Right, It has taken me years for some reason to get to know the names of the different parts of a bike. And frankly I still often slip up.

Usually it's confusing my bottom bracket with a hub or a front derailleur with a rear mech, the chain stay with the cassette and so on. It gets a bit easier when you start doing your own mechanics (otherwise known as bike slaughter ) but I thought it could be handy to do a quick post on something as simple (yet complex) as naming many of the bits of your bike and a little description on what they are. Take a look and ..Enjoy.

  OK.. The easy bits are the ones we all know and recognise: 

• The frame - This is probably (in my opinion) what makes a good bike. A bicycle's frame is made of metal tubes welded together. Each tube has a name, as shown here. I remember when mountain bike frames were often Steel (which is tough, ghas reat shock absorptionsion but not so light). Now frames are generally some Aluminium mix for lightness whilst still retaining strength. The downside though is flexible design and shock absorbtion. Titanium is super strong, light and very expensive and Carbon similarly is also strong, tough, yet light and is a knock absorbing material that is bleeding over from the Road riding world into that of MTB without quite the same price tag. NB: Steel bikes still exist and are more flexible and thinner and I'm sure there are hardcore users that use them (I used to be one;) and a comeback is imminent ;)  

• The front fork is the movable part of the frame that holds the front wheel (generally has a quick release drop out). On Mountain bikes these forls give a suspension effect (either coil or air sprung)  taking the knocks of all we go over. 

• Suspension is bike specific. Front suspension for mountain bikes is a must as noted just above for absorbing any rough trail bumps. Full suspension can also enhance the ride but add cost and weight. If your riding terrain is a smooth road or packed dirt path, suspension can be an unnecessary, and in fact, hindering add on. Today all bikes seemed obsessed with travel.  Forgiving but kills speed and air.

• The wheels - The wheels are made of a hub, the spokes, the metal rim and the rubber tyre. I'm sure there is tons to say here. Some people swear by the quality of the wheel and the hubs. Rim materials have got stronger so they can often be thinner and so lighter. All good stuff. Hubs have bearings and the main thing you need to know is to not use a high powered jet around them as when the bearings get clogged with dirt they don't spin so well. If I was in the mood for dropping names then Chris King is the Royle's Royce (showing me age) and Hope make quality hubs too

• The seat and seat post. Seats need to be comfy and allow moisture and rain to go. I ride my seat post down at an angle to balance me when climbing up hills. Personal choice but keeps my back in good nick I feel. Often MTB seat posts need to be cut down with a hack saw to enable you to have your saddle super low when flying over rocks on sleepy descents. Consider it if you are feeling it doesn't go low enough for you. 

 

• Then you have the  handlebars and the handlebar stem that connects the handlebars to the frame. Handlebars are things people often customise. A riser handlebar rises up slightly. This helps if you do lots of downhill of jumps as makes the geometry of the bike more suited to landing and keeping your weight back. Similarly a shorter stem can give you more reactive turning power (it has less to move) and can of course make your bike a tiny bit lighter for speed. On stems get a tough one if you choose to customise. 

   

• The cranks and the pedals. This could go on for hours. As for cranks if you go over lots of rocks and drops then shorter cranks will aid (but of course the shorter the crank the less power you have for pedalling). So it is a compromise you need to consider.  Pedals. Where do  I start. Clipped in or out. Both have pros and cons. I have a whole post on this elsewhere so suffice to say some golden rules. If you are learning new stuff then maybe consider riding flat initially. If you are doing long trails then clipped in gives you massive power enhancements especially on the up. If you are a downhiller or freerider then also flats with teeth and good flat grippy shoes (like my lovely Sam Hill 510's )  could be the order of the day.

• The brakes. Two main types. Disc and V brakes. V brakes are fine for most trail riding and are cheaper. For Downhill and wet conditions then Discs will win for stopping power. This allows you to brake later, making you faster. It's also less tiring because you don't have to keep squeezing the lever so hard. This power is consistent, effectively, regardless of temperature, rim condition, or trail conditions right through the life of the brake. You also get better performance in the mud. The pad wear is less and there are no pivots to wear.  Also removing wheels is easier as you don't have to disconnect / reconnect cables. On the downside the initial cost of Discks are higher and they are heavier generally than V brakes. They are also easier to damage. Make sure you don't get oil on your disc or pad. It would write off the pads and the discs would clean using a isopropanol alcohol. If you are starting out and on a budget V brakes have done many of us proud for years so  I wouldn't fret.


• The chain and gears, consisting of the front chain wheels, the rear freewheel, the front and rear derailleur, the shift levers on the handlebars and the cables.  Shifting gears are crucial for anything but casual biking. The ability to shift can save much effort on your part, and a basic 21 shift is adequate for most people. On some bikes you either twist the handlebars for shifting, or use a trigger shift: one for gearing up and one for gearing down.

• The bottom bracket on a bicycle contains a spindle to which the crankset is attached and the bearings that allow the spindle and cranks to rotate. (The chainrings and pedals are attached to the cranks.) The bottom bracket fits inside the bottom bracket shell, which connects the seat tube, down tube and chain stays as part of the bicycle frame.

Right thats as much as  I can think to the basics. Laters.

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