Glossary
Bike components and services
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Hardtail · Disc
Frame type
Brake type
Frame
Frame
The structure connecting the wheels, fork and other components. Its geometry sets your riding position.
Services for this component
Prices are for labour unless otherwise stated. Parts and required materials are agreed separately.
Cables and housing
Cables and housing
Carry the command from the levers to the brakes and gears. Tired cables mean heavy levers and lazy shifting.
Services for this component
Prices are for labour unless otherwise stated. Parts and required materials are agreed separately.
Drivetrain
Chain
Carries your pedalling to the back wheel. It wears and stretches, and a worn chain chews up the sprockets with it.
Services for this component
Prices are for labour unless otherwise stated. Parts and required materials are agreed separately.
Cassette
The stack of sprockets on the back wheel. Smaller sprocket, harder and faster; larger sprocket, easier climbing.
Services for this component
Prices are for labour unless otherwise stated. Parts and required materials are agreed separately.
Rear derailleur
Moves the chain between sprockets and keeps it tensioned. If your gears skip, this is usually what needs adjusting.
Services for this component
Prices are for labour unless otherwise stated. Parts and required materials are agreed separately.
Crank
The arms the pedals bolt onto. A click under hard pedalling usually comes from here or the bottom bracket.
Chainring
The large sprocket by the crank. Its teeth sharpen with wear and the chain starts skipping under load.
Services for this component
Prices are for labour unless otherwise stated. Parts and required materials are agreed separately.
Pedals
Simple, but they run on bearings that wear. Side-to-side play means the bearing has gone.
Services for this component
Prices are for labour unless otherwise stated. Parts and required materials are agreed separately.
Bottom bracket
The bearing the crank axle turns in. It is hidden, so it often gets found only once it starts creaking.
Services for this component
Prices are for labour unless otherwise stated. Parts and required materials are agreed separately.
Derailleur hanger
Connects the rear derailleur to the frame. A bent hanger can disrupt shifting.
Services for this component
Prices are for labour unless otherwise stated. Parts and required materials are agreed separately.
Gear shifter
The handlebar control used to change gears. It can operate a cable or an electronic system.
Services for this component
Prices are for labour unless otherwise stated. Parts and required materials are agreed separately.
Brakes
Brake levers
Transmit your braking input through a hydraulic hose or mechanical cable, depending on the brake.
Services for this component
Prices are for labour unless otherwise stated. Parts and required materials are agreed separately.
Calliper
Squeezes the pads against the disc. A rub as the wheel turns usually just means it needs aligning.
Services for this component
Prices are for labour unless otherwise stated. Parts and required materials are agreed separately.
Rotor
The metal disc at the hub. A bent one gives you a rhythmic scrape once per wheel revolution.
Services for this component
Prices are for labour unless otherwise stated. Parts and required materials are agreed separately.
Disc brake pads
Sit inside the calliper and press against the rotor to slow the wheel. Their shape must match the brake model.
Services for this component
Prices are for labour unless otherwise stated. Parts and required materials are agreed separately.
Hydraulic hose
Carries pressure through fluid from the lever to the calliper. It is different from a mechanical cable and housing.
Services for this component
Prices are for labour unless otherwise stated. Parts and required materials are agreed separately.
V-brake and pads
Two arms press the pads against the sides of the rim. A mechanical cable operates them without hydraulic fluid.
Services for this component
Prices are for labour unless otherwise stated. Parts and required materials are agreed separately.
Cockpit
Handlebars
Width and rise set how your upper body sits. A small change here is felt immediately.
Stem
Clamps the bars to the fork. If the bars turn but the wheel does not, this is loose.
Services for this component
Prices are for labour unless otherwise stated. Parts and required materials are agreed separately.
Headset
The bearings the fork steers on. A knock when you brake hard usually comes from here.
Services for this component
Prices are for labour unless otherwise stated. Parts and required materials are agreed separately.
Saddle
Height matters more than padding — a saddle set too low is what makes knees ache.
Seatpost
Holds the saddle height. If it slips while you ride, the clamp or the post is worn.
Services for this component
Prices are for labour unless otherwise stated. Parts and required materials are agreed separately.
Grips
The surfaces at the ends of the handlebars where you hold on. They provide grip and comfort.
Dropper post
A telescoping seatpost that lowers and raises the saddle using a remote. Servicing depends on the model and mechanism.
Services for this component
Prices are for labour unless otherwise stated. Parts and required materials are agreed separately.
Wheels
Rim
The metal hoop the tyre sits on. A wheel that wobbles side to side needs the rim trued.
Services for this component
Prices are for labour unless otherwise stated. Parts and required materials are agreed separately.
Spokes
A wheel is held true by spoke tension, not by the rim itself. One loose spoke pulls the whole wheel out.
Services for this component
Prices are for labour unless otherwise stated. Parts and required materials are agreed separately.
Hub
The centre of the wheel, running on bearings. Rock the wheel when it is off the ground — play means the bearings are done.
Services for this component
Prices are for labour unless otherwise stated. Parts and required materials are agreed separately.
Tyre
Pressure matters more than tread. Too low and you get pinch flats and a heavy ride.
Services for this component
Prices are for labour unless otherwise stated. Parts and required materials are agreed separately.
Front axle
Connects the front wheel to the fork. Its dimensions and mounting system depend on the wheel and fork.
Services for this component
Prices are for labour unless otherwise stated. Parts and required materials are agreed separately.
Rear axle
Secures the rear wheel in the frame. The correct standard depends on the frame and hub.
Services for this component
Prices are for labour unless otherwise stated. Parts and required materials are agreed separately.
Valve
The point used to inflate the tyre. A tubeless valve seals into the rim without an inner tube.
Services for this component
Prices are for labour unless otherwise stated. Parts and required materials are agreed separately.
Suspension
Stanchions
The smooth upper tubes that slide into the fork. A scratch here is what makes the seals start weeping.
Services for this component
Prices are for labour unless otherwise stated. Parts and required materials are agreed separately.
Fork lowers
The lower half holding the wheel and the seals. There is oil inside that wants changing periodically.
Services for this component
Prices are for labour unless otherwise stated. Parts and required materials are agreed separately.
Seals
Keep the oil in and the dirt out. Oil creeping down the stanchions is the sign they are done.
Services for this component
Prices are for labour unless otherwise stated. Parts and required materials are agreed separately.
Fork
Holds the front wheel and turns in the headset. A suspension fork absorbs impacts.
Services for this component
Prices are for labour unless otherwise stated. Parts and required materials are agreed separately.
Service packages
Service packages and jobs that do not require selecting an individual component.
Prices are for labour unless otherwise stated. Parts and required materials are agreed separately.
The other gear
The same drawing, for the other two.