• 15 parts
  • Checked October 2026

Parts of a Bicycle Tire

A bicycle tire cut across on its rim, then the two common valves side by side.

Parts of a Bicycle Tire

Name Date

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
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Write the name of each numbered part.Answer key

  1. Tread
  2. Inner tube
  3. Sidewall
  4. Rim
  5. Bead
  6. Casing
  7. Puncture layer
  8. Rim strip
  9. Rim hook
  10. Presta valve
  11. Schrader valve
  12. Valve cap
  13. Valve stem
  14. Valve core
  15. Lock nut

Drawn for this site on 2026-10-01 from plain geometry. Licence: own work.

Each numbered ring is a button. Use the arrow keys to move between them and Enter to choose. Names are read out in Study, and once a part is answered.

Next step Next: the parts of a bike wheel

All 15 parts on the diagram

Show the list

Cut across 9

  1. Tread The thick rubber on top. It is the part that touches the ground.
  2. Inner tube A separate ring of rubber inside the tire. It holds the air.
  3. Sidewall The side of the tire, where the rubber is thinner.
  4. Rim The metal hoop of the wheel. The tire sits between its two walls.
  5. Bead The edge of the tire, a hoop of wire. It holds the tire on the rim.
  6. Casing The cloth body of the tire. It runs from bead to bead.
  7. Puncture layer A tough band under the tread. It helps keep sharp things out.
  8. Rim strip A band on the rim bed. It covers the spoke holes under the tube.
  9. Rim hook The lip at the top of each rim wall. It holds the bead in.

Valves 6

  1. Presta valve The narrow one of the two valves. A small nut on its tip opens it.
  2. Schrader valve The wide valve, the same kind a car tire has.
  3. Valve cap Screws onto the top of the stem and keeps dirt out.
  4. Valve stem The tube of the valve. The core screws into it.
  5. Valve core The working part inside the stem. A spring holds its pin shut.
  6. Lock nut A thin nut on the narrow valve. It holds the stem against the rim.

How this list was compiled: Every name checked on 2026-10-01 and kept only where two independent sources use it. (1) Wikipedia, text only: Bicycle tire, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_tire ; Presta valve, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presta_valve ; Schrader valve, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schrader_valve . (2) A bicycle technical reference site (articles and glossary by Sheldon Brown and John Allen): Bicycle Tires and Tubes, https://www.sheldonbrown.com/tires.html ; glossary entries Presta and Schrader, https://www.sheldonbrown.com/gloss_p.html and https://www.sheldonbrown.com/gloss_sa-o.html . (3) A bicycle tool maker's repair help, used for names only: https://www.parktool.com/en-us/blog/repair-help/tire-and-tube-removal-and-installation . Tread, sidewall, bead, casing and inner tube are in all three; rim, rim strip, the rim's hook, valve stem, valve core and the lock nut at the rim rest on 1 and 3; valve cap on 1 and 2; the two valve names on all three. The puncture layer is drawn and described by 1 (a puncture-preventing layer between the casing and the tread) and 2 (a belt under the tread as a puncture preventive); neither name is standard, so the quiz takes both. Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-10-01 from plain geometry; no maker's tire or valve, nothing traced. Licence: own work

How it works

The parts of a bicycle tire in two drawings. The first cuts the tire and its rim across, with the layers drawn thicker than life. The second stands the two common valves side by side.

Read the full guide

The parts of a bike tire, cut across

The casing is the cloth body of the tire. It runs from one bead to the other, and each bead is a hoop of wire held in by the hook of the rim. Rubber covers the casing: thick on top, where it is the tread, and thinner down each sidewall. Some tires add a puncture layer under the tread. Inside, the inner tube holds the air, and a rim strip lies between the tube and the spoke holes.

The valves

A Presta valve is narrow, with a small nut on its tip and often a lock nut against the rim. A Schrader valve is wide, like a car tire's. Its stem holds a valve core, and a valve cap screws on top.

  • The quiz takes rim tape for rim strip and carcass for casing.

Questions and answers

What are the parts of a bicycle tire?

The tread on top, a sidewall on each side, the casing underneath and a bead along each edge. A tubed tire also has an inner tube with a valve, and a rim strip on the rim.

What is the bead of a bike tire?

The edge of the tire. Most beads are hoops of steel wire; some use a strong cord instead. Air pressure pushes each bead against the hooked edge of the rim, and that holds the tire on.

What is the difference between a Presta and a Schrader valve?

A Presta valve is the narrow one, closed by a small nut on its tip. A Schrader valve is wider, the same kind a car tire has, and a spring holds it shut.

What does a rim strip do?

It covers the spoke holes in the bed of the rim, so the inner tube rests on a smooth band and not on the holes or the spoke ends.

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