The Splendid Book of the Bicycle: From Boneshakers to Bradley Wiggins

Description

Cycling is hugely popular nowadays. Since 2003 more than 100 million bikes have been produced each year, more than twice the amount of cars. And in 2011, more than 741,000 people cycled to work, an increase of 90,000 from 2001. The Splendid Book of the Bicycle is a wide-ranging celebration of the bicycle and cycling, incorporating social history, sport and science. It covers the bicycle’s invention and subsequent historical development, stories of intrepid early cyclists who travelled the world, the 20th-century popularity of cycle touring, and the depiction of bicycles in films, books and art. It examines the sport of cycling, including histories of the Tour de France and the other great European races, the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España, and goes on to explore velodrome-based cycling and the rise of BMX and mountain biking. It investigates the science behind balance and aerodynamics, and covers the future of bicycles, including innovative flying, floating and electric bikes. It also touches on the technical aspects of bicycles, including an exploded diagram of a typical bike and tips for basic maintenance of your own bike. Beautifully illustrated with vintage and modern images, this book is a perfect gift for both bike obsessives and general readers. Title......Page 4 Contents......Page 5 The Joy of Cycling......Page 8 Pushing Off......Page 11 Hobby Horse to Boneshaker......Page 12 Penny Farthing or Ordinary Bicycle......Page 17 The Birth of the Safety Bicycle......Page 23 What Makes a Bike The Naming of Parts......Page 29 Pneumatic Experiments Dunlop and the Cushioned Ride......Page 35 Victorian Trick Cyclists......Page 42 Iconic Bikes The Moulton and Dawes Galaxy......Page 48 Boldly Going......Page 51 Around the World on a Bicycle The Extraordinary Thomas Stevens......Page 52 Across Asia by Bicycle American Innocents Abroad......Page 59 Cycle Touring On the Road to Nowhere in Particular......Page 64 The Art of the Bicycle......Page 72 On the Road and Off......Page 78 Basic Maintenance......Page 79 BMX Banditry......Page 85 The Bicycle in Film......Page 91 The Birth of the Mountain Bike......Page 97 All Downhill from Here......Page 101 Iconic Bikes The Schwinn Cruiser and The Raleigh 3-Speed Roadster......Page 107 Bikes and Society......Page 110 Getting Around The Bicycle Across the Globe......Page 111 Zen and the Art of Puncture Repair......Page 117 Bicycles on the Warpath......Page 119 ‘Smart Lad Wanted’Delivery Boys, Bobbies and Posties......Page 125 ‘Elastic and Active’Annie Londonderry and Rational Clothing......Page 130 A Century of Manufacturing......Page 135 The Bicycle in Advertising......Page 141 Blazing Saddles......Page 145 Le Tour de France......Page 146 Giro D’Italia......Page 155 Vuelta a España......Page 167 The Greatest Racers From Indurain to Merckx......Page 171 Bikes in Books......Page 181 The Velodrome......Page 187 Science and Technology......Page 193 Balance Einstein-a-go-go......Page 194 Aerodynamics Shaving off the Seconds......Page 197 The Hour It’s Only 3,600 Seconds......Page 202 Fitness It’s not Only About the Bike......Page 207 Wipeout Falling off Safely......Page 212 Recycle and Revolution......Page 216 The Reinvention of the Wheel Folding Bikes......Page 217 Getting Fixated Retrospectives on Spokes......Page 222 Iconic Bikes The Chopper......Page 227 To Infinity and Beyond Floating, Flying and Future Bikes......Page 230 When is a Bicycle not a Bicycle? Steam, Petrol and Electric Power......Page 236 Bits that Fell off My Bike......Page 242 Index......Page 247 Acknowledgements......Page 257 Picture Credits......Page 258 Copyright......Page 260