Mountain bikers often like to maintain and do repairs to their bikes themsleves.  Below is an alphabetic list of the parts that make up a mountain bike.

1.  Bottom bracket – This attaches the crankset to the body of a bike.

2.  Brake cable – This is the cable that connects the brake lever to the brake mechanism.

3.  Brake lever – The lever on the handlebar to activate the brakes.  The left side is the front brake and the right side is the rear brake.

4.  Chain – The circular set of links that transfer power from the chain ring to the cogs.

5.  Chain ring – The toothed rings that attach to the crank to hold the chain.

6.  Crank – The lever that extends from the bottom bracket to the pedal, transferring the power to the chain rings.

7.  Derailleur – The mechanism for moving the chain from one cog to another.

8.  Down tube – The section of frame that extends downward from the stem to the bottom bracket.

9.  Front shock – The shock absorber on the front fork.

10.  Handlebar – The horizontal bar attached to the stem with handgrips on the end.

11.  Headset – The mechanism in front of the frame that connects the front fork to the stem and handlebars.

12.  Hub – The center part of the wheel that the spokes are attached to.

13.  Idler pulley – The bottom pulley of the rear derailleur that provides spring tension to keep the chain tight.

14.  Nipple – A threaded receptacle that holds the end of the spoke to the rim.

15.  Pedal – The platform to pedal on; attaches to the crank.

16.  Rear shock – The shock absorber for the rear tire on dual suspension type bikes.

17.  Rim – The metal ring that holds the spokes on the inside and the tire to the outside.

18.  Saddle – The seat.

19.  Seat post – Offers support for the seat.

20.  Skewer – The metal rod that goes through the hub, attaching the wheel to the dropouts of the frame.

21.  Spindle – The free rotating axle that the crank arms attach to; also a part of the bottom bracket.

22.  Spokes – The thick wires that join the hub to the rim.

23.  Stem – A piece that attaches the handlebar to the steering tube.

24.  Wheel hub – The center of the wheel that the spokes are attached to.

Knowing the names of the parts will help when you need help from a bike shop.  You will be better able to explain the problem your having and what you need to fix it or replace.