Free Sample
The Complete Handbook of Bicycle Small Parts
The practical reference for mechanics, shops, and riders who need to select, install, and maintain every small part on a bicycle
by Alumigogo Books
Chapter 1: Understanding Bicycle Small Parts
Bicycle small parts are the connective tissue of a bike. They are the bolts that hold a stem to a steerer tube, the bearings inside a hub that let a wheel spin freely, the cable that pulls a derailleur, the nipple that connects a spoke to a rim, the tiny spacer that sits between two chainrings, and the rubber seal that keeps grit out of a bottom bracket. Individually, each one is cheap. Some cost a few cents. Few are ever mentioned in a bike advertisement. But collectively they determine whether a bicycle feels tight or loose, whether it shifts crisply or misses gears, whether it stops smoothly or with a shudder, and whether it is safe to ride at 60 km/h downhill or ready to fail at a critical moment. A frame can be perfect geometry," the saying goes in professional workshops, "but a wheel is only as good as its nipples, and a drivetrain is only as good as its pulleys and bolts. Overlooking small parts costs more time and money than any frame purchase.
To understand what this category includes and why it matters, it helps to think of a bicycle as a set of assemblies: the wheels, the drivetrain, the cockpit (handlebars, stem, seatpost, saddle), the brakes, and the suspension. Each of these assemblies is itself a package of larger components—rims, hubs, cranks, derailleurs, frame forgings—that the rider and mechanic recognize by name. Small parts are what hold those components