Roadie-speak for dummies :)

One of my favorite bike blogs, BikesnobNYC, wrote a piece on "infrequently asked questions." These, I thought, were the best. I know a few roadies and some of them take themselves a little too seriously. I've also asked a few why they don't bike commute, since they seem like they would be the best candidates. I always get the same answer, commuting is "junk miles." I never quite understood it, until BikeSnobNYC laid it out :)

What is a “century?”

A century is a word people who ride Serottas and Cervelos equipped with mountain bike pedals and compact cranks use to describe what the rest of us just call a long ride. There’s also something called a “metric century.” Riders use the same type of bicycles, but a metric century is shorter and probably involves more camelbaks and helmets with visors on them.

What is a “training ride?”

This is how roadies describe what the rest of us just call a ride. It can be long, short, fast, or slow. It can also be intermittently fast and slow, which is called “intervals.” Roadies call rides “training rides” so people know that they race. In fact, roadies only do two kinds of rides: training rides, and races. Any other type of riding is considered “garbage miles,” or “junk miles.” Garbage miles include any miles ridden offroad, any miles ridden for purposes of commuting or transportation, any miles not ridden in full team kit, and any miles during which the rider has any fun.