Sy Reene

It was theoretically fashionable to have your cockpit be of one brand. So some definitions of cockpit be seatpost/saddle/stem and bars. Ie. every tubed item that isn't the frame. Now most stuff is always the same brand as the bike, as the manufacturers figured out they were giving away money to other companies that they didn't have to.

Personally, I think of the seatpost, stem and bars as the cockpit. Anything that you adjust for a bike fit. So the saddle.. not really. Also because the saddle is so often swapped out for whatever works best for your butt

PeteHski

All aeroplanes have a cockpit, not just fighter planes.

tomato coupe

Same here. The only term I abhor more than cockpit is strudel. Both should be stricken from cycling.

Sy Reene

and boats.. which is the vessel type that the term evidently originated

CrimsonEclipse

Not with THAT attitude!

PeteHski

I never knew that, but it appears you are correct. Interesting that the term didn’t stick with boats.

Cockpit is also used for the driving seat and controls in single-seater racing cars.

alcjphil

Good answer, but my point is still that a cockpit is an enclosed space, not something that should apply to a bicycle

tomato coupe

Not all airplane cockpits are enclosed.

wheelreason

LMAO. I worked for small sporting goods company, and went back with one of the managers after hours, and one of my techs was already there with one of the sales girls, they made some excuse about prepping the sale and sheeppishly went on their way, and well, we were already there, so....

wheelreason

Good point Snoopy...

Steve B.

Meaning what ?

Sy Reene

not all cockpits are in aeroplanes

Chuck M 

Not all passenger planes sell cocktails.

tomato coupe

The important question is, do endurance bikes have cockpits?

wheelreason

shorter ones...

BATTLESTAR75

Good one! Not everyone may get it...

VegasJen

As long as you want to get into that topic, I think we should change the term "clip on" aero bars. Maybe back in the day, but I have yet to see any that were anything other than a clamp on or bolt on fit. Same for clipless pedals. I understand the history, but it's just that, history. You either ride flats or clip pedals. Just my $0.02.

big john

Clip ons comes from motorcycling. Pedals can be flats, clips and straps, or clipless.

seypat

I think you see lots of cocktails in the cockpit.

VegasJen

So, in other words, history.

big john

Like many things.

Maelochs

This is it, IMO. There is no physical limit, no perimeter ... the "cockpit" on a plane or in a car is the are from which the operator operates the device. **** levers, bars, seat .... some folks would include pedals, especially since pedals tend to be so personal (many bikes don't even come with pedals any more.)

Control area .... make of it what you will.

Garthr

I never really thought about it in detail until you asked. I would say it has to include the parts of the bike that you make tactile contact with, as if I take an airplane or racing automobile as a blueprint, it would have to include not only the hands, but the butt and feet. Bar, saddle and the pedals, and the positioning of such. Myself I would include the "angle of view" of the riders positioning/orientation to the horizon, as that has a great influence on what parts you'd consider in the first place.. You know, you can have a tall upright cockpit if you're sitting up with high swept back bars, a very streamlined one in a long low aero position on drop or TT bars. Yes this a more broad way of looking at it, but that's how I see it, the bike and rider and ride are "one whole unit" so to speak. A bike ride needs a bike and a rider, neither of themselves can do that without the other. Everything works like a symphony, while everyone and their instruments plays their the individual notes, the Music itself is one whole symphonic melody, one whole "ride" if you will. That "ride" includes everything, the bike, rider and all surroundings. The infinitesimal and the infinite are indivisible, all-inclusive and non-exclusive.

Trakhak

Several manufacturers use the term "cockpit" to refer strictly to the handlebar/stem arrangement. Saddles not involved, to say nothing of pedals.

Which makes sense: "cockpit" is a useful catchall term for a manufacturer's various one-piece and two-piece handlebar/stem SKUs.

In fact, I would guess that the use of the term "cockpit" (referring exclusively to handlebars plus stems) originated with bike or component manufacturers.

But, interestingly, Canyon seems to make a distinction between one-piece ("cockpit") and two-piece examples.

freeranger

To quote Google "The cockpit components include all the contact points between rider and bike - handlebars, saddle and pedals. Also in this category are the other essential parts including headsets and seatposts."