Bike Parts Glossary

they can also cap off the steering tube.

Hubs: At the center of every bicycle wheel is a hub. It connects to the spokes and contains the bearings that make it possible for the wheel to turn. It is the hub that secures the wheel to the frame or fork. Rear hubs are equipped to hold the cassette. Front hubs are usually simpler and narrower. Some hubs are designed to facilitate disc brakes.

Pedals: These small platforms allow you to propel the bike with your feet. They are attached to the crank arms. Basic pedals are flat platforms. Pedals for more advanced riders have toe clips or cleats designed specifically for bike shoes.

Rims: The main piece of a wheel, the rim holds the tire and tube, and connects to the spokes. There are a few different kinds of rims:

Clincher: These are the most common rims. The upper edge of a clincher rim has a lip that grabs on to the tire to create a seal when inflated.
Sew-up or tubular: Some rims have the tire glued or sewed to the rim, so the tire and rim become basically one piece.
Disc: Rims without a machined braking surface are called disc rims and are designed to use with disc brakes attached to the hub.

Saddle: In more common terms, this is the bike seat.

Seat clamp: This clamp keeps the seatpost from sliding around inside the seat tube. Most seat clamps today are quick-release, meaning you don’t need a wrench or any kind of tool to loosen and tighten the clamp.

Seatpost: Saddles connect to seatposts, which are inserted inside the frame’s seat tube. A seatpost allows you to adjust the height of the saddle.

Shifter cables: These metal cables connect the shifters on the handlebar to the derailleurs. When the shifter is moved, the cable moves with it and adjusts the derailleur, which moves the chain and changes gears.

Shifters: The levers you move to change gears. These are clamped on to the handlebars. Some are integrated with the brake levers.

Skewers: These are basically the axels of bike wheels. A skewer fits through the hub and clamps the wheel to the frame or fork. Today’s skewers are usually quick-release, so no tools are necessary to loosen the clamp and remove the wheel.

Spider: The spider is the piece that connects the crank arm to the chainring.

Spindle: The spindle is the metal piece that slides through the bottom bracket to connect the crankset.

Spokes: These are the (usually) thin metal rods that connect the wheel’s hub to the rim.

Stem: Connects the steering tube (on top of the fork) to the handlebar. A regular bike stem clamps onto the steering tube. A quill stem is inserted into the steerer tube. Both clamp around the middle of the handlebar.

Tires: There are several different types of bike tires:

Road bike tires are thinner and have less tread than mountain bike tires. They are typically 700cm in diameter and are designed for riding on asphalt and cement.
Mountain bike tires are wider and feature aggressive tread. They are usually 26 inches in diameter, and some are 29 inches. They are designed for riding on rugged mountain trails.
Hybrid/commuter tires usually fit a 26-inch rim but don’t feature the aggressive tread that a regular mountain bike tire would. They are designed to adapt your mountain bike for the road.

Tubes: Bicycle tubes come in different sizes to match different tires. One important part of a bike tube is its valve stem, where you connect a pump to inflate the tube. Some have a Presta valve, and some have a Schrader. Presta is smaller than Schrader, and your rim will have a hole designed for one or the other, so make sure your tube has a valve stem that matches the rim.

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