Glossary of Mountain Bike Terminology

Last Updated: March 21, 2024

If you are unclear about what to call a part on your bike or if you want to understand the lingo at your local bike park, the list below will help you!

Bikes

MTB: An abbreviation for Mountain Bike; In sandwich terms, "MTB" represents your "meat to bread" ratio.
Hardtail: A bike with only front suspension.
Full suspension: A bike with both front and rear suspension.
Cockpit: The handlebars, stems, and everything attached to them. The place where the rider controls the bike with their hands.
Geometry: The angles of a bike's frame, which affect how the bike handles.
Slack: Refers to head tube angle. Slacker head tube angles have a more "raked" fork, placing the front wheel further from the rider and improving descending performance.
Flip Chip: An adjustment that alters a bikes rear suspension mounting position and alters the bikes geometry. Usually a removable "chip" with 2 positions.
Compression Damping: The resistance force when compressing a bike's suspension.
Rebound Damping: The resistance force on extension of a bike's suspension.
Suspension Damping: The process of controlling or stopping a spring’s oscillation on compression or rebound.
Travel: Refers to the length of suspension "travel" on a bike's suspension.
Sag: The amount of compression on a bike's suspension at rest with a rider in a ready position.
Tubeless: When tires are mounted using taped rims, and sealant in replacement of tubes. Utilized on almost all high end mountain bikes.
Through Axle: A solid axle threaded through a bike's frame or fork. Much stronger than a quick release.
Quick Release: An easy to remove, but weak axle standard.
Boost: The most common hub spacing on current mountain bikes: 110x15mm front, and 148x12mm rear.
Mullet: A bike using different wheel sizes; business up front, and party out back. Most commonly seen with a 29" wheel in front and a 27.5" wheel in the back.
Contact patch: The amount of tire physically contacting the ground with a larger patch providing better traction.
Chain Slap: The sound or feeling of a bike’s chain hitting the chain stay.
Chain Suck: A grinding sound or feeling when a bike’s chain doesn't cleanly release from the chainring, usually caused by a worn chainring or chain.
N+1: The concept where the sample size N stands for how many bikes you currently own, and the +1 stands for how many additional bikes you need. No matter how many bikes you have, the answer to how many you need is always N +1.

Riding

Joey: A derogatory term used in reference to awkward beginner riders. Usually seen in mismatching attire, wearing too much body armor, on an expensive yet poorly set up bike. Radically overconfident in their limited riding abilities, with no knowledge of trail etiquette.
XC: Cross country, a riding style primarily focused on long distance efficiency at the expense of downhill speed. Usually hardtail or full suspension bikes with 100-120mm travel.
Trail: A riding style based on perfect balance between climbing and descending abilities. Usually full suspension bikes with 120-150mm travel.
Enduro: A riding style based on the popular Enduro race format. Primarily focused on descending; Climb to earn your descent, but downhill is what you live for. Usually full suspension bikes with 150-180mm travel.
DH: Downhill. Usually lift or shuttle assisted; All descending. Usually full suspension bikes with 180-220mm travel.
Attack Position: The perfect neutral descending position: Arms and knees bent, neutral position on the bike.
Yard Sale: When a rider crashes so hard their gear goes flying in every direction.
Weight Weenie: A rider obsessed with saving weight on their bike, no matter the cost or other negatives.
Whip: A trick where the rider moves their bike sideways in the air, then whip the bike back to land.
Roost: When a rider kicks up loose dirt and sand while making a hard turn. Derived from the term "rooster tail".
Nose Bonk: The act of tapping the front wheel of the bike on the ground mid jump.
X-Up: Cross up; A trick where the rider turns their bars 180 degrees while airborne, thereby crossing their arms.
Manual: A form of wheelie where the rider drops their weight behind the bike while in motion, and uses balance without pedaling to maintain momentum.
Scrub: When a rider stays low and fast over a jump, often combined with a whip.
Huck: Launching off a large sketchy feature with no thought for consequence.
Drift: The act of sliding into or out of a turn, usually with only the rider's rear wheel.
Gnar: Refers to a particularly intense or difficult feature, or section of trail.
Poach: The act of riding an unauthorized trail. Most commonly seen as the riding of unsanctioned trails, or dodging trail access fees.
Dialed: Can be used in reference to a bike being absolutely perfectly set up, or when the rider is on their A game creating a feeling of being "dialed".
Shred: To ride a trail in an aggressive and skillful manner.
Shralp: Similar to shred or rip, but usually used to refer to hitting bermed turns incredibly hard, creating a loud "SHRALP" sound.
Sketchy: Commonly used reference to sections of trail which are particularly exposed or dangerous.
Line: The chosen path by a rider when multiple options are present. Can be good, or bad.
Dab: Taking your foot off a pedal and tapping off the ground to help maintain balance.
Flow: When the features on a trail and ones riding are perfectly in sync and create a feeling akin to floating or flying.
Clean: To ride a section of trail without incident (ie taking your feet off the pedals).
Rail: Riding a turn so quickly it feels like being on rails.
OTB: Over the bars (aka Endo); When a rider goes over the handlebars while crashing.
KOM: King of the Mountain; Refers to the rider holding the fastest ever time on a given section of trail.
Pinned: Descending at 100%, going as fast as humanly possible.
Bomb: Descending a trail "all out" with little regard for consequences.
Bonk: The feeling of pure, deep, exhaustion when one runs out of energy. Most commonly experienced when one has utilized all carbohydrate stores and run out of easy to burn energy sources.
Sandbagging: When a rider knowingly competes with lower skill level riders. Usually seen with insecure mediocre riders who want bragging rights.
Shuttle: When the riders' bikes are taken to the top of a trail by a vehicle in order to skip climbing. Popular for enduro and downhill riders.
Lift Assisted: When the riders' bikes are taken to the top of the mountain by a chair lift at a ski/snowboard resort. Exclusively for downhill riding.
No-Drop: A ride where the group understands no riders will be left behind, everyone sticks together.
Send it: To "go for it" aggressively, commonly heard in sayings such as "Don't be silly.. Just gonna send it!".
Session: Repeatedly riding a short section of trail, generally to improve skills.

Trails

Unsanctioned Trail: Also known as a social, or illegal trail. Any trail that is non permitted, or closed to use. See also: Why we need better mountain biking trail advocacy.
Why We Need Better Mountain Bike Trail Advocacy: See above.
Single Track: The most common mountain bike trail type: Narrow and only able to be ridden single file.
Hero Dirt: Also known as brown pow; When a trails moisture content is absolutely perfect, keeping dust down and creating excellent traction without being wet. Every rider's dream conditions.
Rock Garden: A short section of trail littered with large rocks.
Baby Heads: Round rocks the approximate size of a baby's head.
Fire Road: A boring forest access road that's only exciting for gravel riders, often utilized for climbing to the good stuff.
Berm: A banked turn, which can be ridden much faster than a flat turn. Can be either created naturally or built.
Gap Jump: A jump where the lip and landing are separated by an empty space. Much more dangerous as fully clearing the jump is mandatory.
Double: Another name for a gap jump, usually used in reference to smaller gaps that aren't mandatory.
Table(top) Jump: A jump with a raised flat "table" between the lip and landing. Much safer to learn on as the rider can land on the top of the jump if coming up short.
Feature: Any sort of additional technical element on a trail, such as a jump, ramp, or drop.
Wall Ride: A built wooden feature in the form of a steeply angled wall nearly perpendicular to the trail surface.
Pump Track: A dirt or paved track consisting of banked turns and rollers designed around gaining and maintaining speed by "pumping" the bike instead of pedaling.
Hip Jump: Any jump where the rider has to change direction in midair to hit the landing.
Lip: The takeoff or landing edge of a jump.
Drop: A technical feature, which cannot be rolled, where the rider must drop vertically off the lip. Most commonly off a rock, built wooden ramp, or a cliff.
Step up/down: A jump where the landing is significantly higher (up) or lower (down) than the takeoff ramp.
Kicker: A small jump with a steep takeoff lip.
Booter: A small jump usually formed from natural features.
Loam: Soft, moist, and loose dirt. Commonly seen in deep woods of the Pacific Northwest
Hardpack: Rock hard packed down dirt.
Moondust: Deep, powdery, and dusty. Considered less than ideal for riding due to its unpredictable and surfy feel.
Off-Camber Turn: Any turn where the outside of the turn is lower than the inside edge, generally particularly difficult to maintain traction.

Still Need Help?

If you have any other questions, feel free to email us at info@mikesbikes.com or call us at 866-600-2453. We’re always here to help!