H
- half-wheel or half-wheeler
- A rider that rides half a wheel in front of another on training rides and group rides. No matter how much the pursuer speeds up to keep up with him/her, s/he stays that distance ahead. Usually these people are frowned upon and less desirable to ride with.
- hammer
- Hammer is used in three different ways in road cycling.
- What happens to a rider who suddenly loses the ability to race, as in "The man with the hammer got him" or "He got hit by the man with hammer". This is a reference to the experience boxers have when their legs become powerless and weak just before collapsing (as if they have been hit with a hammer) following a severe blow to the head. The abruptness with which this happens differentiates it from hitting the wall. Alternative expressions are "'tapped'" short for "he got tapped by the man with hammer".
- "to put the hammer down" means to pedal hard, often with the purpose of trying to eliminate opponents in a road race. As in the phrase "We really put the hammer down and sprinted to the end". Some commentators have been known to reference a wide range of workshop tools in their ongoing search for sporting metaphor.
- more literally, the verb "to hammer" refers to pounding along powerfully on the pedals, e.g. "Leipheimer really hammered hard for the entirety of stage 19".
- handicap
- A style of road racing in Australia where riders are given time handicaps in bunches, with scratch being the last riders to leave and limit being the first riders to leave. The time intervals between groups, and the allocation of riders to groups is decided by the race handicapper, based on rider's ability, age and form. Race honours are usually awarded to the first 5 to 10 riders (depending on the size race) and to the fastest time.
- handpump
- A domestique assisting his leader along the route or a mechanic pushing a rider (especially from a moving team car).
- hardtail
- A bicycle that does not have a rear suspension system.
- headset
- The bearing system in the head tube within which the handlebars rotate.
- head down
- Similar to "on the rivet" but slightly less extreme. A rider making a serious effort.
- hybrid
- A bicycle that is a compromise between a road bike and a mountain bike. Often chosen by cyclists for its comfort.
- hill climb (race)
- A short distance uphill race, usually an individual time trial over approx. 3–5 km. See Hillclimbing (cycling).
- Hit the wall
- To completely run out of energy on a long ride, also known as "bonking".
- hold a wheel
- Similar to follow but more dramatic. Holding a wheel may infer a rider is riding above his normal performance just to stay with a better rider or indicates he is about to be dropped or crack. Expressive "he can't hold the wheel".
- honking
- (UK English), see danseuse.
- hors catégorie, or HC
- The French term primarily used in cycle races (most notably, the Tour de France) to designate a climb that is "beyond categorization", an incredibly tough climb. Most climbs are designated from Category 1 (hardest) to Category 4 (easiest), based on both steepness and length. A climb that is harder than Category 1 is designated as hors catégorie.
- hors delai (HD)
- A French term literally meaning "out of time", for when a rider has finished outside the time limit in a race and is therefore eliminated.
- hunger knock
- Also shortened to "the knock". See hit the wall.
Read more about this topic: Glossary Of Bicycling