Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definition: Bicycle |
BicycleNoun1. A cycle that has two wheels; moved by foot pedals. Verb1. Ride a bicycle. Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "bicycle" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1550. (references) |
Note: Bicycle \Bi"cy*cle\, noun. [Prefix bi- cycle.]. (references) |
| Domain | Definition |
Dream Interpretation | To dream of riding a bicycle up hill, signifies bright prospects. Riding it down hill, if the rider be a woman, calls for care regarding her good name and health; misfortune hovers near. Source: Ten Thousand Dreams Interpreted .... |
Multilingual Slang | Swedish (jonne ). (references) |
Transportation | A landing gear having two main legs in tandem on an aircraft centreline. Source: European Union. (references) |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
A bicycle is a small land vehicle with two tandem wheels (hence the name) powered by a seated human rider -- in other words a pedal vehicle. Cycling or riding bicycles is one of the principal forms of transportation in several parts of the world. It is also a common recreation and popular sport.
The bicycle is the most energy efficient means of transprt known to man. It has been calculated that, in terms of converting food energy to motion, a bicycle is the most efficient form of locomotion found anywhere in biology. See Science of Cycling: Human Power: page 1.
Speed
Typical speeds for bicycles are 16-32 km/h (10-20 mph). On a really fast racing bicycle, a reasonably fit rider can ride at 30 mph or 50 km/h on the flat for short periods. The highest speed ever attained on the flat, without riding behind a wind-block, is by Canadian Sam Whittingham, who in 2001 set a 80.55 mph or 142.51 km/h record on his highly aerodynamic recumbent bicycle. This stands as the record for all human-powered vehicles.
History
There is some debate about who invented the first bicycle or precursor to the bicycle. Pierre and Ernest Michaux are often credited, but another Frenchman Comte Mede de Sivrac probably has the strongest claim, with the "celerifere" machine he produced in 1790. The German Karl Drais also has a claim with a "Laufmaschine" or "walking machine", which he exhibited in Paris in 1818.The first successful machines that resembled bicycles were invented in the early 1800s. The "draisine" of 1817 had two inline wheels connected to a wooden frame by forks, and the front wheel was steerable. It became rather popular, especially in England and America.
The draisine and machines like it went by a variety of names, such as hobby horse, dandy horse, biciped or swift walker. They were more like scooters than bicycles, because the only means of propulsion was to push against the ground.
In 1840 the Scottish blacksmith Kirkpatrick McMillan designed and built the first rear-drive bicycle with pedals and cranks, and can therefore be credited as the inventor of the modern bicycle. MacMillan called his machine a "velocipede", and rode it the 40 miles from his home to Glasgow. On his approach to the city, crowds gathered on the road and unfortunately Kirkpatrick collided with a young girl. Although she was only very slightly injured, he was subsequently charged with causing the first ever bicycle accident. The judge could not believe Kirkpatrick had travelled the 40 miles to Glasgow in only 5 hours, but after much explaining, he was allowed to return home. Kirkpatrick McMillan never patented his designs, and his key role in the development of the modern bicycle has been largely unrecognised.
Machines similar to the "velocipede" became very popular after 1866, which is when Pierre Lallement obtained a US patent for a machine he called the "bisicle". Others called it a "boneshaker", an appropriate name for a contraption with steel-rimmed wooden wheels.
Solid rubber tires appeared in 1869 and improved the ride somewhat. The front wheel got bigger, and the rear wheel got smaller. A bicycle boom began. The first highwheeler or 'Ordinary' appeared in 1872. This was called a "Penny Farthing" in England (a penny representing the front wheel, and a much smaller coin, the farthing, representing the rear wheel).
Since a large wheel went farther for each turn of the cranks, and since the maximum pedalling speed was limited, the larger the wheel, the faster a rider could go. Some of the highwheelers had wheels nearly 60" in diameter. They were fast. They weren't particularly safe. The rider was way up in the air and travelling at a great speed. If he hit a bad spot in the road he could easily be thrown over the front wheel and be seriously injured or even killed. "Taking a header", which was not all that uncommon, was no joking matter. The dangerous nature of these bicycles, meant that cycling was the preserve of adventurous young men (there were no women riders) and had little appeal to the wider public.
In 1884, J. K. Starley of the Coventry Sewing Machine Company, invented the "safety bicycle" with wheels of moderate size and a chain drive. With the rider sitting far back on the bicycle, it was almost impossible to take a header on such a machine. With the front chainwheel larger than the rear sprocket, the rear wheel turned faster than the cranks, making it possible for a chain-driven bicycle to go fast even without a huge wheel.
John Boyd Dunlop invented the pneumatic tyre in 1888. This made for a much smoother ride.
The safety bicycles of 1890 were very much like today's bicycles. They had pneumatic tyres similar in size to those on a modern bicycle, spoked wheels, a steel frame and a chain drive. About all they didn't have was a method of changing the gears.
In the 1890s the new safety bicycle broadened the appeal of cycling. In addition, bicycles became mass produced, bringing bicycles down in price to a point where ordinary working people could afford one. This fuelled a "bicycling craze", which ushered in a social revolution see below.
Multi-ratio gearing systems were present in racing bicycles by the 1930s, and derailleur systems evolved in the 1950s.
Social & Historical aspect
Socially, the bicycle helped to strengthen the gene pool for rural workers. It tripled their courting radius on the one day per week they had off and thus was a factor in reducing rural inbreeding. The two-wheeled, diamond-frame safety bicycle (basically the same one we ride today) gave women unprecedented mobility, and contributed to their emancipation. In the 1890s the craze for cycling amongst women, created a whole new set of fashions such as "bloomers" (a garment which is a cross between a skirt and trousers). which helped liberate women from the corset, and other restrictive clothing.
In cities, bicycles helped reduce the crowding in inner-city tenements by allowing workers to commute from single-family dwellings in suburbs. They helped reduce people's dependence on horses. They allowed people to travel in the country. They were three times as efficient as walking and three to four times as fast. Moreover, in terms of distance and speed travelled compared to energy consumed, the bicycle is the most efficient machine yet created.
On an historical note, the development of the modern bicycle had two important implications. First, manufacture of the double-diamond-frame safety bicycle required the development of advanced metalworking techniques to produce the frames, and components such as ball bearings, washers and sprockets. These techniques later enabled skilled metalworkers and mechanics to develop the components that were used in early automobiles and aircraft. The best examples were the Wright Brothers, who got their start as bicycle mechanics.
The second major implication of the bicycle was the political organization of bicycle riders and enthusiasts in such groups as the League of American Wheelmen, in order to persuade local and state governments to create a system of well-maintained and mapped paved roads. Both the model of political organization and the roads themselves later facilitated the growth in the use of another type of wheeled vehicle, the automobile.
In some Western societies, after World War II the bicycle was largely relegated to a device for children, particularly in the United States. In some western countries, most notably the Netherlands and Germany bicycle use for transportation remained fairly common. However, interest has gradually returned, mostly as a fitness activity, hobby, and competitive sport. However, more and more people are using it as a short-range transportation tool, particularly in large, densely populated cities where slow vehicle traffic, high registration and parking costs, and environmental concerns have made commuting by automobile less attractive. This trend has been accelerated by the process of "gentrification" of the inner suburbs of many cities. Many cities are now providing cyclist-only lanes on roads, as well as cycle trails, for both commuting and hobbyist cyclists.
The bicycle remains a primary means of personal transportation in many developing countries. The image of Asian cities clogged with bicycles is a common stereotype, though as they become wealthier it is becoming less popular. According to the magazine, The Economist, one of the major reasons for the proliferation of Chinese-made bicycles on foreign markets is the increasing preference of its own citizens for cars and motorcycles.
Other transportation methods attempt to accommodate the local use of bicycles by providing attachment points on busses, trains, etc. To cope with frequent theft, many destinations provide bike racks or lockable bike mini-garages.
Technical aspect
All modern bicycles are largely similar, consisting of a number of easily identified parts. The frame is the major part of the bicycle, typically consisting of a large triangle on which the rider's weight is distributed fore and aft, and a smaller triangle at the rear onto which the rear wheel is mounted. The front wheel is attached to the bike with a fork, the top of which runs through a bearing system known as the head set on the front of the frame. There is attached to the stem, an adaptor that is in turn attached to the handle bars. Many modern mountain bikes no longer have a rear triangle, but use a fork-like system on the rear as well, with both forks on suspension systems for a smooth ride over rough ground.
Power is taken from the feet on the pedals, through the cranks which are attached to the bike on a bearing system known as the bottom braket. A gear (typically more than one) attached to the crank known as the chainring drives the chain, which runs to the rear of the bike. There a second set of gears, known collectively as the cassette, drives the rear wheel. Depending on the type of cycling the bike is designed for, the cassette may be "flat" as on a road bike, meaning that the differences from one gear to the next are 1 tooth apart, or much more varied as on a mountain bike. The entire system from pedal to rear wheel is known as the drive train, and the gear sets have far too many alternative names; front and rear, driving vs. driven, etc.
Allowing for changing gears is one of the major advances in cycling. The legs work best at particular rotational speeds, known as cadence, and having a wider selection of gear ratios allows you to keep the pedaling speed closer to that chosen value. This is why road bikes use gearing that is close-set, in order to allow the rider to keep the cadence well controlled on the smaller set of terrain a road cycle will typically see. The derailleur is a simple devices that puts strain on the chain by pushing it to the side. The sides of the gears themselves are patterned with chain-like indentations that "catch" the chain when it is pushed against them, pulling it up onto its teeth. The system is considerably simpler than earlier gear-chaning systems like the three-speed bicycle, but took longer to come to market because it is considerably different than any common gearing system in prior use.
The last major component of a bicycle is the brakes. Since the 1950s almost all brake systems were patterned off of the Campagnolo side-pull system, in which two calipers are squeezed together by a cable running from the brake handles. The brake places even pressure on either side of the wheel by way of a spring in the middle that centers them. The increasing use of larger tires on mountain bikes presented a problem however, as the wheels were too large to fit inside calipers of moderate size and weight. This was first solved by the introduction of cantilever systems, in which two "half calipers" are attached to each other with a cable, which is in turn attached to the break cable the user pulls. This design had several disadvantages however; without careful placement of the connector from the break cable to the connecting cable, the breaks would put uneven pressure on either side of the wheel, and if the connector losened completely the cable can drop into the patterning on the tire, thereby causing a quick trip to the hospital when the front wheel instantly stopped turning. A more suitable solution is the v-brake, where the brake cable runs across the top in a way that cannot drop onto the tire, as well as providing considerably more power and being somewhat easier to center.
Materials used in the construction of bicycles are similar to those in aircraft, the goal in both cases to make a strong and light weight structure. Almost all bicycles before the 1970s used chromaloy (or chromoloy), a fairly typical chrome-steel. Starting in the 1980s aluminum started to become popular, largely as a side-effect of its decline in price, and today it is perhaps the most common material used in mid-range bikes. At the high end carbon fibre and titanium are available, although very expensive. Each frame material has certain advantages and disadvantages, although for a given frame geometry all bicycles will have nearly identical ride qualities. The primary differences among frame materials are in the areas of durability, aesthetics, reparability, and weight. Because the vertical stiffness of even a very flexible frame is an order of magnitude higher than the stiffness of the tires and saddle, ride comfort is more a factor of saddle choice, frame geometry, tire choice, and bike fit.
Although the operation of a bicycle is simple in principle, many of the parts are complex and some people prefer to leave repair and maintenance to professionals. However, many prefer to maintain their own bicycles as much as they can, whether to save money or because they enjoy repairs as part of the hobby of cycling.
For more information on the technical aspects of bicycles, see the following:
- list of bicycle parts
- bicycle brake systems
- bicycle repair.
Variations
Variations on the bicycle include:
And maybe at least one reference to a sports science article that explains how cycling is the most efficient form of human powered transport.
- Penny-farthing
- more wheels: tricycles and so on
- one wheel: unicycle
- powered by more than one riders: tandem bicycle
- pedal & seating location: recumbent bicycle
- seatless: scooter
- used to transport taxi passengers: velotaxi or pedicab; trishaw
- push cycle
- equipped for travel on rough terrain Mountain bike or Cyclocross
- equipped to carry cargo long distance Touring bike
- Freight bicycles are designed specifically for transporting large loads
- velomobile for all-weather pedal-powered transportation
- two wings: Gossamer Albatross
Powered bicycles are also known as motorcycles, mopeds, and scooters.
Cycle trivia
A bike can be an insulting term for a locally-promiscuous woman as in the phrase "she's the town bike" (ie, "Everybody's had a ride on her").
See also
- Bike messenger
- Cycling
- List of bicycle manufacturers
External links
- "Kirkpatrick McMillan and the Bicycle" - an opinion article from the Plainview Herald, by Robert R. McMillan, dated Friday, June 18, 1999
- http://www.battewell.freeserve.co.uk/bike.html General useful information
- Freight Bicycles
- :: Lance Armstrong's Official Web Site ::
- AskMen.com - Lance Armstrong
- Bicycle Touring Resources Tips, packing lists, bibliography, travelogues, photographs and more.
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Bicycle."
Synonyms: BicycleSynonyms: bike (v), cycle (v), pedal (v), wheel (v). (additional references) |
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Vehicle | Truck, tram; cariole, carriole; limber, tumbrel, pontoon; barrow; wheel barrow, hand barrow; perambulator; Bath chair, wheel chair, sedan chair; chaise; palankeen, palanquin; litter, brancard, crate, hurdle, stretcher, ambulance; black Maria; conestoga wagon, conestoga wain; jinrikisha, ricksha, brett, dearborn, dump cart, hack, hackery, jigger, kittereen, mailstate, manomotor, rig, rockaway, prairie schooner, shay, sloven, team, tonga, wheel; hobbyhorse, go-cart; cycle; bicycle, bike, two-wheeler; tricycle, velocipede, quadricycle. |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
| Domain | Usage | |
Screenplays | There was a woman on a bicycle. She died (The Sixth Sense; writing credit: M. Night Shyamalan) Bicycle smile, I believe they call it. (The Road to Wellville; writing credit: Alan Parker) I hope your balls turn to bicycle wheels and backpedal up your ass (Barry McKenzie Holds His Own; writing credit: Bruce Beresford; Barry Humphries) I always get na lot of stupid toys or a bicycle or clothes or something like that (A Charlie Brown Christmas; writing credit: Charles M. Schulz) How about maybe a bicycle chain (Saturday Night Live; writing credit: Doug Abeles; Leo Allen) | |
Lyrics | No bicycle shop, (Dark and Metric; performing artist: They Might Be Giants) | |
Clever | A bicycle can't stand on its own because it's two-tired. (references; author: unknown) | |
Movie/TV Titles | Bicycle Hora (1968) Boy on a Bicycle (1965) You and Your Bicycle (1960) The Bicycle Clown (1958) I'm No Fool with a Bicycle (1955) | |
Song Titles | Busted Bicycle (performing artist: Leo Kottke) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Domain | Title | ||
References |
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Books | |||
Periodicals |
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Theater & Movies | |||
Music |
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High Tech |
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Consumer Goods | |||
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit | Thumbnail | Description & Credit |
 | Woman wearing a hot pink jacket is riding a bicycle on the towpath. See artwork: GR-42. Credit: Bill Branson (photographer). |  | Native American child riding bicycle at Taos Pueblo, Taos, New Mexico. Credit: CDC. |
 | Training for the Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival bicycle race on one of the backroads in the northern part of the Chequamegon National Forest, WI. Credit: USDA. |  | South facade from southwest. Photograph by Cervin Robinson, August 18, 1963. (Reproduction Number: HABS, ILL,16-CHIG,33-2) The Robie House has the distinction of being the most frequently requested structure in the HABS and HAER collections. When Frederick C. Robie, a 33-year old engineer and bicycle manufacturing company president, wanted to build a new house, he sought out Frank Lloyd Wright. One of the best known of Wright's early Prairie houses, it was completed in 1909 and remains an icon of the modern movement in architecture. Credit: Library of Congress. |
 | Physical Therapy Department, Deshon General Hospital, Butler, Pennsylvania : Use of the bicycle for increasing knee and ankle motion. Credit: National Library of Medicine. |  | ... this boy works a stationary bicycle while his heart is being tested for abnormalities. / WHO p. Credit: National Library of Medicine; photo by Jean Mohr.. |
 | Laid up at the Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, Washington, while being reconditioned prior to her return to active service, 3 June 1941. Note bicycle and truck on pier. Bow of USS Utah (AG-16) is in left background, with barge YF-88 immediately ahead. Credit: NAVY. |  | African American boy seated on porch of house, another African American boy standing with bicycle on porch of another house, with two young African American women on steps, Georgia. Credit: Library of Congress. |
 | Knight falling off bicycle and letter C. Credit: Library of Congress. |  | Man on bicycle pushing to follow bicycling man in distance. Credit: Library of Congress. |
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits. | |||
 |  |
| "Bicycle near Frederiksborg Cas" by John Mason Commentary: "This image of a blue bicycle against the textured wall really caught my eye. This was in Hillerod, the town that surrounds Frederiksborg Castle, in Denmark." | "Bicycle near canal" by Kit Barker Commentary: "Bicycle near canal amsterdam with bridge in background slightly out of focus." |
Source: photographs selected by the editor, with permission from the photographers. | |
| Play | Caption |
 | Bicycle bell; ringing; metal bell; child's bell. |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Author | Quotation |
Emo Philips | When I was a kid, I used to pray every night for a new bicycle. Then I realized that the Lord, in his wisdom, didn't work that way. So I just stole one and asked him to forgive me. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | |
| Title | Author | Quote |
Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man | Joyce, James | A fellow was coming out of the bicycle house and I fell and they got broken |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Health | The patient exercises either on a treadmill machine or bicycle while connected to the ECG machine. (references) | |
Approximately 50 percent of TBIs are the result of motor vehicle, bicycle, or pedestrian-vehicle incidents. (references) | ||
Head injury can be prevented by regular use of child safety seats when driving in a car and helmets during bicycle rides, and elimination of child abuse. (references) | ||
Business | Each of the plants will be connected to an independent distribution system, which will be set up like bicycle wheels. (references) | |
Sectors may include the petrochemical, textile, transportation-related (such as automobile, motorcycle, and bicycle), metalworking, mold making, machine tool and precision industries. (references) | ||
Traveling across Europe, there is a noticeable difference in the use of accessories due to cultural and climatic reasons (e.g. bicycle holders are very popular in Scandinavian countries; roof boxes are preferred to roof racks in Central Europe). (references) | ||
Economic History | Morocco | Its 3,500 kilometer coastline appeals to those seeking sand and sea; its palaces, museums and diverse culture provide options for the more inquisitive traveler; and its deserts and mountains cater to the more adventurous traveler who wants to trek, bicycle, ski and participate in other outdoor activities. (references) |
Human Rights | Congo | In June 2000, in Walikale, RPA Captain Alexis Rugira and other RPA soldiers stole Baligizi Mufungizi's bicycle, robbed him, and then killed him. (references) |
Mauritius | In May a foreign national was detained for several hours on suspicion of stealing a bicycle; he later stated that his signed confession was coerced. (references) | |
Travel | Netherlands | Some city streets have special bicycle paths. (references) |
Worker Rights | Chile | In May a strike against the bicycle manufacturer Bianchi received considerable attention when one of the striking workers was struck and killed by a bus carrying nonstriking workers attempting to enter the facility. (references) |
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| "Bicycle" is generally used as a noun (singular) -- approximately 99.40% of the time. "Bicycle" is used about 838 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Noun (singular) | 99.4% | 833 | 8,435 |
| Lexical Verb (infinitive) | 0.36% | 3 | 202,518 |
| Lexical Verb (base form) | 0.12% | 1 | 339,140 |
| Noun (proper) | 0.12% | 1 | 339,140 |
| Total | 100.00% | 838 | N/A |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
Expressions using "bicycle": bicycle frame ♦ bicycle kick ♦ bicycle lane ♦ bicycle path ♦ bicycle pump ♦ bicycle race ♦ bicycle rack ♦ bicycle repairer ♦ bicycle route ♦ bicycle seat ♦ bicycle stand for bicycles ♦ bicycle traffic ♦ bicycle wheel ♦ by bicycle ♦ get on a bicycle ♦ go by bicycle ♦ men's bicycle ♦ ordinary bicycle ♦ pedals of bicycle ♦ push bicycle ♦ racing bicycle ♦ ride a bicycle ♦ ride on a bicycle ♦ safety bicycle ♦ tandem bicycle. Additional references. | |
| Hyphenated Usage | |
Beginning with "bicycle": bicycle-built-for-two, bicycle-chains, bicycle-chain-type, bicycle-clips, bicycle-like, bicycle-mounted, bicycle-powered, bicycle-pump, bicycle-racers, bicycle-rickshaw, bicycle-riding, bicycle-seat, bicycle-shed, bicycle-type, bicycle-wheels. | |
Ending with "bicycle": exercise-bicycle, motor-bicycle. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Expression | Frequency per Day | Expression | Frequency per Day |
bicycle | 39,046 | bicycle in raleigh | 320 |
performance bicycle | 1,533 | bicycle repair | 315 |
trek bicycle | 1,148 | used bicycle | 314 |
bicycle part | 1,113 | tandem bicycle | 307 |
giant bicycle | 1,056 | road bicycle | 258 |
bicycle accessory | 946 | bicycle shop | 255 |
low rider bicycle | 744 | mongoose bicycle | 243 |
bicycle touring | 649 | folding bicycle | 240 |
bicycle rack | 634 | cannondale bicycle | 229 |
specialized bicycle | 581 | bicycle racing | 225 |
schwinn bicycle | 545 | bicycle review | 218 |
recumbent bicycle | 538 | bicycle clothing | 217 |
bicycle chopper | 477 | huffy bicycle | 208 |
bicycle trailer | 459 | bicycle vacation | 208 |
gt bicycle | 400 | bicycle safety | 190 |
bicycle tire | 381 | cruiser bicycle | 188 |
bicycle helmet | 354 | bicycle tour europe | 187 |
bicycle seat | 333 | bicycle for sale | 184 |
bicycle tour | 321 | fuji bicycle | 181 |
electric bicycle | 321 | bicycle motor | 181 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Language | Translations for "bicycle"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | |
Afrikaans | fiets (bike, cycle). (various references) | |
Albanian | biçikletë (bike, cycle, machine, push bicycle, roadster). (various references) | |
Arabic | ركب دراجة (bike, cycle, pedal), دراجة هوائية (bike, cycle), دراجة (roadster). (various references) | |
Asturian | bicicleta. (various references) | |
Basque | bizikleta. (various references) | |
Bemba | icinga. (various references) | |
Blackfoot | ksiwáínaka'si. (various references) | |
Bulgarian | карам колело (cycle), велосипед (bike, cycle, pushbicycle, wheel). (various references) | |
Catalan | bicicleta (bike, cycle). (various references) | |
Cebuano | bisekleta. (various references) | |
Chamorro | bisikleta. (various references) | |
Chinese | 自行车 (Bike), 自行車 . (various references) | |
Cornish | deuros. (various references) | |
Czech | kolo (bike, bout, coil, cycle, hoop, round, wheel), jízdní kolo. (various references) | |
Danish | cykel (bike, cycle). (various references) | |
Dutch | fiets (bike, cycle), tweewieler (bike, cycle), rijwiel (bike). (various references) | |
Esperanto | biciklo (bike, cycle). (various references) | |
Farsi | دوچرخه پاءی , دوچرخه سواری کردن . (various references) | |
Finnish | polkupyörä (bike, cycle). (various references) | |
French | bicyclette (bike), vélo (bike). (various references) | |
Frisian | fyts (bike, cycle). (various references) | |
German | Fahrrad (bike, cycle), Rad (bike, cartwheel, Castor, cycle, gearwheel, wheel), Zweirad, fahradfahren. (various references) | |
Greek | ποδήλατο (bike, cycle). (various references) | |
Hawaiian | biçikletë (bike, cycle). (various references) | |
Hebrew | לרכוב על אופנים (bike), אופניים, אופנים (bike, cycle). (various references) | |
Hungarian | kerékpár (bike, cycle, iron horse, wheel), bicikli (bike, cycle, iron horse). (various references) | |
Icelandic | reiðhjól (bike, cycle). (various references) | |
Indonesian | bersepeda (cycling), sepeda. (various references) | |
Inuktitut | tukautik. (various references) | |
Irish | rothar (bike, cycle). (various references) | |
Italian | bicicletta (bike, cycle, push-bike, two-wheeler). (various references) | |
Japanese Kanji | 銀輪 (silver ring), 自転車 , 自転車 , だ捕 (a bit, be even, calculating, capture, cheeky, child pickpocket, efficient, forgive a debt, make a fuss of, making something last, mismatched, nervy, pamper, seizure, shrewd, spoil, suffix for familiarperson, tiny, very small, weight-chain-pole weapon). (various references) | |
Japanese Katakana | ぎんりん (fish, silver ring, silvery scale), じてんしゃ (runner-up), ちゃりんこ (child pickpocket), ちゃり . (various references) | |
Korean | 자전거 (Bike). (various references) | |
Lombard | bici (bike, cycle). (various references) | |
Macedonian | velosiped. (various references) | |
Malagasy | bisikilety. (various references) | |
Manx | troailt er daawheeyl, goll er daawheeyl (bicycling), garran yiarn (gridiron), daawheeyl (cycle, pushbike), daachiarkyl. (various references) | |
Norwegian | sykkel (bike, cycle). (various references) | |
Occitan | bicicleta. (various references) | |
Papago | wisig-lihtha. (various references) | |
Papiamen | baiskel (bike, cycle), bais (bike, cycle). (various references) | |
Pig Latin | icyclebay.(various references) | |
Polish | rower (bike, cycle). (various references) | |
Portuguese | bicicleta (bike, cycle, push-bicycle). (various references) | |
Provencal | bicicleta. (various references) | |
Quechua | bisipi (on bicycle). (various references) | |
Romanian | bicicletã (bike, cycle, machine, push bicycle, racer, roadster, wheel). (various references) | |
Ruanda | ikinga. (various references) | |
Russian | велосипед (bike, bycicle, cycle, machine, pushbicycle). (various references) | |
Samoan | uila vilivae. (various references) | |
Sepedi | leotwana. (various references) | |
Serbo-Croatian | bicikl (bike, pushbicycle, velocipede). (various references) | |
Shona | bhasikoro. (various references) | |
Sicilian | bicicletta. (various references) | |
Spanish | bicicleta (bike, cycle, machine, push-bike). (various references) | |
Sranan | baysigri (bike, cycle). (various references) | |
Swahili | baisikeli (bike, cycle). (various references) | |
Swedish | cykel (bike, cycle, roadster). (various references) | |
Tagalog | bisikleta (bike, cycle). (various references) | |
Thai | รถจักรยานสองล้อ, ขี่รถจักรยาน. (various references) | |
Turkish | bisikletle gezmek, bisiklete binmek (bike, cycle, pedal, ride a bicyele, ride on a bicyele), bisiklet (bike, cycle, push bicycle, push-bike, roadster, Velocipede, wheel), bísíklet (bike, cycle). (various references) | |
Turkmen | welosiped (r). (various references) | |
Ukrainian | їздити на велосипеді, велосипед (cycle, push-bike, wheel). (various references) | |
Vietnamese | xe đạp (coaster, racer, ridden, ride). (various references) | |
Welsh | beisicl (bike, cycle), beic (bike), deurod, ceffyl haearn. (various references) | |
Zulu | ilibhayisikili (bike, cycle), ibhayisikili (bike, cycle). (various references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references. | ||
Derivations | |
Words beginning with "bicycle": bicycled, bicycler, bicyclers, bicycles. (additional references) | |
| |
"Bicycle" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: bibycle, biccie, biccy, Biciac, bicycal, Bicyclette, bicycly, bidycle, bigyle, Bikila, bycicle, icycle. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| # of Phoneme Matches | Pronunciation | Word(s) rhyming with "bicycle" (pronounced bī"sikul) |
| 6 | -ī" s i k u l | icicle. |
| 5 | -s i k u l | classical, lexical, neoclassical, nonsensical, paradoxical, popsicle, semiclassical, tricycle. |
| 4 | -i k u l | acoustical, alphabetical, analytical, antithetical, apolitical, archaeological, archeological, astrological, astronautical, astronomical, asymmetrical, atypical, autobiographical, biographical, biological, biomedical, biotechnological, botanical, categorical, cervical, chronological, comical, conical, critical, cubicle, cyclical, cylindrical, cynical, dermatological, diabolical, dialectical, ecclesiastical, ecological, economical, ecumenical, egotistical, electrical, electrochemical, electromechanical, elliptical, empirical, encyclical, epidemiological, eschatological, ethical, ethnical, evangelical, fanatical, galenical, geographical, geological, geometrical, geopolitical, graphical, gynecological, helical, heretical, historical, hypercritical, hypocritical, hysterical, identical, ideological, illogical, immunological, spherical, statistical, stereotypical, strategical, surgical, symmetrical, tactical, technical, technological, teleological, testicle, theatrical, theological, inimical, ironical, lackadaisical, liturgical, logical, logistical, lyrical, magical, mathematical, mechanical, metallurgical, metaphorical, metaphysical, methodological, metrical, morphological, musical, mystical, mythological, neurological, nonelectrical, nonpolitical, nonsurgical, nontechnical, ontological, optical, ornithological, pathological, pedagogical, periodical, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, pharmacological, philosophical, phonological, physical, physiological, preclinical, problematical, prototypical, psychical, psychological, puritanical, rabbinical, radiological, rhetorical, sabbatical, semicylindrical, semitropical, serological, sociological, theoretical, topical, toxicological, tropical, typographical, tyrannical, umbilical, uncritical, uneconomical, unethical, untypical, vehicle, vertical, viatical, virological, whimsical, zoological. |
| 3 | -k u l | aeronautical, agrochemical, allegorical, anarchical, anatomical, ankle, anthropological, article, barnacle, biblical, bifocal, biochemical, brickle, buckle, cackle, chemical, Chronicle, chuckle, circle, clavicle, clerical, clinical, commonsensical, coracle, cortical, crackle, cuticle, cycle, debacle, diacritical, domical, ducal, encircle, epochal, equivocal, etymological, farcical, fecal, fickle, fiscal, focal, follicle, freckle, geophysical, gonococcal, grackle, grammatical, granduncle, hackle, heckle, heterocercal, hierarchical, honeysuckle, Huckle, hypothetical, impractical, Sokol, sparkle, speckle, spectacle, sprinkle, stickle, suckle, tabernacle, tackle, tentacle, jackal, knuckle, local, maniacal, matriarchal, medical, meikle, meteorological, methodical, Mickle, miracle, monocle, motorcycle, muckle, mythical, nautical, nickel, Nickle, Nicol, numerical, obstacle, Oracle, oratorical, particle, patriarchal, photochemical, pickle, pinnacle, polemical, political, pontifical, practical, pumpernickel, quizzical, radical, ramshackle, rankle, rascal, receptacle, reciprocal, recycle, ruckle, runkle, satirical, shackle, shekel, sickle, skeptical, tickle, tinkle, trickle, twinkle, typical, uncle, unequivocal, unicycle, unshackle, vocal, Winkle, wrinkle. |
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits. | ||
