Dictionary

bikelash en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio

Etymology

Blend of bike + backlash.

Meanings

1. (informal) Negative or hostile reaction to cyclists, especially from motorists or law enforcement.
   • I bicycled in for Bike to Work Day last week, and I saw no bikelash on such a pleasant day. But the Seattle Weekly's Nina Shapiro emailed me that the day before, she watched as a "beefy guy" driving a Buick got out, pushed a bicyclist against a wall and then picked up the bike and heaved it at him. 2011 May 21, Danny Westneat, “Getting a handle on latest 'bikelash'”, in Seattle Times:
   • There's a feeling among many drivers that cyclists, either by their ignorance of the law or by their blatant disregard for it, are asking for trouble. […] In one sense, the so-called bikelash has little to do with transportation modes. 2011 February 16, Thomas Vanderbilt, “Rage Against Your Machine”, in Outside:
   • All are on the frontlines of what's been called the "bikelash", brave fighters willing to stand firm against the growing popularity of cycling across north America. 2013 April 11, Oliver Burkeman, “Pedalling myths: the anti-bike lobby is flat out of plausible arguments”, in The Guardian:

Forms