Attack: A sudden acceleration to move ahead of another rider or group of riders.

   Bottom bracket: A hole in the base of a bike frame where the axle unit is attached.

   Break/breakaway: A rider or group of riders that has left the main group behind.

   Brodie/broadie: In mountain biking, a locking up of the rear brake to force the rear end to skid around so as to make a sharp turn.

   Bunny-hop: To jump the bike, without dismounting, over an obstacle.

   Caliper brakes: A brake consisting of two brake blocks which are drawn towards each other through a central pivot and which grip the rim of the wheel.

   Carve: 1. to make a hard turn with a smooth, clean line. 2. to gouge a groove or rut into dirt by sliding or spinning the rear tyre.

   Chainsuck: The chain getting caught between the chainstay and the rear wheel.

   Chasers: Riders trying to catch a breakaway group.

   Clunking: The original term for mountain biking, when the practice involved stripping down cruiser bicycles and racing them down fire roads, trails etc.

   Cornering clearance: The amount of lean angle a bicycle can have without digging a pedal; also called pedal clearance or road clearance.

   Cross country: A mountain bike race contested over trails, bush or forest roads, tracks etc.

   Digging a pedal: A pedal hitting the ground while the rider is leaning into a turn.

   Downhill: A non-Olympic mountain bike event in which riders race down a hill one-by-one, the winner being the rider with the fastest time.

   Draft: To ride closely behind a competitor, saving energy by using that racer as a windbreak.

   Drift: The bike slipping sideways while going forward, usually as a result of taking a corner too hard.

   Fat-tyre: A term for a mountain bike, so called because of their comparatively wide tyres.

   Feeding station / zone: Terms for areas where riders in mountain bike or road races can pick up both food and liquid refreshments.

   Force the pace: To increase speed to make the group to go faster.

   Granny gear: The smallest chainring on a mountain bike, combined with the biggest sprocket to make the lowest gear; also called pixie gear or weenie gear.

   Hammer: To ride hard.

   Hardtail: A mountain bike with no rear suspension.

   Highside: Being thrown from the bicycle in a direction counter to the turn.

   Kick out: 1. a cornering technique in mountain biking that involves putting weight on the front wheel and shifting the body to one side so that the back wheel slides outwards. 2. the airborne lateral movement of a wheel when it loses contact with the riding surface in a turn.

   Lap: One loop of the track, course or circuit.

   Lapped: A rider who has fallen behind another rider by one lap of the track, course or circuit is said to have been lapped.

   Mass start: A race start in which all racers start at the same time.

   Mechanical: Slang for a mechanical problem with the bicycle.

   Off-camber: A curve in the trail that throws riders to the outside of the turn.

   Pedal clearance: The amount of lean angle a bicycle can have without digging a pedal; also known as "cornering clearance" or "road clearance".

   Peloton: The main group of riders; also called the pack, bunch or field.

   Pits: Stations along the course where repairs can be made.

   Pixie gear: The smallest chainring on a mountain bike, combined with the biggest sprocket to make the lowest gear; also called granny gear or weenie gear.

   Pull: To take a turn at the front of the group, maintaining the same speed of the group.

   Pushclimb: A section of a mountain biking trail with inadequate traction or too-steep a pitch, that forces cyclists to dismount and carry their bikes.

   Rail: To ride fast and cleanly through a corner.

   Road clearance: The amount of lean angle a bicycle can have without digging a pedal; also known as cornering clearance or pedal clearance.

   Rock dodge: To steer the handlebars quickly to one side to avoid small road hazards.

   Single track: A path or trail wide enough for only one rider at a time.

   Sitting in: Drafting, or sitting closely behind the rider immediately in front.

   Skid: To lose tyre traction, causing the bike to slide off course.

   Snakebite: The most common type of flat tyre, caused by hitting an obstacle so hard that the innertube is pinched against the rim.

   Softtail: A mountain bike with rear suspension.

   Spin out: To lose rear wheel traction in a turn and have the rear of the bike slide outwards so that the bike turns completely around.

   Spokes: The arms inside a wheel rim.

   Sprint: 1. a high-speed race, usually over a short distance. 2. the final high-speed dash for the finish line in race of any distance.

   Sweeper: A wide turn.

   Switchback: A tight, zigzag turn on the face of a mountain, either uphill or downhill.

   Technical: A section of trail fraught with obstacles designed to test a mountain biker's skill.

   The Countersteering: A manoeuvre used by expert riders to control a skid, executed by steering the bike momentarily in the opposite direction from which they want to turn.

   Time trial: A race in which riders start individually and race against the clock.

Credit: IOC

For further info., please visit http://www.olympic.org/uk/sports/programme/disciplines_uk.asp?DiscCode=CM.