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Cycle and Components

D

damping - the process of controlling suspension action, without which a suspended fork would bounce like a pogo stick

derailleur - a lever-activated mechanism that pushes the chain off of one sprocket and onto another, thus changing the gear ratio

diamond frame - the traditional men's bicycle frame, the principal parts of which form a diamond shape

dish - offsetting of the hub in a rear wheel on a derailleur bike to make room for the cassette and still allow the wheel to be centered within the frame

double-crown fork - a type of suspension fork that resembles a motorcycle fork due to crowns above and below the head tube, which increase stiffness

downhill bike - a bike designed for racing down mountains; features include long-travel dual suspension frame

down tube - the frame tube running from the headset to the bottom bracket.
drivetrain - the derailleurs, chain, freewheel, and crankset of a bike

dropout - a slot in the frame into which the rear wheel axle fits

dropout hanger - a threaded metal piece that extends below the right rear dropout, used as a mount for the rear derailleur

drops - the lower, straight portion of a turned-down-type handlebar
dual-suspension bike - a bike with front and rear suspension

dustcap - a metal or plastic cap that fits into a hub shell to keep contaminants out of bearings

F

fixed gear - a direct-drive setup using one chainring and one rear cog, as on a track bike. When the rear wheel turns so does the chain and crank; coasting isn't possible.

G

granny gear - smallest chainring combined with largest cog, used mainly for climbing.

H

headset - the parts at the top and bottom of the frame's head tube, into which the handlebar stem and fork are fitted.

hybrid - a cross between a road bike and a mountain bike. Not as fast or efficient as the former, and not as well suited to singletrack as the latter. Often called a "cross" bike.

S

straight block - a cassette with cogs that increase in size in one-tooth increments, often used in time trialling.

T

tops - the part of a drop handlebar between the stem and the brake levers.

tubular, tubs - a lightweight road or track tyre that has the tube permanently sewn inside the casing. Also called a sew-up. The tyre is glued to the rim.

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