Guys, bicycles make our lives easier, and they have put a lot of people at ease as they fit well into your budget.
A bicycle is a machine that includes small wheels and one or two pedals to move forward.
It helps us be more fit as you can use it anytime you want. Many reasons would make you buy a bike for your use.
A bicycle has many different parts, and each of these has to be in tip-top condition for your bike to work properly if you are going on a cycling tour or want to make sure that your bike is giving you the best performance possible.
Bicycle parts serve different functions and have different names. In this guide, you’ll get familiar with all of the parts that make up a bicycle, from the frame to the spokes.
It’s a good way to familiarize yourself with your new bike and understand what issues may need attention when maintenance is required.
Different Parts of a Bicycle
Here are some of the parts of a bicycle
Frame – the main structure of the bicycle to which wheels and other components are attached.
Saddle – also known as a seat, supported by the seat post.
Crank – converts reciprocating motion from the rider’s legs into rotary motion via two cranks and a bottom bracket. Usually, a chainring is attached to each crank, and the two are linked with a chain.
Chain – drive train transfers power from the front sprocket (or front cog) to the rear wheel.
Derailleur gears – found on most bicycles, derailleur gears, which are parts of a bicycle, usually consist of sprockets of varying sizes mounted on either side of the rear wheel, connected by a chain. These allow the rider to move between gears when cycling up or down hills or on level ground. Gears can be changed by moving a small lever on the handlebars. Modern derailleur gear systems have no limit on the number of ratios they can provide, but they require more care in use than hub gears.
Brake – system for slowing or stopping; most commonly operated by hand or foot lever and increasingly by pedaling in reverse.
Seatpost: The seat post rises from the frame and holds the saddle so that pedaling can push against it and lift you off the ground.
Handlebars: The handlebars are what you hold onto when you ride a bike, and they’re attached to the frame at their base by two clamps called stems. They may be equipped with handbrakes for slowing down or gear levers for shifting gears.
Rim–circular surface forming a wheel, found on both the back and front wheels.
Chainring– Teeth-filled disc mounted at the front of a bike between the pedals to transfer power from one pedal to another pedal
Sprocket— The small spoked wheel on which a chain rotates. Found on bicycles and other machinery.
Rear Derailleur–A mechanical device for moving the chain from one sprocket to another to change gears on a bicycle.
Pedals– are the parts of a bicycle that you rest your feet on when riding. They are attached to the crank and help you move the bike by pushing down on them.
Cranks– are the parts of a bicycle that connects the pedals to the axle. The pedals are attached to one end of each crank by a bolt through their spindles, and the other ends of the cranks are attached to the axle.
Spindle– is a cylinder that extends from each pedal, and the bolts go through the center of these cylinders. The spindles are hollow; they have splines along their length, which fit into matching splines on the axle for added strength.
Axle— The axle connects the two wheels of the bicycle, and it runs through the center of both wheels and is held in place by the dropouts on the front fork and rear triangle. Because the axle is attached to the frame, it allows the rider to steer the bike by turning the handlebars.
Bar ends–are the ends of a bicycle handlebar. They are called “bar ends” because they are the ends of the handlebar, and “bar” means handlebar. Bar ends are very important because they keep your hands on the bar. If your hands fall off the bar, you might crash, which is bad because you will get hurt.
Basket– is used for transporting objects. It is typically a wire mesh attached to the handlebars or rear of the bicycle. A picnic basket can be used here. A basket on a child’s tricycle generally has an open-top, so the child can reach into it while riding. The basket may have a hinged lid on an adult’s bike that closes. Baskets are sometimes called “wicker baskets.”
Bar plugs, or end caps–are small plastic caps that plug the ends of your handlebars and help prevent moisture, dirt, and road debris from getting inside the tubing. They also provide a finished look to your bike by covering any sharp metal edges on the bars. They aren’t necessary, but they’re cheap, and they do add a nice touch to your bike’s appearance.
Belt drives– are used on racing bicycles, where the drivetrain is often enclosed for aerodynamic reasons. Belt drives are virtually maintenance-free, but because belt-drive frames are specific to belt-drive drivetrains, converting a chain-drive bicycle to a belt-drive system is impossible.
Bell–The bell on a bicycle is a ring-shaped piece of metal with a spring-loaded knob at the end that makes it easy to press against the side of the bell, which produces a ringing sound. This alerts pedestrians and other cyclists when passing them or approaching from behind if they are not paying attention.
The bottom bracket– is the part of the bicycle frame around which the crankset (chainset) rotates and the pedals are attached. A typical bottom bracket consists of two cups threaded into the frame, holding bearings in place within a shell that connects to the two cranks. The bottom bracket fits inside the bottom bracket shell. A dust seal usually covers the bearing system.
The bottle cage– is designed to hold a water bottle, and it clamps around the bottle, which is generally made from plastic. The cage is usually steel or aluminum alloy, with holes to save weight and aid cooling.
The bottle cage fits on the frame of the bicycle. There are bosses on the frame which the bolts go through and into threaded nuts on the back of the cage. There are two bolts per bottle cage. The bolts are usually steel but can be alloy or titanium as well.
The brake lever– is the left handle on the handlebar. It pulls a wire, which makes the brake pads squeeze the wheel’s rim. The brake lever is used when you want to stop.
Cartridge bearing—is one of the parts of a bicycle that cannot be serviced by the user and must be replaced as a whole.
Cable—connects a brake or shift lever to the gadget; it activates through a metal cable wrapped in a metal and plastic casing.
Cable guide—inner bowden cable is guided around a corner by a fitting below the bottom bracket.
Braze-on—is a cable housing or tire pump adapter that protrudes from the frame and serves as a point of attachment.
Cogset– is the cluster of sprockets on the rear wheel of your bicycle. It is also sometimes called a cassette, although technically, a cassette is just the small cluster of sprockets that go together and slide on and off a rear hub as a unit. Some cogsets are made up of individual sprockets that are screwed onto the freehub body, or in some older cases, onto a fixed hub.
Chaintug– is an indispensable bicycle tool. Its primary function is to help the cyclist break the chain to remove the rear wheel or shorten the chain. The Chaintug can also be used in an emergency as a bottle opener.
The cup is an important part of a bicycle because it holds the ball bearings. If you are in the market for a new cup, you should know that cups and saucers are two kinds of cups. The saucer is the flat, round part that sits under the cup and catches any liquid that falls through.
A chainset or crankset– is the component of a bicycle drivetrain that converts the reciprocating motion of the rider’s legs into rotational motion used to drive the chain or belt, which in turn drives the rear wheel. It consists of one or more sprockets, also called chainrings or chain wheels, attached to the cranks, arms, or crankarms to which the pedals attach. It is connected to the rider by the pedals, to the bicycle frame by means of the bottom bracket, and to the rear sprocket, cassette, or freewheel via the chain, belt, or shaft.
The coupler– is a small, telescoping tube that allows the bike to be separated in half for easier storage and transportation. The coupler is part of a larger system that connects the various tubes in the frame, and this system allows the frame to be separated without cutting any tubes.
The dropout– is the part of a bicycle that lets you coast. It consists of a lever and two rollers. The rollers push on the spokes when you pedal, turning the wheel. When you stop pedaling, the rollers don’t push on anything, so there’s no resistance. Although some of the force from your legs is still transmitted to the wheel through the chain and pedals, most of it isn’t.
The down tube– is the main triangle tube that runs from the head tube to the bottom bracket shell. It is there to support weight and provide strength to the bicycle frame. The down tube may be straight or curved in profile, and gusset plates typically reinforce it at common stress points. Down tubes were nearly always round in cross-section; however, modern tubing may also be ovalized or flattened to improve stiffness along a specific plane without increasing overall weight beyond that of round tubing.
Cyclocomputer—If you have a bicycle, the cyclocomputer tells you how fast you’re going and how far you’ve gone. It is a small computer that fits on your handlebars and attaches to one of the wheels of your bike. For example, it might tell you that you’re going 15 miles an hour (24 kilometers per hour). This speed is more than twice as fast as most people walk.
The cyclocomputer works by measuring the time it takes for your front wheel to make one complete turn. If it took 5 seconds to make one turn, your speed is about 15 miles per hour (24 kilometers per hour). Cyclocomputers can measure distances up to 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers), and they can also measure how much time has passed since you started riding.
Electronic Gear Shifting system: Complete gear-shifting system with switches in place of levers, wires in place of Bowden cables, and motor-driven derailleurs that must all operate together — not just one component.
Fairing: A bicycle’s fairing can be either a full or partial covering to reduce aerodynamic drag or shield the rider from the weather.
Ferrule: Metal or plastic ferrule is used to finish the cable housing’s outer end.
Fork: is an assembly that connects a bicycle’s frame to its front wheel and handlebars, allowing for steering via its steerer tube.
Fork crown: When two fork blades meet below the steerer tube, this is known as the fork crown.
Bicycle frame: a bicycle’s structural core, the frame serves as a framework for all of the bike’s components. The phrase can be interpreted in various ways, ranging from the bottom bracket to the entire frame, fork, and suspension components. The bicycle frame is a very crucial part of a bicycle as it performs numerous functions.
