Difference between "parts" tag and "equipment" tag?

Question

I was looking at our most popular tags and I've noticed that we're somewhat inconsistent about parts and equipment.

To my mind, a "part" is something so essential to the operation of a bicycle that if you remove it, it's not really a bicycle anymore. Fork, handlebars, pedals, bottom bracket, etc.

"Equipment" sounds to me like additional stuff that you use around or on a bicycle, but aren't quite as essential. May or may not actually be attached. Pump, lights, water bottle, tools, cyclometer.

Not quite sure about things that bolt on (or otherwise attach semi-permanently) but that have debatable essentialness like fenders/mudguards, racks, baskets, bottle cage, etc.

But it does seem like we're a bit inconsistent with how we use these two tags.

Right now equipment has description that doesn't explain anything and covers everything: "Equipment (as opposed to riding or technique)."

So, how should we be using these tags? What should each of their tag wiki excerpts say? Does the answer to these questions mean we should go do some tag cleanup on those questions?

Update:

Tag cleanup finished. equipment is marked deprecated, components is a synonym for parts and all relevant tag wiki excerpts updated. Retagged everything that had equipment, sometimes simply removing the tag, other times replacing with parts, accessories and/or tools as appropriate for the question.

Answer 1

My thoughts on how these should be used:

• parts should be used for anything on a bike that's essential to use it, but isn't an acccessory. This would include components like a hub or a wheel or a fork or a shifter or even small parts like screws. Some of these have tags of their own, like hub, brakes, and fork.

• accessories are things like racks, stays, fenders, bottle cages. Some of these have their own tags, like cargo, rack, headlights, and so on. Something like a helmet or a helmet cover could be considered accessories, but we have tags for these such as safety and clothes.

• equipment is a tag that could really mean anything, from parts to accessories to track pumps or even helmet covers. I think it's imprecise and should be removed as a tag if possible.

Answer 2

It's probably a good idea to list a few examples of items that would be parts and items that would be equipment in the actual excerpt.

That, to my mind, would make it clearer than an abstract explanation.

Answer 3

Ok, here's my action plan:

1. Steal bits from the existing components excerpt for parts excerpt and make the excerpt into (remove or add examples to make fit):

   Bicycle components without which it's not a working bike: wheels, brakes, saddle/seat, bottom bracket, derailleur, stem, handlebars, bolts, etc. Also tag with specific part.

2. Make the excerpt for accessories into:

   Stuff you add to a bike but aren't absolutely essential. May or may not actually bolt on. Such as rack, fenders, bottle cage, water bottle, bike computer, lights, bell, etc.

3. Make excerpt for equipment into:

   Deprecated tag, do not use. Consider "parts", "accessories", or "tools" instead.

4. Merge components into parts and set as synonym. This would make future attempts to use components automatically be rewritten into parts. Picking parts as the survivor since it's the more popular tag.

5. Look at the equipment posts and remove the tag, set it to accessories or parts as appropriate. Case by case basis, since it's used inconsistently. Need to figure out if we can do this without bumping the post edit date.

Answer 4

Simply I would say that equipment encompasses things for the rider to use and parts will be things for the bike to use; without the correct parts the bike will not work, without the correct equipment the riding will just be less pleasant.

• Brake blocks, saddles, tubes, rims and cranks are parts
• Lights, speedometers, pumps, racks and comedy clown horns (parp! parp!) are equipment