What exactly is a cyclist?
30 01 2008
I received a rather tetchy email in partial response to my earlier post reviewing the Kangaroo bike from someone who objected to me describing myself as a “cyclist”.
He informed me that describing myself as a cyclist is like an occasional jogger describing themselves as an athlete.
Further, I don’t ride a proper bike, I don’t do the right sort of riding, I don’t cover “any real distance” and I don’t have the right attitude.
My heckler then proceeded to tell me that he was indeed a cyclist as he is a time trialler, a track cyclist and an audaxer who does at least 100 miles a week.
As far as he was concerned, I’m just a dilettante.
Well, that’s fine by me. I’ll happily play at being a utility cyclist why he’s busy being serious and uptight doing “proper” cyclist things.
(A brief aside at this point — I wonder if he’s related to the people who tell me I’m not a proper crofter, a proper pig keeper or a proper human. Okay, I added the last one.)
Anyway, leaving aside the “you don’t belong in my club” tone, the email did make me pause and ask myself a question.
What, exactly, is a cyclist?
Is it as simple as I thought — someone who cycles?
Or are there other meanings and definitions, hopefully not as exclusive as my charming friend seems to think?
Over to you…
this reminds me of the time a friend landed his first job, writing for a largish city paper. He was able to pay his rent, utilities, groceries and indeed, all bills from the salary from said job.
YET, a woman we knew told him he was not a ‘real writer’ as she was. She was busy writing unpublished fiction.
I still puzzle over this.
In the US a cyclist is anyone who rides a bicycle I think. At least, I would consider you a cyclist. And, btw, anyone who jogs regularly or engages in any other athletic activity is an athlete. Getting paid for something does not make the person more real!!! Good golly.
Well, I think that guy who e-mailed you is just an arrogant wanker with his head stuck too far up his arse.
But there is a problem with stories like this: A 24-year-old cyclist dies after being shot following a disagreement with a fellow cyclist..
Just because the murderer and his victim were riding bicycles, does that make this a case of ‘cyclist murders fellow cyclist’? The way I see it, someone happened to be riding a bike at the time, shot someone else who happened to be on a bike at the time. The fact that they rode bicycles seems irrelevant really. I can’t help but think that this is just a lazy journalist trying to whip up some sort of controversy - people get murdered every day, it’s boring news - if you tell everyone “a cyclist killed a fellow cyclist!” people will listen and take an interest.
Well, the way I see it, you are both cyclists. You may not be a pro-cyclist, but then again, he probably isn’t either (I really don’t see a professional who makes money from cycling taking the time to have a go at someone over such a petty issue, they would be too busy training).
Although, since you do use your trike to carry items for the farm, it could be argued that you do use it to increase your income. So, since you do use your trike to make money, maybe you are technically a semi-pro cyclist and he is just jealous?
I wasn’t thinking of a comparison of myself versus Mr Hyper Cyclist, but a more general definition.
To add to the mix, CTC Scotland has just sent out a newsletter that refers to a meeting of members in Stirling last year. The newsletter says those present felt “we” should stop calling ourselves cyclists.
I can see one obvious problem there - how do you describe a club for cyclists? Do you say it’s a group “for people who happen to ride bicycles”?
It’s a all a bit daft.
I’d say I’m a cyclist, but not exclusively so as I’m also a crofter, driver, swineherd, father, writer, tinkerer, nutter…
Every dictionary I’ve looked at gives the following definition
cyclist
• noun a person who rides a bicycle.
So I second Messenger of Doom. When I’m driving, I’m a driver, when I’m painting, I’m a painter on the rare times I go out for a bike ride, I’m a cyclist. Your complainant should really get off his bike and get a life.
nutter..yep definately….
Oxford English dictionary…….cyclist….rider of a bicycle (cycle). Tricycle..rider of 3 wheel vehicle, tricyclist (cycle)
As broad as it’s long really.
Hum - ‘arrogant wanker’ - yes, that’s about what I thought. Surely a cyclist is anyone who cycles? Ridiculous elitism to limit it to someone who does it professionally, or in a more serious frame of mind. Before I succumbed to the charms of morning sickness and an ongoing cold, I cycled to the station most mornings en route to work, and yes, I considered myself a cyclist. I still do consider myself one, come to think of it, albeit an interrupted one.
The word ‘cyclist’, to me, evokes an image of not the lycra-clad leg-shaving carbon fibre tour-de-france-wannabe racer types, but the flourescent yellow waistcoat-wearing pannier-posessing cycle commuting townie types.
I’ve experienced this kind of attitude among choice members of the cycling community. I always wonder what it is making them so insecure that they have to diminish everyone else who rides a bike. But in my opinion, they are bad examples, poor sports, and generally bad for the sport of cycling in general. Not to mention bad for a struggling bike industry–by making any cyclist feel crappy about being on a bike isn’t going to encourage them to buy cycling related products (yes–I am forever a capitalist). But aside from business–it’s just bad manners and has nothing to do with cycling. If you ride a bike–your cycling.
Cripes. The guy who emailed you needs to get a life. I’ve met cyclists like this, and usually they are the ones with non-functioning nether bits from too many hours on a hard seat.
They work that out through elitist snobbery like you’ve experienced here.
Bah! Bah, I say!
Simple….he is a “hobby” cyclist as he is just doing it for fun, or exercise, or whatyever. You are a real cyclist as you are simply using wheels under your own steam to get from A to B. I can’t think what his problem is but you should ignore people like that…..! They are not worth the energy taken in thinking up a reply!
I have to admit having read this post first, i went back a post to read the one which provoked the email.
The emailer commented about riding at least 100miles a week. Well say i multiply your top estimate of your miles per day (15) by the maximum number of days you’d do this in a week (7) the maximum estimated miles per week comes out as 105miles…..which is his number….
To me if you cycled once a week you’d still be a cyclist….as you are riding your bicycle.