Is every person on a bike a "cyclist"?

There’s a gulf between words and perceptions in the same way that you often can’t fit a credit card between them.

Simply being on a bike (minus cycling apparel):

If in Holland – person
If in UK – cyclist

UK press encourages and reinforces and hence profits from the ‘outsider’ perception of people on bikes. So ‘cyclist’ is common for anyone on a bike.

Car-culture has tentacles absolutely everywhere.

andyrm – Member

I’m definitely a mountain biker though….

even when not riding up/down a mountain?

There are cyclists who enjoy it as a hobby and there are riders of bikes ,you know the sort flat tyres seat too low brakes disconnected .Only riding because they dont drive through stupidity or a ban

Add to that:

Child riding a bike around the block for the hell of doing it
Old person getting the shopping twice a week on their Raleigh 20 for last 30 years
Commuters by economy
The rich couple who bought matching Porsche mountain bikes and rode them once

Etc…

I fit the first four sometimes all at once (I rode to the shops on my raleigh 20 twice last week and sometimes took the long route home, doing a couple of circuits)

cyclist
noun a person who rides a bicycle. Sometimes preceeded by the word fricken

Yes. Anyone riding a bike is a cyclist. And this is the definition I would like people to remember – ANYONE riding a bike is a cyclist, which means a cyclist can be anyone. Not necessarily self entitled RLJing gel wrapper tossing TDF fantasist dog walker harassing skid pulling yob.

In other words, cyclists are not THEM, neither are motorists.

As per my rant in the thread about a cyclist getting stabbed, we are all first and foremost humans beings, with friends and family who care about what happens to us. I get annoyed at the press labeling anybody on a bike as a cyclist first and a human second. Sure, they do this with motorists and others but as almost all of us drive being pigeon holed into being a cyclist just feels wrong. It almost seems to blame the bike for the reason the ‘thing’ occurred. Not the human. I cant put it into words but it removes the humanity involved.

If I am knocked off my bike in London, I’d rather be a man, father of three girls and loving husband than cyclist. It explains more than dumbing my humanity down to ‘cyclist’… and yes I am proud I ride a bike.

I’ll shut up now.

If I am knocked off my bike in London, I’d rather be a man, father of three girls and loving husband than cyclist. It explains more than dumbing my humanity down to ‘cyclist’… and yes I am proud I ride a bike.

Nailed it.

Yes cyclist is technically a person riding a bike but as others have (no doubt more eloquently than me) said it’s the way the media and society use it that is the problem. Cyclists can do good or bad things (but usually the latter in UK media), motorists are more likely to be doing something positive, collectively complaining is about the most negative thing they do, it’s cars that collide with people/things and while robbers may choose a car as a getway vehicle it doesn’t make them a motorist, just a bad man in a car. outgroups again, the enlightened few who choose to ride bicycles cannot get away from this.

I’m a cyclist when I’m cycling whereas lots of of folk are cyclists even when they’re not.

I resemble that comment

Would be interesting to see what would happen were he to start doing a campaign every week on the show urging drivers to treat cyclists better and giving examples of distance and the reason etc.
I think it would make a difference so he has more influence than most.

+1, would also help dispel the (very ****ing prevalent) notion that he’s a cyclist hating **** rather than a “just having a laugh blokey bloke”

The media is awful for branding and creating perceptions about groups.

I’d always use the term “people on bikes” or “people driving cars” in any situation with polarised viewpoints. We’re all people, sons, wives, dads, friends, and that’s what some of the drooling idiots on the interweb spewing keyboard rage seem to forget.

If a 7-years old kid on a bike was hit by a car would the media still be screaming “cyclist!”?

A nine-year-old girl is a nine-year-old girl knocked off her bike[/url], rather than a cyclist. Though she was knocked off by “a van”, not “a person driving a van”.

(While you’re there, perhaps click thumbs-down on the victim-blaming comment?)

cynic-al – Member

I’m proud to be a cyclist.

+1

When I used to drive HGV’s there were ‘truckers’ and ‘people who drive trucks’.

‘Truckers’ used to read all the magazines, know all the latest industry gossip, talk about parts / upgrades / paint-jobs and spend a lot of time on forums!

‘People who drive trucks’ shut the cab door at the end of the day and don’t give it another thought.

I was never a trucker but I proudly put my hand up to being a cyclist 🙂

You don’t get daughters, husbands or mums in Glasgow? 😉

Back to my previous comment. I’m a cyclist when I’m cycling whereas lots of of folk are cyclists even when they’re not.

I agree, have always thought of you as a walker who rides a bike.

me, on my roadbike, yes, usually.
on my BMX, never
MTBs not very often.

“bike rider” is not the same as “cyclist” IMO.

So as i am awesome, does that make me awesomist?

No. UR AWESOMEZ x

Sooooooooooooo sick 8)

.I agree, have always thought of you as a walker who rides a bike.[/quote]Indeed, the front page of my blog says

I’m a frustrated walker whose foot problems forced him on to two wheels and who is now using bikes to explore the world, both near and far.

😆

However, I think we’ve already covered that fact that some folk reckon they belong to the cyclist clan regardless of their current means of perambulation. I don’t see myself as part of the walker clan unless I am doing so.

Based on the definition, yes.

Understand why the line from the newspaper might be misconstrued, but still doesn’t alter the basic fact.

Why would anyone riding a bike want to deny being a cyclist?

image basically THM

As a relatively recent convert to Boris biking, I love the variety of cyclist that exist on every ride!

This is the issue in this country.

In Holland, a country where pretty much everyone cycles, very few people would consider themselves a cyclist.

Here in the UK, we have plenty of classifications for cyclists. From a POB through a weekend warrior onto a commuter. Do one.

I love bikes. Wonderful machines. Quite possible the best machine that was ever invented. Nope, the bike IS the best machine that was ever invented. Nothing else has ever done so much more for the many. I have lots of them. I ride all the time, pretty much every day. I’m not a cyclist.

Loads of folk at work assume I can’t drive. Well I do, but I generally try not to, mainly because I have rather ” utilitarian” car that gives me sod all pleasure to drive. Great for carrying the bike though. I do however have a motorcycle which is considerably sharper, faster, better looking and I love the whole idea of being on a fast noisy motorbike.
If I had to choose though, it would be a bicycle. Hell it costs more to run than my motorbike ( upgrades an all that), but it gives me infinite pleasure, takes me to the most amazing places and I can fix just about anything on it.
Am I a cyclist – nope!
I’m the guy next door, dad to two girls and have been married for over 20 years. That stuff is way more important than a bloody bicycle, and I don’t want my epitaph to read – here lies a cyclist FFS!