Meanings
plural bottom brackets
- cyclingA bicycle part that connects the crankset (chainset) to the frame and allows the crankset to rotate freely.
The chances are excellent that some of the material will fall down the seat tube and get into the bottom bracket, where it will make mincemeat of your crankset bearings (thought seats were simple, hah?).
1972, Richard Ballantine, Richard's Bicycle Book, New York: Ballantine Books, page 1391 more example
Crucial to the crankset is the bottom bracket. Of all the bearings on a bike, the bottom bracket is the one that has to bear the heaviest load. Not only does the bottom bracket have to spin while you pedal, but it takes the force of all the twisting and turning that occurs during pedaling.
2009, Dennis Bailey, Keith Gates, Bike Repair and Maintenance For Dummies, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBNSynonyms: BB
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA bicycle part that connects the crankset (chainset) to the frame and allows the crankset to rotate freely.
Origin
From earlier bicycle designs, when it was a separate piece bolted onto the bottom of the frame. In modern designs the bottom bracket shell (or housing) is an integral part of the frame.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan eix pedalier
- eix pedalierTranslations
Dutch trapas
- trapasTranslations
Finnish keskiö
- keskiöTranslations
French axe de pédalier, jeu de pédalier
- axe de pédalierTranslations
- jeu de pédalierTranslations
German Tretlager, Innenlager
- TretlagerTranslations
- InnenlagerTranslations
- TretlagerachseTranslations
Italian movimento centrale
- movimento centraleTranslations
Norwegian Bokmål kranklager
- kranklagerTranslations
Polish wkład suportu
- wkład suportuTranslations
Portuguese movimento central
- movimento centralTranslations
Russian велосипе́дная каре́тка
- велосипе́дная каре́тка (velosipédnaja karétka)Translations
Slovak stredové zloženie
- stredové zloženieTranslations
Spanish eje pedalier, pedalier
- eje pedalierTranslations
- pedalierTranslations
- juego de pedalierTranslations
Cite this entry
bottom bracket. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bottom%20bracket
“bottom bracket.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bottom%20bracket. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bottom bracket,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bottom%20bracket.
Source: bottom bracket on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.