Mazlow Bicycles : 2008 GT El Centro 18


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		GT El Centro 18

Model Year: 2008
Bike Type: Mountain
MSRP: $289.99

Frameset

Frame
Frames are structured of tubes of metal which support all of the bike and rider. Before the 1980's, all frames were made of steel, but nowadays lighter alloys of aluminum or titanium and even carbon fiber have become available. All operational parts and assemblies are attached to the frame.

New GT BMX freestyle design

Fork
Attaches the steering system (handlebars and stem), to the front wheel.

GT BMX freestyle design fork with cro-moly steerer tube

Rear Suspension
The system used to suspend the rider and all or part of the bicycle in order to protect them from the roughness of the terrain over which they travel. Bicycle suspension are used primarily on mountain bicycles.

Bottom Bracket
Can refer to either the short threaded tube that runs perpendicular to the rest of the frame tubes where the cranks attach, or the actual set of spindle and bearings that threads into the frame.

Ball type with 8 spline Cr-Mo axle

Wheels and Brakes

Tires
A tire is made up of three parts
1. The beads are two hoops of strong steel wire (or, sometimes Kevlar®.)

2. The cords, cloth forming the body of the tire, woven between the two beads. Most modern tires use nylon cords.

3. The rubber, which covers all the other parts. The rubber on the part that contacts the road is thicker, and is called the tread.

Kenda Kontact

Front and Rear Hub
The middle part of a wheel, to which the inside ends of the spokes attach. Consists of an axle, which attaches to the fork ends; a shell, to which the spokes attach, and bearings to connect the axle to the shell, permitting the shell to revolve around the axle. In the case of a rear hub, the shell would also have a provision for attaching the rear sprocket(s).

Steel body, 3/8" axle, 36H

Steel body, 14mm axle, 36H, single FW threads

Spokes
The wires connecting the rim to the hub of a bicycle wheel. 32 spoke wheels are the most common. Manufacturers tout this as an advantage, because it saves a very small amount of weight.

14G

Front and Rear Brake
Caliper brakes use a pair of calipers to grab the rim to stop the bike. Usually operated by a brake lever.

Coaster brakes are a type of brake mechanism enclosed inside the rear hub and operated by stepping backwards on the pedals. Usually found on children's bikes.

Disc brakes are generally found on more expensive bikes and provide greater stopping power. The disc system is similar in design to an automotive disc brake.

Brake Levers
The operating control for a brake system, usually found on the handlebar.

Tektro 907-A

Drivetrain

Shifters
A bicycle shifter or gear control or gear levers is a component used to control the gearing mechanisms and select the desired gear ratio. Typically, they operate either a derailleur mechanism or an internal hub gear mechanism. In either case, the control is operated by moving a cable that connects the shifter to the gear mechanism. Shifters are mounted on the down tube of the frame, on the handlebars, or at the ends of triathlon bars. Major manufacturers of shifters include Shimano, Campagnolo, and SRAM.

Derailleurs
Derailleurs are a variable-ratio transmission system commonly used on bicycles, consisting of a chain, multiple sprockets and a mechanism to move the chain from one sprocket to another. Modern front and rear derailleurs typically consist of a moveable chain-guide that is operated remotely by a Bowden cable attached to a shift lever mounted on the down tube, handlebar stem, or handlebar. When a rider operates the lever while pedaling, the change in cable tension moves the chain-guide from side to side, "derailing" the chain onto different sprockets.

Crank
The two-armed mechanism that connects the pedals to the front chainring.

GT tubular cro-moly, 3-piece

Chain
Bicycles use a roller chain to connect the cranks to the rear wheel.

KMC Z-410

Pedals
The part of the bike you put your foot on. The axles of the pedals screw into the cranks.

Jr. BMX platform design, aluminum body, molded in pins, cr-mo axle

Components

Saddle
Frequently called a "seat", traditional saddles are made of leather stretched over a metal frame, hammock style. This type of saddle requires care and careful breaking in, but when this is done the classic leather saddle moulds itself to fit the particular anatomical shape of its rider.

Leather saddles are particularly well suited to long-distance tourists, and have their greatest advantage in hot weather, because they are porous and able to breathe, unlike plastic saddles which have closed-cell foam (also known as "gel") as a cushion.

BMX mini street design

Seat Post
The tubular support that holds the saddle. The seat post telescopes into the seat tube of the frame, providing the adjustment for saddle height. Older seat posts, and those on less expensive bicycles, are basically pieces of pipe. A separate clamp attaches the saddle to this type of seat post. Modern, high-quality seat posts have the seat clamp mechanism built into the top of the post.

Aluminum

Seat Clamp
Attaches the saddle to the seat post.

'08 GT CNC mini design

Handlebars
A drop handlebar is one in which the middle of the bar is the highest point, or nearly. Most bicycles built for fast or long-distance riding have drop handlebars, which provide a range of different grip positions, allowing the rider to change positions for variety and to accommodate different road/wind conditions.

Upright handlebars are used on most of the world's bicycles. They permit a fairly erect posture of the upper body, and are more comfortable for cyclists who ride at a low intensity level.

GT BMX dirt/street

Stem
The part that connects the handlebars to the steerer of the fork. Conventional stems for most bicycles with threaded headsets fit inside the steerer of the fork, and use an expander/wedge to attach to the steerer.

"Threadless" type stems clamp on to the outside of the steerer. "Adjustable" stems have the handlebar clamp unit mounted on a moveable part, permitting setting different amounts of forward extension.

GT FS design, aluminum

Headset
The headset is the pair of bearings and bearing races (races are things that bearings sit in) at each end of the head tube that allow the fork to steer the bicycle smoothly.

Tange Seiki FATTY 22, extra deep cup engagement, 1-1/8" threadless

Grips
The material on the handlebar used to better hold onto the bike.

'07 GT dirt/street design, Kraton rubber

2pr. 32mm OD steel axle pegs, SST ORYG

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