Author William Fotheringham gained wide acclaim for his biography of legendary British racer Tom Simpson in Put Me Back on My Bike, and has quite the list of cycle-related “palmares”: cycling correspondent at the Guardian, launch editor of Cycle Sport, founder of procycling magazine, writer at Rouler Magazine. The man lives and breathes cycling history…so I was eager to read Cyclopedia.

I was NOT disappointed…this book is a treasure trove of cycling/bicycle racing facts and anecdotes — including many things I had not heard of. From Uzbek sensation Djamolidin Abduzhaparov to “The Flying Yankee” Arthur Zimmerman, the book simply blew me away. As Fotheringham is a UK-based writer, the content leans a bit heavily toward British racing legends, but rest assured, there is something for everyone here. But, it’s not an exhaustive encyclopedia — it focuses on the highlights (and some lowlights), as a true encyclopedia of bike racing would take several volumes. Throughout the book, there are diagrams, maps, timelines and tables to help illustrate some of the subject matter. My favorite? French drug slang…a colorful glimpse into the sordid past of professional racing.

I consider myself a fairly well-read amateur bike historian, and I welcomed learning new tidbits along the way. Best of all, Cyclopedia got me interested in tracking down additional bike history books to read further on some of the subjects Fotheringham touched on. For anyone interested in learning more bicycle and racing history, this is a great jumping-off point. Cyclopedia deserves a place on any bike fan’s bookshelf.

I also got a copy of Fotheringham’s Fallen Angel: The Passion of Fausto Coppi for Christmas, and so far I am enthralled. Stay tuned for a review on that and some other bikey book goodness in the coming weeks.

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Many of us, myself included, have long dreamed of a bicycle handmade to our exact specifications…with just the perfect geometry and handling, the hand-chosen parts, and the overall aesthetic hammered out over months and years of fantasizing. Even for a longtime bicycle collector like myself, the following passage resonated with me…Penn has just described his current fleet but:

With this small troop of hard-working bicycles, my bases are covered. Yet something fundamental is missing. Like tens of thousands of everyday cyclists with utilitarian machines, I recognize there is a glaring hole in my bike shed, a cavernous space for something else, something special. I’m in the middle of a lifelong affair with the bicycle: none of my bikes even hints at this…I need a talismanic machine that somehow reflects my cycling history and carries my cycling aspirations. I want craftsmanship, not technology; I want the bike to be man-made; I want a bike that has character, a bike that will never be last year’s model. I want a bike that shows my appreciation of the tradition, lore and beauty of bicycles. The French nickname for the bicycle is La Petite Reine — I want my own ‘little queen’.”

And with that, Penn sets off on a whirlwind journey to get his “little queen” made: alighting on the doorstep of renowned bespoke builder Brian Rourke Cycles, traveling halfway around the world to procure a set of wheels from Steve “Gravy” Gravenites (and getting to ride down Repack with Gravy and MTB legends Charlie Kelly and Joe Breeze!), getting rare factory tours at Chris King Precision Components in Portland, Continental in Germany and both Cinelli and Campagnolo in Italy, among other stops. At each stop, Penn delves into the history of bicycles and the development of various components and technologies that we now take for granted. Penn’s coverage of the history and lore of the bicycle never bogs down the story; in fact, these tidbits enhance the tale and show that Penn truly respects everything having to do with these two-wheeled wonders.

It’s All About the Bike is a quick read…”engrossing” is a word that comes to mind. Perhaps the idea of a custom bike can be seen as an extravagance, and I can understand that. Penn’s tale is more authentic than that, however. Never once did I feel that Penn was simply a wealthy man looking for something expensive to incite jealousy among his peers; rather, here is a man who put in the miles on many other bikes and earned the privilege of being able to fulfill his dreams of a handmade, perfectly-fitting machine that he would then ride with abandon all over the globe. Penn’s storytelling skill is refreshing and honest and his love for the bike carries throughout the book. I’ve recommended a lot of books over the years; in fact, sometimes it is hard for me to remember a book I really disliked. Nevertheless, It’s All About the Bike stands out as a passionate, fact-rich and thoroughly enjoyable read for anyone who loves the artistry, history and craftsmanship of a good bicycle. Pick up a copy for your favorite cyclist for Christmas…they’ll thank you for it!

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Jackfruit is the story of Nghiem’s personal and spiritual journey through Central and South America. The author had finished a research project for NASA and was doing some soul-searching to determine his place in the world. Something “spoke” to him about getting himself and his bicycle down to Peru to kick off a lengthy trip. The author tends to ramble at times, particularly in the chapters leading up to the start of his journey. Throughout, there seems to be a lack of cohesiveness — as if Nghiem has so much to tell that he doesn’t really know where to start (or stop). Also, the English-composition tutor in me (during my undergraduate years, I tutored English-comp students) cringes at the punctuation and grammatical errors peppered throughout the text. Both of these detractions suggest that the author was in desperate need of a better editor.

But fear not: despite the grammatical problems and the rambling prose, this book is packed with glorious descriptions. Nghiem is extremely talented at painting the people he met, the situations he found himself in, and the terrain he rode through. Much of the descriptions are simply breathtaking, and those parts kept me slogging through the rest of the book. That slog can be tough; Nghiem brings up a variety of sub-topics that tend to fizzle out on their own with no resolution. In particular, there is a recurring bit about ancient symbols and an ancient earth-based power source I was dying to hear the conclusion to, but alas, that storyline petered out.

At his best, Nghiem captured the personalities and the generosity of the people he met along the way. He seemed to have a great ability to make real connections with these people and those interactions are some of the most heartwarming tales of his journey. This book isn’t for everyone; it is sparse on the technical details of bike touring, and the flow/grammar problems can be difficult to overlook at times. But, if you appreciate a good story about adventure in exotic locales, it might be worthwhile to track down a copy of Jackfruit.

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Now, with all that experience under their wheels, they compiled a bunch of their tips, tricks and observations into Panniers and Peanut Butter:The Path Less Pedaled Bike Camping Gear Guide:

The book is a PDF-format e-book, and it is available for $20.00 by clicking this link (to secure PayPal shopping cart). Help support Russ and Laura as they continue their journey…if the writing on their website and Facebook presence is any indication of the contents of Panniers & Peanut Butter, this e-book should be pure cyclotouring gold!!!

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Mapes gives a pretty thorough overview of the major (and some minor, but influential) players in the U.S. bicycle advocacy movement and traces the history of our bicycle culture and advocacy progress from the early 1970s to the present. All the high points are covered: politicians such as Jim Oberstar (D-Minnesota), John Forester of the vehicular cycling movement, advocacy groups like the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation (now called the Active Transportation Alliance) and Bike Portland, the Critical Mass movement, even Reverend Phil of Bike Porn Tour fame. This gives the reader a good picture of how modern bike culture developed.

As with many such books, a trip to Amsterdam, the fabled bicycle mecca, was included. Mapes is careful to point out that although bicycling is ingrained in Dutch society (as it is in Copenhagen, Denmark…the “other” mecca), many of the real developments didn’t happen until the the late 1960s for both areas. And, Mapes points out that both Amsterdam and Copenhagen are not without their car problems; despite barriers such as high sales and ownership taxes and the cost of fuel, car miles have increased.

Pedaling Revolution has chapters on safety issues, describing many U.S. cities as “in that awkward period where utilitarian cycling has become visible but still not mainstream”. Mapes touches on some of the vehicular cycling vs. dedicated bicycle infrastructure points in this chapter. There are also chapters on getting kids back on bikes and health considerations (the American decrease in physical activity and subsequent explosion in obesity and diabetes epidemics). The health chapter does not focus its sights squarely on the motor vehicle as villian, but Mapes is careful to list it as one of many contributing factors to the health crisis facing U.S. cities.

Overall, the book is a good read — complete, well-researched and sprinkled throughout with fascinating experiences and interactions between the author and people involved in bicycle culture at all levels. Add it to your booklist; it’s worth checking out.

Like this review? Check out our other book reviews by visiting our book review archive.

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David Byrne first began riding a bicycle for transportation in the early 1980s. Toward the latter part of that decade, he starting bringing a bicycle with him on tour and keeping a travel and tour diary. Bicycle Diaries is an interesting look back at some of his adventures…part travelogue, part social/political commentary and part observations of what is right (and wrong) with the world around us.

In this book, the bicycle is used as a vehicle (pun intended) to introduce Byrne, and by extension, the reader, to some of the cities he traveled to during his tours. Once that introduction is made, the bike is not an important part of the narrative. Byrne discovered early on that the bicycle let him…

…[feel] more connected to the life on the streets than I would have inside a car or in some form of public transport: I could stop whenever I wanted to; it was often (very often) faster than a car or taxi for getting from point A to point B; and I didn’t have to follow any set route. The same exhilaration, as the air and street life whizzed by, happened again in each town. It was, for me, addictive.

The book is loosely arranged by country…a few stops in U.S. cities, some in Europe, the Middle East and South America. Byrne writes a rambling narrative…his mind is all over the map, both geographically and intellectually. His commentaries throughout touch on art and artists, music, urban and transportation planning, city history and many other subjects. Although it tends to ramble, the book flows nicely from city to city, from country to country, and from idea to idea. There is a lot to absorb here and a lot of references to other works that will make the curious want to read up on some of the subjects Byrne talks about.

Toward the end of the book, Byrne describes the state of cycling affairs in his hometown of New York City. He describes the events in which he transformed into somewhat of a surprise cycling advocate, talks about some of New York’s infrastructure plans for the future, and illustrates
his role in the bike rack contest held there last year.

Finally, he includes a couple pages of brief cycling tips and drawings of some of the bike rack designs he submitted.

I enjoyed this book immensely — while I don’t agree with all of Byrne’s advocacy stances, the book was a fascinating journey into his travels, his thoughts and his beliefs about societies throughout the world. Add it to your booklist!

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As Mapes points out, when more women begin riding, that will signal a big change in attitude, which will prompt further changes in the direction of safety and elegance. I can ride till my legs are sore and it won’t make riding any cooler, but when attractive women are seen sitting upright going about their city business on bikes day and night, the crowds will surely follow. A recent article in a British newspaper showed the pop singer Duffy on a pink bike. The model Agyness Deyn claims never to be without hers, and Courteney Cox reportedly presented Jennifer Aniston with a Chanel bike last year. Tabloid fodder does not a revolution make, but it’s a start.

His comment already has me anxious to get my hands on a copy of this book and read it for myself.

In the meantime, I had the pleasure of joining our friends Dottie and Trisha of Let’s Go Ride a Bike on the inaugural Summer Babes and Elegant Bachelors Ride. We had a wonderful night on the town in Chicago, proving that bikes can be both an attractive and feasible mode of transportation even on a rainy Chicago summer evening in cocktail attire.

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Planning on doing any bike touring? Not sure where to begin with preparation, gear selection and route planning? Look no further…this book is a complete guide to all aspects of bicycle touring. The author concentrates an incredible amount of information into this pocket-sized guide. Bridge spends a lot of time discussing gear (both the bicycle itself and its cargo-hauling apparatus), giving even the newest “greenhorn” a comprehensive view of the things to look for when selecting a rig for touring. But that’s not all; there are also extensive tips on route planning, packing checklists for different types of tours and other logistical considerations. Finally, the author includes a lot of resources (both print and Web-based) at the end of the guide.

The author presents all of his information in a matter-of-fact, clear manner. He doesn’t try to “dumb things down” for the amateur, yet he never gets bogged down in overly complex descriptions either. The book reads well and is easy to follow.

Bridge’s first edition was a wild success and was a must-read for the new (or seasoned) bicycle tourer. With this 2nd edition, there is even more to share — the addition of Web resources is a great thing. And, this 2nd edition is FRESHLY updated…there are mentions of guides and gear that have only been around for a few months.

If you’re interested in bike touring…from quick overnighters to lengthy cross-country excursions, this book is worth a look. Perhaps my only gripe with the book is that the author fails to include our own Russ Roca in his discussion of valuable bike-touring Web resources. Russ’s “Epicurean Cyclist” deserves a mention in this guide!

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First off, here’s what this book is NOT: a comprehensive guide to training, repair, nutrition, racing strategy or any of that other in-depth stuff. What this book IS is a very simple, very practical and extremely humorous guide to bicycling for everyday purposes.

Chip’s a funny guy and an excellent writer. In this book, he gets to demonstrate both skills as he distills a lifetime of bicycling into 160-odd pages. The Practical Cyclist contains perhaps the most compact — yet thorough — history of the bicycle that I’ve ever read…seven pages that covers over a century of cycling innovation. Wow! And that’s not all — the book is filled with gems…basic repair, practical considerations of clothing, gear, route planning and pretty much every other aspect a new cyclist needs to think about when setting off.

Throughout, Chip has an uncanny ability to cut through all the complexity and b.s. that tend to plague the world of cycling. He presents his thoughts in a coherent and complete manner while eliminating the mysteries. Distilled to its base, bicycling really is quite simple, and Chip relays this “insider secret” with aplomb. Folks discovering (or rediscovering) the bicycle should take a good look at this book.

At the end of the book, Chip presents a little “How do you know if you’re a practical cyclist?” quiz that will ring bells of familiarity to many of us, and ends with some sage words of wisdom:

Ride your bicycle because it’s fun. Yes, it makes sense both financially and environmentally, but ride your bike because it’s more fun than driving. That, to me, is the best reason of all. If it’s not fun, why bother?

Truer words were never spoken…

Seasoned cyclists and hardcore commuters probably won’t get much out of The Practical Cyclist other than a lot of laughs…frankly, it’s just not written for the accomplished cyclers among us. But, for someone just entering the wonderful world of bicycles, this book is a must read. Let’s hope this book sells a billion copies!!!

(Me, Chip and the lovely JoAnn at the 2008 Bicycle Bash by the Bay)

And, if you’re in the Tampa Bay area, come on out to Chainwheel Drive in Clearwater this coming Saturday to meet Chip and to get your very own autographed copy of The Practical Cyclist. Details can be found by clicking here.

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The big unveiling and first book signing for The Practical Cyclist will be at the Chainwheel Drive bike shop, 1770 Drew Street in Clearwater (NW corner of Drew and Keene) on Saturday, April 18th from noon to 3 p.m. Needless to say, I am READY! They’ve got the books in stock already, now just hand me a pen and stand back!

The book is getting a great response. Mother Earth News endorsed it as a “Recommended Book for Wiser Living�, Foreword magazine gave it a very nice review, Utne.com is promoting it and both Martha Stewart Living Radio and Body + Soul magazine (also a Martha Stewart thing) are all over it. The New Colonist interviewed me awhile back for their web site, Body + Soul is scheduled to interview me next Monday night, and we got to hang out with Jeff Klinkenberg from the St. Pete Times last Friday. What a blast! (His story may be in the Times as early as this coming Sunday.) Almost forgot: Reader’s Digest has already requested, and received, a short article by me on bicycle commuting. Whew.

I hope to see everyone at Chainwheel Drive on Saturday the 18th, and even if you already have the book, come on out anyway and roll in the madness!

As Chip mentioned, he was interviewed by the St. Petersburg Times recently, and his article ran over the weekend. Check it out by following this link.

I just received my review copy of The Practical Cyclist in the mail today, and I’ll be bringing you a review of it in the coming days. In the meantime, if you’re in the area and you want to rub shoulders with a local literary GIANT, come on out to Chainwheel Drive in Clearwater to meet Chip. He’s a really charismatic fellow!

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