded shorts that you wear while you ride. They cushion your butt from the seat to prevent pain from a long time in the saddle and from chaffing. They are tight so that they don’t ride up. Again, don’t wear underwear under these.
Clip-In Shoes and Pedals: Clip-in shoes, or cycling shoes, are a type of shoe made specifically for bike riding. While they’re not necessary, you may prefer them if you’re going to be putting a lot of time in on your bike. These shoes are used with a special pedal that you attach to your bike. The shoes, when pushed against the pedal, will click into place. This allows you to keep your feet aligned on the bike and use the momentum of your upstroke to move the bike. So, you’ll go a little faster. Unlike something like skis or snowboards, you can unclip the shoe from the pedal by twisting your foot away from the pedal. These pedals can be used with Clip-in shoes.
Multi-Tool: Broadly, multi-tools are a single tool with many different functions (think Swiss army knife) and can range from a tool with two types of pliers to oscillating screwdrivers that also function as sanders. In the cycling world, these are simple handheld tools that have Allen wrenches, screwdrivers, hex bits, etc., so that you can complete any necessary adjustments without lugging as many tools with you. We recommend one like this.
Panniers: (Pronounced “pan-yur” in America) These are simply bags that attach to your bike that hold your stuff. Whether that’s just your snacks and a camera, or your whole overnight camping set-up, panniers is the term for this specific type of bag. We recommend this set from Ortlieb.
Pedal Wrench: This is, quite simply, a wrench specifically designed for removing and attaching pedals. In some cases, you may be able to use a different type of wrench for this purpose, but a pedal wrench is the best approach for this task. Some pedal wrenches can be as much as $40, but this one from REI is great and under fifteen bucks.
Tire levers: These are small tools made of metal or hard plastic that assist with removing a flat tube from the wheel. You slip two levers between the wheel and the tube to help pop it off so you can replace the deflated tube. These can be found for as cheap as five bucks, like this pair here.
Tubes or Spare Tubes: A tube refers to the inflatable inner tube of your bike’s wheel. It sits on the wheel of the bike inside the tire. The treading you see on your bike’s wheel is actually just the tread and not what holds the air. The tube is what could break or pop and need replacing. Cyclists doing long trips will carry spare tubes in their panniers in case the one on your bike needs to be swapped out. Your bike tire will have a number on it indicating the size you’ll need when purchasing spares.
