"Road Test"

New from the University of Nebraska Press, Bicycling beyond the Divide: Two Journeys into the West by Daryl Farmer takes readers on two rollicking and occasionally rocky cross-country bike rides—one performed by the author twenty years ago as a college dropout and the other, a retracing of the original ride attempted by the older and wiser (and slightly stouter) Farmer. In today’s “Tuesday Trivia,” we test your knowledge of bike terminology. Do you know a fork from a frame? A hybrid from a hardtail? Here’s your chance to find out…

Match each bike term to its definition:

1. Pedal Bob
2. Baby Head
3. Hardtail
4. Hybrid
5. Travel
6. Fork
7. Frame
8. Wheel system
9. Road bike
10. Clipless Pedals

A. A mountain bike without rear suspension (a traditional mountain bike)
B. Attaches the steering system (handlebars and stem) to the front wheel.
C. An integrated wheel structure where the spokes, runs, and hubs are specifically designed to work together
D. The undesirable rear up-and-down motion that occurs in a traditional full suspension bike as a result of pedaling
E. A bike with narrow tires best suited for paved roads—usually noted by drop style bars
F. The distance a suspension system allows the wheel to move
G. Slang for a large trail-interrupting rock
H. The heart of the bicycle—all parts of the bike are attached to this
I. The grafting together of a road bike and a mountain bike in a model equally suited for road and trail riding
J. Similar to ski bindings, these contain a mechanism which attaches to a cleat in the bottom of dedicated cycling shoes, creating an efficient pedaling motion by allowing the rider to pull up as well as push down on the pedals

Answers: 1-D; 2-G; 3-A; 4-I; 5-F; 6-B; 7-H; 8-C; 9-E; 10-J

How was your ride?
0-2: Stick a bike fork in you—you’re done.
3-5: Pretty pedal-ful.
6-8: Wheel done!
9-10: BMX-cellent!