Welcome to the Savvy Cycling glossary page. If you know of terms we have missed please contact us.
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| Aero Helmet | An aerodynamic helmet to reduce wind drag. Often used in time trials. |
| Amps | A unit of electrical currents |
| ATB | All terrain bicycle |
| Bikeways | A bicycle lane or path |
| Bosch Active Line | A Bosch created motor system that powers the bike |
| Bosch Purion | An onboard computer system that is attached to the handlebars of the bike. The Purion shows the display and provides the assistance required when riding |
| Bottom bracket (BB) | This is bearing assembly which allows the crank to rotate relative to the frame. There are various types of bottom brackets. |
| BPM | Beats per minute. Refers to heart rate. |
| Brushless Motor | Old motors had "brushes" to make physical electrical connections to the windings that produce the electro-magnetic fields which make the motor turn. These are inefficient and prone to wear! Modern "brushless" motors use positional sensors that signal when to switch winding circuits. |
| Cadence | The number of pedal strokes per minute. |
| Campagnolo | Italian manufacturer of components and wheelsets. |
| Clipless Pedals | Pedals with a locking mechanism for cleats. There are different types of clipless pedals including Look, Shimano SPD etc. |
| Compression | Compression settings allow you to adjust the sensitivity of your fork or rear shock. |
| Continuous Power | The ability of the motor to output its power continuously for a certain period of time |
| Crank Drive | Some electric bikes have their motor in the centre of the bike, driving the crank. They can be noisey, being attached to the hollow frame which can act as a "sound box". |
| Deep Cycle | A rechargeable battery that was fully discharged |
| Display | The display is attached to the handlebars of the bike and shows you useful information about your electric bike while it is being used |
| Dropper Seatpost | A dropper seatpost can be adjusted in height via a remote on the handlebar. |
| E-bikes | A shortened term to describe electric bikes |
| Gear Range | The gear range is the difference between the highest and lowest available gears. |
| Gear Ratio | The gear ratio refers to the ratio between the front chainring and rear sprocket. |
| Hub Motor | When the motor is located in the front or rear hub on the electric bike |
| Integrated Battery | When the battery used to power the electric bike is fully hidden (integrated) within the frame |
| LiFePO4 | Lithium phosphate battery |
| Motor System | The motor system is what gives an electric bike its power. Motor systems can be front-wheel, rear-wheel or mid-mount systems |
| Newton Meters (NM) | The torque (or power) output of the motor |
| Pedal Sensor | So the controller knows when the pedals are being turned a small sensor is used, attached to the crank. This sends a signal to the controller which starts the motor |
| Pedelec (Pedal Electric Cycle) | A Pedelec is a bicycle with electric pedal assistance up to speeds of 25 km/h |
| Powerpack | Powerpack can be another term for battery when talking about electric bikes |
| Power Density | Power capacity of a battery in relation to it’s weight |
| Rebound Damping | The rebound damping allows you to adjust the speed at which your fork or shock extend after being compressed. |
| Sag | Also known as “negative travel,” the sag is the amount a fork or rear shock compresses under your body weight whilst sitting still on the bike. |
| Semi-Integrated Battery | When the battery used to power the electric bike is partly hidden (integrated) within the frame |
| Support Levels | A term used to describe the difference power assistance levels provided by the electric bike system |
| Tandem | A bicycle for 2 riders. |
| Throttle | A twist grip on the right side of the handle bar that provides instant power to the motor - great for setting off into traffic |
| Top Tube | The part of the frame that attaches the head tube to the seat tube |
| Torque | Torque is measured in Newton meters (Nm) and describes the rotational power of the motor |
| TransX | TransX are an electric bike motor system manufacturer that provide the motor, display, and components for bikes |
| Travel | Travel is the amount your fork or rear suspension can compress and extend. |
| Volts | The standard unit used to measure how strong an electrical current is that is sent around an electrical system |
| Walk Function | Provides you assistance when pushing your bike up to 6mph |
| Watt Hours (WH) | The watt-hours signify the capacity of the battery that comes with the bike. The watt-hours of the battery are calculated by Volts x Amps |
| Watt | The law limits the nominal power of an eMTB motor to 250 W. |