Component Breakdown

Component Breakdown

BICYCLES ARE A COMPILATION OF ABOUT 25 TO 30 DIFFERENT parts (usually referred to as components), designed and manufactured by just as many different parts brands, that have been bolted onto a frame and fork to make a complete bike. The frame and fork are always designed by bicycle companies. You might have even heard of a few—Trek, Giant, Specialized, Cannondale, and Ridley are some of the more well-known brands. So as a buyer, you may think that if you’re familiar with the bike brand, you should be able to walk in and buy a great bike.

However, there are all those other little parts we’ve just described (such as wheels, brakes, cranks, and handlebars) that attach to the frame and fork to create a complete bicycle. When you’re shopping for, say, a blender or a car, you don’t need to do too much research into who made the side panel or gears in the motor. Unfortunately, this doesn’t really apply to bikes.
A single frame manufacturer buys all the smaller parts from many different suppliers. These are all the little pieces that come together on and in the frame to make a bicycle as you know it, and all of these parts are interchangeable between manufacturers. After frame assembly, one complete bike can be outfitted from a few different suppliers. Each comes with its own reputation, and slight performance differences affect the bike and how it interacts with your body.
To keep costs down, a bicycle company will make a deal with a few different component manufacturers to purchase the parts in bulk for an entire bike line. If you bought these parts individually, it would cost much more than buying them bundled together on a complete bike. It’s important to know a bit about not only which of those parts you might be asked about by the salesperson, but also who the main suppliers of those components are, the basic comparisons of how they work, and how price affects quality.
Most important of those, the quality of your components is directly related to the price of your bike. Wondering what the difference really is between the $1,200 bike and the $2,300 bike? The frames might be very similar, but the more expensive option will likely come equipped with components that are more durable, lighter, and higher quality, meaning they’ll both perform better and last longer.
Think of two examples we all use every day: electronics and kitchen knives. With electronics—like your computer or smart phone—the speed and capability (and, in some cases, durability, too) of the machine increases with cost. With kitchen knives, the more it costs, the longer it will stay sharp, the easier it is to maintain, and the less likelihood of accidentally drawing blood. A high-quality knife can last lifetimes if it’s well taken care of—which is why we’ll be looking into how to care for all these components in Part X, Tuning Your Ride.