I f you're a newbie to cycling, often the anatomy of a bike can be frustrating to understand. You could be at a group ride meet up and hear seasoned riders use terms like a derailleur, crank, caliper. Perplexed!? Or you need to explain to a mechanic what is wrong with the bike. Breaking down the technical jargon is an important step towards becoming a knowledgeable cyclist. Let’s look at the typical bicycle and explain what’s what in the anatomy of a bike.. Frame - At the heart of the bike is the aluminum, steel, titanium, or carbon-fiber frame. Composed of a top tube, head tube, down tube, bottom bracket shell, seat tube, seat stays, and chainstays. Bar ends - the angled extensions attached to the ends of some flat handlebars and riser handlebars that provide an alternate place to rest your hands. Bottom bracket - the collection of ball bearings and spindle housed within the bottom bracket shell of the frame, which provides the "shaft" mechanism on which the crank arm
