Mountain Bike Anatomy


A mountain bike is the one thing you need before you
go mountain biking. A mountain bike contains many
parts, which will be covered 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 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 center part of the wheel that the
spokes are attached to.

13. Idler pulley – The bottom pulley of the rear
derailleur that provides spring tension to keep
the chain tight.

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 tire 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 rim.

23. Stem – A piece that attaches the handlebar
to the steering tube.

24. Wheel hub – The center of the wheel that the
spokes are attached to.

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