Read the excerpt from “a century ride.” carr took her shawl-strap, the boys stowed away the boxes in the station house, maude walked behind pushing her wheel, to where a pair of horses and a light farm wagon stood waiting. the use of “wheel” instead of “bike” makes the style of the excerpt seem more .

In a text of this context, using "wheel" instead of "chair" makes the style more impersonal. A bike is an object that belongs to you, it is personal and you surely treasure it. However, wheel is the iron part of it, the part that allows its movement and mentioning it gives the reader the idea of a utilitary instead of something you love.

Dated.

Explanation:

It is a known fact that bikes are integrated by wheels to make them move, and by referring to a "wheel" in this context, it is implied that the model used is so archaic the user might be riding on wheels themselves. Of course this is not meant to be taken literally, but it gives a reader the idea of the bike being dated for its time.