April 23rd, 2026 | by Sam Noel
You’re most likely starting to hear some chatter about it around the office. Maybe you’re hearing it from friends, or maybe your eager nephew or niece is regaling story after story of "white knuckling" last weekend. Spring mountain biking is here, and we're so psyched.
You want to join in on the conversation, but if you’re being honest, you don't totally understand everything they're talking about...“Did you love the hero dirt last night?” Huh? If you're looking for some new bike terms to add to your vocabulary, you’ve come to the right place. We consulted our in-house mountain bike lingo expert, Sam, and asked him to compile a list of every bike term you need to know to stay in the know this spring and summer.
Try throwing these out in conversation with your buddies after your next ride and prepare for everyone to be impressed.
You’re most likely starting to hear some chatter about it around the office. Maybe you’re hearing it from friends, or maybe your eager nephew or niece is regaling story after story of "white knuckling" last weekend. Spring mountain biking is here, and we're so psyched.
You want to join in on the conversation, but if you’re being honest, you don't totally understand everything they're talking about...“Did you love the hero dirt last night?” Huh? If you're looking for some new bike terms to add to your vocabulary, you’ve come to the right place. We consulted our in-house mountain bike lingo expert, Sam, and asked him to compile a list of every bike term you need to know to stay in the know this spring and summer.
Try throwing these out in conversation with your buddies after your next ride and prepare for everyone to be impressed.
Roost: When you carry a lot of speed into a berm or a rut and the rear wheel sprays up dirt, it's sick I promise.
Holeshot: Similarly to motocross racing, the start for mountain bike and cyclocross racing is always a sprint to the first corner to avoid getting caught up in any sort of antics. Getting the holeshot means you have won the race to the first corner.
Hero Dirt: Typically is found during the spring. After a long winter of precipitation, and saturated dirt, the drier days allow the moisture to begin to drain. The surface it leaves allows you to really push it, knowing with confidence that you can catch yourself if things start to get a little spicy. Could be said that hero dirt is to mountain bikers as crust skiing is to nordic skiers.
Roost: When you carry a lot of speed into a berm or a rut and the rear wheel sprays up dirt, it's sick I promise.
Holeshot: Similarly to motocross racing, the start for mountain bike and cyclocross racing is always a sprint to the first corner to avoid getting caught up in any sort of antics. Getting the holeshot means you have won the race to the first corner.
Hero Dirt: Typically is found during the spring. After a long winter of precipitation, and saturated dirt, the drier days allow the moisture to begin to drain. The surface it leaves allows you to really push it, knowing with confidence that you can catch yourself if things start to get a little spicy. Could be said that hero dirt is to mountain bikers as crust skiing is to nordic skiers.
Chunder: A generally fast section of trail that often has big roots, big rocks and maybe a little loose that you often have to carry your speed through to maintain your balance.
White knuckling: When you decide to ride above your level and follow someone like Adam Morse on a downhill, there's a chance you will end up gripping your bars so tight, your knuckles turn white.
Pre ride: The time you get on course before your race to dial in lines, your bike set up and warm up. But it is actually just a perfect time to show off your skills before fighting for your life to stay on the lead lap.
Half Wheeling: The term used when someone rides a wheel length ahead of you at all times making it awkward to have a conversation and impossible to go easy.
Chunder: A generally fast section of trail that often has big roots, big rocks and maybe a little loose that you often have to carry your speed through to maintain your balance.
White knuckling: When you decide to ride above your level and follow someone like Adam Morse on a downhill, there's a chance you will end up gripping your bars so tight, your knuckles turn white.
Pre ride: The time you get on course before your race to dial in lines, your bike set up and warm up. But it is actually just a perfect time to show off your skills before fighting for your life to stay on the lead lap.
Half Wheeling: The term used when someone rides a wheel length ahead of you at all times making it awkward to have a conversation and impossible to go easy.
Weekly Night Worlds: Weekly group rides that are treated with the same importance as a World Championship.
Town Line Sprint: A chance for the local youth to outsprint the masters blasters during Weekly Night Worlds.
Bonk: Aggressive half wheeling and too many townline sprints can lead to this.
Marginal Gains: What you tell yourself you are getting when you do things like shave your legs, wax your chain or tilting your hoods in (no gains).
Weekly Night Worlds: Weekly group rides that are treated with the same importance as a World Championship.
Town Line Sprint: A chance for the local youth to outsprint the masters blasters during Weekly Night Worlds.
Bonk: Aggressive half wheeling and too many townline sprints can lead to this.
Marginal Gains: What you tell yourself you are getting when you do things like shave your legs, wax your chain or tilting your hoods in (no gains).
All jokes aside, biking can feel intense and intimidating sometimes but this is your reminder that we're all a little lost on the fancy lingo! It's certainly not necessary in order to enjoy the sport. We promise you don't need to adopt an entirely new language to be taken seriously. But maybe, just maybe, you can chime in on that next conversation and make a new cycling buddy.
All jokes aside, biking can feel intense and intimidating sometimes but this is your reminder that we're all a little lost on the fancy lingo! It's certainly not necessary in order to enjoy the sport. We promise you don't need to adopt an entirely new language to be taken seriously. But maybe, just maybe, you can chime in on that next conversation and make a new cycling buddy.
For Quench'd this week, we spoke with Flanders native David Desablance about the magic of cycling in the Flanders region between Belgium and France. Home to many famous races and cobble streets.
