Bicycle – The Noblest Invention (2003)

An unusually shaped cornucopia of pictures and essays about every aspect of bicycling that contains enough to inspire the neophyte and provide interest for those steeped in cycle culture

Rodale 1 4050 3430 0 Octo 320pp £17.99

With a format – 16 cm high and 24cm wide (6″ x 9.5″) – that is somewhere between stocking filler and coffee table book this sturdy hardback is a delight even those who have read hundreds of cycling titles. Sections on history, art, culture, mountain biking and the professional racing are richly and imaginatively illustrated with material drawn from an enormous variety of sources.

Most of the contributors are drawn from the Rodale roster – Bill Strickland, Joe Lindseay and Zap Espinoza, among them. This might be a book with which to while away the hours in the smallest room, but there is enough within its cover to transport the imagination to the wide open spaces.

PS May 09