What ever happend to the term "Racer "

[tradesecrets]

I haven't seen that term or wording use in a long while now .. has euro correctness taking over termology ?

 

[mickle]

What is Euro correctness?

They are road bikes. Or road racing bikes. The phrase 'racer' became meaningless when people started racing mountain bikes.

 

[Norm]

I have a bike I call the "racer". It was called a racer back in 1978 when I bought it for getting to school during my O levels and it's still called that now.

 

[frank9755]

It fell out of fashion. Partly because bike-sellers didn't want to restrict the market to people who raced, so you sometimes see them called 'fitness' bikes.

 

[frank9755]

They are road bikes. Or road racing bikes. The phrase 'racer' became meaningless when people started racing mountain bikes.

I don't think there is that much logic to it - calling them 'road' bikes is less precise a description than racing bikes

 

[snorri]

The phrase 'racer' became meaningless when people started racing mountain bikes.

A mountain bike does not have drop bars so can never be confused with a 'racer'.



I think it's an age thing myself, and not the age of the bike either.

 

[youngoldbloke]

They are road bikes. Or road racing bikes. The phrase 'racer' became meaningless when people started racing mountain bikes.

- but would also contend that the term was never used by anyone who knew anything about bikes or the sport anyway, but was commonly used by Joe Public when referring to (any) bike with dropped bars - therefore a Dawes Galaxy was a 'racer'.

 

[Paulus]

You can still see the odd advert on Ebay for the Dawes galaxy 'Racer'. It was a term used in the 60's and 70's for any bike with dropped bars, no matter what gearing it had, instead of the normal flat bars found on the 3 speed Sturmey Archer bike that was common then.

 

[mightyquin]

I called them 'racers' until a few weeks ago, when I started looking into bikes again

Yes, dropped bars = racer to non-cyclists. So what exactly is the difference between a racer and tourer? Is a single speed/fixie a racer? What abouy cyclo cross?, soooo confusing!!

 

[Dan B]

Racers go faster, tourers go further. Fixies by and large do neither.

 

[Woz!]

I've bought a Charge Plug Racer a few weeks ago, so someone still remembers the term

 

[Goldie]

"Racer" is cutting edge fashionable again. It's official.

There are some bikes where no other word will do - old school Raleigh Winner? Racer. Possibly has useful alternative useage helping to cut overweaning carbon superbike owners down to size...

 

[Campfire]

Nowadays the term 'Racer' is used by people who don't cycle. I get annoyed when people refer either on Ebay or other places to a 'Ladies Racer'. I mean, whoever heard of anyone racing on an open frame?

I do have a Cycles Gitane 'ladies' bike, which is so incredibly lightweight it is lighter than my Orange Clockwork hardtail, but as it has straightish handlebars, it couldn't be described as such. I bought it when I was looking for a Pashley or such, but realised I couldn't get a grip on the weight of the things. This one turned up and I really must get a few miles on it locally this year.

 

[youngoldbloke]

I've bought a Charge Plug Racer a few weeks ago, so someone still remembers the term

- that's just part of the whole cool, retro, ironic, knowing, single-speed, fixie thing, isn't it?

 

[yello]

Nowadays the term 'Racer' is used by people who don't cycle.

Gosh. I could have sworn it was a bicycle I was riding yesterday... perhaps it was a skateboard. But I'm struggling with terminology at the moment generally, beginning to wonder if I speak my own language.

I used the time 'racer' in a very recent post on here, with a very clear meaning in mind. One suggested by Dan B...

Racers go faster, tourers go further.

That was exactly the kind of differentiation I meant and, I feel, is both valid and useful. Obviously, as with all words, their are examples of things which blur the boundaries a little (when does a chair become a stool?) but that's not to say the word is "meaningless".