A to B Magazine

Glossary of technical, folder-specific and electric bike terms
The list will grow!

Cadence
When you're talking about pedal movement, 'speed' is not strictly accurate, because it only implies a rotary motion. Hence the bicycle world uses the word cadence from the Latin cadere, meaning 'to fall'. Cadence can be thought of as the speed with which your legs rise and fall as the pedals rotate. The usual context might be in relation to gears, a high gear giving a 'low cadence' (pedals hard to move, but spinning slowly), and a low gear a 'high cadence' (pedals spin freely, but fast). What you're looking for is a 'comfortable cadence' - somewhere in the middle and slightly different for everyone.

Cumbersome
Long, long ago, a 'Folder' magazine subscriber used the word to describe the other 99% of bicycles in the world that didn't fold. It stuck and is frequently used in folding bike circles, somewhat to the annoyance of some traditional cyclists.

Epicyclic Gears
The normal sort of enclosed gear system on a bicycle, and especially on small-wheeled bikes. Usually found in the rear hub, but as part of the pedal crank axle in the 'bottom bracket'. The name refers to the fact that the system uses small cogs revolving around the periphery of a large one. Thus, it is also (and more prettily) known as th 'Sun-and-Planet' system.

Gear Ratio
The difference between the speed of the pedals and the speed of the bicycle wheel. In A to B, we refer exclusively to the old English system of 'gear-inches', and it's one of the last imperial measurements will still use. This depicts the effective diameter of the rear wheel. For example, if a bicycle has a 20-inch wheel driven from a 40-tooth crank to a 10-tooth chainring, the gear-inches of the machine will be 40 (teeth) divided by 10 (teeth) multiplied by (the size of the wheel) 20 = 80-inches. That's how big the wheel would have to be if the pedals were fixed directly to it, rather than driving it through the cogs and chain.
As a very rough guide, 30-inches is a suitable bottom gear for climbing hills, 60-inches is a good middle gear, and 90-inches is a good top gear.

Headset
One of those annoying cycle-specific phrases. It means the top and bottom steering bearings around which the handlebars turn.

Indicator Chain
For many years, hub gears were adjusted by viewing the position of the little gear-changer chain where it emerges from the hub. This system is rare today, but the chain is usually still called the 'indicator'.

Monotube Frame
This simply means a bicycle frame with only one main tube. Most bicycles have a 'diamond' pattern frame built from a number of tubes, but monotubes are common on folders, because this obviously requires only one hinge. Taking all the stress, the single tube is often quite large in diameter.

Monocoque
Sounds horribly technical. Rarely applicable to bicycles, a monocoque is a cleverly designed vehicle body, strong enough to do away with the need for a separate chassis to carry the engine and other bits and pieces. Most cars and aeroplanes are built this way.

Package
This means the folded package of a folding bike, or the packed size of the bike, measured as though it were going into a box. These days the package dimensions are measured in centimetres and the volume in litres, but most people will be more familiar with cubic feet, which we still usually include in brackets. For example, 10 cu ft is big, 7 cu ft is medium, and 4 cu ft is small.

Play
Nothing to do with enjoying yourself. 'Play' is an engineering term relating to the amount of detectable movement between two (usually rigid) parts.

Stiction
A lovely word, bringing together friction and stickiness. Think of a big greasy mechanism.

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