Originally Posted by
eyemkeith
I've recently read a book on bicycling I didn't care for (
In Praise of the Bicycle: My Review Here), so I'm hoping for some recommendations of good books. History, philosophical ruminations, bicycle culture are all interests. What's your favorite?
Honestly, I don’t read a lot of bicycle related books. Frankly, many of them are just not that interesting. There are a few that I’ve read that are pretty good, however.
Wheels of Chance is a book by HG Wells. It’s essentially a guy meets girl, guy loses girl, guy get girl back story set in the English countryside of the late 1890s. It’s a bit dated but not a bad read.
Bicycles in War is a very good book about bicycle uses since the Franco-Prussian war to the mid60s.
The Quotable Cyclist has a bicycle quote for all occasions.
Bicycling Science and
The Dancing Chain are two extremely nerdy bicycle books but have their own charm. Bicycling Science is about the science of bicycles with how and why they do what they do. The Dancing Chain could be a horror book, depending on how you feel about derailers. It’s about the development of the derailers that have vexed so many cyclists.
Major Taylor: the Extraordinary Career of a Champion is very good as well.
Iron Riders is a fascinating story about an 1890s experiment with the 25th Infantry to put soldiers on bicycles instead of horses.