If You Never Tri, You'll Never Know!

TOA Bike 101: Anatomy of a Bike


Especially if you are a new triathlete or cyclist, this post is for you!!
Knowing the basics of your bike is super important because you might find yourself needing to do a little self-maintenance and/or explaining what's going on to a professional. "this do-daddy" or "that thingy ma-bob" just doesn't cut it!!

Let's start with anatomy and then we'll discuss cleaning, basic maintenance, and tire changing later.

Your bike wheel as a whole is called a wheel. Together, both wheels are called a wheelset.
Size wise, it is either a 700 (most common) or a 650 (much smaller and less common).

Most simply, your wheel consist of the rim, the tire, and the inner tube:

Bike Anatomy Wheel

The rim is the metal (and/or carbon fiber) part of the wheel.
Clincher rims are the most common and probably what you have on your bike vs. tubular or tubeless.

The tire is the rubber component that surround the rim.
Again, you probably have clincher tires.

The inner tube is made of rubber or latex and it's the lining within the tire that you will fill with air.

Breaking your wheel down further - grab your bike and name each part along with me! Bike Anatomy


The rest of your bike is as follows - again, follow along with your own bike!


Bike Anatomy WHOLE



These are the basic parts of your bike - of course it can be broken down further, but this is the stuff that as a triathlete (or cyclist), you should know.

What's your favorite part of your bike? I love tri bike aero bars. I'm super comfy and love being able to shift without moving my arms!