Meaning
The activity of riding a bike.
Cultural Background
Cycling is the second most popular sport after football. Professional cyclists are called 'escarabajos' (beetles) because of their ability to 'climb' steep mountains. The 'Vuelta a España' is one of the world's three major cycling tours. On weekends, it's a cultural ritual for friends to go on long rides and stop for a 'bocadillo' (sandwich). In Mexico City, the 'Muévete en Bici' program closes the Paseo de la Reforma every Sunday, turning it into a massive park for cyclists. Spanish speakers living in the Netherlands often joke about the 'cultura de la bici' there, as it is much more intense than in Spain or LatAm.
Shorten it!
In 90% of casual conversations, just say 'bici' instead of 'bicicleta'. It sounds much more natural.
The 'EN' is key
Never forget the 'en'. Without it, you are telling people you are a bike mechanic building a bike!
Meaning
The activity of riding a bike.
Shorten it!
In 90% of casual conversations, just say 'bici' instead of 'bicicleta'. It sounds much more natural.
The 'EN' is key
Never forget the 'en'. Without it, you are telling people you are a bike mechanic building a bike!
Regional check
If you are in Argentina or Mexico, try using 'andar' instead of 'montar' to sound like a local.
Ciclovía
If you are in a big Latin American city on a Sunday, ask '¿Dónde está la ciclovía?' to find the best place to ride.
Test Yourself
Fill in the missing preposition.
A mi padre le gusta montar ___ bicicleta.
In Spanish, the standard preposition for riding a vehicle is 'en'.
Choose the correctly conjugated sentence.
Nosotros _______ en bicicleta los domingos.
'Nosotros' requires the '-amos' ending for regular -ar verbs.
Match the Spanish phrase with its English equivalent.
Match the following:
All these are common variations related to cycling.
Complete the dialogue with the correct form of the phrase.
Juan: ¿Cómo vas al parque? Maria: Yo siempre _______ en bicicleta.
The sentence requires the first-person present tense 'monto'.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Montar vs. Andar
Types of Bikes
Terrain
- • de montaña
- • de carretera
- • urbana
Practice Bank
4 exercisesA mi padre le gusta montar ___ bicicleta.
In Spanish, the standard preposition for riding a vehicle is 'en'.
Nosotros _______ en bicicleta los domingos.
'Nosotros' requires the '-amos' ending for regular -ar verbs.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
All these are common variations related to cycling.
Juan: ¿Cómo vas al parque? Maria: Yo siempre _______ en bicicleta.
The sentence requires the first-person present tense 'monto'.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsNo, you must use 'en'. 'Montar la bicicleta' would mean you are physically putting the bike together.
It is feminine because it's short for 'la bicicleta'. So you say 'la bici'.
'Montar' is more common in Spain; 'andar' is more common in Latin America. Both are correct.
You can say 'dar un paseo en bicicleta' or 'dar una vuelta en bici'.
Yes! You say 'montar en moto'.
The activity is 'montar en bicicleta', but the sport is called 'ciclismo'.
In some parts of Mexico, yes, but 'montar' or 'andar' is much more common and safer for learners.
You say 'ciclismo de montaña' or 'montar en bicicleta de montaña'.
It is a dedicated bike lane on a road.
Yes, whenever you use the verb 'montar' to mean 'riding' a vehicle.
Related Phrases
Andar en bicicleta
similarTo ride a bike (common in LatAm)
Ir en bicicleta
specialized formTo go by bike
Hacer ciclismo
specialized formTo do cycling (as a sport)
Pedalear
builds onTo pedal
Bicicleta de montaña
specialized formMountain bike
