The anatomy of a mountain bike is made up of several
sections and components, most of which are explained below:
- Bottom bracket – This attaches the crankset to
the body of a bike. - Brake cable – This is the cable that connects the
brake lever to the brake mechanism. - 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. - Chain – The circular set of links that transfer
power from the chain ring to the cogs. - Chain ring – The toothed rings that attach to
the crank to hold the chain. - Crank – The lever that extends from the bottom
bracket to the pedal, transferring the power to the
chain rings. - Derailleur – The gear mechanism for moving the
chain from one cog to another. - Down tube – The section of frame that extends
downward from the stem to the bottom bracket. - Front shock – The shock absorber on the front
fork. - Handlebar – The horizontal bar attached to the
stem with handgrips on the end. - Headset – The mechanism in front of the frame
that connects the front fork to the stem and
handlebars. - Hub – The centre part of the wheel that the
spokes are attached to. - MTB: Abbreviation for ‘Mountain Bike’.
- Nipple – A threaded receptacle that holds
the end of the spoke to the rim. - Pedal – The platform to pedal on; attaches to
the crank. - Rear shock – The shock absorber for the rear
tire on dual suspension type bikes. - Rim – The metal ring that holds the spokes
on the inside and the tyre to the outside. - Saddle – The seat.
- Seat post – Offers support for the seat.
- Skewer – The metal rod that goes through the
hub, attaching the wheel to the dropouts of the
frame. - Spindle – The free rotating axle that the
crank arms attach to; also a part of the bottom
bracket. - Spokes – The thick wires that join the hub to
the wheel rim. - Stem – A piece that attaches the handlebar
to the steering tube. - 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.