Bicycle Brake Parts

Bike Brakes Guide Your bicycle’s brakes are its main safety feature. They help control your speed and stop when you are ready to stop. There are many types of bike brakes for different applications. They all have advantages and disadvantages depending on use. There are brakes designed best for road bikes and some that work best on a mountain bike. There are different styles of rim brakes that apply stopping power to the rim and different types of hub brakes that apply stopping power to the hub area of your wheel. We’ll break all of this down for you in a way that is as easy as possible to understand.

Flat bar levers
Flat bars have their own set of levers, typically called mountain bike levers or BMX levers. It is important to know which type of brake the lever will be used with. Center pull and side pull use one type of lever, while linear pull brakes need a special lever.

Side pull
Side pull brakes have a single cable running down the side of the caliper and work similarly to linear pull in that the housing and cable work together to actuate the brake arms. The big difference between linear pull and side pull is that side pull calipers have both arms on both sides of the caliper and pivot around the anchor bolt.

Drum brakes
Drum brakes are actuated by a brake lever, generally mounted on the handlebars. The brake actuation presses brake pads against the inner wall of the hub shell. They are popular on tandems and motorized bikes. Since they are internal, they work well even in the worst weather conditions.

Maintenance is an important factor in keeping your bike running smoothly, whether it is a normal bike or a pocket bike. So frequently changing worn out parts with new parts is a way to re-power your pocket bike and to make sure that it continues to operate efficiently.

Tire – It covers the outer circumference of the bicycle wheel and is inflated with air. Because of its shape (usually circular) and air filled inside, it allows the bike to sail. Right amount of air needs to be filled inside the tire so that it provides optimum friction to the ground, thereby transmitting maximum speed from the pedal to the wheel.
In order to buy and maintain a good bicycle, a person needs to understand what each bicycle part does. Although they might seem trivial when seen separately, but when running in combination, they produce a thrill and experience, one cannot afford to miss.

The bike parts below are listed in alphabetical order.
Bottom bracket: A bottom bracket sits between the cranks and contains the bearing cartridges that allow the crankset to spin.
Brake cables/hoses: These connect the brake levers to the brakes themselves. Cables are used to control mechanical brakes. Hoses are used with hydraulic disc brakes.
Chain: The chain connects the crankset and chainring to the rear cassette, so when you pedal, the bike actually moves. When the chain is moved up a level or down a level on the cassette and chainring assembly (switching gears), you get more or less resistance in pedaling. In order to work properly, the chain should be compatible with the chainring, cassette and size of frame.

Handlebar tape: This is wrapped around the ends of road bike handlebars to provide cushioning and grip. It is often leather or cork and comes in a variety of colors, textures and thicknesses.
Headset: Headsets help keep the fork secured to the frame, and they provide the ball bearings for smooth steering. When used with regular, non-quill stems, they can also cap off the steering tube.
Hubs: At the center of every bicycle wheel is a hub. It connects to the spokes and contains the bearings that make it possible for the wheel to turn. It is the hub that secures the wheel to the frame or fork. Rear hubs are equipped to hold the cassette. Front hubs are usually simpler and narrower. Some hubs are designed to facilitate disc brakes.

Tires: There are several different types of bike tires:
* Road bike tires are thinner and have less tread than mountain bike tires. They are typically 700cm in diameter and are designed for riding on asphalt and cement.
* Mountain bike tires are wider and feature aggressive tread. They are usually 26 inches in diameter, and some are 29 inches. They are designed for riding on rugged mountain trails.
* Hybrid/commuter tires usually fit a 26-inch rim but don’t feature the aggressive tread that a regular mountain bike tire would. They are designed to adapt your mountain bike for the road.
Tubes: Bicycle tubes come in different sizes to match different tires. One important part of a bike tube is its valve stem, where you connect a pump to inflate the tube. Some have a Presta valve, and some have a Schrader. Presta is smaller than Schrader, and your rim will have a hole designed for one or the other, so make sure your tube has a valve stem that matches the rim.