reclaim the word 'cyclist'

[reohn2]

I'm not a cyclist but a human being. Bicycles are a mode of transport and use of it doesn't define me. I am more than my bicycle, don't label me........

Thanks TM,glad we agree

I'm off to lie down, I don't feel well. Normal service will be resumed shortly.

I'm ready when you are

[willcee]

Interesting observations, my own take is fairly simple, and based on experience over a long number of years since I was perhaps 8 or 9, living out in the countryside, boys of my age rode bikes everywhere.. to school, to church, to a fair, to farmers to help with the work if need be, we became cyclists through need, my father, a business man, bought me a new Raleigh Gran SPORT,Flam RED, in '63, at the huge sum in his eyes of 29 quid as a present for passing my 11+, 5 sp gran sport gears, a swallow saddle, then I was a cyclist and used it well... as a pudgy 11yo I thought little of doing a run to the coast round trip of 40 miles. that was my graduation.. there are lots of folks who trail whatever yoke they own out of hibernation come some good weather at Easter, they to me are people who ride bikes, not cyclists, cyclists do it all year round ,some for fun like me, some of necessity, commuters, etc etc.. but imo unless you have the love of the bike, as Mick alludes thinking about them daily, getting your hands dirty, solving issues, doing your own repairs..perhaps others as on here have different views entitled of course but when you can ride 25 or 30 miles++ day in day out for pleasure, you're mad, and fully entitled to call yourself a cyclist..
ME.. I can't at present, me hip issues!!! but I will overcome.. will

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
Don't agree a with a word of it.
So how much dreaming and thinking in bed qualifies you as a cyclist.

I built my bike out of a scrap frame and bottom shelf new parts at 16 with benefit money, and it started to fall apart in six months of daily riding some 3- 4 K miles.
I had several shared and own bikes at school, paper round funded most, started riding in the late sixties, cycling was a necessity.

But I would never put myself apart from some one who buys a bike tomorrow and then rides it, Cyclist...person who rides a bicycle.

P.S. - I spend a lot of time thinking of a ride / bike and how to fix / what needs doing on it, that could be anytime of day.
But I can also look at a frame and do the same, it helps when the wheels are on
Also the intensity will be the same when making something even fixing the plumbing.................

[Tangled Metal]

You're cyclist when you get on a bike and ride. You're a pedestrian when you get off and walk. You're a driver behind the wheel of a motorised vehicle. You're a postman of you are driving a red and yellow van putting letters through doors.

Why do people put mythic ideas onto titles for actions like riding a bike that last beyond the action itself? Does cycling really define you so deeply? If it does then how far off real addiction are you? Addiction isn't good even if it's about a healthy pastime.

BTW I ride all year round I don't like messing about with bike maintenance. I do the basics then take it to LBS for everything else. I don't fit into the mythic cyclist tag. I'm still a cyclist when I'm riding my bike. Anything beyond the facts of being on a bike and moving forward is just waffle.

[pwa]

You're cyclist when you get on a bike and ride. You're a pedestrian when you get off and walk. You're a driver behind the wheel of a motorised vehicle. You're a postman of you are driving a red and yellow van putting letters through doors.

Why do people put mythic ideas onto titles for actions like riding a bike that last beyond the action itself? Does cycling really define you so deeply? If it does then how far off real addiction are you? Addiction isn't good even if it's about a healthy pastime.

BTW I ride all year round I don't like messing about with bike maintenance. I do the basics then take it to LBS for everything else. I don't fit into the mythic cyclist tag. I'm still a cyclist when I'm riding my bike. Anything beyond the facts of being on a bike and moving forward is just waffle.

You want to identify yourself as a rounded person, not someone labelled by one activity.

[Cyril Haearn]

I'm not sure what I am - I like cycling and walking, to get to my destination I use the bus, or train, or car, and sometimes I tow a caravan behing the car. The bike or my walking boots/trainers will go with me.

So - what am I?

I'm a caravanner sometimes.

I'm a motorist sometimes.

I'm a walker getting there by car, or train, sometimes.

I'm a cyclist ditto.

With the caravan I'm a (derogatoryword) caravanner.

In my sports car I'm a (derogatoryword) old (derogatoryword) (a common phrase I've found that is used in my direction when I have the roof off, perhaps I'm fair game)

When I'm walking I'm a walker - or maybe hiker - or maybe pedestrian (but never heard a derogatory word yet to describe it)

In my youth I was a motorbiker, and I cycled and walked as well.

Can anyone help with my identity crisis please? or am I simply well-rounded

You are a cyclist first I hope

[reohn2]

You are a cyclist first I hope

Why do you hope for that of another person?
PS,honest question.

[Cyril Haearn]

You are a cyclist first I hope

Why do you hope for that of another person?
PS,honest question.

This forum is about cycling, people join it who like cycling a lot, cycling first, then many of us find ourselves talking more about politricks or weather or mushrooms or..

Come for the cycling, stay for the politricks?

I have been a cyclist first for 44 years. But I have driven further than I have cycled, I spend more time reading than cycling

I am also an expert on books, railways, Germany, Wales but cycling is first

OK? Ask again if you like

[reohn2]

You are a cyclist first I hope

Why do you hope for that of another person?
PS,honest question.

This forum is about cycling, people join it who like cycling a lot, cycling first, then many of us find ourselves talking more about politricks or weather or mushrooms or..

Come for the cycling, stay for the politricks?

I have been a cyclist first for 44 years. But I have driven further than I have cycled, I spend more time reading than cycling

I am also an expert on books, railways, Germany, Wales but cycling is first

OK? Ask again if you like

Your resumè is admirable,but doesn't answer the question.
People may come on here because they like to cycle,but it doesn't mean their cycling has to be foremost in their lives,like their religion would be.
I don't expect that of anyone who rides a bike however much they may enjoy it.
I love to ride and would've considered myself a passionate cyclist,an habitual cyclist if you will,but like TM describes,it can become a surrogate religion which IMO can be unhealthy(oh,poor TM,I'm agreeing with you again).
I suppose what I'm trying to say is that things need to be kept in perspective.

[Tangled Metal]

Actually I'm beginning to like this agreement Reohn2. It's much better than our disagreements.

PS my autocorrect capitalises your screen name. Personally I agree with the autocorrect on that. Pedantic I know and my autocorrect has learnt my pedantic habits well.

[reohn2]

Actually I'm beginning to like this agreement Reohn2. It's much better than our disagreements.

PS my autocorrect capitalises your screen name. Personally I agree with the autocorrect on that. Pedantic I know and my autocorrect has learnt my pedantic habits well.

At least you admit to being pedantic
I OTOH am much more lower case and agreeable

[Vorpal]

You want to identify yourself as a rounded person, not someone labelled by one activity.

To me the point of the article I linked in the first post is that 'cyclist' should not be a label that defines someone. It is *just* an activity and means of transport. Do we go around calling all of the people who walk daily for transport, 'pedestrians' when they are working? Are those who drive to work, 'drivers' at any time other than when they are actually driving? Obviously there could be exceptions to this. For example, 'the driver of EN 59 XXX' could be needed because they left their lights on in the car park. 'Walkers' sometimes invade the tea rooms just after the 'cyclists' do.

When people think of 'cyclists', they think of lycra louts or people who cycle hundreds of miles, or people who commute to work everyday in high viz and helmets. They don't think of normal people in normal clothes, riding bicycles.

And therein lies the problem.

[Cyril Haearn]

When I was 15 I was mainly a cyclist
Now I am several other things too

[Steady rider]

Many words have several meanings, cyclist is someone who rides a bike, however in general conversation when referring to people who cycle as a hobby or ride more than just for transport or are engrossed in cycling, these people are often referred to as cyclists reflecting a higher involvement than just riding a bicycle. Someone I know who has been a cyclist for more than 50 years has pictures of racing cyclists around their house, several bicycles and spare parts. The word Cyclist can and is used to describe people with more of an involvement than simply riding a bicycle.

[mjr]

My wife gets about by bike. She has done since she was 4, but there again she's Dutch so of course that's the case...

She has remarked that she never realised she was "a cyclist" until she came to live in the UK.

Is the use of "fietser" more limited? Did she refuse to ride in areas that said "voetgangerszone - fietser te gast"?