terminology

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beer

Singlespeeder fuel.

"Beer Rule"

The rule which states that the night before a singlespeed race a certain amount of beer must be consumed (generally 5 pints) and for each pint less than that amount a starting time penalty will be applied. Thus those who only drink 4 pints will start 1 minute behind those who managed their quota. Teetotallers start 5 minutes back. Opportunity is usually given at the start line to drink oneself back to the proper time.

boom tube

The tube joining the bottom brackets on a tandem. Also known as a keel tube. Very stressed, but a great place for sponsors logos.

captain

The person on the front of a tandem. Responsible (if that's the right word) for steering, braking, gears, crashing, and warning the stoker about impending crashes.

Cheddar Challenge

The traditional end-of-season race in the UK, and for several years now the traditional official unofficial British singlespeed championships. Once there were 5 riders. Last year there were 80. Fancy dress optional but preferred. Will host the Europeans in 2000, and is going for the Worlds in 2001.

coffee

Subject of much cycling snobbery. Mainly the preserve of posey mountain bikers - road bikers and many serious mountain bikers prefer steaming mugs of tea - and Italian roadies. Best served hot strong black and in tiny cups.

crossover

Tandem chain arrangement where the timing chain sits on the opposite side to the drive chain. Seeing as there are no left hand drive bicycles (but we're working on it...) that will be the left then.

eccentric

1. A "bottom bracket within a bottom bracket" for adjusting chain tension on a tandem. A standard bottom bracket is located within another, larger, bottom bracket, but off-centre. Rotation of the larger eccentric moves the bottom bracket fore-aft, changing the distance between the two bottom brackets, thus tensioning the chain.
2. tandem riders and singlespeeders in general. Those that also tow trailers in particular.

grenade pin

The two pins which ensure a BOB trailer fork cannot pop off it's bobbins. Often the subject of debate amongst BOB owners fascinated with the idea of attaching them to string and removing them at speed.

keel tube

The tube joining the bottom brackets on a tandem. Also known as a boom tube.

Polaris

A two day bicycle orienteering event during which the competitors are expected to carry all their food, tent, and minimal clothing to survive the British weather. Tandems are A Good Thing on Polaris because one of you can map read without having to stop. And do gates. And you ride together instead of an anti-social 50 yards apart.

singlespeed

Any bike with no means of changing the gear ratios whilst on the move.

Singlespeeders Of Destruction

A one speed race team consisting of a bunch of one-speed reprobates many of whom are responsible for The Outcast 'zine. There is a flat bars/riser bars faction within the team who meet but once a year for the annual Red Bull 24 hour race where they exist on coffee, doughnuts, energy supplements and Red Bull. The fact that two of the team help organise the event does not help their results.

singulator

A chain tensioning device for those frames which have vertical dropouts where chain slack cannot be taken up by moving the wheel in the frame.

smile

A cheerful expression usually worn by singlespeeders free from the worry about gear choice. Also popular on the over 60s when a tandem hoves into view as it takes them back to their youth.

slack

1. Sag in the chain.
2. Singlespeed attitude.

stoker

The person at the back of a tandem. Responsible for doing all the work, map reading, and passing morale boosting chocolates to the captain on long climbs. It helps to have a sense of humour.

timing chain

The chain running from the front to the rear cranks on a conventional tandem.

Three Peaks

A cyclo-cross race in Yorkshire which instead of involving the local park for an hour involves three hulking great Yorkshire hills. Hills so steep you can lean on them for a rest while carrying your bike. Three Peaks racers are an odd mix of bikers and fell runners, each of which has their own particular favourite bits. Runners prefer the ups. Cyclists prefer the downs. Mountain bikes are banned - and so they should be - but this rule seems to be to keep in check the older riders who favour flat though narrow bars, rather than mountain biking youth who respect tradition and embrace the skinny tyred drop bars concept.

URT - Unified Rear Triangle

A form of rear suspension which places the bottom bracket and the rear hub on the same structural member. The chainstays and seat stays are joined to form a triangle - the Unified Rear Triangle - which pivots about some point on the main frame. It was conceived as a way of overcoming pedal induced suspenion bobbing before suspension designers realised that the weight of two legs moving up and down played a fairly significant part in it all.

The fact that the amount of rider weight acting through the shock varies with their stance (standing or sitting) means that the location of the pivot can make a major difference to the behaviour of the suspension.

URT frames with the pivot located close to the bottom bracket behave almost like 'normal' rear suspension, but some bikes use the patented 'sweet spot' and move the pivot well away from the bottom bracket. The most extreme example of this is perhaps the Klein URTs which have vastly different behaviours depending upon whether the rider is sitting or standing.

Singlespeed relevance:
Because the chain length is constant they can be used to build singlespeeds. We know of Trek and Scott examples here in the UK.

Wine

Singlespeeder fuel for the over 30s.