A bicycle is equipped with a pair of wheels. They consist of a hub, rim and spokes. A hub is the centre part. It allows the wheel to spin. The rim has three main functions. It holds the tyre, provides a braking surface and it’s an anchor for spoke nipples. Spokes hold the hub and the rim together. Their job is to transfer the loads between the rim and the hub. Well tensioned spokes will ensure that your wheel is strong and straight. If they are loose the wheel will often need truing and if they are too tight the spokes might cause the damage to the rim and a hub flange.
The wheels come front and rear. Back wheels differ from the front ones because they have longer axles and hubs that can fit a cluster of cogs such as freewheel or cassette. If the wheels are designed for one type of the cogs it will be impossible to replace them with the other one.
Tyre sits on the rim and provides a flexible cushion to absorb shock and friction between a wheel and a road surface. There are many different types and sizes. Some tyres come with thread, others with patterns. Most tyres are designed to accommodate an innertube that is pneumatically filled with air. Some come without one. They are called tubeless.
If the innertube is punctured it will release the air through the hole and make the tyre flat.
In this section you can find how to fix a bike puncture, how to put a front wheel on a bike and much more.
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