bikelash

See also: bike-lash

English

Alternative forms

• bike-lash

Etymology

Blend of bike +‎ backlash.

Noun

bikelash (plural bikelashes)

1. (informal) Negative or hostile reaction to cyclists, especially from motorists or law enforcement.
   • 2011 February 16, Thomas Vanderbilt, “Rage Against Your Machine”, in Outside:

     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 May 21, Danny Westneat, “Getting a handle on latest 'bikelash'”, in Seattle Times:

     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.

   • 2013 April 11, Oliver Burkeman, “Pedalling myths: the anti-bike lobby is flat out of plausible arguments”, in The Guardian:

     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.

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:bikelash.

Anagrams

• bleakish