BarbChamberlainNov 20, 2022

New post on the perennial debate over what we call a bicycle or tricycle that doesn't have e-assist. Is it an acoustic bike? Analog bike? Regular, original, traditional, legacy, retro? Let's not fight; e- or not, cycling is a joyous activity.

http://bikestylespokane.com/2022/11/20/whats-in-a-name-acoustic-or-analog-regular-or-traditional-bicycle/

What do you call it? Poll only allows 4 choices; reply with others or comment on the blog post.

#EBikes #BikeJoy #BikeTooter #BicyclesChangeLives #Bicycles #Tricycles #ETrikes #Words #Acoustic #AcousticBike #AnalogBike #cycling

Acoustic (rock on!)
42%
Analog
9.9%
Regular
35.8%
Traditional
12.3%
Poll ended at .
What’s in a Name? Acoustic or Analog, Regular or Traditional Bicycle*

What to call a bicycle that isn’t an e-bike? The debate around terms like “acoustic bike” or “analog bike” isn’t always friendly. What do you call those original…

Bike Style Life
Show threadBrian C. Martinson, PhDNov 20, 2022
@BarbChamberlain I think "Traditional" and "Regular" suffer from not being time-stable. What was Trad or Reg 20 yrs ago is different than today. Acoustic implies "sound" which seems...not quite right. Analog feels the most clearly and accurately descriptive of what differentiates e-assist from other bikes. It's not a 100% analogy, but closer than the others.
Show threadBarbChamberlain
@bcmFietser Oh, really great point. Fits well with one of my responses to people who seem angry about the technological advance: "So then you don't have a bike with a derailleur, right?"
Nov 20, 2022 at 9:29pmWeb
Show threadDaigoro Toyama Nov 20, 2022
@bcmFietser @BarbChamberlain I’d personally prefer acoustic to analogue because the “acoustic vs electric” analogy is more suitable to describe the difference between the two types of bikes than “analogue vs digital.”
Show threadBrian C. Martinson, PhDNov 20, 2022
@daihard @BarbChamberlain For me, the analog analogy is closer, because I associate analog with things requiring "mechanical" action to work. And some e-bikes can function with just "push-button." But I realize that my perspective on "analog" is really not entirely consistent with the word's definition! 😂
Show threadDaigoro Toyama Nov 20, 2022
@bcmFietser @BarbChamberlain Only time will tell which term or terms become prevalent, but in the meantime, I understand what you mean when you say "analogue bike," and you understand what I mean when I say "acoustic bike." 👍
Show threadBarbChamberlainNov 21, 2022
@daihard @bcmFietser Perfect answer.
Show threadRichard Masoner Nov 20, 2022

@daihard @bcmFietser @BarbChamberlain Re "analog": sure, I know what people are talking about and i don't complain, but since we're talking about it -- the engineer in me kind of cringes when I hear it. All electronics, including modern day digital circuitry, depends fundamentally on analog / analogue electronics.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analogue_electronics

FWIW, I just call them "bikes."

Analogue electronics - Wikipedia