Use of the term "push-bike"

mikemac

Ok, hardly an important thread but something I'd be interested to know.

It's something I've never heard outside Dublin but in Dublin most people seem to use the term "push-bike".

I wasn't too sure what it even meant exactly when I first heard but obviously had a fair idea.

So come on, does nobody else this term unusual? You call a bicycle a push bike but yet don't exactly push it around? Is it a city thing?

cyclopath2001

My tuppence-worth on this is that the term is used by cycling-ignorant people who think riding a bike is hard work and involves a lot of pushing. Me? if I want to avoid confusion with motorcyclists, I refer to a pedal-cycle, and pedalling is what I do.

KTRIC

To be honest it probably comes from non-cyclists. I would use the term "push-bike" because I refer to my Kawasaki Vulcan as my "bike" which clearly has its own propulsion

I don't think any offence is meant by it.

High&Low

cyclopath2001 wrote: »

My tuppence-worth on this is that the term is used by cycling-ignorant people who think riding a bike is hard work and involves a lot of pushing. Me? if I want to avoid confusion with motorcyclists, I refer to a pedal-cycle, and pedalling is what I do.

Seeing as its a term from my grandparents time - 1930s/40s - I don't think its a "cycling-ignorant" term!

irishmotorist

I always thought it there to differentiate between a motor-bike and a bike that isn't a motor-bike. Bike could (possibly) be construed as either motorised or not, so push was prepended. That was my thinking anyway!

seamus

I use "push" in order to remove any ambiguity from statements such as "I go into work on the bike".

It's a "push" bike, because you push the pedals with your feet, the context is correct. There's nothing ignorant about the word "push".

rp

seamus wrote: »

It's a "push" bike, because you push the pedals with your feet, the context is correct. There's nothing ignorant about the word "push".

If you've to- clips/clipless pedals you should be pulling the pedal around the top of the circle as well, so I propose the term push/pull-bike, in the interest of accuracy

dub_skav

Is bicycle not unambiguous enough?

seamus

dub_skav wrote: »

Is bicycle not unambiguous enough?

Maybe. Unless you meet someone from the late 1800's who calls it a "motorised bicycle". You can never be too careful.

dub_skav

seamus wrote: »

Maybe. Unless you meet someone from the late 1800's who calls it a "motorised bicycle". You can never be too careful.

They are the kind you meet out in this sunny weather, changing their vulcanised tyres.

Bicyclegadabout

When people say “push bike”, I take it that they mean “A push bike, rather than a real bike”. I don’t like it, bicycle is what you need to say. Though when I say bicycle people look at me like I’m talking about a spaceship or something.