Let me say from the onset that I’m a fred when it comes to cycling. But, I’m hoping that changes with a little time, road time and patience.
I’ll back up a bit here, with all the time I spend in the office with our resident roadie, Chip, it was hard not to get infected with the cycling bug, so when the opportunity to get a new bike, at a terrific price, came along, I jumped at the opportunity. So, after we figured out what kind of a deal we could get and I perused the different bike manufacturers — and tried not to faint at some of the prices. Some of these bikes are priced at $1,000,000, okay, not quite that much, but take a look at the price on some of the cyclocross bikes, and be sure you’re sitting down.

My new ride
It was a great day when my bike arrived, little did I know it would evoke the same kind of excitement in Chip as a young boy on Christmas morning about to get his first Red Flyer wagon. Chip explained to me that, as part of cyclist culture, I needed to become “one” with my bike by putting it together. With tools in hand, Chip and I set out to get my bike together and begin the process of symbiosis.
Well I think I will never buy a bike from a big box retailer again. There is something to be said for dealers, bike pros, etc.; there are just so many things that can go into tweaking and tuning a bike so it runs like a top notch, two-wheel machine. I could tell Chip was stoked to help me out when his pupils turned into little bicycle wheels. We got the bike set up in about an hour and then Chip gave me and the bike his master cyclist’s blessing.
Here’s the list of new terms I learned:
- Cassette (I thought we’d moved on to CDs by now)
- Sprocket (not new to me, but a cool word all the same)
- B spring
- Fred (what I am ’til I ride down a mountain)
- Crank
- Pedal (okay, I knew this one too)
- Lawyer Tab (it seems the legal system is everywhere)
- Headset (not the white earbuds coming out the sides of my head)
I’m excited to get riding, as odd as that sounds during the Winter, but I’ve got enough insulation, I should be fine. Chip informs me that now that I’ve got my bike, it’s time to accessorize, I’m game — after I learn all these new words! (Seriously though, thanks for your help Chip.)
[If you want to learn some of the popular cycling slang, check out these sites MTB slang and roadie slang.]