Push bike

A push bike typically refers to bicyle (human powered). I was talking
to a sport shop owner the other day and said that I was in the shop to
look at the push bikes not the motorbikes.

It's not an expression that I see or hear used frequently and I was
wondering if anyone has an idea of the origins of the phrase?

John Kane Kingson ON Canada

In rec.bicycles.misc John Kane wrote:
A push bike typically refers to bicyle (human powered). I was talking
to a sport shop owner the other day and said that I was in the shop to
look at the push bikes not the motorbikes.

It's not an expression that I see or hear used frequently and I was
wondering if anyone has an idea of the origins of the phrase?

I was recently in a situation where I found myself referred to as a
"pedal cyclist," and my bike as a "pedal cycle."
I can understand how some people might be confused by the word
"bike," since motorcyclists have stolen it from us. But to me "bicycle"
is a plain, unambiguous term.


Bill

__o | I used to think that I was cool, running around on fossil
fuel
_`\(,_ | Until I saw what I was doing was driving down the road to
ruin.
(_)/ (_) | - James Taylor

wrote:
In rec.bicycles.misc John Kane wrote:
A push bike typically refers to bicyle (human powered). I was talking
to a sport shop owner the other day and said that I was in the shop to
look at the push bikes not the motorbikes.

It's not an expression that I see or hear used frequently and I was
wondering if anyone has an idea of the origins of the phrase?

I was recently in a situation where I found myself referred to as a
"pedal cyclist," and my bike as a "pedal cycle."
I can understand how some people might be confused by the word
"bike," since motorcyclists have stolen it from us. But to me "bicycle"
is a plain, unambiguous term.


Except when it has a small motor attached. My newspaper tells me that
electric bicycles are all the rage now.


--

Rob Bannister

On Sun, 10 May 2009 07:34:04 +0800, Robert Bannister wrote:


Except when it has a small motor attached. My newspaper tells me that
electric bicycles are all the rage now.

You want to be careful they are not talking about electric scotters with
dodgy pedals attatched.

wrote in message



I was recently in a situation where I found myself referred to as a
"pedal cyclist," and my bike as a "pedal cycle."
I can understand how some people might be confused by the word
"bike," since motorcyclists have stolen it from us. But to me
"bicycle" is a plain, unambiguous term.

Who's "us"?

On Sun, 10 May 2009 10:11:55 -0500, "Pat Durkin"
wrote:

wrote in message



I was recently in a situation where I found myself referred to as a
"pedal cyclist," and my bike as a "pedal cycle."
I can understand how some people might be confused by the word
"bike," since motorcyclists have stolen it from us. But to me
"bicycle" is a plain, unambiguous term.

Who's "us"?

This thread is crossposted to rec.bicycles.misc so I guess "us" means
"us bicyclists".

--
Peter Duncanson, UK
(in alt.usage.english)

On Sat, 9 May 2009 21:11:43 +0000 (UTC), wrote:

I was recently in a situation where I found myself referred to as a
"pedal cyclist," and my bike as a "pedal cycle."
I can understand how some people might be confused by the word
"bike," since motorcyclists have stolen it from us. But to me "bicycle"
is a plain, unambiguous term.

On Bermuda they have taken cycle away from us. A cycle there refers to a
scooter. You have to be very specific and call them a pedal cycle.

I don't recall what a bicycle there referred to.

Don www.donwiss.com (e-mail link at home page bottom).

In article ,
John Kane writes:
A push bike typically refers to bicyle (human powered). I was talking
to a sport shop owner the other day and said that I was in the shop to
look at the push bikes not the motorbikes.

It's not an expression that I see or hear used frequently and I was
wondering if anyone has an idea of the origins of the phrase?

I dunno the answer to your question, but to me the term almost
sounds derogatorily diminuitive to me, as if to connote some
supposed ineffectualness or inconsequentialness of bicycles,
since the word: "push" suggests labour and effort.

Please don't get me wrong, I'm not criticising you for
your use of the term; there is, as always, the matter
of context. One might endearedly say: "push bike" with
eyes wistfully aglow, or one with nothing but contempt
for bicycles might sneeringly spit out: "~push~ bikes ...
phhfffft!"

In the legalese of the British Columbia Motor Vehicle Act,
bicycles are referred-to simply as "cycles." Actually
the term legally applies to all kinds of human-powered
conveyances, excluding roller skates, inline skates and
skateboards. I assume kick-scooters are in, while stilts
and pogo-sticks might be a grey area.


Lisa Simpson: "A rose by any other name would still smell
as sweet."

Bart Simpson: "Not if they were called: stink blossoms."

Marge Simpson: "I wouldn't want a dozen stink blossoms
for Valentines Day. Some candy would do
just fine."

Homer Simpson: "Not if they were called scum drops."


I guess ultimately it's all just semantics antics.

And besides, who cares how ya say it, as long as folks
know whatcha mean, eh?


cheers,
Tom

--
Nothing is safe from me.
I'm really at:
tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca

On May 9, 1:37*pm, John Kane wrote:
A push bike typically refers to bicyle (human powered). *I was talking
to a sport shop owner the other day and said that I was in the shop to
look at the push bikes not the motorbikes.

It's not an expression that I see or hear used frequently and I was
wondering if anyone has an idea of the origins of the phrase?

John Kane Kingson ON Canada

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CJa6cPYOrw
1970 Australian hit, The Pushbike Song by The Mixtures

wrote in message

On May 9, 1:37 pm, John Kane wrote:
A push bike typically refers to bicyle (human powered). I was talking
to a sport shop owner the other day and said that I was in the shop
to look at the push bikes not the motorbikes.

It's not an expression that I see or hear used frequently and I was
wondering if anyone has an idea of the origins of the phrase?

John Kane Kingson ON Canada

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CJa6cPYOrw
1970 Australian hit, The Pushbike Song by The Mixtures

I know I have heard that song. But I don't know where or when. I never
understood or listened to the lyrics, I think. And even then I wouldn't
have thought first of a regular bicycle.
This thread has been most educational.
When I have heard "pushbikes", I have always thought of those wheeled,
pedaled replacements for the ricksha.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rickshaw
These are images from "pedicabs"
http://tinyurl.com/pe9ysj

Of course those are mainly tricycles, and pulled, rather than pushed.
And the images of pulled cargo/passenger sections outnumbers the pushed
ones by a great margin. Still, I see frequent examples of vendors
"pushing" their wares in boxes loaded on the fronts of their tricycles,
especially in films of NYC.
Now, shall I have to go back and reread all those stories in which I
heard "pushbikes" and assumed "wheeled rickshas"?