Many German cycling terms sound like English, but nobody from outside Germany actually knows what they mean. As a dual national, I shall demystify the terminology for non-native speakers.

For German speakers: let this guide help you not to confuse your friends with false friends.

Bahnhofsrad (n.) - Verstehst du nur Bahnhof? A pub beater. A bike for about town, that you can leave locked outside the station. Not to be confused with a Bahnrad, which would never be seen outside, by a station or otherwise.

Citybike (n.) - A hybrid. Not to be confused with a hire bike in the city.

Crossbike (n.) - A hybrid. Neither a cyclocross bike (which has drop handlebars) nor a cross-country mountain bike (which has suspension). A normal bike.

Damenrad (n.) - A bicycle with a step-through frame, for everybody. Not to be confused with a "ladies' bike", because it isn't 1885.

E-Bike (n.) - An electric motorcycle. Not to be confused with the English word "E-bike".

Fitnessbike (n.) - See Crossbike. A hybrid. Not to be confused with an exercise bike in the Fitnessstudio, (that's a Hometrainer; but English speakers don't know what that is, either).

Fully (n.) - A full-suspension mountain bike. Not to be confused with an adverb.

Jobrad (n.) - German equivalent of the Cycle To Work scheme.

Pedelec (n.) - Electro-assist bike. Not to be confused with E-Bike. The "ped" is short for "pedantisch".

Radler (n.) - Wheeler or shandy.

Schotterweg (n.) - A cycle path, built to Scottish standards.

SUV E-Bike (n.) - Nobody knows. Some sort of E-bike, I guess. Marketeers say it's a bike you can use for everything, but you can already use any bike for everything, so what do they mean?

Trekkingrad (n.) - A heavier-duty hybrid with mudguards, front suspension and a rack. Not to be confused with the term "trekking", which has nothing to do with cycling.

So there you have it. Nothing confusing at all! What other phrases can you think of? Welche Begriffe findest du beim Radeln schwer zu verstehen oder zu übersetzen?