All Mountain Bike Parts Descriptions

#7) Forks and Shocks - The steering column attached to the front wheel.
  Aaaah forks.........you can get-by, with a plain steel raked fork, like on all the bikes before 1990, but if you want to go off the sidewalk and test your rubber you may want a Suspension Fork. Available in 80mm Cross Country travel to a whopping twelve inch to suck up high speed bumps on Downhill bikes. They use elastomers, springs, and air pressure to support the riders with oil in many better quality forks to provide rebound damping.

Bike Parts Diagram