Cyclist or Bicyclist -- Cycling or Riding a Bike? How Do You Say It?

G

Guitarist

Senior Member
I was watching a video the other day in which a tourism guide was touting his locale as a good place for bicycle riding. He's an American, in America, and he called it "bike riding" and called the people who do it "bicyclists" (pronounced "bye-SICK-lists").

I'm an American, I call it bike riding/riding a bike and I call people who do it "people who ride bikes." lol

(Well, if I want to be "correct" I say "cycling" and "cyclists" but not in ordinary conversation because sometimes I'd rather be clear than "cool").

In Engish novels I have read people talk about cyclists cycling and I know what they mean.

What do you say? (And do you speak American English, or Australian/British/Canadian/Irish/New Zealand/other English?)
 

I speak both American and British English. I've stopped saying bike ride as some people assume that means motorbike. So I say either bicycling or cycling. The trails that are here or are very quickly being built are called bike trails as obviously they are not for motorbikes.

I am, in fact, going for a very long bicycle ride tomorrow. :)
 
I just found an interesting 2016 article about "riding a bike" in London, which is great for "cycling." The author uses the terms interchangeably, as well as "bike" and "bicycle."
 

In America motorcycles probably out-number bicycles, so I think people struggle for terms of clarity. In my region of Calif, we say biker or rider if we're talking about a motor cycle rider, and cyclist if it's a bicycle rider. But go 40 miles out of town and they might call it something different.
 
We call both bicycles and motorcycles the same "Bikes" The only difference is the "E Bike" we call those nuisances because of the laws regarding them here.
 
Redd said:
We call both bicycles and motorcycles the same "Bikes" The only difference is the "E Bike" we call those nuisances because of the laws regarding them here.
Click to expand...

I have an E bike. Why do you find them a nuisance? What are your laws?

Mine is pedal assisted and the battery stops assisting once I hit 16 mph (about 25 kph). I ride it the same as any bicycyle except it's much easier to get up hills.
 

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