The bicycle is popular not even for tens, but for hundreds of years. Despite the development of the automotive industry, the two-wheeled environmentally friendly mode of transport does not lose its position. In addition, this unit is used in professional sports. Bicycle parts are improved every year, making the car safer, more convenient and faster. Consider the design features of the bike.
Types of Bicycle Machines
According to the type of construction, the parts of the bicycle, namely the frame, can be folding or rigid type. The first option is equipped with at least one joint, allowing you to fold the frame part of the device. This facilitates the transportation and storage of the bike.
However, the emerging models are inferior to full-size modifications in terms of reliability and running performance. By this type, city and pleasure bikes are usually made, to which there are no requirements for high strength and reliability. It is worth noting that any modern bike for easy transportation can be dismantled in a few minutes. The reverse procedure takes the same amount of time. In this regard, folding options are not very popular.
Basic structure
We will begin to study the components of the bicycle from the frame. It is its type that determines the category of the machine, its reliability and working life. The frame consists of several basic parts. Among them:
- Upper and lower frontal tube.
- Seatpost cylindrical element.
- Top and bottom feathers.
Among the modern types of frames, several categories are distinguished:
- Road frame.
- City option.
- Mountain modification.
- Sports and stunt models.
Between themselves, the frames differ in design, material of manufacture, the presence of reinforcements, and external design.
What are modern frames made of?
The manufacturing material of such a part of the bicycle as the frame is one of the most important parameters that affect the cost and characteristics of the machine. Modern bikes come with carbon, aluminum or steel frames.
Steel alloys are mainly used in the manufacture of urban bicycles. The design is characterized by high strength and resistance to mechanical influences. The disadvantages of the steel frame include a large weight and poor flexibility, which negatively affects the dynamics of the bike.
Aluminum compares favorably with its strength, flexibility and low weight. Such frames have excellent ergonomics, cushioning and dynamics. The cost of such material is also higher than that of steel counterparts.
Carbon fiber (carbon) is used to produce expensive bicycle frames. These products have high strength, even compared to metal counterparts. Moreover, they have a long service life, resistance to shock and wear, good maneuverability.
Steering wheel and fork
These bike parts are usually interconnected. The steering wheel is a pair of elements from a horizontal pipe, as well as a remote stem. According to the types of bending steering elements are divided into several categories, namely:
- Direct option.
- Curved down models.
- The so-called "sheep."
- Curved up modifications.
The outrigger is an intermediate element between the horizontal and adjusting part of the steering wheel. It fixes the distance from the frame to the steering wheel. The longer the takeaway, the more horizontal the position of the rider during movement. On conventional machines, this element is not provided.
The steering part itself consists of the following parts:
- Speakers
- Forks.
- Takeaway.
- Steering wheel.
A bicycle fork is an intermediate assembly between the handlebars and the front wheel. It has a structure that does not differ in complex structural features. Using the rod, the part is mounted in the front glass of the frame. The steering wheel is placed in the middle of the fork, and the wheel interacts with it through special ears.
For free rotation of the fork during bends, the glass is equipped with a steering column. It includes a pair of bowls, bearings, ring retainers. The bowls are mounted by pressing or fastened with an internal thread, the rings are mounted on a rod firmly fixed in the steering column.
Wheels
When considering which parts of a bicycle are the most important, you should definitely mention the wheels. They serve to hold the frame in an upright position and set the machinery in motion. The composition of the wheel includes a hub, a rim, a camera and a tire.
The central element is the sleeve, which consists of a main axis, washers and bearings. The main purpose of this part is to activate and maintain torque. The rear hub is more complicated because it serves to directly spin the wheel. On recreational and road modifications, it is additionally equipped with a brake mechanism. In this part of the high-speed bike, a gear shifting unit is mounted in the form of stars of different sizes. The planetary bushings also provide for the installation of a device for switching speeds.
Other wheel components
The rim is a ring that aggregates with the sleeve by means of spokes. The parameters of the tension of the spokes and the geometry of the rim affect the resistance of the wheel to deformations and dynamic loads. The bicycle rim is made of aluminum, the spokes are made of a special alloy. The tension is adjusted through the heads located on the side of the rim.
A chamber is a hollow rubber product that fits on the rim and is inflated with air. A tire is mounted on top of it. Air injection through the nipple. To prevent damage to the tire by the spoke heads, the inside of the rim is equipped with a rubber gasket.
The main purpose of the tire is to protect the camera from extraneous impact, as well as creating reliable grip with the road surface. Tire design includes sidewalls, sidewalls and tread. Depending on the purpose of the bike, it can be “shoeed” into one of four types of tires:
- Road option. The tread pattern is medium, suitable for dirt roads and highways.
- Slicks. They are designed for use on road bikes and flat roads.
- Aggressive type. Most often, these are parts of a mountain bike. They have a pronounced and deep tread pattern.
- Hybrid tires. These elements are a cross between a mountain and a road option.
Yellow and red reflectors mounted on knitting needles provide additional safety and visibility of equipment in the dark.
Transmission unit
This unit is responsible for moving the bike. The structure of the node is quite complex device. It provides a large number of various mechanisms. Consider the name of the parts of the bike included in the transmission:
- Leading stars.
- Connecting rods.
- Carriage.
- Pedals.
- Chain.
- Driven sprockets.
- Coins.
- Gear shifters.
The carriage is located in the lower compartment of the frame. The assembly is designed to connect the front sprockets and the connecting rod mechanism. Stable pedaling is ensured by the fixed bearings on which the through axle is mounted. There are two types of carriages: open and cartridge variation.
Connecting rods connect the carriage and pedals, are mounted on square or slotted clips. Items are shipped with the front sprocket.
Pedals and chain
The pedals provide the transfer of mechanical energy to the carriage through the connecting rods and serve as a support for the cyclist's legs. These elements are divided into several types:
- The classic version - is installed on amateur cycling machines, gearing is carried out exclusively due to the friction force.
- Pedals with a strap.
- Contact models - equipped with special inserts for shoes.
- Extreme modifications - have a wide surface and latches in the form of inserts.
The back of the bike is equipped with sprockets that attach to the hub. Several transmission rear stars aggregate with the front chainring. Small diameter elements are responsible for high gears, and large parts for low speeds.
A chain is used to connect the driving and driven sprockets. High-speed bikes are equipped with several stars, not only in the back, but also in the front. The chain is transferred from one transmission element to another by means of switches that are controlled by coins placed on the steering wheel. The relationship between coins and speed controllers is made through cables. Switches can be drum or lever type. There are no controllers on single-gear bikes; there is one asterisk in front and rear.
Brake system
For safety while riding the brakes are responsible. There are three options for this node on bicycles:
- Drum and sleeve version. It is considered an obsolete mechanism, but it is mounted on simple amateur bikes. The drum is located in the rear hub. When the pedals rotate, it acts on the pads that move apart and lock the wheel, making contact with the working surface.
- Rim design. Such brakes are equipped with pads that, when the steering lever is activated, clamp the wheel rim. The working part of the system is mounted on the place of attachment of the wings, can be used individually or in combination with other types of brakes.
- The most difficult is disk modification. It consists of a brake part mounted on a wheel hub, clipper, linkage drive with a cable. The clipper has brake pads that clamp the disc when the handle on the steering wheel is activated. The mechanism in question can be of a mechanical or hydraulic type.
Shock absorbers
These spare parts for bicycles help to soften impacts on the road and dampen vibrations when riding. As a rule, shock absorbers are placed in the front fork and are divided into the following types:
- Spring version.
- Elastomer with spring.
- Air-oil system.
- Spring-oil depreciation.
The fork travel along the length, blocking and rebound speed are adjusted using special controls. Forks without a depreciation unit are of a rigid type, they are used on road and road modifications. On mountain bikes, there may be an additional rear shock absorber, providing comfortable overcoming rough roads.
Saddle
This is one of the simplest parts of a bicycle. The saddle can vary in width, shape, material of manufacture and other parameters. Some models are equipped with additional lower springs. A “ seat ” is installed on the seat post, which goes into a special tube. The element is fixed in height using a special mechanism.
The parts of the bike and their names are considered above. As you can see, the bike device is not as simple as it seems at first glance.