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Are You a Cyclist or a Biker?

04.20.2010 by Ray Niekamp // 24 Comments

Guest poster Don Blount’s inquiring mind wants to know.

Are you a cyclist or a biker?

I often use the two terms interchangeably to describe someone who rides road bikes.

Dictionary.com, the online reference site, provides these definitions of the two terms:

Biker – noun: a person who rides a bicycle, motorcycle, or motorbike, esp. in competition or as a hobby.

Cyclist – noun: a person who rides or travels by bicycle, motorcycle, etc.

Any difference there would be minute.

However, a member of my bike club makes this distinction:

“I must confess that I cringe when I read about us being ‘bikers’ and going ‘biking’. I’m not a biker, I’m a cyclist. Bikers wear leather and drive motorcycles and look tough and drink beer. Cyclists wear lycra and cool pro team jerseys and drive Honda Elements that have less power than one of those motorcycles.

And I don’t go ‘biking’ either. I go cycling, like I did today; 50 miles and 3800 ft on a beautiful spring day.”

Perhaps the confusion comes from ‘mountain biking’, which means to ride a mountain bike. This is a sport I am unfamiliar with, but which I believe is distantly related to cycling even if I find the bikes repulsive looking compared with svelte road machines.”

By his definition, I would be a cyclist.

How do you see yourself? Are you a cyclist or a biker?

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Comments

  1. Bryan says

    April 20, 2010 at 9:32 pm

    Well, my blogs name is ‘biking to live’ so for blogging purposes it’s biking. I consider myself a cyclist though in the more traditional sense. Back when I created my blog I threw around a few ideas and biking just seemed to stick.

    I’m not sure there’s a difference between the two except for the stereotypes created by people when thinking or referring to each group. Much like your friend did.

    Reply
  2. spacemodular says

    April 20, 2010 at 10:31 pm

    I am a biker. Or bicyclist. I ride customized cruisers, cargo bikes, sound bikes, a pseudo track bike, mountain bikes, haul trailers and use bikes as my primary form of transportation. I like any bike, but my own bikes conform to my own needs and uses. I find bike racing interesting in it’s various forms, but don’t feel it should be the main reason to ride. Bikes are the means to know where you live and who lives in your neighborhood. I like building bikes and drinking beer. Cyclist always seemed a wee bit pretentious a term to me, but that’s just me. Whatever you call yourself, riding a bike is a great thing!

    Reply
  3. Tim says

    April 21, 2010 at 5:24 am

    I’m just a guy on two wheels 😀

    I think that if we can stop focusing on labels and stereotypes, the use of bicycles in the U.S. will become more mainstream. We need to kill the bicycle buddha:

    http://moreminimal.com/2010/03/killing-the-bicycle-buddha/

    Reply
  4. Dave says

    April 21, 2010 at 6:42 am

    Setting aside the motorcycle, the term “biker” has a strong association with the care-free days of childhood in my mind. Through that association, a “biker” is a more recreational, casual, utilitarian, and dare I say irresponsible user of the bicycle. By contrast with that assocation, a “cyclist” is a more mature, serious, goal-oriented, and driven user of the bicycle.

    It is the same as with the distinction between “nerd”/”dork” and “geek”. I’m a geek every day… I left being a nerd and a dork behind in junior high school.

    Some days I’m a biker. Most days I’m a cyclist. Every day I’m either, I feel better than had I been a motorist.

    Reply
  5. Matt says

    April 21, 2010 at 6:50 am

    I’ve always thought “cyclist” sounded pretentious, so I’m a biker.

    Nasty words about mountain bikes there, Noob! I’ve always thought road bikes looked boring though, so to each his own…

    Reply
    • rainycamp says

      April 21, 2010 at 7:44 am

      As you can see, I took a little break and ran a post by Don instead. And those are not even his words — they’re by a member of his club.

      I have nothing against mountain bikes. I own one myself.

      Reply
      • Matt says

        April 21, 2010 at 8:01 am

        Hm pre-coffee posting there – my bad!

        My thoughts still apply against the originator of those nasty words, though! (And in my defense, there were extra quotation marks in that section, making it a little confusing)

        Reply
  6. Alice says

    April 21, 2010 at 7:26 am

    I have to agree with Tim – we should stop focusing on labels and stereotypes. I refer to myself as a cyclist. I ride a bike – I have fun – and I enjoy life in general. I think of bikers as those who ride motorcycles, but that’s just me. Call me what you want. In my opinion, labels (even derogatory ones) don’t really have any power unless I choose to let them bother me.

    Reply
  7. wal says

    April 21, 2010 at 10:22 am

    See, I’ve always consider myself a biker or mountain biker – I ride trails in my baggy shorts, and hit the road only to get to the trail near my house. When I hear cyclist, I think of the more serious road rider who is out in the team jersey. I think of him/her as a distant cousin I know little about, but I know somewhere along the line, we have a common bond.

    PS: No argument that road bikes are svelte, but I wouldn’t call mountain bikes ‘repulsive’…I’d say muscular. Kind of like comparing a sprinter and a football player. Both athletes, just built different for different purposes.

    Reply
    • rainycamp says

      April 21, 2010 at 11:13 am

      Good comparison!

      Reply
  8. Sine Botchen says

    April 21, 2010 at 2:24 pm

    Very though provoking.. when I’m on the road (albeit on a mountain bike) I consider myself a “cyclist”. When I’m off road I consider myself a “mountain biker” since I too associate the word “biker” with motorcycles.

    Better yet, what kind of cyclist are you? Over the holidays, I found that I had become a “care-taker” cyclist. I was going through the motions of a 30 mile ride without putting a whole lot of effort into it. Fortunately I snapped out of the lull and now enjoy “working” at it.

    Reply
  9. bjjoondo says

    April 22, 2010 at 10:03 am

    LOL, well I rode “motorcycles” for 30 years, wore some leather, ect. , (don’t drink BEER!) but even then I didn’t like being called a “Biker”, I told folks I was a “Motorcyclist”, not a Biker.

    Now I ride bicycles and I too really dislike being called a “Biker”, a lot of the “Bikers” I’ve known call us bicycle folks, “Bikies”. Now I tell folks, I’m a “Bicyclist”! Hoping one day to earn the title, Touring Cyclist! 🙂

    B.J. Ondo

    Reply
  10. Don says

    April 22, 2010 at 9:14 pm

    Interesting reaction. This was the opinion of one member of my bike club. When I talk about myself, I just say: “I ride bikes.” I think anyone who gets out on two wheels to improve their fitness is doing a good thing. Whether it be on a road bike or mountain bike. (I also own a mountain bike too.)

    Reply
  11. chrisfit2009 says

    April 23, 2010 at 2:34 am

    cyclist

    Reply
  12. ha1ku says

    April 23, 2010 at 11:39 am

    “biker” feels weird to me, but I also don’t want to be associated with the roadies either. I just commute on my bicycle. Is there a term for that?

    Reply
    • Matt says

      April 23, 2010 at 11:41 am

      misanthrope? 😛

      Reply
      • bjjoondo says

        April 26, 2010 at 9:31 pm

        Yes, “Commuter”!! I also like “utility cyclist”! 😉

        Reply
  13. Ken Speake says

    April 25, 2010 at 6:51 pm

    OK… what about us weirdos who ride with our feet out ahead of the rest of us. I ride a 10 year old recumbent. The only jersey I own is still in the plastic bag upstairs in my drawer. The wicking high tech clothing I wear is 15-year-old Helly Hanson polypropylene long underwear. Wife says it stinks like crazy! I get a kick out of seeing the great blue heron riding the wind above me, and scaring up the deer at dusk, and averaging 13 miles an hour over a 75-minute ride. I don’t think there’s a name for us.

    Reply
    • rainycamp says

      April 25, 2010 at 8:37 pm

      Sure there is. You’re bent.

      Reply
  14. cherryboy says

    April 30, 2010 at 7:53 am

    I’m the club member that started this.

    I actually own a mountain bike, and I use it for all kinds of handy errands around my ranch. I have done some riding on trails and fire roads, including some technical single track, which I am terrible at.

    I enjoyed the comments and found the tone very civilized. But until a ‘biker bar’ sells espresso, I’ll consider myself a cyclist.

    Reply
    • Matt says

      April 30, 2010 at 8:00 am

      “Cyclists” can drink beer too!

      As a mountain biker, I’ll want mine to be a Fat Tire Ale…

      Reply
  15. Joe says

    July 17, 2013 at 11:18 am

    Bikers have bitches and beards. Cyclists have flat stomachs.

    Reply

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