What holds a bike together?

Think about your bike. Put your hands on the handlebars and squeeze the soft grips. Your bike has lots of parts. It has two wheels, a seat, handlebars and pedals.

When you ride over bumps, the bike shakes and rattles. Yet the wheels stay on, and the seat stays put. So what holds a bike together?

In the middle of every bike is the frame, which means the strong metal shape that every part holds on to. Its metal tubes join together into one solid piece. That way, the frame does not bend when you ride.

The frame works like the bike's backbone. The wheels, the seat and the handlebars all hold on to the frame. Without it, the parts would just lie in a pile.

Now picture the bike's seat. Under it, a metal post slides down into a tube of the frame. What do you think stops the seat from slipping down?

A bolt does it! A bolt is a thick metal screw with a small nut that twists onto it. The bolt squeezes the frame tube tight around the post. Now the seat cannot slip.

Each wheel spins around a bolt that goes through its middle. Nuts twist onto both ends of the bolt and hold it tight to the frame. So the wheel can spin around, but it cannot fall off.

The handlebars have a bolt too. It squeezes a metal ring tight around them, on the post that turns the front wheel. That way, the handlebars steer the front wheel and never wobble loose.

A strong frame holds every part, and tight bolts keep each part in its place. So your whole bike stays together, even when it shakes over bumps.

Over the bumps the bike rolls, with the frame and every bolt holding tight. The wheels spin, the seat stays put, and the handlebars steer you along the path.