Re: "Road" bikes

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Chris Zacho The Wheelman wrote:

> Since when has the term "road bike" come to be reserved _exclusively_
> for racing machines? My tourer is a road bike, I would never take it on
> a trail.
>
> Most recumbents are also made for road use, why aren't they called road
> bikes?
>
> The sport bike isn't an ATB either, it's also made exclusively for the
> road. Shouldn't the term include them too?
>
> Same goes for "comfort" bikes and commuter (or "city") bikes. Why do
> they get left out?
>
> Why can't they just call a racing bike a racing bike? Isn't it bad
> enough that they selfishly get all the top of the line quality
> componentry and equipment while the rest of us get treated like second
> class citizens by the industry? Do they have to dominate the
> nomenclature as well?

I believe it's because most aren't ever used for racing, plus the term
"racing bike" has unfortunate 70s connotations, as Sheldon alludes to.
I still call mine a racing bike though, being I'm a child of the 70s (I
used to ride a Raleigh Chopper. but that's another story...)