Definitions are just descriptions people attach to things. You can pretty much divide and categorize things any way you want, though there are widely accpted definitions of many things.

Anyway, to me an interesting way to think about cycling is to think about how much the bike is the ends or the means. In racing, performance oriented, skill based riding, etc.. the focus seems to be very much about the act of cycling. When it comes to things like commuting, utlitily, and touring the bicyling supports some other activity. In the case of commuting and utility it is work. In touring the bicycle supports travel and exploration. A bike can even the means to just have some fun, the ends.

I also tend to think that as cycling becomes a normal, everyday thing the emphasis can shift from being about the bike to being about what the bike can do for us. At least that's how it went with me.