V-brake -Wasn't the evolution supposed to be from cantilevers direct to disc brakes? The brief pause we're enjoying - with these now-ubiquitous, long-armed sidepulls - is a revelation: there's probably no upgrade folks can make to their bike that results in such an instant and easily-felt performance improvement. Special props to Specialized's Ben Capron, whose Marinovatives were one of the first V-brakes - made from aluminum window frame slats, no less - but who doesn't see a nickel in patent money. Ben, who's your lawyer?

Vegetable Tunnel - a singletrack that is heavily overgrown with foliage, so a rider must duck and bend to get through it

Velodrome - a banked track for bicycle racing.

Vermont -Maybe the best place to live in the country, with rugged mountains, trees that lay sparkling green shadow down on the trail, and a north-south path that leads from one end of the state to the other. If you're an all-weather type of person looking for a place to ride in the summer, snowboard in the winter, and get really muddy and wet in the spring, Vermont's your choice. If only they'd banish those phony-baloney ice cream schmucks.

Void - 1) to empty the contents of one's bladder. "Where were you, man? We waited for at least two minutes." "Sorry, dude, I had to void, my back teeth were floating." 2) a deep chasm that you have to clear or you will die.

Voullioz, Nico -See Chausson, Anne-Caroline, but add facial hair and a sixth world title.

VTT - Velo Tout-Terrain, the French term for mountain biking. Velo = bike, Tout = all, and don't even ask me about terrain. :-)

Vultures - spectators who line up at dangerous obstacles in hopes of seeing blood.