The Component of The Bicycle Wheel - Spokes, Hub, Rim, And Axle

​One of the most important traits of a wheelset is its role in transferring your efforts on the bike to an outcome on the road, so matching the right wheels for your riding style is important, as is having a reliable set that still offers sound levels of performance.

The Component of The Bicycle wheel

A bicycle wheel is a wheel, most commonly a wire wheel, designed for a bicycle. A pair is often called a wheelset, especially in the context of ready built "off the shelf" performance-oriented wheels.

Bicycle wheels are typically designed to fit into the frame and fork via dropouts and hold bicycle tires.​

The Component of the Bicycle wheel

1. hub: A hub is the center part of a bicycle wheel. It consists of an axle, bearings, and a hub shell. The hub shell typically has two machined metal flanges to which spokes can be attached. Hub shells can be one-piece with a press-in cartridge or free bearings or, in the case of older designs, the flanges may be affixed to a separate hub shell.
2. rim: The rim is commonly a metal extrusion that is butted into itself to form a hoop, though may also be a structure of carbon fiber composite. 
3. axle: The axle is attached to dropouts on the fork or the frame.
4. spoke: Conventional metallic bicycle wheels for single rider bikes commonly have 28, 32 or 36 spokes, while wheels on tandems have as many as 40 or 48 spokes to support the weight of an additional rider.

​Spoke - Number of spokes
Conventional metallic bicycle wheels for single rider bikes commonly have 28, 32 or 36 spokes, while wheels on tandems have as many as 40 or 48 spokes to support the weight of an additional rider. Wheels with fewer spokes have an aerodynamic advantage, as the aerodynamic drag from the spokes is reduced. On the other hand, the reduced number of spokes results in a larger section of the rim being unsupported, necessitating stronger and often heavier rims. Some wheel designs also locate the spokes unequally into the rim, which requires a stiff rim hoop and correct tension of the spokes. Conventional wheels with spokes distributed evenly across the circumference of the rim are considered more durable and forgiving to poor maintenance. The more general trend in wheel design suggests technological advancement in rim materials may result in a further reduction in the number of spokes per wheel.

Spoke - Material
The spokes on the vast majority of modern bicycle wheels are steel or stainless steel. Stainless steel spokes are favored by most manufacturers and riders for their durability, stiffness, damage tolerance, and ease of maintenance. Spokes are also available in titanium, aluminum, or carbon fiber.

Reference: wikipedia / bikeexchange.com