Bike Construction 101

19 Feb 2019

A bike is made up of lots of different components, which can be confusing! We understand that not everybody is a bicycle expert – so we’ve written a full run down of every bike part and what they do.

Saddle: a saddle, or seat, is the part of your bike which you sit on

Frame: the frame is the main component of your bike, which most of the other components fit on to

Suspension Forks: a fork is the part of your bike which holds the front wheel

Stem: a stem is the part of the bicycle which connects the handle bars to the fork

Handlebars: the handlebars are used for steering and controlling your bicycle, aswell as supporting the rider

Grips: handlebars are usually covered with grips (or tape) to provide grip and comfort for the rider

Brake Levers: brake levers are the small handles mounted to your handlebars which your squeeze to stop your bike

Hubs: the hub is the central part of the bicycle wheel

Rims: the rim is the outer edge of the wheel which holds the tyre

Tyres: tyres are the rubber rings that are held by the rims which assist with suspension, braking, balancing and turning

Spokes: the spokes are the metal rods which radiate from the centre of the wheel

Pedals: pedals are pushed by the riders feet to propel the bicycle

Cranks: the crank is the part of the bicycle which converts the riders pedalling into the wheels turning

Chain: the bicycle chain transfers the power from the crank to the wheel

Valve: the valve is where the bicycle tyres are inflated from

Rear & Front Derailleurs: the derailleurs are the devices which change the bicycle gears by moving the chain from one sprocket to another

Cassette: the cassette is the cluster of sprockets which are located on the rear hub of the bike

Seat Post: the seat post is a tube which connects your bike's frame to the saddle

If you have any further questions, just give the Cycle2Work team a call on 0345 504 6444.