Terminology

Question 2

non-drive-side cup in the bottom bracket. Removed for maintenance of the bottom-bracket spindle and bearings, and it adjusts the bearings. Sometimes also applied to the top cup of the headset.

Answer 2

adjustable cup

Question 3

a style of headset that allows the use of a fork with a threadless steering tube

Answer 3

AheadSet

Question 4

also known as an allen wrench or hex key

Answer 4

allen key

Question 5

another term for mountain bike

Answer 5

all-terrain bike (ATB)

Question 6

a bolt securing a cable to a component

Answer 6

anchor bolt or cable anchor, cable anchor bolt, cable-fixing bolt

Question 7

an American bicycle component company and parent company of Manitou

Answer 7

Answer Products

Question 8

a brake manufacturer, a subsidiary of SRAM

Answer 8

Avid

Question 9

a shaft around which a part turns, usually on bearings or bushings

Answer 9

axle

Question 10

a length of a hub axle from dropout to dropout, referring to the distance from locknut face to locknut face

Answer 10

axle overlock dimension

Question 11

a set of balls, generally made out of steel or ceramic, rolling in a track to allow a shaft to spin inside a cylindrical part

Answer 11

ball bearing

Question 12

a short handlebar extension clamped onto the end of the handlebar and extending approximately perpendicular to it

Answer 12

bar end

Question 13

a threaded cable stop that allows for fine adjustment of cable tension. Commonly found on rear derailleurs, shifters, brake levers, and dropper-post levers

Answer 13

barrel adjuster

Question 14

a conical part with a bearing race around its circumference. It presses the ball bearings against the bearing race inside the bearing cup.

Answer 14

bearing cone

Question 15

a polished, dish-shaped surface inside which ball bearings roll. The bearings roll on the outside of a bearing cone that presses them into their track inside this

Answer 15

bearing cup or headset cup

Question 16

a track or surface on which the bearings roll. It can be inside a cup, on the outside of a cone, or inside a cartridge bearing

Answer 16

bearing race

Question 17

a bolt clamping a seatpost in a frame, a bar end to a handlebar, a stem to a handlebar, or securing a threadless steering tube

Answer 17

binder bolt

Question 18

to run out of fuel for the human body so that the ability to continue strenuous activity is impaired. The state of having such low blood sugar from insufficient intake of calories that the ability to perform is impaired

Answer 18

bonk

Question 19

an assembly that allows the crank to rotate. Generally this includes bearings and an axle and on older bikes may include a fixed cup, an adjustable cup, and a lockring

Answer 19

bottom bracket (BB)

Question 20

the vertical distance between the center of the bottom bracket and a horizontal line passing through the wheel-hub centers. Equal to the wheel radius minus the bottom bracket height.

Answer 20

Bottom-bracket drop

Question 21

the height of the center of the bottom-bracket spindle above the ground

Answer 21

bottom-bracket height

Question 22

a cylindrical housing at the bottom of a bicycle frame through which the bottom-bracket axle passes

Answer 22

bottom-bracket shell

Question 23

a mechanical device that decelerates or stops the motion of the wheel through friction

Answer 23

brake

Question 24

an arch-shaped part bolted to the ends of the brake bosses to reduce the flex of the bosses and seatstays when the cantilever or V-brakes are applied

Answer 24

brake booster

Question 25

a fork or frame-mounted pivot for a brake arm

Answer 25

brake boss, or brake pivot, brake post, cantilever boss, cantilever pivot, cantilever post

Question 26

a brake part fixed to the frame or fork containing moving parts attached to brake pads that stop or decelerate a wheel

Answer 26

brake caliper

Question 27

a block of rubber or similar material used to slow the bike by creating friction on the rim, disc or other surface

Answer 27

brake pad or brake block

Question 28

a metal pad holder that secures the brake pad to the brake arm

Answer 28

brake shoe

Question 29

a generic term for most metal frame attachments, even those not brazed but rather welded or glued to the frame

Answer 29

braze-on boss

Question 30

a method commonly used to construct steel bicycle frames. Involves the use of brass or silver solder to connect frame tubes and attach various items to the frame

Answer 30

brazing

Question 31

a metal or plastic sleeve that acts as a simple bearing in pedals, suspension forks, rear shocks and shock-mounting points, suspension swingarm, derailleur pivots, and jockey wheels

Answer 31

bushing

Question 32

a common type of frame tubing with varying wall thicknesses. Designed to accommodate high-stress points; ends of the tubes are thicker and other sections are thinner to reduce weight

Answer 32

butted tubing

Question 33

wound or braided wire strands used to operate brakes and derailleurs

Answer 33

cable or inner wire

Question 34

a cap on the end of a cable that keeps it from fraying

Answer 34

cable end cap

Question 35

cable stop on a stem, headset washer, fork, or seatstay arch used to stop the brake cable housing for a cantilever or U-brake

Answer 35

cable hanger

Question 36

a metal-reinforced exterior sheath through which a cable passes

Answer 36

cable housing or outer wire

Question 37

a fitting on the frame, for, or stem at which a cable-housing segment terminates

Answer 37

cable stop or cable boss or cable-housing stop or outer wire stop

Question 38

two guiding plates through which the chain travels. Both the front and rear derailleurs have this. on the rear also holds the jockey pulleys.

Answer 38

cage

Question 39

an Italian bicycle component company

Answer 39

Campagnolo

Question 40

American bicycle-component company and originator of the threadless headset

Answer 40

Cane Creek, originally Dia-Compe USE

Question 41

a cable-operated rim brake consisting of two opposing arms pivoting on frame- or fork- mounted posts. Pads mounted to each brake arm are pressed against the braking surface of the rim via cable tension from the lever

Answer 41

cantilever brake

Question 42

ball bearings encased in a cartridge consisting of steel inner and outer rings, ball retainers, and sometimes bearing covers

Answer 42

cartridge bearing

Question 43

a group of cogs that mounts on a freehub; also, a group of chainrings that mounts on a spiderless crankarm

Answer 43

cassette

Question 44

a series of metal links held together by pins and used to transmit energy from the crank to the rear wheel

Answer 44

chain

Question 45

a single unit of a bicycle chain consisting of four plates with a roller on each end and in the center

Answer 45

chain link

Question 46

a dragging of the chain by the chainring past the release point at the bottom of the chainring. The chain can be dragged upward until it is jammed between the chainring and the chainstay

Answer 46

chain suck

Question 47

a flat piece of steel, usually attached to two lengths of chain. This tool is used to remove the rear cogs on a freehub or freewheel

Answer 47

chain whip or chain wrench

Question 48

an imaginary line connecting the center of the middle chainring with the middle of the cogset. Should be straight and parallel to the vertical plane passing through the center of the bicycle. Measured as the distance from the center of the seat tube to the center of the middle chainring.

Answer 48

Chainline

Question 49

a multiple-tooth sprocket attached to the right crankarm

Answer 49

chainring

Question 50

a tool used to secure the chainring nuts while tightening the chainring bolts

Answer 50

chainring-nut tool

Question 51

a frame tube on a bicycle connecting the bottom-bracket shell to the rear dropout and hence to the rear hub axle

Answer 51

chainstay

Question 52

a C-shaped or spiral ring that fits in a groove to hold two cylindrical parts together

Answer 52

circlip or Jesus clip, or snapring

Question 53

a pedal that relies on spring-loaded clips to grip a cleat attached to the bottom of the rider’s shoe without the use of toeclips and straps

Answer 53

clip-in pedal or clipless pedal

Question 54

a sprocket located on the drive side of the rear hub

Answer 54

cog

Question 55

a diminishment of the speed of compression of a spring on impact by hydraulic or mechanical means

Answer 55

compression damping

Question 56

a threaded conical nut that serves to hold a set of bearings in place and also provides a smooth surface upon which those bearings can roll. can also refer to the conical member of any cup-and-cone ball-bearing system

Answer 56

cone

Question 57

the distance between the centerline of the bottom-bracket spindle and the centerline of the pedal axle

Answer 57

crank length

Question 58

a lever attached at the bottom-bracket spindle and to the pedal used to transmit a rider’s energy to the chain

Answer 58

crankarm

Question 59

a bolt attaching the crank to the bottom-bracket spindle on a cotterless drivetrain

Answer 59

crankarm anchor bolt

Question 60

an assemble that includes a bottom bracket, two crankarms, a chainring set, and accompanying nuts and bolts

Answer 60

crankset

Question 61

a flat, open-end wrench head with a square hole at its base to accept the drive stub of a socket wrench or torque wrench

Answer 61

crowfoot wrench or socket or crow’s foot

Question 62

a cup-shaped bearing surface that surrounds the bearings in a bottom bracket, headset, or bug. Also, the upper part of the shaft-eyelet assembly of a rear shock (the big end of the shock)

Answer 62

cup

Question 63

a mechanism in a suspension fork or shock that reduces the speed of the spring’s oscillation movement

Answer 63

damper or damping cartridge

Question 64

a reduction in speed of the oscillation of a spring, as in a suspension fork or shock

Answer 64

damping

Question 65

a gear-changing device that allows a rider to move the chain from one cog or chainring to another while the bicycle is in motion

Answer 65

derailleur

Question 66

a metal extension of the right rear dropout through which the rear derailleur is mounted to the frame

Answer 66

derailleur hanger

Question 67

model name of Shimano electronic-shifting components

Answer 67

Di2

Question 68

a traditional bicycle frame shape

Answer 68

diamond frame

Question 69

a brake that stops the bike by squeezing brake pads attached to a caliper mounted to the frame or fork against a circular disc attached to the wheel

Answer 69

disc brake

Question 70

a difference in spoke tension on the two sides of the rear wheel

Answer 70

dish or wheel dish

Question 71

a centering of the rim in the frame or fork by adjustment of spoke tension in a wheel

Answer 71

dishing or wheel dishing

Question 72

a tool to check the centering of a wheel rim relative to the axle ends

Answer 72

dishing tool

Question 73

a two-chainring drivetrain setup (as opposed to a three or triple setup)

Answer 73

double

Question 74

a frame tube that connects the head tube and bottom-bracket shell together

Answer 74

down tube

Question 75

a flat-ended rod used for driving out bearings and bushings

Answer 75

drift

Question 76

the crankarms, chainrings, bottom bracket, front derailleur, chain, rear derailleur, and freewheel or cassette

Answer 76

drivetrain

Question 77

the difference in height between two parts; a terrain discontinuity you may or may not want to ride off; something not to do with your tools

Answer 77

drop

Question 78

slots in the fork and rear triangle where the wheel axles attach

Answer 78

dropouts or fork ends or fork tips

Question 79

a telescoping seatpost whose length can be adjusted on the fly while riding

Answer 79

dropper post

Question 80

a manufacturer of spokes, other bicycle components, and tools

Answer 80

DT, DT Swiss

Question 81

a protective cap keeping dirt out of a part

Answer 81

dust cap

Question 82

a cone-shaped, hardened-steel tool with coarse, reverse threads to remove broken bolts. A hole is drilled into the center of the bolt, and this is inserted into the hole, and then turned with a tap handle counterclockwise

Answer 82

easy-out

Question 83

a urethane spring sometimes used in suspension forks, rear shocks, suspension seatposts, and saddles

Answer 83

elastomer or MCU

Question 84

a system for shifting gears on a bicycle in which the power to shift comes not from the pull on a cable but from an electric signal turning a servo motor on and off

Answer 84

electronic shifting

Question 85

a rotation of the bike and rider forward over the front wheel

Answer 85

endo

Question 86

a bolt that when tightened pulls a wedge up inside or alongside the part into which the bold is anchored to provide outward pressure and secure said part inside a hollow surface. Found inside quill stems and some handlebar-end plugs and shifters

Answer 86

expander bold

Question 87

a part threaded onto an expander bolt. threaded down its center axis and is usually cylindrical in shape and truncated along an inclined plane or conical in shape and truncated parallel to its base

Answer 87

expander wedge or wedge

Question 88

a cap for the end of cable housing

Answer 88

ferrule

Question 89

a nonadjustable cup of the bottom bracket located on the drive side of the bottom bracket

Answer 89

fixed cup

Question 90

largest diameter of the hub, where the spoke heads are anchored

Answer 90

flange

Question 91

a part that attaches the front wheel to the frame

Answer 91

fork

Question 92

a crosspiece connecting the fork legs to the steering tube

Answer 92

fork crown

Question 93

perpendicular offset distance of the front axle from an imaginary extension of the steering-tube centerline

Answer 93

fork rake or offset or rake or wheel offset

Question 94

the distance measured on the ground between the vertical line passing through the center of the front-hub axle (the center of the wheel contact patch) and the extension of the centerline of the head tube

Answer 94

fork trail or trail

Question 95

a bicycle-suspension manufacturer that makes forks, rear shocks, and dropper posts. Parent company of RaceFace and Easton.

Answer 95

Fox

Question 96

a central structure of a bicycle to which all of the parts are attached

Answer 96

frame

Question 97

a rear hub that has a built-in freewheel mechanism to which the rear cogs are attached

Answer 97

freehub or cassette hub

Question 98

a mechanism through which the rear cogs are attached to the rear wheel on a derailleur bicycle. locked to the hub when turned in the forward direction, but it is free to spin backward independently of the hub’s movement, thus allowing the rider to stop pedaling and coast as the bicycle is moving forward

Answer 98

freewheel

Question 99

a traditional non indexed shifter attached to the frame or handlebar. cable tension is maintained by a combination of friction washers and bolts

Answer 99

friction shifter

Question 100

the head tube, top tube, down tube, and seat tube of a bike frame

Answer 100

front triangle or main triangle

Question 101

FSA

Answer 101

Full Speed Ahead - a manufacturer of bike components

Question 102

the lowest gear, generally of a triple drive-train. in this gear, the chain is on the largest rear cog and the innermost (usually of three) front chainrings

Answer 102

granny gear

Question 103

a twist shifter of the SRAM Corp that is integrated with the handlebar grip of a mountain bike. Shifts gears by twisting

Answer 103

Grip Shift

Question 104

a curved tube, connected to the fork via the stem, that the rider holds in order to turn the fork and thus steer the bicycle. The brake levers and shift levers are attached to it.

Answer 104

handlebar

Question 105

an acute angel formed by the centerline of the head tube and the horizontal

Answer 105

head angle

Question 106

a bearing system, consisting of a number of separate cylindrical parts installed into the head tube and onto the steering tube, that secures the fork and allows it to spin and swivel in the frame

Answer 106

headset

Question 107

the front tube of the frame through which the steering tube of the fork passes. Attached to the top tube and down tube and contains the headset.

Answer 107

head tube

Question 108

a hexagonal wrench that fits inside a hexagonal hole in the head of a bolt

Answer 108

hex key or allen key or allen wrench

Question 109

the central part of a wheel to which the spokes are anchored and through which the wheel axle passes

Answer 109

hub

Question 110

a disc, drum, or coaster brake that stops the wheel with friction applied to a braking surface attached to the hub

Answer 110

hub brake

Question 111

a type of brake that uses fluid pressure to move the brake pads against the braking surface

Answer 111

hydraulic brake

Question 112

a French tire company

Answer 112

Hutchinson

Question 113

a shifter that clicks into fixed positions as it moves the derailleur from gear to gear

Answer 113

index shifter

Question 114

a valve on the compression-damping system on a front or rear shock that opens upon hard impacts and otherwise stays closed, in order to distinguish between bump forces and pedaling forces and prevent the shock from bobbing up and down during pedaling. Similar to a lockout lever, but unlike a lockout, it allows the shock to still be fully active for bump absorption while engaged.

Answer 114

inertia valve

Question 115

on a telescoping suspension fork, a tube, usually clamped into the fork crown, except in the case of an upside-down fork, that slides in and out of the larger-diameter outer leg as the fork compresses and rebounds.

Answer 115

inner leg, upper tube, inner, stanchion

Question 116

a headset in which the bearing seats are integrated into the head tube rather than requiring separate headset cups, and the bearings are completely concealed within the head tube

Answer 116

integrated headset

Question 117

a circular, cog-shaped pulley attached to the rear derailleur that is used to guide, apply tension to, and laterally move the chain from rear cog to rear cog

Answer 117

jockey wheel or jockey pulley

Question 118

an all-terrain tire used on mountain bikes

Answer 118

knobby tire

Question 119

amount the rear axle moves vertically on a full-suspension bike with a given amount of movement of the shock shaft

Answer 119

leverage ratio

Question 120

a pivoting steel hook on a V-brake arm that the cable-guide “noodle” hooks into

Answer 120

link

Question 121

a notched or toothed washer that serves to hold surrounding nuts and washers in position

Answer 121

lock washer

Question 122

a nut that serves to hold the bearing adjustment in a headset, hub, or pedal

Answer 122

locknut

Question 123

a valve on the compression-damping system on a front or rear shock that prevents the shock from compressing. Modern shocked usually have a blowoff system that will allow the compression-damping circuit to open with a large impact to prevent the shock from being damaged on bit hits while this is engaged

Answer 123

lockout

Question 124

a large circular locknut. on a bottom bracket, it is the outer ring that tightens the adjustable cup against the face of the bottom-bracket shell. on a rear shock, this is the threaded ring that tightens the coil spring on a coil-over shock or is used to secure the fore-aft position of the shock body on some air shocks. On a freehub, this holds the cogs on. On a CenterLock disc brake-compatible hub, this secures the rotor to the hub shell.

Answer 124

lockring

Question 125

a style of rear derailleur pioneered by shimano in which the return spring is connected to the opposite vertices of the rear derailleur’s parallelogram linkage elements compared to the setup for a standard rear derailleur. This arrangement results in the derailleur’s moving to the low-gear position (the largest, most inboard rear cog) when the cable tension is removed, rather than to the high-gear position (the smallest, most outboard cog), as on a standard rear derailleur

Answer 125

low normal or rapid rise

Question 126

a German brake company

Answer 126

Magura

Question 127

an American suspension-fork and component company, subsidiary of Answer Products

Answer 127

Manitou

Question 128

an Italian Suspension-fork and component company

Answer 128

Marzocchi

Question 129

a piston chamber at the lever end of a hydraulic brake system

Answer 129

master cylinder

Question 130

a detachable link that holds the chain together. Can be opened by hand without a chain tool

Answer 130

master link

Question 131

a French wheel and bicycle-component company

Answer 131

Mavic

Question 132

a tool for measuring the outside dimensions of an object or the inside dimensions of a hole by means of movable jaws

Answer 132

measuring caliper

Question 133

a French tire company

Answer 133

Michelin

Question 134

a bolt that mounts a part to a frame, fork, or component

Answer 134

mounting bolt, pivot bolt

Question 135

a steel cylindrical cartridge with rod-shaped rollers arranged coaxially around the inside walls

Answer 135

needle bearing

Question 136

a thin nut designed to receive the end of a spoke and seat it in the holes of a rim. a flared typ of a hydraulic caliper bleed fitting onto which a bleed hose can be attached

Answer 136

nipple

Question 137

a curved cable-guide pipe on a V-brake arm that stops the cable housing and directs the cable to the cable anchor bolt on the opposite arm

Answer 137

noodle

Question 138

in a telescoping suspension fork, a tube, often cast from magnesium and attached to the front-wheel axle, except in the case of an upside-down fork, that slides up and down over the smaller-diameter inner leg as the fork compresses and rebounds.

Answer 138

outer leg, casting, fork casting, outer, or slider

Question 139

a platform the foot pushes on to propel the bicycle

Answer 139

pedal

Question 140

an overlapping of the toe with the front wheel while pedaling

Answer 140

pedal overlap, toe overlap, or toeclip overlap

Question 141

a highly damped low-speed compression circuit on a rear shock or suspension fork designed to reduce pedal-induced bobbing as well as keep the suspension high during braking and while riding berms and dips

Answer 141

pedal platform

Question 142

the lateral distance between the feet while pedaling. the distance measured between the two vertical planes defined by the inboard side of each shoe at the first metatarsal as they move around the pedaling circle

Answer 142

pedaling stance

Question 143

a V-shaped wrench with two tip-end pins. the pin spanner is often used for tightening the adjustable cup of the bottom bracket or other lockrings

Answer 143

pin spanner

Question 144

a pin about which a part rotates through a bearing or bushing. found on brakes, derailleurs, and rear-suspension systems

Answer 144

pivot

Question 145

a bolt on which another part pivots

Answer 145

pivot bolt

Question 146

a thin, metal tire valve that uses a locking nut to prevent air from escaping from the inner tube or tire

Answer 146

Presta valve

Question 147

the distance from the outer face of one crankarm at the pedal hole to the plane formed by the outer face of the other crankarm at the pedal hole as it spins. measured normal to this plane.

Answer 147

Q factor

Question 148

a tightening lever and shaft used to attach a wheel to the fork or rear dropouts without using axle nuts; a quick-opening lever and shaft pinching the seatpost inside the seat tube in lieu of a wrench-operated bolt; a quick cable release on a brake; a fixing mechanism that can be quickly opened and closed as on a brake cable or wheel axle; any anchor bolt that can be quickly opened and closed by a lever

Answer 148

quick-release

Question 149

a vertical tube of a stem for a threaded headset system that inserts into the fork steering tube. It has an expander wedge and bolt inside to secure the stem to the steering tube

Answer 149

quill

Question 150

a stem with a quill to insert inside a threaded fork steering tube

Answer 150

quill stem

Question 151

a circular track on which bearings roll freely

Answer 151

race, bearing race

Question 152

A Canadian bicycle-component company

Answer 152

Race Face

Question 153

an indexing shifter manufactured by Shimano for use on mountain bikes with two separate levers operating each shift cable

Answer 153

Rapidfire shifter

Question 154

a rear part of the bicycle frame that includes the seatstays, the chainstays, and the seat tube

Answer 154

rear triangle

Question 155

a diminishing of speed of return of a spring by hydraulic or mechanical means

Answer 155

rebound damping

Question 156

an outer hoop of a wheel to which the tire is attached

Answer 156

rim

Question 157

a handlebar with a double bend on each side of the stem clamp so that the grips are higher than the stem

Answer 157

riser bar

Question 158

an American bicycle and bicycle-component company

Answer 158

Ritchey

Question 159

an American suspension-fork and component company, subsidiary of SRAM

Answer 159

RockShox

Question 160

a brake system using pulleys and a cam to force the brake pads against the rim surface

Answer 160

roller-cam brakes

Question 161

a platform made of leather and/or plastic upon which the rider sits

Answer 161

saddle, seat

Question 162

the amount the front or rear shock compresses with the rider’s weight static on the bike. Its purpose is to preload the shock so that it forces the rear wheel down into the ground when the bike is unweighted after a bump, thus increasing tire contact and traction in rough terrain

Answer 162

sag or ride height

Question 163

a high-pressure air valve with a spring-loaded air-release pin inside. Found on some bicycle inner tubes and tubeless tires, on air-sprung suspension forks and rear shock, and on automobile tires and tubes

Answer 163

Schrader valve

Question 164

a bearing enclosed in a protective seal in an attempt to keep contaminants out

Answer 164

sealed bearing

Question 165

an acute angle formed by the centerline of the seat tube and the horizontal

Answer 165

seat angle

Question 166

an intersection of the seat tube, top tube, and seatstays

Answer 166

seat cluster

Question 167

a frame tube into which the seatpost is inserted

Answer 167

seat tube

Question 168

a tubular member supporting, securing, and allowing height adjustment of the saddle

Answer 168

seatpost

Question 169

a frame tube on a bicycle connecting the seat tube or the rear shock to the rear dropout and hence to the rear hub axle

Answer 169

seatstay

Question 170

a thin element inserted between two parts to ensure that they are the proper distance apart. can be a thin washer and can be used to space a disc-brake caliper away from the frame or fork or to space a bottom-bracket cup away from the frame’s bottom-bracket shell. can also be a thin piece of metal used to make a seatpost fit more tightly inside the seat tube. can also be small, thin discs found inside suspension forks and rear shocks to control suspension movement by permitting or hindering passage of hydraulic fluid through an orifice

Answer 170

shim

Question 171

a Japanese bicycle-component company and maker of XTR, XT, Saint, LX, and STX component lines as well as Rapidfire, SPD, and STI

Answer 171

Shimano

Question 172

a trail with a single furrow made for feet or two-wheeled vehicle, as opposed to a road or doubletrack, which has a track for each pair of wheels

Answer 172

singletrack

Question 173

a long rod; a hub quick-release; a shaft passing through a stack of elastomer bumpers in a suspension fork

Answer 173

skewer

Question 174

a piston chamber in the caliper of a hydraulic brake

Answer 174

slave cylinder

Question 175

a brand of tire sealant consisting of chopped fibers in a liquid medium injected inside a tire or inner tube to flow to and fill small air leaks

Answer 175

Slime

Question 176

A cylindrical tool with a square hole in one end to mount onto a socket-wrench handle and with hexagonal walls inside the opposing end to grip a bolt head or nut.

Answer 176

What is a socket?

Question 177

A cylindrical wrench handle with a ratcheting square head extending at right angles to the handle onto which sockets or other wrench bits for turning bolts or nuts are installed.

Answer 177

What is a socket wrench?

Question 178

A thick washer, cylindrical in shape, intended to maintain a fixed distance between two parts. Spacers can be found between the headset and the stem and between the stem and the top cap on a threadless steering tube.

Answer 178

What is a spacer on a bicycle?

Question 179

A wrench.

(British parlance)

Answer 179

What is a spanner?

Question 180

A star-shaped piece of metal that connects the right crankarm to the chainrings.

Answer 180

What is a spider in bicycle mechanics?

Question 181

One of a set of longitudinal grooves and ridges designed to interlock two mechanical parts.

Answer 181

What is a spline?

Question 182

Metal rods that connect the hub to the rim of a wheel.

Answer 182

What are spokes?

Question 183

An elastic contrivance that when compressed returns to its original shape by virtue of its elasticity.

Answer 183

What is a spring?

Question 184

An initial loading of a spring so that part of its compression range is taken up prior to impact.

Answer 184

What is a spring preload?

Question 185

A circular, multiple-toothed piece of metal that engages a chain.

Answer 185

What is a sprocket?

Question 186

An American bicycle-component company and maker of Grip Shift, Half Pipes, and ESP (derailleurs); owner of Sachs, RockShox, Avid, and Truvativ bicycle-component companies.

Answer 186

What is SRAM?

Question 187

The distance between the top tube of the bike and the rider’s crotch when the rider is standing over the bicycle.

Answer 187

What is stand-over height?

Question 188

A brand of tire upgrade system named after inventor Stan Koziatek that includes a latex-based tire sealant to convert a standard tire to a tubeless tire.

Answer 188

What is Stan’s NoTubes?

Question 189

A pronged nut that is forced down into the steering tube and anchors the headset top cap bolt to adjust a threadless headset.

Answer 189

What is a star nut?

Question 190

A vertical tube on a fork that is attached to the fork crown, fits inside the head tube, and swivels within it by means of the headset bearings.

Answer 190

What is a steering tube?

Question 191

A connection element between the fork steering tube and the handlebar.

Answer 191

What is a stem?

Question 192

A bicycle frame with a steeply up-angled top tube connecting the bottom of the seat tube to the top of the head tube, intended to provide ease of stepping over the frame.

Answer 192

What is a step-through frame?

Question 193

A short segment of cable connecting two brake arms together.

Answer 193

What is a straddle cable?

Question 194

A movable rear end of a rear-suspension frame.

Answer 194

What is a swingarm?

Question 195

A threaded tool made of hardened steel to cut threads, shaped like a pointed bolt shaft with lengthwise grooves.

Answer 195

What is a tap?

Question 196

A headset whose top bearing cup and top nut above it screw onto a threaded steering tube.

Answer 196

What is a threaded headset?

Question 197

A removable rod that forms not only the axle of a front or rear hub but also the system that secures the wheel into the fork or frame.

Answer 197

What is a through-axle?

Question 198

A thumb-operated shift lever attached on top of the handlebar.

Answer 198

What is a thumb shifter?

Question 199

An edge of a tire that seats down inside the rim, held fixed to established standards by strong, stretch-and tear-resistant material.

Answer 199

What is a tire bead?

Question 200

A tool to pry a tire off the rim.

Answer 200

What is a tire lever?

Question 201

A liquid that, when put into a tire, plugs leaks when air under pressure forces it through the leaks.

Answer 201

What is tire sealant?

Question 202

The condition where the toes of the rider’s shoes overlap with the front wheel when turning.

Answer 202

What is toe overlap?

Question 203

A round top part of a headset with a bolt passing through it that screws into the star nut to apply downward pressure on the stem to properly load and adjust the headset bearings on a threadless steering tube.

Answer 203

What is a top cap?

Question 204

Upper headset cup.

Answer 204

What is a top cup?

Question 205

A frame tube that connects the seat tube to the head tube.

Answer 205

What is a top tube?

Question 206

A rotational analogue of force, a vector quantity whose magnitude is the length of the radius from the center of rotation out to the point at which the force is applied, multiplied by the magnitude of the force directed perpendicular to the radius.

Answer 206

What is torque?

Question 207

A socket-wrench handle with a graduated scale and an indicator to show how much torque is being applied as a bolt is being tightened.

Answer 207

What is a torque wrench?

Question 208

A bolt with a six-point star-shaped hole in its head.

Answer 208

What is a Torx bolt?

Question 209

A tool with a star-shaped end that fits in the star-shaped hole in the head of a Torx bolt.

Answer 209

What is a Torx wrench?

Question 210

Where to ride your mountain bike.

Answer 210

What is trail in mountain biking?

Question 211

A three-chaining combination attached to a right crankarm.

Answer 211

What does triple refer to in biking?

Question 212

A bicycle-component manufacturer, subsidiary of SRAM.

Answer 212

What is Truvativ?

Question 213

A system of rim and tire that stays inflated without an inner tube.

Answer 213

What does tubeless mean?

Question 214

A tubeless system that requires tire sealant to stay inflated, with specific requirements for rims and tires.

Answer 214

What does tubeless ready indicate?

Question 215

A cable-pulling derailleur control handle surrounding the handlebar adjacent to the hand grip, twisted to shift the derailleur.

Answer 215

What is a twist shifter?

Question 216

A mountain bike brake consisting of two arms shaped like inverted Ls affixed to posts on the frame or fork.

Answer 216

What is a U-brake?

Question 217

A manufacturing method of nonsuspended (rigid) forks where the fork legs curve toward each other and are welded directly to the steering tube.

Answer 217

What is unicrown?

Question 218

A suspension fork whose lower legs are the inner legs of the fork and move up and down within the upper, outer legs of the fork.

Answer 218

What is an upside-down fork?

Question 219

A tubeless-tire system originated by Mavic, Michelin, and Hutchinson, featuring an airtight tire with a sealing flap.

Answer 219

What is UST?

Question 220

A cable-operated cantilever rim brake consisting of two vertical brake arms pivoting on frame- or fork-mounted pivots pulled together by a horizontal cable.

Answer 220

What is a V-brake?

Question 221

A Pedro’s tool with a Vise-Grip handle used to remove the rear cogs on a free-hub or freewheel.

Answer 221

What is a Vise Whip?

Question 222

The horizontal distance between the two wheel axles.

Answer 222

What is wheelbase?

Question 223

Cast-in or separate fixtures at the fork ends designed to prevent the front wheel from falling out if the hub quick-release lever or axle and nuts are loose.

Answer 223

What are wheel-retention devices?

Question 224

A tool having jaws, a shaped insert, or a socket to grip the head of a bolt or a nut to turn it.

Answer 224

What is a wrench?

Question 225

A part on a cantilever or U-brake attaching the brake cable to the straddle cable; also, the part of a rear-suspension swingarm attached to the main pivot.

Answer 225

What is a yoke?