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.

Along with giving you a better selection and expert advice, bike shop personnel can you help you get fitted to the right size bike.  You can get the bike either too big or too small, which will cause your enjoyment to suffer.  Follow the tips below, and you’ll have the perfect fit for your mountain bike.

Standover Height
When you check the fitting yourself, the first thing you want to check is the inseam clearance, or the standover height.  You want to have plenty of room between yourself and the top tube when you come to a stop.  There should be around four to six inches of clearance from the top of your inseam to the top of the top tube.

Leg and Feet Position
There’s a formula for determining the leg position for riding a mountain bike.  When riding a mountain bike, the terrain constantly changes, raising you off the seat constantly, sometimes just slightly, and other times completely off.  Therefore, you’ll need to sit your saddle slightly lower than you would on any other type of bike.  Be sure you take this slightly lower seat height position into effect when you factor the size of the frame.

Riding Compartment
The next thing you’ll want to check is the rider compartment layout (the distance between the saddle and the handlebars).  Once the proper leg extension has been determined, be sure the handlebar is one to two inches below the height of the saddle.  You should never have the handlebars higher than the seat, unless there is some type of upper body problem.

Dual Suspension Bikes
With suspension being at both ends, you’ll want your weight more in the middle of the bike so that your height is distributed evenly between the front and rear suspension units, thus allowing the front and rear suspension to work as a unit.

This can be done quite easily by using either a higher or shorter stem to raise the hand height, which will in turn move the upper body up and the weight towards the rear.  The increase in rise shouldn’t be no more than two inches, then the decrease in reach shouldn’t be any more than two inches.

Test Ride
Once you have taken all of these steps into account, go out and test drive the bike.  Make sure you wear a helmet, even if you are going to be testing for a brief period of time.  Be sure that the tires are set to the right pressure, and the shop has adjusted the bike for you properly.

You should have a shop employee observe your body position and ride height while riding, to determine if any further adjustments need to be made.  Ride the bike around for a bit to get used to its handling and new equipment.  Start off slowly, then give the bike a bit of time to present its personality.

After a few minutes, you might notice that something isn’t working correctly or just doesn’t feel right in general.  If this happens, go back to the shop and have the problem corrected before you rule out the bike.

The more you ride bikes, the easier it will be to tell the difference in the ride types.  Keep in mind, it may take months and even years to appreciate the way a bike handles.  Talk to those who ride, and ask bike shop employees if they ride the bikes they sell.  This way, you’ll learn more about the mountain bikes you love so much!