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.