Balance bike parts explained for beginners

Are you new to bikes, maybe what you call a beginner? If you’re unfamiliar with bikes, especially balance bikes, that's ok, because we’re here to help you. We’ve put together a little dictionary of Balance bike components and parts for beginners so you can get more familiar with your child’s new bike. 

• Grips
• Attached to the ends of the handle bars, these are the soft squishy rubber bits that your little rider’s hands hold and use them to steer the bike.
• Handlebars
• Akin to a steering wheel for a car, handlebars are what the rider holds and uses to steer their bike. The handle bars are attached to the stem. 
• Stem
• The stem holds the handlebars and attaches them to the bike’s fork. The purpose of the stem is to position the handlebars in an ideal location and promote good riding form.
• Headset
• The headset helps attach the fork to the main bike frame. It’s a set of bearings inside the head tube of the bike frame that allow the fork to turn. When the handlebars are turned the headset is turning too. 
• Fork
• The fork holds the font wheel onto the bike. When the wheel is removed it looks a bit like a fork, thus the name. The fork’s steerer-tube is what the stem attaches to, to allow for steering. 
• Seatpost
• The seatpost fits into the seat-tube at the rear of the bike and is the vertical part that the saddle attaches to. There is a seat-tube clamp that is used to tighten the seatpost in place.
• Saddle
• The saddle is what your little rider sits on when they are scooting or running on their balance bike.
• Frame
• The main part of the bike! The frame is the centerpiece of the bike and everything is attached to it. On a balance bike the frame is minimal since there is no drivetrain and brakes. 
• Wheel (Hub, Spokes, Rim)
• There are two wheels on a balance bike. The wheel is made up of a hub (the center part of the wheel), spokes (the thin metal pieces that connect the hub to the rim) and the rim (the outer part of the wheel that the tire mounts to). 
• Tire
• Putting rubber to the road! The tire is the last part of a “wheel” and the part of the bike that actually contacts the ground.
• Tube (Valve)
• Tubes hold air inside the tire. Before a tire is mounted on the rim a tube is placed inside the tire and then inflated to give the tire shape. 

And that’s really everything this is to know about a balance bike! Since balance bikes are intentionally made to be minimalist they have fewer parts than their larger bike counterparts. If you have any other questions about balance bikes check out the comprehensive article we wrote here. You’ll discover everything you’ve ever wanted to know!