Glossary of Bicycling - B

B

bag of spanners

To totally lose all ability to pedal smoothly after overexertion but still remain on one's bike. Expressive: "He's pedaling like a bag of spanners".

BBAR

Short for British Best All-Rounder, a season-long time trial competition held in the UK.

backie

Colloquial noun meaning to give a second person a ride on a bicycle (UK English), see pump.

bacon

Marks of road rash on a cyclist's body.

bead

Designates the part of the tire that cliches to the wheel's rim.

berg

The term “berg” means a climb. Berg is the Dutch word for "hill" or "mountain", explaining why a lot of the famous climbs in the Dutch Classics contain that suffix (Cauberg, Keutenberg, etc).

beyond category

See hors catégorie.

bicycle shaped object

Also department store bicycle or abbreviated as BSO, a cheaply produced but poor quality bicycle commonly sold in flat packs at big-box stores, mainstream stores and anywhere else but local bike shops.

bidon

A water bottle.

bike bling

An aftermarket component that is designed to enhance the appearance of the bike.

blocking

Riders of one team who set a relatively slow tempo at the front of a group to control the speed, often to the advantage of one of their teammates who may be in a break.

blow up

A rider who has gone into oxygen debt and loses the ability to maintain pace is said to have blown up, variations include popping, exploding and detonating. This is a more temporary condition than cracking or hitting the wall.

bonk

See hit the wall.

booties

Fabric shoe covers worn by cyclists to protect their feet from rain.

bottom bracket

The bearing assembly which allows the crankarms to rotate relative to the frame. May or may not include the spindle which connects the two crankarms, depending on the standard to which it was designed.

bowling ball

Someone coming quickly through the pack after getting caught. Soon to be dropped off the back.

boxed in

To be positioned in a peloton or other pack of riders, regardless of size, such that one is unable to move ahead of the other riders. This usually refers to the sprint where one is unable to improve one's finish placing due to the inability to maneuver around other riders, e.g. "I felt really fast, but the other team had me boxed in the gutter and I couldn't move up."

brain bucket/lid

A bicycle helmet designed to prevent or lessen damage to the head and face of a rider; this term is considered slightly insulting and is usually used by those advocating not using helmets.

breakaway

Breakaway, or break in short, is when a small group of riders or an individual have successfully opened a gap ahead of the peloton.

brick

A rider who is a slow climber but an efficient descender.

bridge

When a lone rider or smaller group of riders closes the space between them and the rider or group in front of them. This term oftn refers to when riders catch up with the main pack (or peloton) of riders or those who are leading the race.

broom wagon

In road bicycle racing, a synonym for SAG wagon. The broom wagon often has a broom fixed to the front of it. This is a reified metaphor for the action of "sweeping" the course.

bunch

Synonym of peloton.

bunch engine

A rider who sits at the front of a group and chases down escapees or breaks, for no apparent tactical advantage. Mostly found in amateur races.

bunch sprint

The riders arrive near the finish in massive numbers to contest the victory and attempt to draft their sprinters in a good position to claim the victory. Speeds higher than 60 km/h are to be expected.

bunny hop

To cause one's bicycle to become airborne by lifting the front wheel and then the rear wheel into the air with such timing that both wheels are simultaneously airborne for a period. Bunny hops are performed either to navigate course features, to perform tricks or to avoid obstacles, depending on the discipline of competition.