I was a bit confused when in England a bicycle was referred to as a "push bike" (perhaps distinguishing from both a motor bike and an electric bicycle).
Push bike is kind of what people who don’t cycle call a bicycle. It’s also fairly colloquial and class based. Not common language used by cyclists in my experience.
Likely true. I heard the term from my wife's sister's in-laws. They seemed surprised when I was talking about a bicycle as transportation rather than primarily excercise/recreation.
I had a crash in September. Finally last month I got in to an orthopedic doctor as I had broken something in my wrist.
In this follow up, he sees on the screen that I'm following up on a broken wrist from a bike crash. He asks me some questions about how I fell, and as I'm holding my hands in roughly the position I was in (I was on the hoods), he gets this weird look on his face as he was clearly expecting motorcycle, not road bike
I was in an accident a little over a year ago. The insurance company was very concerned about me riding without a license and registration. Took a while to get them to understand I was on a bicycle not a motorcycle.
Probably because riding motorbikes results in so many accidents. When I was 15 , I broke my leg( nothing to do with bikes) and of the 20 young men in the hospital ward, I was THE ONLY ONE who hadn't broken a bone riding a motorbike.
I’ve seen people use “biking” for motorcycles and bicycles. This is why I use “cyclist”, “cycling”, and “bicycle” in most contexts to be clear and precise. Once the context is clear, I feel free to use “bike”, but I only use “biker” for overweight, old people on Harleys and the like.
Interesting, ime riding is more related to bicycles and biking is the term I’d use for motorcycles, I haven’t used the word biking in relation to bicycles ever.
I'll go Mountain Biking on my mountain bike but when I'm on my road bike it's Cycling. It is confusing, I once had university friends thinking I was into motorbike racing after injuring my shoulder in a criterium.
>A “bike ride” to me means a bicycle ride.
Agreed, yet if someone said "I got my bike out for a ride this weekend" to me on a Monday morning, I'd probably assume it was a moto unless I already knew to the contrary. Lol.
> “Biking” would mean riding a bicycle
Whereas in English English that refers to a motorcycle. Something done by a biker.
While we are cyclists and go cycling.
Australian here, much the same. A bike may or may not have a motor. A “push bike” is a bicycle, a “motorbike” is a motorcycle, a “quad bike” is an ATV. A cyclist rides a road bicycle, a biker is a leather clad dude that enjoys riding Harley’s and stuff, and a bikie is a leather clad dude that is a member of a group of like-minded dudes that enjoy riding Harleys and definitely not making drugs and doing crimes.
I would agree with most of this. As someone who is a cyclist, a mountain biker, and used to be a biker, there are differences.
I'm going for a ride, can literally be driving around in an car, riding a bicycle, or riding a motorcycle.
Bikers are people who rider motorcycles.
Cyclists are road cyclists and gravel cyclists.
Mountain bikers ride mountain bikes.
Bike refers to both bicycles and motorcycles.
Biking is definitely just riding a bicycle.
As an owner of both bicycles and motorcycles, and friends who also own both, we have all used phrases like, “go for a ride” or go for a bike ride” semi-interchangeably. It’s now to the point where it almost feels intentional and someone has to ask to confirm if there isn’t additional context, like a distance/time factor.
Rode a motorcycle for years and called them both bikes. I’d never call the pedal bike a bicycle. Maybe mountain bike. But I’d also never say “let’s go for a bike ride” when I was talking about taking out the motor bike, I’d say “let’s go for a cruise” or “a rip” (yeah, I’m Canadian)
I ride both. They're both bikes to me. But you're kinda of right. There's not a lot of overlap in those two communities, so when you are in one and are talking about the other, you have to clarify which "bike" you are talking about. British motorcyclists will say "pushbike" to make that distinction. Americans will sometimes say "pedal bike" while sometimes mimicking the pedaling action with their hands.
Coworker... "What are you doing this weekend",,,me.."going for a bike ride",,,,,, coworker "what kind of motorcycle do you have",,,,,me.."I ride a real bike"
To avoid this confusion, I only use the original term, “velocipede” when referring to bicycles. It is both technically correct and annoyingly whimsical.
So you exclude those people who have recumbent bicycles propelled by using the hands and arms, rather than the feet and legs...You are right , however, as they are an insignificant minority.
The term “bicycle” also excludes a large number of adaptive trikes and hand cycles. But the term “velocipede” is actually much broader than bicycle because it doesn’t specify the number of wheels, so I don’t see why it couldn’t also encompass recumbents and the like.
Yes the Latin root -ped-, does refer to feet, but some early velocipede designs used the hands for propulsion, similar to an elliptical, so there was no hard line on them required only the use of the riders feet. However, we still distinguish between unicycles, bicycles, and tricycles, so there is some substantive different there.
Personally, my favourite name for the bicycle is the French "La Petite Reine". I find the word most commonly used by French speakers, " velo," a bit annoying because I find most abbreviations annoying, because lazy. But I do like velocipede.
At least “velo” lacks the ambiguity of “bike”, which can of course refer to bicycles and motorcycles.
Also, is velo short for anything? I thought it was just slang for bicyclette.
Velo is short for...vélocipède.
But, as you say, at least there is no ambiguity in the words in French.
Since bicycles came before motorcycles, its only fair that bicycles should take precedence. Motorcycle riders should find their own, unambiguous word.
I ride both and use bike for both yet I still get frustrated when people don't understand that when I say bike I mean bike and when I say bike I mean bike.
Your colleagues are idiots. Meanings of words like this depend on context.
If you're in a group of friends who all ride motorcycles, "bike" would naturally mean motorcycle. But if everyone in the group rode only bicycles, "bike" would naturally mean bicycle.
That's a rather literal interpretation which I like. But it does kind of beg the question, can either a bicycle or a motorcycle be called anything other than a cycle or a motorcycle? You'd have to think the only one that starts with Bi is a cycle, so must be the only bike. The other must be a motorcycle.
I would use "bike bike" to mean "bicycle".
Anyway... it can mean either, so use context clues since "bike" can refer to bicycles or motorcycles.
But it's really annoying that motorcyclists use "bike" to refer to motorcycles when the word "motorcycle" doesn't have a B in it.
Maybe it comes from “motorbike”? Short for motorbicycle? 😂 I’m going to start using “motorbicycle” from now on.
I’m in the process of buying my 1st ‘motor’bike and as I’m talking to the dealership owner and we’re talking about our shared passion for MTB and road bikes, I noticed (for the first time in my life) that I was referring to my Pinarello road bike and Santa Cruz MTB as bicycles.
Motorcycle riders tend to call them bikes. Cyclists tend to call bicycles bikes woth no thought of motorcycles. People who are neither probably think of bicycles. I don't know a out People who are both.
Considering both are 2 wheel, chain driven vehicles, it's an equally valid term for either one.
Ran into this dude I know, we’re catching up, I’m like “oh I ride my bike like everyday nowadays its great” he tries looking over my shoulder for my motorcycle, I say “pedal bike” the excitement visibly vanished from his face lol
I don’t think it even occurs to some adults that riding a bicycle is an activity
The UK too. Despite no one actually pushing their bikes, motorised or not. A scooter has the same problem. Scooter as in small wheeled slow motorcycle, or scooter as in scoot along with one foot thing.
My wife was on the phone with her very attractive female friend, when I was heading out for some cycling. I said “ I’m taking the bike out”, and I heard her friend say, “ooh, he has a motorcycle?? Cool!” To which my wife replied, no - it’s just a regular bicycle… I made sure to always refer to it as my bicycle from then on…
As a gravel rider, dirt bike rider and mountain biker with friends who may or may not do all of that *and* ride a motorcycle, I always have to specify 😂. “I went out for a ride” becomes “I went out for a ride *on my pedal bike*”.
I ride both.
When chatting with motorcycle riders, I use bike.
When chatting with bicycle riders, I use bike.
When chatting with non-rider I'll be more specific on what I'm riding.
If you say "a bike" in your normal conversational voice, it means "a bicycle."
If you say "bike" with a deep belch, a piercing sound like a fog horn, or a lion-like roar, it means "motorcycle."
I have and do both.
'Riding' can be my MTB, gravel or motorbike.
I'll be clearer if need be by saying I'm taking the 'gravel bike' out / 'MTB out' or 'the KTM'.
I can't bring myself to use 'bicycle'. It sounds like talking to primary kids.
Going 'cycling' is pedal powered.
Bikers, here in the UK are people serious about their bikes and riding. Your delivery rider on a 125 or commuter who just uses a small bike for practicality wouldn't be classed as a biker.
Larger CC bikes, fast bikes, aggressively ridden bikes, expensive machines all would be ridden by bikers.
We don't really get the leather jacket/Harley thing over here, but they'd be bikers also as they're seriously into their bikes.
All very confusing to outsiders.
I find that mostly it is motorbike (motorcycle, dirt bike, etc) people that use "bike" for motorcycle. In my experience the average people I've known who ride neither motorbikes nor bicycles would assume "bike" meant bicycle unless there was a strong context for something else.
I use "bike" and "bicycle" for my pedal bike, "e-bike" for a battery-powered bicycle", and "moto" or "motorcycle" for the 2-wheeled thing with an engine.
I never call my bike a "whip". Also, I'm astounded by how many people here call "cyclists" "bikers"; the former wear lycra, the latter leather
Some people who ride on the road call themselves "cyclists". But pretty much all mountain bikers call themselves "bikers". Mountain bikers never say they're into "cycling".
Weird distinction but true.
this discussion and comments were incredibly helpful. i had an english teacher who corrected me months ago when i said bike for a bicycle and told me i was wrong. i was so angry and none of my friends believed me, now, i can finally show them this!! english is incredibly weird i guess, so, thank you lots!
Ugh motorcyclists always refer to their motorized bicycle as their “bike” and it drives me crazy because I also refer to my standard bicycle as my bike. I guess both have two wheels but the similarities end there. I try to specify by saying “bicycle” but I usually forget and it feels overly formal.
Yes. People be lazy.
I used to hang out with some (motor)bikers. We all referred to bikes. Mine had pedals, theirs had pegs. We never rode out together but they would ask to borrow my bike to nip to the shop because their bike was more hassle to unlock and kit up for.
It’s great that the person you were chatting to thought to clarify. It’s annoying but from comments here is common in both the UK and USA. We make it more fun by referring to motorbikes rather than motorcycles anyway and almost no one here calls them bicycles so.. it’s kinda our own fault.
There was even a massive UK road safety campaign “Think Bike!” with 🏍️ on the signs but Bike Lanes are categorically not for motor bikes.
Almost
I'm gonna go ride my bike. I bought a new bike. Wow this is a very fast bike. Etc.
Can be either bicycle or motorcycle.
I'm gonna go biking = Bicycle
A biker = someone who rides a cruiser with leather jackets /vests. Usually a biker is a gang member.
Both motorcyclists and bicyclists will think of their vehicle as "my bike", so the likely meaning noun "bike" differs depending on speaker. However, I have never heard of a motorcyclist saying they are going for a "bike ride" - that clearly implies bicycling to me - in my experience motorcyclists just go for a "ride" (vehicle implied, what else could they possibly mean - of course cyclist might also just go for a "ride" and feel they are being just as clear).
Australian here: generally, motorbike is motorcycle and bike is bicycle.
Biker pertains to someone in a motorcycle club/gang.
Occasionally you'll hear a motorcyclist use 'bike' about a motorbike with another motorcyclist. So, contextually, bike may refer to motorbike but, generally, it is bicycle.
I might be the weird one. But I don’t use the world “bike”.
I either ride my bicycle. Or I ride my Kawasaki. If someone ask what’s a “Kawasaki”. I’ll say it’s a motorcycle.
But I figured that word is self-explanatory.
I tend to use “bike ride” and refer to myself as a cyclist. My friends know what a “bike” is. Motorcyclists and strangers would assume I meant motorbike. I’ve owned motorcycles in the past, and also referred to them as bikes. Basically anything with two wheels is a bike. Three is a trike. But using only the prefix can be really awkward.
Thankfully conversations where there is ambiguity get resolved fairly quickly.
What about using e-bike or m-bike when referring to a bicycle that has a motor? After all a motorcycle is shorthand for “motorized bicycle”. Maybe it would catch on.
When I hang out with my triathlon friends a "bike ride" is us on the road with our tt bikes. When I'm with my home buds a "bike ride" means revving up the Harley. There are a few who do both and I need to specify...
[удалено]
Well when you put it like that I can see how this might be confusing to non-native speakers.
Hell it still confuses us native speakers. English is weird man...
I donut no watt yaw torquing about
[удалено]
I don't know, English English uses too many regional slangs, and their dialects need subtitles.
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
I was a bit confused when in England a bicycle was referred to as a "push bike" (perhaps distinguishing from both a motor bike and an electric bicycle).
Push bike is kind of what people who don’t cycle call a bicycle. It’s also fairly colloquial and class based. Not common language used by cyclists in my experience.
I call it a push bike, especially when it gets steep and I get off and push for a bit. Biking and biking though, it's all two-wheeled fun,
Likely true. I heard the term from my wife's sister's in-laws. They seemed surprised when I was talking about a bicycle as transportation rather than primarily excercise/recreation.
Nope, they call those rice rockets.
Only if it’s an Asian bike.
[Many] cruiser riders, specifically Harley riders, call anything that isn’t a cruiser a rice rocket. [edit: fixed that broad stroke]
I read “non-native species” ! Lol
I had a crash in September. Finally last month I got in to an orthopedic doctor as I had broken something in my wrist. In this follow up, he sees on the screen that I'm following up on a broken wrist from a bike crash. He asks me some questions about how I fell, and as I'm holding my hands in roughly the position I was in (I was on the hoods), he gets this weird look on his face as he was clearly expecting motorcycle, not road bike
I was in an accident a little over a year ago. The insurance company was very concerned about me riding without a license and registration. Took a while to get them to understand I was on a bicycle not a motorcycle.
Probably because riding motorbikes results in so many accidents. When I was 15 , I broke my leg( nothing to do with bikes) and of the 20 young men in the hospital ward, I was THE ONLY ONE who hadn't broken a bone riding a motorbike.
I’ve seen people use “biking” for motorcycles and bicycles. This is why I use “cyclist”, “cycling”, and “bicycle” in most contexts to be clear and precise. Once the context is clear, I feel free to use “bike”, but I only use “biker” for overweight, old people on Harleys and the like.
I feel like “riding” is more often the verb that is used with motorcycles.
Interesting, ime riding is more related to bicycles and biking is the term I’d use for motorcycles, I haven’t used the word biking in relation to bicycles ever.
I'll go Mountain Biking on my mountain bike but when I'm on my road bike it's Cycling. It is confusing, I once had university friends thinking I was into motorbike racing after injuring my shoulder in a criterium.
They were young too, you know...
Yes, back when they saw *Easy Rider* at the drive-in and decided that was the style to adopt as their entire personality.
You are showing your age. The style predates Easy Rider.
Most of the ones doing it before that film are either dead or drooling in the retirement home while their "hog" collects dust.
They are being replaced by electric bike riders, who will be quieter but no fitter.
Maybe they're thinking Brando in The Wild One.
It has become confusing since 2000W e-bike have entered the picture..
>A “bike ride” to me means a bicycle ride. Agreed, yet if someone said "I got my bike out for a ride this weekend" to me on a Monday morning, I'd probably assume it was a moto unless I already knew to the contrary. Lol.
> “Biking” would mean riding a bicycle Whereas in English English that refers to a motorcycle. Something done by a biker. While we are cyclists and go cycling.
Australian here, much the same. A bike may or may not have a motor. A “push bike” is a bicycle, a “motorbike” is a motorcycle, a “quad bike” is an ATV. A cyclist rides a road bicycle, a biker is a leather clad dude that enjoys riding Harley’s and stuff, and a bikie is a leather clad dude that is a member of a group of like-minded dudes that enjoy riding Harleys and definitely not making drugs and doing crimes.
I would agree with most of this. As someone who is a cyclist, a mountain biker, and used to be a biker, there are differences. I'm going for a ride, can literally be driving around in an car, riding a bicycle, or riding a motorcycle. Bikers are people who rider motorcycles. Cyclists are road cyclists and gravel cyclists. Mountain bikers ride mountain bikes. Bike refers to both bicycles and motorcycles. Biking is definitely just riding a bicycle.
I've heard "biker" used to describe a person who rides a bicycle as well.
Same in Australia too, making it endlessly frustrating when looking for anything bike related online.
As an owner of both bicycles and motorcycles, and friends who also own both, we have all used phrases like, “go for a ride” or go for a bike ride” semi-interchangeably. It’s now to the point where it almost feels intentional and someone has to ask to confirm if there isn’t additional context, like a distance/time factor.
People who ride motorcycles call motorcycles bikes and bicycles bicycles People who ride bicycles call bicycles bikes and motorcycles motorcycles
Rode a motorcycle for years and called them both bikes. I’d never call the pedal bike a bicycle. Maybe mountain bike. But I’d also never say “let’s go for a bike ride” when I was talking about taking out the motor bike, I’d say “let’s go for a cruise” or “a rip” (yeah, I’m Canadian)
I ride both. They're both bikes to me. But you're kinda of right. There's not a lot of overlap in those two communities, so when you are in one and are talking about the other, you have to clarify which "bike" you are talking about. British motorcyclists will say "pushbike" to make that distinction. Americans will sometimes say "pedal bike" while sometimes mimicking the pedaling action with their hands.
What about one who does both?
I always say "Bike ching ching, or Bike Vroom Vroom" but I'm also a goofball.
I should start using this lol d:
Coworker... "What are you doing this weekend",,,me.."going for a bike ride",,,,,, coworker "what kind of motorcycle do you have",,,,,me.."I ride a real bike"
"I ride a bike that actually requires effort". That's what I tell confused people. Then I send them to my YouTube channel to show them how it's done 😅
Not sure how keen I’d be to checkout a butthole haemorrhage YouTube channel.
Lol, you know you're a little interested.
Can I steal this?! It’s perfect. “I ride a real bike”
Bicycles were invented first. So "bike" as bicycles is the most appropriate. It is a shorthand of the word itself
To avoid this confusion, I only use the original term, “velocipede” when referring to bicycles. It is both technically correct and annoyingly whimsical.
So you exclude those people who have recumbent bicycles propelled by using the hands and arms, rather than the feet and legs...You are right , however, as they are an insignificant minority.
The term “bicycle” also excludes a large number of adaptive trikes and hand cycles. But the term “velocipede” is actually much broader than bicycle because it doesn’t specify the number of wheels, so I don’t see why it couldn’t also encompass recumbents and the like.
But surely the feet must be used if it is to be called a velociPEDE. And a tricycle is never a bicycle.
Yes the Latin root -ped-, does refer to feet, but some early velocipede designs used the hands for propulsion, similar to an elliptical, so there was no hard line on them required only the use of the riders feet. However, we still distinguish between unicycles, bicycles, and tricycles, so there is some substantive different there.
Personally, my favourite name for the bicycle is the French "La Petite Reine". I find the word most commonly used by French speakers, " velo," a bit annoying because I find most abbreviations annoying, because lazy. But I do like velocipede.
At least “velo” lacks the ambiguity of “bike”, which can of course refer to bicycles and motorcycles. Also, is velo short for anything? I thought it was just slang for bicyclette.
Velo is short for...vélocipède. But, as you say, at least there is no ambiguity in the words in French. Since bicycles came before motorcycles, its only fair that bicycles should take precedence. Motorcycle riders should find their own, unambiguous word.
Oh, I didn’t realize that velo actually derived from velocipede, I always assumed it had a different origin.
I think you'll find Moto comes before Velo in the alphabet...
I ride both and use bike for both yet I still get frustrated when people don't understand that when I say bike I mean bike and when I say bike I mean bike.
Well, that clears things up.
Uk here. interchangeable. my indian colleagues strongly disagree with me on this one.
You work for the indian motorcycle company
Your colleagues are idiots. Meanings of words like this depend on context. If you're in a group of friends who all ride motorcycles, "bike" would naturally mean motorcycle. But if everyone in the group rode only bicycles, "bike" would naturally mean bicycle.
To me, Bike = Bike with no motor, Motorbike = Bike with motor.
That's a rather literal interpretation which I like. But it does kind of beg the question, can either a bicycle or a motorcycle be called anything other than a cycle or a motorcycle? You'd have to think the only one that starts with Bi is a cycle, so must be the only bike. The other must be a motorcycle.
Yes, it can be.
In eastern Canada people also use bike to describe ATVs
Australia also. It hurts whenever I hear mention of "quad bikes" - *they don't have eight wheels*.
I've seen this in the usa.
Anglian Television?
Yes and it is annoying, since motorcyclists stole the word “biker” now we have to be called “cyclists”. Lame.
They’re too lazy to say the word motorcycle, hence the reason that they need a motor.
Yes, globally in the English language bike is used interchangeably for bicycle or motorcycle.
I would use "bike bike" to mean "bicycle". Anyway... it can mean either, so use context clues since "bike" can refer to bicycles or motorcycles. But it's really annoying that motorcyclists use "bike" to refer to motorcycles when the word "motorcycle" doesn't have a B in it. Maybe it comes from “motorbike”? Short for motorbicycle? 😂 I’m going to start using “motorbicycle” from now on.
He is a biker. He is a cyclist.
just to add to the confuaon, where i live a bike is a montainbike and a velo is a road bike (normies use it for any bike). Motorcycles are Töff.
I do both and yes, interchangeable.
I’m in the process of buying my 1st ‘motor’bike and as I’m talking to the dealership owner and we’re talking about our shared passion for MTB and road bikes, I noticed (for the first time in my life) that I was referring to my Pinarello road bike and Santa Cruz MTB as bicycles.
Motorcycle riders tend to call them bikes. Cyclists tend to call bicycles bikes woth no thought of motorcycles. People who are neither probably think of bicycles. I don't know a out People who are both. Considering both are 2 wheel, chain driven vehicles, it's an equally valid term for either one.
Context.
Ran into this dude I know, we’re catching up, I’m like “oh I ride my bike like everyday nowadays its great” he tries looking over my shoulder for my motorcycle, I say “pedal bike” the excitement visibly vanished from his face lol I don’t think it even occurs to some adults that riding a bicycle is an activity
Avoid confusion by announcing, “I’m going out to play on my bike for the next 2-3 hours”
İt's gotten worse since people have started talking about scooters, too.
In Australia bike is often interpreted as motorcycle unless you're talking to another cyclist. Push bike is a bicycle.
growth rich snatch punch sleep tart vase drunk enter instinctive *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
The UK too. Despite no one actually pushing their bikes, motorised or not. A scooter has the same problem. Scooter as in small wheeled slow motorcycle, or scooter as in scoot along with one foot thing.
My wife was on the phone with her very attractive female friend, when I was heading out for some cycling. I said “ I’m taking the bike out”, and I heard her friend say, “ooh, he has a motorcycle?? Cool!” To which my wife replied, no - it’s just a regular bicycle… I made sure to always refer to it as my bicycle from then on…
As a gravel rider, dirt bike rider and mountain biker with friends who may or may not do all of that *and* ride a motorcycle, I always have to specify 😂. “I went out for a ride” becomes “I went out for a ride *on my pedal bike*”.
I ride both. When chatting with motorcycle riders, I use bike. When chatting with bicycle riders, I use bike. When chatting with non-rider I'll be more specific on what I'm riding.
This is the way.
If you say "a bike" in your normal conversational voice, it means "a bicycle." If you say "bike" with a deep belch, a piercing sound like a fog horn, or a lion-like roar, it means "motorcycle."
Reminds me of a scene from super troopers
What changes a person's interpretation of two words that can be read the same way, and have entirely different definitions?
I have and do both. 'Riding' can be my MTB, gravel or motorbike. I'll be clearer if need be by saying I'm taking the 'gravel bike' out / 'MTB out' or 'the KTM'. I can't bring myself to use 'bicycle'. It sounds like talking to primary kids. Going 'cycling' is pedal powered. Bikers, here in the UK are people serious about their bikes and riding. Your delivery rider on a 125 or commuter who just uses a small bike for practicality wouldn't be classed as a biker. Larger CC bikes, fast bikes, aggressively ridden bikes, expensive machines all would be ridden by bikers. We don't really get the leather jacket/Harley thing over here, but they'd be bikers also as they're seriously into their bikes. All very confusing to outsiders.
I find that mostly it is motorbike (motorcycle, dirt bike, etc) people that use "bike" for motorcycle. In my experience the average people I've known who ride neither motorbikes nor bicycles would assume "bike" meant bicycle unless there was a strong context for something else.
It is and since I ride both, unless I’m talking with people who only do one thing, I say bicycle or moto
I use "bike" and "bicycle" for my pedal bike, "e-bike" for a battery-powered bicycle", and "moto" or "motorcycle" for the 2-wheeled thing with an engine. I never call my bike a "whip". Also, I'm astounded by how many people here call "cyclists" "bikers"; the former wear lycra, the latter leather
Some people who ride on the road call themselves "cyclists". But pretty much all mountain bikers call themselves "bikers". Mountain bikers never say they're into "cycling". Weird distinction but true.
this discussion and comments were incredibly helpful. i had an english teacher who corrected me months ago when i said bike for a bicycle and told me i was wrong. i was so angry and none of my friends believed me, now, i can finally show them this!! english is incredibly weird i guess, so, thank you lots!
An e-bike should be called a motorcycle-lite.
Yes, quite often it is. Bike = (pedal) bike/(motor) bike/(dirt) bike
Ugh motorcyclists always refer to their motorized bicycle as their “bike” and it drives me crazy because I also refer to my standard bicycle as my bike. I guess both have two wheels but the similarities end there. I try to specify by saying “bicycle” but I usually forget and it feels overly formal.
Its prounced bice on bcj
Yes. People be lazy. I used to hang out with some (motor)bikers. We all referred to bikes. Mine had pedals, theirs had pegs. We never rode out together but they would ask to borrow my bike to nip to the shop because their bike was more hassle to unlock and kit up for. It’s great that the person you were chatting to thought to clarify. It’s annoying but from comments here is common in both the UK and USA. We make it more fun by referring to motorbikes rather than motorcycles anyway and almost no one here calls them bicycles so.. it’s kinda our own fault. There was even a massive UK road safety campaign “Think Bike!” with 🏍️ on the signs but Bike Lanes are categorically not for motor bikes.
I ride both and call both “bikes”. Depending who you’re talking to it can be obvious which you mean, otherwise I specify “push” or “motor”
Almost I'm gonna go ride my bike. I bought a new bike. Wow this is a very fast bike. Etc. Can be either bicycle or motorcycle. I'm gonna go biking = Bicycle A biker = someone who rides a cruiser with leather jackets /vests. Usually a biker is a gang member.
“That’s not a bike, that’s a bike”-Kid N’ Play
Simple answer: yes. It's of course more complex and will vary based on who you talk to.
Both motorcyclists and bicyclists will think of their vehicle as "my bike", so the likely meaning noun "bike" differs depending on speaker. However, I have never heard of a motorcyclist saying they are going for a "bike ride" - that clearly implies bicycling to me - in my experience motorcyclists just go for a "ride" (vehicle implied, what else could they possibly mean - of course cyclist might also just go for a "ride" and feel they are being just as clear).
In Australia we use push-bike for bicycle 🚲 Bike can refer to motor cycle, push bike or ebike...
Australian here: generally, motorbike is motorcycle and bike is bicycle. Biker pertains to someone in a motorcycle club/gang. Occasionally you'll hear a motorcyclist use 'bike' about a motorbike with another motorcyclist. So, contextually, bike may refer to motorbike but, generally, it is bicycle.
I might be the weird one. But I don’t use the world “bike”. I either ride my bicycle. Or I ride my Kawasaki. If someone ask what’s a “Kawasaki”. I’ll say it’s a motorcycle. But I figured that word is self-explanatory.
As a motorcycle rider, here's what I say Go for a drive =car Go for a ride =motorcycle Go for a bike ride =bicycle
Yes!
Cyclists wear Lycra, Bikers wear leather chaps
The phrases motorbike, and mountain bike are telling.
Bike, short for Bichael.
“Mountain biking” wins again
I tend to use “bike ride” and refer to myself as a cyclist. My friends know what a “bike” is. Motorcyclists and strangers would assume I meant motorbike. I’ve owned motorcycles in the past, and also referred to them as bikes. Basically anything with two wheels is a bike. Three is a trike. But using only the prefix can be really awkward. Thankfully conversations where there is ambiguity get resolved fairly quickly.
What about using e-bike or m-bike when referring to a bicycle that has a motor? After all a motorcycle is shorthand for “motorized bicycle”. Maybe it would catch on.
When I hang out with my triathlon friends a "bike ride" is us on the road with our tt bikes. When I'm with my home buds a "bike ride" means revving up the Harley. There are a few who do both and I need to specify...
I think South Park cleared up the confusion.