cyclist

American  

[sahy-klist] / ˈsaɪ klɪst /

Or cycler

noun

• cyclists
  plural

1. a person who rides or travels by bicycle, motorcycle, etc.

---

cyclist British  

/ ˈsaɪklɪst /

noun

1. a person who rides or travels by bicycle, motorcycle, etc

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• cyclists
  plural

---

Etymology

Origin of cyclist

First recorded in 1880–85; cycle + -ist

---

Explanation

If you ride a bicycle, you can call yourself a cyclist. It takes a lot longer for a cyclist to pedal up a hill than someone who's driving a car. Cyclist is short for bicyclist. Although you can use either word, cyclist has been more commonly used since the 1880s. Earlier, some people preferred to call bicycle riders "wheelmen" or "cyclers." You don't have to race in the Tour de France to be a cyclist; all you need is a two-wheeled vehicle that's propelled by pedaling, and a place to ride it!

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cyclist cyclists

Very few people know how much suffering a cyclist endures for the chance Brandon McNulty had in Montreal.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

David Raslevich, a 41-year-old cyclist who frequently rides on the new lanes on Clark, said he has noticed branches, leaves and other debris.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026

“Then get us some pea protein!” one cyclist demands.

From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2026

British cyclist and Olympic champion Sophie Capewell MBE, rugby players Lisa Neumann and Ellie Boatman and Australian water polo Olympian Tilly Kearns also shared their stories.

From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026

We changed cyclist and reader often as legs or voice grew tired, reading our way through histories, novels, plays.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

A group of about 30 cyclists was riding east on Kingsley Street at about 10:39 p.m.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 25, 2026

The charity said fundraising highlights included the Tour des Pyrénées, which saw 52 cyclists complete a coast-to-coast challenge and raise a "record-breaking" £236,000 for the charity.

From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2026

Assessing 50 male competitive cyclists, Keay found in her initial screenings that nearly half had poor bone health and 25% were suffering from REDs.

From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026

So for nearly 170 miles, the greatest cyclists from the sport’s heartlands duked it out around the roads of Quebec.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026

To the north was the main road where we had seen the cyclists; to the south there was a small branch-road across the fields with thick trees on each side.

From "A Farewell To Arms" by Ernest Hemingway

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---