Originally Posted by
rsbob
If you ask the majority of hard-core mtn bikers if they are ‘cyclists’ they would probably ask what you are smoking. Their idea of cyclists are pavement and gravel riders, where their domain is harrowing drops, fording creeks, jumping logs and rocks, climbing to yield fast technical descents. I do both road and mtn and they are completely different disciplines.
The world doesn't have to conform to the lowest common denominator when it comes to understanding things.
Just because they think "cyclist" means a particular type of road cycling doesn't mean that they aren't cyclists. They are on bikes = Bicycles = Bicyclists = cyclists. If they were on three wheels they'd be "tricyclists" = cyclists.
You don't even have to look further than this very site: All types of cycles (uni-, bi-, tri-) here and all types of cyclists, including mountain bikers, road bikers, trike people, At least one cargo tosser (me), commuters, gravel bikers, indoor trainers, and what have you.