I've only heard it used by British folk, male and female.
I think the expression goes back to the rod brake "Bobby" models.
I never heard it used here in any manner.
Your explanation makes sense, rather than thinking of pushing it uphill or
in/on dirt roads while walking if riding was too difficult.
Many of those older bikes were 24" frames and 28" wheels, so pushing it and
having a peg to step up onto while throwing a leg over while starting /
pushing off is most descriptive.
Ted Ernst
Palos Verdes Estates
CA USA
> An interesting fact arose which concerned the older bicycle owners jargon.
> It was
> the use of the words , "push bike", by all the folk young and old as a
> natu
> ral way
> to describe anyone owning a bike. A sample or two between folks would have
> been,
> still got your push bike , still ride your push bike to work and your push
> bike need a
> clean the list is endless. When I asked to be reminded why bikes were
> calle
> d as such
> and could anybody remember where the saying came from. It was concluded
> tha
> t it
> could have come from the days when a rider would put one foot on a
> protrudi
> ng step
> on the rear axle and push with the other when they gathered speed they
> moun
> ted
> their machine from the rear.
>
> So now you good folks far and wide are wiser to fact are no doubt the
> owner
> of a
> push bike like in the days gone by. It would interesting to know if this
> d
> escription
> was used elsewhere or perhaps whether its just local folk lore.
>
> I'll push off for now , take care.
>
> Doug Smith
> North Dorset
> UK