Everyone knows why people ride bicycles. They ride them for fun. They ride them for exercise. And they ride them to get where they need to go. But many people don’t know much about their bicycle’s wheels. Let’s use the diagram to examine the parts of a bicycle wheel.
In the diagram, the “Wheel” list mentions spokes first. Spokes are strong metal rods. As you can see in the diagram, spokes connect the hub and the rim. Spokes help the wheel to keep its shape. And they help the wheel to spin. To understand how wheels spin, we need to know more about the hub.
The hub is second in the “Wheel” list. The hub is the center of the wheel. It contains an axle. The axle is hard to turn. But when it turns, the wheel turns, too. The axle helps the wheel to turn faster than it would on its own. It also supports the frame.
Third on the diagram’s “Wheel” list is the rim. The rim holds the spokes. It gives the wheel its round shape. And the round shape is important. It gives the wheel the perfect amount of contact with the ground. The rim is also important because it supports the tire.
The tire comes next on the diagram’s “Wheel” list. Some people call the whole wheel a “tire.” But the tire is really just the rubber on the outside of the wheel. The purpose of the rubber is to grab the road. The tire moves the bicycle forward as the wheels spin. The diagram shows rough tires. Rough tires allow people to ride on slippery surfaces. For example, rough tires cling to dirt better than smooth tires do. But smooth tires are better on paved city roads than rough tires are.
All tires have valves. Valves are last on the wheel list. The valve lets air into the tire but not out of it. Valves keep tires full of air. Valves keep tires safe. Without valves, tires would not have enough air to roll or stop well.
For a bicycle to work, each of the five parts in the wheels must also work. The next time you ride a bicycle, be thankful for the wheels and their helpful parts.