Interesting lingo used in the Kenyan cycling scene

It's gonna be a long one, but you are gonna love it!

Cycling in Kenya just like in most parts of the world is a sub-culture in its own right. As with any culture, there’s always a means of communicating; the same is true within the Kenya cycling community. The following are some terms and phrases that you will probably come across or have already come across if you regularly ride your bike and interact with other Kenyan cyclists.

Kukatika

This is probably the most common phrase among cyclists who get a rush from competing. It simply means ‘to get dropped’ while riding. If you go on a ride with riders who are stronger than you then ‘kukatwa’ is a very probable outcome. Don’t take it too personally, train harder.

The writer trying to 'kata' Don Permy at the 1st edition of Zuzu's Highway to Heaven race in 2015

Jembe – A term used to refer to the biggest gear-ring on your bike. It is the hardest gear to use and is recommended on flat terrains and descents. Of course there’s always that one guy who insists on climbing the steepest of gradients using this ring. More often than not they end up getting dropped earlier than anyone else. Cycling is about expending your energy in the most efficient manner possible, use this gear wisely.

Jembe engaged. Credit: Moses Kamwere

Nyengesa – A term used to refer to the middle gear-ring on a mountain bike. On (most) road bikes it is simply referred to as the small ring because that’s how road bikes are designed – with only two gear-rings. If you are looking to master the cadence (spinning) game, this is the gear you want to use on a regular.

Cucu – This is the Kikuyu word for ‘grandmother’ and refers to the smallest gear- ring. It is mostly present on mountain bikes. It’s a wonderful gear to use on steep and technical off-road accents or when you are absolutely exhausted during a ride and just want to get home.

Kuiva – directly translates to ‘getting cooked’. This is what happens when you ride too fast for too long. If you are in a group, kuiva is what precedes kukatika.

VeloNos' G Baby Alan showing clear signs of kuiva at the 2016 Tour of Machakos (Day 4)
Credit: Moses Kamwere

Weka/wekelea/weka pace/finya – any time you hear this in a pro-peloton or a group ride just know that it is time to up the pace. When people start to ‘wekelea pace’ or 'finya' their bikes, only the strongest will survive. The rest will ‘iva’ and eventually 'katika'.

Fanya kazi – Translated to English, this means ‘to work’. So when you hear it mentioned in the Kenya cycling context just know that whoever it is directed to is required to get in front of a riding group and shield other riders from the wind. When all members of a riding group ‘fanya kazi’ equally, the net energy saved could be anything from 20-40%. This will automatically translate to an increase in the average speed. Obviously this is what all cyclists want even if they don't say it.

Kupe – This is the Swahili word for a flea. Within the Kenyan cycling scene it simply refers to someone who never ‘fanyas kazi’, i.e. he or she would rather ride at the back of a group and let everyone else work for him or her. Nobody likes a ‘kupe’. In fact the common goal during group rides is to ‘kata’ all ‘kupe’ at the earliest possible opportunity.

Kuuma – In English this literally means to bite and it is exactly what 'kupe' do. They dig their teeth on the backs of animals and stay there forever. As you might have already figured, kuuma in the local cycling context means staying behind someone’s wheel so as to benefit from their draught. It is worth noting however that just because a cyclist decides to ‘uma’ behind other riders doesn’t necessarily mean he or she is a kupe although in many cases that’s usually the case. The following are valid reasons for ‘kuuma-ing’ behind other riders:

• ·         If you are riding a mountain bike among road-bikes
• ·         If you are genuinely the weakest link in a riding group
• ·         If you have already done your time in the wind for the group
• ·         If the guy in front of you is your domestique/mule

Any other reason given, deviating from the above is probably a ‘proverb’ - which leads us to the next term in  Kenya’s cycling lingo.

A good example of 'kuuma' by Kenya Riders' Rashid Kosgei behind VeloNos' Joseph Kamau
Credit: Moses Kamwere

Proverb – In this wonderful community of ours, a proverb is not a wise saying as is described in most dictionaries. It simply refers to an excuse given for NOT doing something cycling-related or for doing something in a certain way during a cycling activity. A good example of a proverb is the following statement by someone after ‘kukatika’ in a race: “Manze, sijakua nikitrain poa” (I haven’t been training well enough) - this coming from a person who had been clocking 400KM every week in the weeks leading up to the race.

Another example is this statement from a person who gets dropped on a climb: “mguu ya nyuma ilikua inashika brake” (my rear brakes had ‘self-engaged’). It sucks to get dropped; proverbs help make life a little more bearable. There are many other situations where ‘cycling proverbs' are used. I will delve deeper into that in a different article.

Hippo/Descendant – This refers to a heavy cyclist and who is most probably gifted when it comes to riding down descents. Obviously, 'descendant' has been corruptly obtained from the word 'descend' to mean someone who has serious guts and skills when it comes to riding downhill. A descendant may not necessarily be a hippo (heavy). I know a good number of cyclists weighing well under 70KG who can descend like rocket propelled grenades.

VeloNos' very own Baby hippo descending at the Zuzu-VeloNos Gathaithi ITT
Credit: Moses Kamwere

Kukata upepo – This simply means reducing the negative effect of wind during riding. There are several methods people use to ‘kata upepo’:

• ·         Riding behind other riders (kukatiwa upepo/ kufanyiwa kazi)
• ·         Drafting behind vehicles
• ·         Making use of aerodynamic wear such as time trial helmets, TT bars, TT suits and TT bikes
• ·         Aerodynamic tuck – this involves going as low as possible on the bike. A good example is sitting on the bike frame and bending your upper body towards the handlebar. It works wonders but don’t try it if you don’t know what you are doing.

TT Bars at the Velonos Southern Bypass ITT. Credit: Moses Kamwere

Specialized TT bike.  Best example of an aerodynamic machine that 'katas upepo'

Kubonk – or simply bonking refers to a situation where the body runs out of usable muscle glycogen i.e. the fuel that powers your body once you run out of blood sugar. I once ate 12 mandazis in 10 minutes flat as a result of this phenomenon – no tea, soda or water to wash it down. I also know two people who almost fought over pineapple peelings during a long ride when they couldn’t find a food kiosk; I kid you not! Bonking takes you to a very primal state of existence and teaches you to appreciate food in a whole new way.

Thigh-roids - If you ever hear someone mention this word within the Kenyan cycling circles, don't think they are talking about the thyroid glands located somewhere on our neck. As the name suggests, thigh-roids are basically (conspicuous/well-developed) thigh muscles that cyclists who have have been in the game for a while possess. Bib-shorts tend to accentuate them quite significantly because of the tight fit. If you want thigh-roids, train hard and if possible, do some squats from time to time.

Team VeloNos' David Ndatha showing thigh-roids as he gets off the saddle at the 2016 Tatu City Road Race. Credit:
Tony Githinji Photography

The look - It's not a very common term in the general local cycling population but very popular among Team Velonos boys. It simply refers to the facial expression most cyclists make when they are deep inside the red zone. The term came about as a result of seeing VeloNos' Brian Flame in action as evidenced in the photo below. The jury has been out for a few years on whether what he shows is pain, pleasure or a combination of both.

VeloNos' Brian Flame giving us 'the look'
Credit: Moses Kamwere

Feel free to add more terms......