It's All About The Bike

I recently read a great book by Robert Penn called "It's All About the Bike". The synopsis below says it all, the book is available locally through book sellers and also as a e-Book. The author has produced a short introduction to the book that is posted on You Tube. I can really recommend this book as a very interesting read.

Synopsis
It is the story of a journey by Robert Penn to design and build a dream bike. En route, Robert explores the culture, science and history of the bicycle. From Stoke-on-Trent, where an artisan hand builds his frame, to California, home of the mountain bike, where Robert tracks down the perfect wheels, via Portland, Milan and Coventry, birthplace of the modern bicycle, this is the narrative of our love affair with cycling. It's a tale of perfect components - parts that set the standard in reliability, craftsmanship and beauty.

It tells how the bicycle has changed the course of human history, from the invention of the 'people's nag' to its role in the emancipation of women, and from the engineering marvel of the tangent-spoked wheel to the enduring allure of the Tour de France. It's the story of why we ride, and why this simple machine remains central to life today.