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Friday indicative vote - new word for cyclistFriday road.cc indicative votes: Word(s) to replace cyclist
Not quite the same ring as Friday Poll, but these are the times we live in. Anyway this week the BIG question is what should we call cyclists if we’re not going to call them cyclists?
This has been in the news over the last few days first with Australian researchers concluding that many drivers view cyclists as less than human and that along with a program of driver (re)education we should consider banning the ‘C’ word (no, cyclist) as it dehumanises people riding bikes. That was followed upon earlier this week with Dame Sarah Storey telling the Guardian that we needed to come up with a word that distinguished ‘normal people on bikes’ from the stereotype of ‘lycra-clad yobbos’ and follow the Dutch example where they have a word for cycle commuters - fietser and another for more sporting cyclists wielrenner. This does beg the questions of where that would leave lycra-clad commuters and whether many yobbos actually go around in Lycra, but we’ll park that and get on with the more fun job of finding a new word/words to describe people on bikes…
We threw the question open in the comments on those stories and on social media and got plenty of suggestions - some factually correct but too worthy, wordy or both for general adoption: planet saver, low emission commuter; some lacking the humanising angle – two wheeler; and some rather missing the point but in a darkly amusing way… ‘target’.
So here are the runners and riders if one gets a simple majority we’ll trial it in the Live blog for a day see what happens, otherwise we’ll whittle ‘em down until we find a winner. Maybe.
Oh, and feel free to suggest something better in the comments, it shouldn't be hard (though pedelestrian has a ring to it).
road.cc's founder and first editor, nowadays to be found riding a spreadsheet. Tony's journey in cycling media started in 1997 as production editor and then deputy editor of Total Bike, acting editor of Total Mountain Bike and then seven years as editor of Cycling Plus. He launched his first cycling website - the Cycling Plus Forum at the turn of the century. In 2006 he left C+ to head up the launch team for Bike Radar which he edited until 2008, when he co-launched the multi-award winning road.cc - finally handing on the reins in 2021 to Jack Sexty. His favourite ride is his ‘commute’ - which he does most days inc weekends and he’s been cycle-commuting since 1994. His favourite bikes are titanium and have disc brakes, though he'd like to own a carbon bike one day.
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18 comments
How about Velocipedestrian?
In reality, changing the name won't do much to alter moronic driver attitude: see bikes hate them.
I wish for Harry Potter's powers, to enable me to magically cause offending moronic driver to gently rise into the air, then floated over the coast and plopped into the sea.
Bikey McBike Face?
Fresh-Air Loving Urbanist (FALU)
Enabled Human
Mechanicaly Advantaged Person (MAP)
My favourite is, of course, just Person.
Wheelers!
What the he'll is a new word going to do to help agents curb driver aggression who think of this. My d would be another stupid politician idea
Never underestimate the power of a rebrand. The problem is a rebrand is only effective when the new name can force acknowledgement by its users of some aspect of the target or bury past wrongdoing. No name you can come up with will break the association between cycling and outgroups/law breaking/hindrance that exists in the minds of the ignorant.
I used to think those who cycle on pavements without care and attention- weren't 'cyclists'...
I used to believe that yobs on bikes who mug people weren't 'cyclists'...
People on bikes who jump red lights, deliveroo, kids on bmx's (who look cooler than me), nutter students in cambridge, electric bikers, etc - not cyclists!
But you know what - we are all CYCLISTS!: good or bad and one tribe. Stick up for our rights and right to ride a bike. We don't need another name - just a strong voice!
What new name can we use for motorist to separate the aggressive from the law abiding.
I ride a bike as well as drive a car, and riders who ride to keep safe are nowadays assumed to be aggressive
Riding on pavements to stay safe
Riding in primary position in accordance with cycle guidance from cyclingUK
Riding in groups double file as permitted by law
Inside traffic also legal
What new name can we use for motorist to separate the aggressive from the law abiding.
I ride a bike as well as drive a car, and riders who ride to keep safe are nowadays assumed to be aggressive
Riding on pavements to stay safe
Riding in primary position in accordance with cycle guidance from cyclingUK
Riding in groups double file as permitted by law
Inside traffic also legal
Cyclommuter
F**k renaming "cyclists", "people-on-a-bike".
About time those entitled, aggressive, ignorant psychopaths on four wheels were renamed! Sadly, my four-lettered "rename" will fail the sweary filters ... but point remains. Rename, and shame, the Knuts who don't know **** about safe, considerate, courteous driving.
Cyclopath, but I'm thinking that doesn't work to the PR thing.
I was thinking along those lines myself earlier - cyclopathic tendencies. Doesn't really work as a noun though.
Dangerous If Approached at Speed
DIAS
'Armed'.
Not necessarily
noarms.jpeg
Pob. Person-on-bike.
Spokes-person