SAG

Posted Aug 10, 2005
21,221

Sag stops, SAG wagons, SAG support... What does it mean?!? Answer is posted!

S A G We've all heard the term "SAG"... But what does it mean? Where and how was it derived? Be the 1st one to answer thoroughly and correctly and get a FREE BIKEIOWA shirt! email Biker@bikeiowa.com

ANSWERS updated Aug 14th 2005 Congratulations to Galen S. for being the first one to respond with the SAG definition. SAG stands for "Support And Gear" And here are some other responses with much more info!!

A car or truck that picks up or otherwise assists riders who have had to stop riding, either due to fatigue, injury, or mechanical failure. This is primarily a touring term, racers call the corresponding vehicle the "broom wagon." Some people believe that the term derives from the verb "sag", others maintain that it is an acronym for "Support And Gear."
Stands for "Support and Gear". An old bike touring term.
I believe the term SAG wagon at times is for acronym sake aka support and gear. But just the definition of what it is for bicyclists, the welcome vehicle that rescues you, your bike and what gear you have on board when you can no longer ride due to fatigue, injury of you and/or your bike.
Ragbrai SAG= when your not a registered rider and your lost off route, they yell at you and drive away.
"Support And Gear." I also like that on the tour they have the "broom wagon". SAG's not a very good word to search. After the screen actor's guild, a lot of electrical/mathmatical & who knows what comes up. However it looks like those fields refer to sag in terms of "weak", "low" which is the same as you feel when sagging on bike rides (weak from hunger, low on beer).
Support and Gear... Providing support for bikers and transportation for the gear
And the most complete answer of them all (Holy carumba!): 1961 --from Partridge Dict. of Slang references the SAG-WAGON as a van following a {cycle] race, picks up exhausted riders. 1963-- Times, June 5/7-- "When, later, Selaru had gear trouble they both gave up the struggle for the solace of a sag wagon." 1977-- C. McFadden in Serial (1973), xlvii. 102/2 "You wanna come along in the bus in case I need a sag wagon." Prevoius use of sag are variations of sagge, or seg from sedge. These go back to 1531 from the Letters and Papers of Henry the 8th referencing payment to "brykmakrs" fro "saggde" (basically rush used for making bricks). Sag beds, as in places where rush grow in boggy areas are referenced in early writings including P. H. Emerson into the 1800s. In the 1890s there is reference to the Sag-bottomed chair, or rush bottomed chair. The action of sagging is found in other terms including : 1)Nautical sense (sag to leeward) cir. 1589 2)Dipping/Drooping sense (dip between a cable/rope held at two points) 1862. 3) Depression (sag in the earth) from 1727 American Speech. 4) State of Mind William James Letters from May 15th--"dislocates my mind from it's habitual sag"... 1868. 5) Decline in Price, in a business, or programme of development referening the American Market in 1861 and finally... 6) Reference to the sagging of the body, filmHarold and Maude .."sagging breasts, flabby buttocks … makes me want to vomit." 1971

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