bike
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bike
An informal term borrowed from English for a bicycle, especially a mountain bike or racing bike.
Am Wochenende mache ich mit meinem neuen Bike eine Tour durch die Berge.
At the weekend, I'm going on a tour through the mountains with my new bike.
bike
An informal term borrowed from English for a motorcycle.
Die Gruppe von Bikern traf sich mit ihren schweren Maschinen an der Raststätte.
The group of bikers met with their heavy machines at the rest stop.
'Bike' is a word from English and is used informally in German. In formal texts, or when you want to sound neutral, 'Fahrrad' (bicycle) or 'Motorrad' (motorcycle) are more common.
Kommst du mit dem Rad oder nimmst du dein Bike?
Are you coming by bicycle, or are you taking your bike?
The context tells you whether a bicycle or a motorcycle is meant. Words like 'Pedale' (pedals), 'Tour' (tour), or 'Helm' (helmet) point to a bicycle, while 'Motor' (engine), 'PS' (horsepower), or 'Biker-Gang' (biker gang) refer to a motorcycle.
Für die Alpenüberquerung braucht man ein gutes Bike mit starker Federung.
For crossing the Alps, you need a good bike with strong suspension.
The word 'Bike' is the basis for many modern compounds in German. Examples include 'E-Bike' (e-bike), 'Mountainbike' (mountain bike), or the person term 'der Biker' / 'die Bikerin' (male/female biker).
Immer mehr Menschen fahren mit einem E-Bike zur Arbeit.
More and more people ride an e-bike to work.
bicycle
Fahrrad is the neutral general term for the vehicle. Bike is an informal term borrowed from English and is used especially for sporty bicycles such as racing bikes or mountain bikes. Fahrrad is appropriate in neutral texts, while Bike often fits casual speech about a sports bicycle.
Für das Rennen brauche ich ein leichtes Bike.
I need a lightweight bike for the race.
Für das Rennen brauche ich ein leichtes Fahrrad.
I need a lightweight bicycle for the race.
