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table-top n. a jump in which the rider throws the bike sideways in mid-air. Less commonly, a jump made over a hill that reaches a plateau and goes back down.

taco v. to bend a wheel over on itself, in the shape of a taco. "I taco'd my wheel, and it cost me a hundred bucks." Worse than a potato chip.

tea party n. when a whole group of riders stops and chats, and nobody seems to want to ride on.

technical n. a section of trail that is difficult to ride because of rocks, tree roots, steep drops.

techno-fad n. a screwy or unique technology that a dominant company (usually Shimano) tries to foist upon the innocent cycling public. Past techno-fads include Biopace chainrings, and overly complex "thumb-thumb" or "push-push" shifters.

techno-weenie n. a rider who knows more about the newest MTB parts and techno-fads than about the trails. Someone who buys lots of gadgets to add supposed iotas of performance to the bike. Greeting a friend whom we haven't seen in a year, I might say "Hi, Marta!" A techno-weenie might say "Oooh, you got White Industries hubs on that bike now?"

thrash 1) v. to cause severe ecological damage to a trail, usually during the wet season. 2) adj. a damaged trail. "That trail's really thrashed after last winter."

three-hour tour n. a ride that looks like a piece of cake at the outset but turns out to be a death march. Derived from the theme song to "Gilligan's Island."

ti n. titanium. Some riders would replace their watches, rings, glasses frames, and gold tooth-fillings with titanium if they could afford to.

toe clips n. a clip-and-strap system that connects a rider's feet and toes to her pedals. Toe clips usually don't require special shoes.

tombstone n. one of those damn little rocks protruding out of the trail which you don't notice because you are having a heart-attack climbing the hill.

tornado v. to balance on your front wheel while turning your back wheel 90-180 degrees in either direction.

track stand n. (from road-cycling) a maneuver where the rider stops the bike and attempts to remain standing.

trail mix n. the involuntary release of last night's dinner by the way it came in, usually with the assistance of too many adult beverages and accompanied by a long grinder.

trail swag n. equipment or accessories dropped by other bikers and found on the trail.

tricked out adj. when a bike has the latest and hottest components.

tweak n. a jump during which the rider twists the handlebars back and forth in mid-air, the more times the better. v. 1) to slightly injure a part of the body or the bike in a crash. "I tweaked my wrist when I fell." 2) to make a minor adjustment. "My brake pads were rubbing but I tweaked the cable and it went away."

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