Bicycle Components and Parts
In order to get the most out of your mountain or road bike, it is critical to ensure that you have high-quality parts and components. There are a large number of bike components, including the wheels, frame, seat, handlebars, cranksets, and more. Each product is built for a specific purpose and riding style, allowing you to find the perfect combination for your riding needs.
What is a Shimano groupset?Shimano is a Japanese company that produces bike parts and components. They produce a number of groupsets that are designed for specific styles of riding. A Shimano groupset is a series of components that are designed to work together, and most often, these components make up the brakes, crankset, chain, and gear systems on the bike. Shimano manufactures both electrical and mechanical sets with different weights, numbers of gears, different materials, and more.
What are the components of a bicycle wheel?Bike wheels are made up of the following pieces:
- Rim: The rim of the bicycle is a metal hoop that is designed in either a clincher or tubeless style. Clincher rims form an interlocked bead with the tire and encase an inner tube. Tubeless rims are airtight and do not require an inner tube, which helps to reduce pinch flats.
- Hub: The hub includes an axle, bearings, and a shell. This component is responsible for allowing the wheel to turn with minimal resistance.
- Spokes: Spokes connect the rim to the hub, and they are often made of steel or stainless steel for durability and strength. The tension can also be adjusted to ensure the hub is located in the center of the rim.
Depending on your preferences, you may choose any of the following pedals:
- Platform: Platform models are common on many entry-level road bikes. Since they do not incorporate any clips, mounting and dismounting is easy. Furthermore, they do not require special cycling shoes.
- Toe clips and straps: These components are small frames that attach to the front of platform models and allow you to pull up on the pedal for maximum efficiency.
- Clip-in: Clip-in models allow you to clip in your cycling shoes to ensure your foot doesn't slip off. They utilize a SPD system, which stands for Shimano Pedaling Dynamics. The three-hole Shimano design is ideal for road cycling as it allows you to spread the force from your foot evenly across the pedal to reduce the stress load.
Handlebars can come in a variety of shapes and sizes, including straight bars, bars curved up or down, an aerodynamic style, and more. Therefore, it is important to figure out what type suits your riding style. While some models shift more weight forward into your hands and provide different styles for hand and arm comfort, others encourage a more upright posture for better leverage and turning control.