Everything Else:

Can't complete the bike without these vital parts.

Welcome friends to the "Everything Else" page of Get-Into-Cycling.com. We'll we've talked about what makes a bike go, what makes it stop, what puts it together and what keeps it rolling. But what about all the other stuff you need for the bike? Where do I sit? How do I steer this thing? Where's the cupholder and cruise control? Well, not to worry, friends. We've got that covered in this page.

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The Saddle:

Along with everything else that we're going to go over here, the saddle is an integral part of the bike. Why you ask? Well, if it weren't there, you'd get awfully tired pedaling standing up, especially during long distances. Additionally, not only does the saddle serve as a place to sit on, it gives you a "comfortable" place to push against when pedaling hard, allowing you to transmit all your power to the drivetrain.

The saddle is attached to the bicycle frame via a device called a "seatpost."

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The Handlebars:

Handlebars allow you to steer your bike. Handlebars come in a wide variety of different styles for different bikes. The handlebars shown above are a standard road bike style handlebar called a "drop bar."

Below is a photo of a type of mountain bike handlebar called an "upright bar." These bars can also be used in other bikes as well, such as comfort bikes, city bikes, to name a few.

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The Stem:

The part shown above is called a stem, specifically a "threaded stem." This is what your handlebar is attached to. In turn, this device is attached to your fork. It attaches by slipping into the fork steertube (see "The Frameset" page for more info). Once inserted, a center bolt called a "spanner bolt" is tightened, compressing the stem into the steertube.

Threaded stems have been around for a long time and were the standard for all bikes until the advent of the "threadless stem" shown below. The threadless stem attaches to the steertube of the fork as well, but that's where the similarity ends. Instead of being inserted into the steertube, it clamps on to the fork steertube, which, by the way, must protrude out further than a fork that uses a threaded stem. The threadless stem is then compressed down using a device called a "star-fangled" nut and cap.

Additionally, a threadless stem also compresses the bike's headset in place, without the need for a headset lockring (more on that below.....).

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The Headset:

The headset is the device which connects the fork to the frame of the bicycle and also allows it to steer. In general, it is comprised of two sets of bearings, upper and lower bearing cups, plus a top bearing cap (called a "race") and a lower crown race which attaches to the fork crown.

There are two common styles of headsets: Threaded and threadless. Let's take a look at both.

Threaded Headset:

The threaded headset uses a threaded upper bearing cap and a lockring to attach to the fork.

Threadless Headset:

The threadless headset does not use a threaded upper bearing cup or a lockring. Instead (as previously mentioned in the "stem" section), it is compressed down and held in place by the the threadless stem and a top cap.

Below is a visual breakdown of a headset. This particular photo is of a threadless version, but with the exception of the threadless stem and top cap, all other parts are the same for a threaded headset as well.

Additionally, there are also threadless stems that have the bearing cups built into the headtube of the bicycles frames. These are generally referred to as "integrated bearing cup headsets." These designs are lighter, more compact and cleaner looking. ________________________________________________________________

So there you have it. Aside from the frameset, drivetrain, brakeset and wheelset, you need "everything else" in this section to complete your basic bicycle. Because without these items, a bicycle wouldn't be a bicyle.....just a jumbled pile of parts.

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