L.A. Speak : Mountain Bike Babble

auger v. to take samples of the local geology involuntarily, usually with one’s face. Related terms: face plant, soil sample.

bacon n. a scab.

bunny hop v. a jump in which both wheels leave the ground. Useful for clearing such obstructions as gullies, logs, hikers.

corndog v. to become covered in silt, usually after a fall.

rag dolly v. to be tossed like a cartwheeling Raggedy Ann after a crash.

retro-grouch n. a rider who disdains new, high-tech equipment.

snake bite n. two holes in an inner tube caused by a wheel hitting something so hard that the rim rips into the tube.

spuds n. a pedal-and-cleat system that locks a rider’s shoes to the pedals. From SPD, Shimano’s brand name for its pedals.

taco v. folding a wheel after a crash.

techno-weenie n. a person obsessed with components.

three-hour tour n. a ride that looks like a piece of cake at the outset but turns out to be a death march.

unobtanium n. a mythical metal. A play on unobtainable and titanium.

vegetable tunnel n. a heavily overgrown trail.