Hebrew for cyclists: words, phrases and a bikepacking glossary

Hebrew for cyclists

The Hebrew you’ll actually use on a ride: asking the way, filling up water, fixing a flat and reading warning signs. Transliteration follows each phrase, and most Israelis you meet will happily switch to English.

Emergency numbers in Israel →

Directions and the trail

Right / left ימינה / שמאלהyamina / smola

Straight on ישרyashar

Uphill / downhill עלייה / ירידהaliya / yerida

Trail שבילshvil

Dirt road דרך עפרderekh afar

How far is it to…? כמה רחוק ל…?kama rakhok le…?

Is this the way to…? זו הדרך ל…?zo ha-derekh le…?

Water and food

Water מיםmayim

Can I fill up water? אפשר למלא מים?efshar lemale mayim?

Is this water drinkable? המים האלה ראויים לשתייה?ha-mayim ha-ele re’uyim li-shtiya?

Grocery shop מכולתmakolet

Petrol station תחנת דלקtakhanat delek

Coffee קפהkafe

Sleeping

Overnight campsite חניון לילהkhanyon layla

Can I camp here? אפשר לישון כאן?efshar lishon kan?

Tent אוהלohel

Sleeping bag שק שינהsak shena

The bike

Bicycle אופנייםofanayim

Bike shop חנות אופנייםkhanut ofanayim

Flat tyre פנצ׳רpancher

Pump משאבהmash’eva

Chain שרשרתsharsheret

Brakes ברקסיםbreksim

Safety and signs

Help! הצילו!hatsilu!

I need help (said by a man / a woman) אני צריך עזרה / אני צריכה עזרהani tsarikh ezra / ani tsrikha ezra

Firing zone (closed military area) שטח אשshetakh esh

No entry הכניסה אסורהha-knisa asura

Flash flood שיטפוןshitafon

Nature reserve שמורת טבעshmurat teva

Ambulance (101) / police (100) אמבולנס / משטרהambulans / mishtara

Basics

Hello / goodbye שלוםshalom

Thank you תודהtoda

Excuse me / sorry סליחהslikha

Yes / no כן / לאken / lo

General and spirit

13 terms

Bikepacking בייקפקינג Tap for the meaning

Bikepacking A bike trip where you carry the gear you need on the bike itself, usually including nights out along the way.

Bike Touring בייקטורינג Tap for the meaning

Bike Touring A long bike trip, usually with racks and larger panniers, and mostly on roads.

Gravel גראבל Tap for the meaning

Gravel Riding on dirt roads, crushed rock and sometimes tarmac, and also the name of bikes built for it: drop bars and fairly wide tires.

Multi-day riding רכיבה רב־יומית Tap for the meaning

Multi-day riding Riding that lasts more than one day, with a night or a long stop between days.

Solo riding רכיבת סולו Tap for the meaning

Solo riding Riding on your own.

Self-paced riding רכיבה בקצב עצמי Tap for the meaning

Self-paced riding Each rider chooses their own speed, when to stop and how far to go.

Ultra-endurance אולטרה־אנדורנס Tap for the meaning

Ultra-endurance Riding very long distances, where managing time, sleep and gear is part of the challenge.

Self-supported רכיבה עצמאית ללא סיוע Tap for the meaning

Self-supported The rider takes care of their own navigation, food, sleep and repairs, according to the event rules.

Point to Point P2P Tap for the meaning

Point to Point A route that starts in one place and ends somewhere else. It was also the site’s previous name, which is why most events from before Discover are called P2P.

Resupply הצטיידות בדרך Tap for the meaning

Resupply A stop in a town, shop or gas station to refill water and food.

Trail angel מלאך שביל Tap for the meaning

Trail angel A local who helps riders on the way: water, a lift, a place to sleep, a shower or a coffee. Read more →

Zula זולה Tap for the meaning

Zula An event’s shared overnight spot, where everyone meets in the evening around a campfire.

Shuttle driver מקפיצן Tap for the meaning

Shuttle driver Someone who drives riders and bikes to the start of a route, or back from it when something goes wrong.

Events

15 terms

Discover Israel Race Discover Israel Race Tap for the meaning

Discover Israel Race The community’s flagship event: an annual unsupported race across the whole country, in MTB and gravel categories. Read more →

Bikepacking for Beginners בייקפקינג מתחילים Tap for the meaning

Bikepacking for Beginners A free bikepacking weekend for riders who haven’t tried it yet. Leave from a Trek store, ride about 50 km with gear, sleep together at the zula and ride back the next day. Read more →

Holyland Challenge HLC Tap for the meaning

Holyland Challenge An unsupported mountain bike race from the Hermon to Eilat. Read more →

NonStop 700 NonStop 700 Tap for the meaning

NonStop 700 An event of about 700 km from the north to Eilat. Read more →

Sluggers 400 Sluggers 400 Tap for the meaning

Sluggers 400 A 400 km event from Ashkelon, through the Lachish region and the Jerusalem hills, to the lighthouse in Tel Aviv. Read more →

Longest Day Longest Day Tap for the meaning

Longest Day Short, social summer bikepacking: leave in the afternoon, meet at the zula in the evening and ride back the next morning. Read more →

Special ספיישל Tap for the meaning

Special Non-competitive events where everyone meets at the same overnight spot each night. Read more →

QuickSilver QuickSilver Tap for the meaning

QuickSilver A challenge you set off on whenever you like: 15 hours of riding south from Nahariya on a flat, fast route, trying to get as far as you can. Reach Rosh HaAyin and you get Slow Silver, Mazkeret Batya earns Silver, and Ashkelon earns Quick Silver. Read more →

Grand Départ זינוק משותף Tap for the meaning

Grand Départ All participants setting off together, at the same time and from the same place.

Cut-off קאט אוף Tap for the meaning

Cut-off The maximum time to finish an event or to reach a certain point.

Scratch / DNF פרישה Tap for the meaning

Scratch / DNF Leaving an event before the finish. DNF stands for Did Not Finish.

Individual Time Trial ITT Tap for the meaning

Individual Time Trial Riding a race route outside the official date, on your own, with your time recorded.

Fastest Known Time FKT Tap for the meaning

Fastest Known Time The fastest known time to complete a particular route.

Tracker מכשיר מעקב Tap for the meaning

Tracker A satellite device that sends your location online, so family and organisers can follow you. Some devices can also send an emergency call.

Dot watching דוט־ווטשינג Tap for the meaning

Dot watching Following the moving dots on a website map, meaning the riders in a race. The hobby of whoever stayed at home.

Bikes

14 terms

Hardtail הארדטייל Tap for the meaning

Hardtail A mountain bike with front suspension only. Simple and reliable, with lots of room for a frame bag. Read more →

Full suspension שיכוך מלא Tap for the meaning

Full suspension A mountain bike with front and rear suspension. More comfortable on technical terrain, but it limits bag size. Read more →

Tubeless טיובלס Tap for the meaning

Tubeless A tire without an inner tube, with sealant inside that closes small holes on its own. Almost a must in Israel because of thorns. Read more →

Sealant חומר אטימה Tap for the meaning

Sealant The liquid inside a tubeless tire. It dries out over time, so refresh it before a trip.

Plug פתיל / תולעת Tap for the meaning

Plug A sticky strip you push into a large hole in a tubeless tire to close it.

Tire boot טלאי לצמיג Tap for the meaning

Tire boot A patch you stick on the inside when the tire itself tears.

Quick link קוויק לינק Tap for the meaning

Quick link A chain link that opens and closes by hand, for fixing a broken chain.

Derailleur hanger מפלצת / דרופאאוט Tap for the meaning

Derailleur hanger A small metal part that connects the rear derailleur to the frame. It’s designed to bend in a crash instead of the frame, so it’s worth carrying a spare.

Dropper post דרופר Tap for the meaning

Dropper post A seatpost that drops and rises at the push of a lever. It limits the size of the seat pack.

Drop bar כידון דרופ Tap for the meaning

Drop bar A curved bar like on road bikes, with several hand positions.

Alt bar כידון חלופי Tap for the meaning

Alt bar A bar with a backward sweep and several hand positions. A favourite with bikepackers.

Mounts נקודות עיגון Tap for the meaning

Mounts Threaded holes on the frame and fork for bottle cages and bags.

1X 1X Tap for the meaning

1X A drivetrain with a single front chainring. Simple, with fewer things to go wrong.

Rack סבל Tap for the meaning

Rack A metal frame over the wheel that you hang panniers on.

Bags

10 terms

Handlebar bag תיק כידון Tap for the meaning

Handlebar bag A roll bag on the handlebars, usually for the sleeping bag and clothes. Read more →

Seat pack תיק אוכף Tap for the meaning

Seat pack A long bag under the saddle that sticks out behind. Read more →

Frame bag תיק שלדה / משולש Tap for the meaning

Frame bag A bag that fills the frame triangle. The place for tools and heavy items. Read more →

Top tube bag תיק טופ־טיוב / קוקפיט Tap for the meaning

Top tube bag A small bag on the top tube, next to the bars. For your phone and snacks.

Stem bag פאוץ׳ Tap for the meaning

Stem bag A small bag by the stem, for a bottle or snacks within reach.

Panniers תיקי צד Tap for the meaning

Panniers Large bags that hang on a rack. Common in bike touring.

Dry bag שק אטום Tap for the meaning

Dry bag A bag that keeps water out. Keeps the sleeping bag dry.

Voile straps רצועות Voile Tap for the meaning

Voile straps Tough rubber straps for securing anything to the bike.

Fork cage כלוב למזלג Tap for the meaning

Fork cage A cage on the fork for a large bottle or gear.

Hydration bladder שלוקר Tap for the meaning

Hydration bladder A water bag with a drinking tube, inside a backpack or vest.

Sleeping

9 terms

Bivy ביווי Tap for the meaning

Bivy A thin, waterproof sack that wraps the sleeping bag. Minimalist and very light. Read more →

Tarp טארפ Tap for the meaning

Tarp A sheet you pitch overhead as a roof, with no walls. Lighter than a tent. Read more →

Night campsite חניון לילה Tap for the meaning

Night campsite A designated place to sleep outdoors. Some are free and some are paid. Read more →

Free INPA campsite חניון שלט Tap for the meaning

Free INPA campsite A free Nature and Parks Authority campsite, with no facilities. Read more →

Comfort rating טמפרטורת נוחות Tap for the meaning

Comfort rating The temperature at which the sleeping bag is still comfortable for most people. This is the number to choose by. Read more →

Down vs. synthetic פוך מול סינטטי Tap for the meaning

Down vs. synthetic Down is lighter and packs smaller, while synthetic is cheaper and still warms when wet. Read more →

R-value R-value Tap for the meaning

R-value A pad’s insulation rating from the ground. The higher the number, the warmer the pad. Read more →

Liner שק משי Tap for the meaning

Liner A thin sack inside the sleeping bag. Adds a little warmth and keeps the bag clean.

Camping stove גזייה Tap for the meaning

Camping stove A small burner on a gas canister, for cooking and coffee.

Navigation and planning

11 terms

GPX GPX Tap for the meaning

GPX The file format for routes. You load it onto a navigation device or an app. Read more →

GPS device מכשיר ניווט Tap for the meaning

GPS device A dedicated device that shows the route and map. Tougher than a phone, with a longer-lasting battery. Read more →

Offline map מפה אופליין Tap for the meaning

Offline map A map you downloaded to your phone in advance, so it works without signal. Read more →

Elevation gain טיפוס מצטבר Tap for the meaning

Elevation gain The total metres you climb along the route. On this site it appears as "m climbing".

Elevation profile פרופיל גובה Tap for the meaning

Elevation profile A graph that shows where the route climbs and descends.

Singletrack סינגל / סינגלטרק Tap for the meaning

Singletrack A narrow trail that fits one rider at a time.

Section מקטע Tap for the meaning

Section A defined part of a long route, usually one day of riding.

Loop / one-way route מסלול מעגלי / בכיוון אחד Tap for the meaning

Loop / one-way route A loop returns to the start. A one-way route ends somewhere else, so you need to plan the way back. Read more →

Extension הרחבה Tap for the meaning

Extension An optional route that branches off the main trail and rejoins it, like the nine extensions of the Discover Israel Trail. Read more →

Bailout נקודת יציאה Tap for the meaning

Bailout A place partway along the route where you can get out to a road or transport if you need to stop.

Firing zone שטח אש Tap for the meaning

Firing zone An IDF training area. Entry only with advance coordination and approval. Read more →

Organisations and trails

4 terms

Discover Israel Trail Discover Israel Trail Tap for the meaning

Discover Israel Trail Israel’s main bikepacking route, from Eilat to Rosh HaNikra through the desert, Jerusalem and the Galilee. You can ride it any time, and it has nine optional extensions. Read more →

INPA (Nature and Parks Authority) רט״ג (רשות הטבע והגנים) Tap for the meaning

INPA (Nature and Parks Authority) The body that manages nature reserves and national parks and runs night campsites, free and paid. It also leads the building of the Israel Bike Trail.

KKL (Jewish National Fund) קק״ל (קרן קיימת לישראל) Tap for the meaning

KKL (Jewish National Fund) Manages most of Israel’s forests, including picnic and overnight sites and bike trails. Forests are sometimes closed to the public for safety reasons, so check its website before you go.

Israel Bike Trail שביל ישראל לאופניים Tap for the meaning

Israel Bike Trail A national project to build a continuous, marked mountain bike trail from the Hermon to Eilat. Some sections are already open, mainly in the south. Not to be confused with the Israel National Trail for hikers, or with the Discover Israel Trail. Read more →

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