Tri Terms

Beach start: Starting from the beach and running into the water to begin a triathlon.

Buoy: The floating markers used on a triathlon course to indicated course layout, distance and turns.

Deck: The hard surface around the pool.

Draft: To swim directly behind or beside the swimmer in front of you, which makes it easier to swim.

Floating start: Starting from the water without the feet touching to begin a triathlon.

Freestyle: The common front stroke style swimming usually used in triathlon. 

Kickboard: A floating piece of styrofoam used to for kicking drills. 

Lane : A sectioned area of the pool for lap swimming. Typically, a pool is divided into 3 or more lanes. 

Lane Lines : The floating markers which that separate the lanes. 

Lap: From one end of the pool to the other and back. 

Length: From one end of the pool to the other. A “half” lap. 

Flags : Small triangular pennants hung over the pool to indicate that the end of the lane is near. 

Master’s: A swim class, group or club for adult swimmers. 

Open Water: Outdoors swimming in a lake, river or ocean. 

Pull Buoy : A floating piece of Styrofoam that goes between the legs so that a swimmer doesn’t need to kick. 

Transition: Transitioning from the water to the bike portion of a triathlon. 

Wall : Vertical part of the pool that is typically touched between lengths. 

Wetsuit legal: A triathlon in which the water is cold enough to allow a wetsuit. 


Aerobars - Because it is more comfortable and more aerodynamic for triathlon racing, most triathlon bikes are equipped with these type of bars, which attach to the handlebars or stem of a bicycle and allow you to ride in the aero position. These can also be placed on a road bike. 

Aero Bottle - Many triathletes attach a water bottle to the aerobars rather than to the down tube or seat tube, which makes drinking in the aero position an easier task. 

Aero Position - Also known as the time trial position, the aero position involves riding in a "hunched over" position with the elbows resting on the aerobar pads. This saves your running muscles and helps keep you aerodynamic, especially on the relatively flat bike courses that most triathlons have. 

Bonk - Because you cover long distances while cycling, it's easy to get stuck during a ride or race without food or fuel. When this happens, your blood sugar can drop so low that your brain goes into a fog and your muscles quit firing. This is called a bonk. The fix? Eat fast and eat lots. 

Brick - A "Bike-Run" workout, in which you run immediately after finishing the bike leg of a triathlon or a bike workout. 

Cadence - The speed of pedaling while bicycling, also known as RPM, or Revolutions per Minute. 

Disc - A solid wheel that is very aerodynamic and often used as a rear wheel in triathlons. 

Down Tube - The tube of the bike that runs from the handlebars and diagonally slopes down towards your back wheel. 

Drafting - Riding close enough behind the cyclist(s) in front of you that you pedaling becomes less difficult due to that rider stopping some of the wind resistance. This is illegal in most triathlons, and you must typical maintain 3-4 bike lengths behind the person in front of you. 

Dropped - When you're riding with a group of cyclists who are drafting, and you eventually get too far behind to be in the draft, you'll find that the gap increases between you and the group, pedaling becomes harder, and you can't catch up. You've been dropped. 

Hammer - To pedal very hard, typically for an extended period of time (i.e. "That ride was a Hammer-fest!"). 

Seat Post - The tube on the bike that attaches to your saddle, and is typically adjustable up and down. On some triathlon bikes, it can be cut. 

Spin - To ride easy, in recovery mode, or pedal with very low resistance. The opposite of hammer. 

Time Trial - Typically a 20-180K ride at the maximum sustainable pace, usually performed in the aero position. The bike leg of most triathlons is defined as a time trial. 

Top Tube - The tube that extends from the handlebars, between your legs, and horizontally back towards the back wheel.