Interesting comments. I think it shows both how challenging it was to name new functional parts and how poorly we apply terms!

I am bothered by the term bottom bracket as well. I have understand how the term could be used to identify the BB shell as it does act as a bracket not only for the tubes of the frame but he bearing assembly for the cranks. We use the term head set so why don't we say crank set or BB set. Was that the way it use to be phrased but we got lazy? While I am down there, I don't' really see any yarn coming from the spindle. It is an axle after all. There is not real difference in the naming of an axle that is dependent on it being fixed or not. In either case it is dependent on your frame of reference.

I suppose the pedal "spindle" term was used for two possible reasons. First the cage or body of the pedal is like a spool of thread on a spindle. The second is the thought that spin is part of the spelling of spindle, which is what feet do around the pedal and crank.

I am with Sheldon on the saddle vs seat definition. Fixed my reference word on that one. I may start calling the seat post the saddle post just to cause people to listen and think.

Never really used the term gooseneck for the stem, but how did we get stem?

The only time I refer to hand bars is in the plural.

You guys got me using Wikipedia! - "A cog engages with another cog and motion in one will result in motion of the other. Gearwheels that engage with chains are sprockets, not cogs!" When I was young I always called them sprockets. It is only lately that I yielded to peer pressure and called them cogs! Shame on me! Front sprockets and rear sprockets.

OK, ok, ok I am totally confused now about spindles and BB. I can see that the bottom bracket holds the crankset in place so in a way it is a bracket that is made up of bearings and a spindle! Oh yeah, the crank set is not the bearing assemble but the crank assembly with the chain rings, sprockets, chain wheels, what ever!

I'm out!