Eight hundred and ninety-three, apparently.
The image above is from a series produced by Canadian photographer Todd McLellan showing everyday objects reduced to their constituent parts. The bike in question is a 1980s Raleigh, and McLellan has also dismantled a fire extinguisher, a bedside clock radio, a typewriter, a chainsaw and a host of other familiar things. The book of the images, Things Come Apart, is published by Thames & Hudson and will be available soon.

10 thoughts on “How many bits make up a bike?”
Awesome.Imagine how long it
Awesome.Imagine how long it would take to build the bike back up from that picture!
jellysticks
The real question is whether there would be anything left over when he’d finished!
“Hmm, what does this bit do then?”
Wow – I love stuff like this,
Wow – I love stuff like this, it shows you all the beautiful thought and engineering that goes into even the smallest piece.
I bet the photographer has got an amazing tool kit, too!
Why three saddles though?
Why three saddles though?
andrewfurlow wrote:Why three
Base, foam and covering I think
No matter how i put it back
No matter how i put it back together I guarantee there would be 4 screws left over who’s purpose would only become apparent after the first mile!
if your going to dismantle
if your going to dismantle the saddle why not the frame and fork? seems an odd thing to do.
On a bike of that vintage,
On a bike of that vintage, well over half of those 893 parts come from just one – the chain. 570 parts roughly.
I still think a good quill
I still think a good quill stem is one of the most beautiful things going.
It’s a steel frame right? So
It’s a steel frame right? So a bit of heat applied to the lugs and hey presto – 15 more bits.