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Use our mountain biking slang dictionary to ensure you have your dope chat dialled before you attempt to shred the gnar. YEEW!

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Bail

v. Leaping off the bike to avoid a more serious crash. Best done into a soft pile of leaves at the side of a trail.

“Thank God I bailed before I hit that tree.”

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Berm

n. A banked corner that can be ridden faster than a flat corner. A very common trail feature.

“I went so fast around that berm.”

Red Bull Rampage qualifying Aggy

Booter

n. A large jump that requires a lot of commitment.

“Wow, he went so far off that booter.”

BSO

abbrev. Bike Shaped Object. A cheap bike designed to look like a mountain bike that would have no real off-road use. Often bought from a supermarket.

“I would never take that BSO off-road.”

Clean

v. To complete a section of trail without crashing, stopping or taking your feet off the pedals.

“I cleaned that rock garden so easily.”

Dab

v. Quickly taking a foot off your pedal to stop yourself from crashing.

“Lucky I dabbed over those roots otherwise I would have gone down.”

Dialled

adj. When your set up is perfect allowing you to ride to the top of your ability.

“My bike feels absolutely dialled on this trail.”

Dope

adj. Good.

“That trail was dope.”

Downside

n. A downwards-facing slope that allows you to gain extra speed, it will normally be after a jump.

“I went so much faster when I landed on that downside.”

Edit

n. A short film showcasing the talents of a rider or riders

“I love watching the latest edits from Remy Metailler.”

Flow

n. The trail nirvana. A feeling all mountain bikers seek where one obstacle melds into another just perfectly. You know it when you’ve found it.

“That trail had perfect flow.”

Gap

n. A jump with a hole in the middle, this increases the risk for the rider.

“I’m so glad he cleared that gap.”

Gnarly

adj. An especially difficult feature.

“The rock garden on the trail was so gnarly.”

Huck

v. Performing a large jump without any real thought for the consequences.

“I can’t believe she hucked that 20 foot drop.”

Kicker

n. A steep jump that gives you a lot of airtime.

“I just flew off that kicker.”

LBS

abbrev. Local Bike Shop. Your go-to place for any repairs, upgrades or just a nice chat about bikes.

“I love my LBS so much.”

Trek Remedy 7 riding 1

Loam

n. A specific type of loose, dry dirt. Desireable for it’s grippy characteristics and the ability to create roost.

“The loam here is amazing.”

Loose

adj. To ride on the edge of control.

“Did you see how loose they were riding?”

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Northshore

n. Raised wooden board walks, named after the North Shore area of Vancouver that popularised this style of riding.

“That north shore looks too scary for me.”

Pimp

adj. Extremely nice bikes or components.

“Her anodised hubs looked pimp.”

Pinned

v. To ride fast

“I was so pinned on that trail”

Pump

1. v. A technique that allows you to gain speed without pedalling.

“You can get so fast by pumping on that track.”

2. n. A tool for inflating tyres

“Can I borrow your pump?”

Rad

adj. Good.

“That trail was rad.”

Rail

v. To ride a corner so well it is as if you are “on rails”.

“You totally railed that turn.”

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Roost

n. Dirt that is kicked up behind a rider as they ride sideways into a corner.

“You kicked up so much roost on that turn.”

Scrub

v. A motocross technique used to keep low and fast over a jump.

“I scrubbed that jump so hard.”

Session

v. To repeatedly ride a section until you have perfected it.

“I need to session those turns to get quicker”

Shralp

v. To ride in an aggressive manner.

“Me and my friends are going to shralp the Surrey Hills this weekend.”

Shred

v. To ride in an aggressive manner.

“My friends and I are going to shred the Surrey Hills this weekend.”

Sick

adj. Good

“That trail was sick.”

Snake Bite

n. A puncture gained by hitting a square edge. It leaves two parallel holes similar to a snake’s fangs

“Oh no, another sanke bite!”

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Step-down

n. A jump where the landing is lower than the take off.

“That step-down was really scary.”

Step-up

n. A jump where the landing is higher than the take off.

“That step-up was really scary.”

Stoked

adj. Excited.

“I’m so stoked to ride tomorrow.”

Stoppie

A nose wheelie.

“I can’t wait for the next stoppie Sunday.”

Tabletop

1n. A jump with a flat layer of dirt across the top, this is thought to be more safe than a double or gap jump.

“I much prefer riding tabletops over doubles.”

2n. A trick where the bike is laid flat underneath the rider in the air.

“Darren Berrecloth does the best tabletops.”

Taco

v. When a wheel has been bent by an impact to the extent that it looks like a taco.

“He just taco’d his wheel on that jump.”

Whip

v. When the bike is pushed sideways in the air. A whip is seen as a stylish manoeuvre.

“I wish I could whip like Danny Hart.”

Yew

spoken. A general expression of excitement.

“YYYEEEEWWWWWW!”