Why are all bicycle parts described with the word "set"?

[jimster99]

I've noticed that if you need to buy bicycle parts, you'll be looking at the word "set" a lot, e.g.

• Headset

• Wheelset

• Frameset

• Groupset

• Cogset

• Chainset

• Crankyset (at least, that's how I feel when trying to fix my crankset)

• Bottombracketset (not too sure about that one)

Is there any interesting history behind this most overused of words? Other than the obvious explanation that "bike parts are literally 'sets' of things". And is a complete bike called a "bikeset" or a "set of sets" and if not why not?

So many questions.

[Jdsk]

Set is the word with the most meanings in the Oxford English Dictionary.

Jonathan

[Nearholmer]

Bicycles are often used as the first example when learning the rudiments of systems engineering, because they are familiar, because they consist of very obvious sub-assembles (aka “sets”), because they exhibit “emergent properties”, single points of catastrophic failure, redundancy, and a whole load of other things. So, I think “set” is used because it’s less of a mouthful than “sub assembly”, but also sometimes as a marketing tool that helps sell sub-assemblies, when buying fewer components might allow what the purchaser’s objectives to be achieved.

[Manc33]

If it's a cheap bike:

• Heavyset

[simonineaston]

Because they’re all assembled from a set of parts eg in the case of say, a frame, if you could see it before it became one piece, you’d see a large number of separate parts - tubes, lugs and sundry small parts, often referred to as braze-ons. Tens of pieces, altogether, hence a set of parts. We only see the item as one piece after all the works been done.

Photo of frame tubes

IMG_0576.jpeg (33.89 KiB) Viewed 2473 times

[Jdsk]

[Cowsham]

If it's a cheap bike:

• Heavyset

[Cowsham]

I've noticed that if you need to buy bicycle parts, you'll be looking at the word "set" a lot, e.g.

• Headset

• Wheelset

• Frameset

• Groupset

• Cogset

• Chainset

• Crankyset (at least, that's how I feel when trying to fix my crankset)

• Bottombracketset (not too sure about that one)

Is there any interesting history behind this most overused of words? Other than the obvious explanation that "bike parts are literally 'sets' of things". And is a complete bike called a "bikeset" or a "set of sets" and if not why not?

So many questions.

I often wondered why my cube acid is advertised as having an XT groupset yet in reality it's a mix of XT and Deore parts as are many "groupsets" -- mixtures of different hierarchies. Also thought a groupset was the set of brakes, gears, hubs from a certain same range or hierarchy of bits but most bikes are bitsas

[oaklec]

Bike with rim brakes..... set in its' ways

[rjb]

That's the badger.

[Barrowman]

Headset : A set including 2 lots of Bearings, 4 bearing surfaces ("races") locknut and often a spacer.
Wheelset : A collection (set) of parts including Hubs, Spokes, Rims.
Chainset : A collection of cranks,rings, bolts, usually axle/ balls/bolts/cups ( or a cassette bottom bracket)
Frameset : A bit 'old school' , a collection (set) of tubes, assembled (usually) by brazing into a collection (set) of Lugs and adding front and rear fork ends . (I do know about 'bronze welding' ( No Lugs)
(I also realise the majority of frames these days are Alloy )
Etc etc
Utilising the word 'set' implies it will all work together.
Like Simonineaston has already commented on .

[Blondie]

Bottom bracket
Pedal
Wheel
Chain
Mudguards
Forks
Handlebars
Stem

Just a few examples that falsify your premise in the subject title.

[Cowsham]

Bottom bracket
Pedal
Wheel
Chain
Mudguards
Forks
Handlebars
Stem

Just a few examples that falsify your premise in the subject title.

Ah no that's for a cheap bicycle --- a dear bike will have set after each part -- makes all the difference.