“A cyclist pedals his bicycle along the road. He pushes hard on the pedals to speed up his bicycle.”
More Bicycle Vocabulary and Bicycle Facts:
- The word “bicycle” comes from the Greek prefix “bi-“ (two) combined with “cycle” (wheel), literally meaning “two wheels”.
- The earliest ancestor of the bicycle, a pedal-less “hobby horse” that riders pushed along with their feet, was invented in Germany in 1817.
- Pedals weren’t added to bicycle designs until the 1860s, with the French “velocipede” (nicknamed the “boneshaker”) among the first popular pedal-driven bicycles.
- Cycling is one of the most energy-efficient ways for a human to travel, using less energy per mile than walking or driving.
- The Netherlands is home to more bicycles than people, and cycling is one of the country’s most popular ways to get around.
Talking About Movement:
- Swift (Adjective): Happening or moving quickly.
- Nimble (Adjective): Quick and light in movement.
- Agile (Adjective): Able to move quickly and easily.
- Brisk (Adjective): Quick and energetic.
- Steady (Adjective): Moving in a smooth, even way.
- Effortless (Adjective): Done so well that it seems to require no effort.
Bicycles have given English a couple of useful expressions, too. If something is easy to do once you’ve learned it and never really forget, we say ‘it’s just like riding a bike‘. And if someone reverses an opinion or statement they made earlier, especially to avoid an awkward situation, we say they’re ‘back-pedalling‘ – just like cycling in reverse!
In the News
Spotted in the newsThe Netherlands is home to more bicycles than people! – UNEPunep.orgFrequently Asked Questions
From the Greek prefix “bi-” (two) and “cycle” (wheel) – it literally means “two wheels”.
To reverse an opinion or statement you made earlier, especially to avoid an awkward situation.
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