Mountain Bike Anatomy

Main parts of a bike.

The anatomy of a mountain bike is made up of several
sections and components, most of which are explained below:

  1. Bottom bracket – This attaches the crankset to
    the body of a bike.
  2. Brake cable – This is the cable that connects the
    brake lever to the brake mechanism.
  3. Brake lever – The lever on the handlebar to
    activate the brakes. The left side is the front brake
    and the right side is the rear brake.
  4. Chain – The circular set of links that transfer
    power from the chain ring to the cogs.
  5. Chain ring – The toothed rings that attach to
    the crank to hold the chain.
  6. Crank – The lever that extends from the bottom
    bracket to the pedal, transferring the power to the
    chain rings.
  7. Derailleur – The gear mechanism for moving the
    chain from one cog to another.
  8. Down tube – The section of frame that extends
    downward from the stem to the bottom bracket.
  9. Front shock – The shock absorber on the front
    fork.
  10. Handlebar – The horizontal bar attached to the
    stem with handgrips on the end.
  11. Headset – The mechanism in front of the frame
    that connects the front fork to the stem and
    handlebars.
  12. Hub – The centre part of the wheel that the
    spokes are attached to.
  13. MTB: Abbreviation for ‘Mountain Bike’.
  14. Nipple – A threaded receptacle that holds
    the end of the spoke to the rim.
  15. Pedal – The platform to pedal on; attaches to
    the crank.
  16. Rear shock – The shock absorber for the rear
    tire on dual suspension type bikes.
  17. Rim – The metal ring that holds the spokes
    on the inside and the tyre to the outside.
  18. Saddle – The seat.
  19. Seat post – Offers support for the seat.
  20. Skewer – The metal rod that goes through the
    hub, attaching the wheel to the dropouts of the
    frame.
  21. Spindle – The free rotating axle that the
    crank arms attach to; also a part of the bottom
    bracket.
  22. Spokes – The thick wires that join the hub to
    the wheel rim.
  23. Stem – A piece that attaches the handlebar
    to the steering tube.
  24. Wheel hub – The centre of the wheel that the
    spokes are attached to.

The above is far from a comprehensive list but it’s a starter and will help you delve deeper as you learn to examine each mountain bike element, discover its purpose, how it functions and make repairs to or replace/upgrade.

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