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. For riders looking to reduce their aerodynamic drag in individual time trials. |
| Amps | A unit of electrical currents. An ampere is a unit of measure of the rate of electron flow or current in an electrical conductor. |
| ATB | All terrain bicycle. A bike with a strong frame and fat tyres originally designed for riding in mountainous regions. |
| Bikeways | A bikeway is a lane, route, way or path which in some manner is specifically designed and for bicycle travel. A bike lane or path from which motor vehicles are excluded |
| Bosch Active Line | A Bosch created motor system that powers the bike. The Active Line is the small and lightest drive and ideal choice for cyclists who want moderate support during standard cycling trips. |
| Bosch Purion | The Bosch Purion is a computer for e-bikes with Bosch motor systems. The Purion allows you to view and change settings to your electric bike's functions. An onboard computer system that is attached to the handlebars, 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. Bottom brackets use bearings to allow rotation and are usually considered a service item. Some can be adjusted or rebuilt, |
| BPM | Beats per minute. Refers to heart rate. Your heart rate is the number of times your heart beats per minute (bpm). A standard heart rate is around 60 and 100 bpm while you're resting. |
| 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. Cadence is basically simple, it’s the number of revs your pedals make a minute as you ride. You don’t have to spend too long cycling to see that other riders will often pedal at different rates. |
| Campagnolo | Italian manufacturer of components and wheelsets. Campagnolo is an Italian manufacturer of high quality cycle components with its HQ in Vicenza, Italy |
| Cassette | The cassette is a cluster of sprockets found on the rear wheel that give the bicycle its gearing. The number of sprockets indicate the gears on the bike. For example a 9 speed cassette will have 9 sprockets. If the bike has 3 chainrings then the bike has 3 x 9 = 27 gears. |
| 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. A deep cycle battery is a battery that is made to produce steady power output over a period of time, discharging most of the battery , which then must be recharged to complete the cycle. |
| 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 |
| Drafting | Riding close to the rider in front to reduce wind resistance. |
| Dropper Seatpost | A dropper seatpost can be adjusted in height via a remote on the handlebar. Probably the main benefit of a dropper post is improved safety whilst riding. |
| 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. Battery packs that are integrated into the downtube can all be charged on-the-bike as well as off-the-bike. |
| 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. Most bikes have about 50 or 60 newton-metres of torque, others have 80 or 85 newton-metres of torque. |
| 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. Riding a tandem is easier than riding a solo bike plus trailer cycle. Its long wheelbase makes is very stable |
| 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 with assistance when pushing your bike up to 6mph. Basically, it allows riders to activate the electric pedal-assist motor while walking next to the bike. |
| 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. |
