hammandegger

Somebody in here recommended the book, “It’s All About the Bike,” by Robert Penn.

It’s a great book—just got done reading it.

Some interesting topics from the book [I’m paraphrasing Robert Penn]:

>Wheel was invented approximately around 3200 B.C. The next major step in the wheel’s advancement came in approximately 1700 B.C. [wooden wheels using radial spokes which made chariots lighter]. From 1700 B.C. until early 1800’s {3500 years**, the wheel hardly evolved at all until the patent of tension spokes in 1802.

>In 1815 a three month volcanic eruption [Mt. Tambora in Indonesia] created havoc in Europe by shutting out solar radiation. The most dramatic incident of global cooling ever seen in the world. In New England there were blizzards in July. In Ireland 65,000 people starved to death. In England there were food riots. In southern Germany there was “true famine” in 1816. Farmers who could no longer afford to feed their horses, shot them. A local eccentric [Baron Karl von Drais de Sauerbronn] realized that without horse power [for transportation] that society could be in a crisis. So Drais [invigorated and sparked by this necessity] “conceived a mechanical horse with wheels.” The first prototype bicycle {the Draisine**.

Anyway, I thought these were some interesting topics.

Caretaker

The book is based on the BBC programme 'Ride of My Life - The Story of the Bicycle' telling how Penn travelled 11,000 miles around the world to build himself the 'perfect' bike.

I suspect he could have found 'perfection' a lot closer to home but then that wouldn't have made it such an interesting TV programme.

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1p6xSIbvcUo&NR=1
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5B0H...eature=related
3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11YxH...eature=related
4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xhv8p...eature=related

Artkansas 

It might have been me. I recommended it and mentioned that it made me want to be on a bike with dropped handle bars again, so I was playing with my Kabuki Syd (a poor-man's Rivendell) and upgrading it with components from my other 10 speed.

Good book. Not dry, like many books about the bicycle.

Artkansas 

Those videos were great, Caretaker. I watched them all. I'm reposting the links but making the video display in hopes of interesting others. There's some nice footage of someone riding a draisienne early on. I've never seen one ridden before. This is really great video. Where else do you get to tour the Brooks factory and watch a saddle being made, the Continental Tire factory and see a tire hot off the presses, see the Campagnolo factory, watch Joe Breeze ride down Repack and much more.

gerv 

I enjoyed reading the book, but the whole premise of traveling all over the universe to find the best parts for a build was .. for me... just too much over the top. At the time, I was also trying to do a build, re-using parts from a wrecked bike and trying to un-taco and true up the wheels I built last year.

I guess what galled me is that he spec'ed out and spent a fortune on a bike. I tend to do the same, then decide it's too much money and just go with whatever I can find on Craiglist or the bike co-op parts bin. During that period I spent so much time at Rivendell... I'm sure I drove their server bills up.

He spent > $10k and I spent < $200.

Artkansas 

Yes, but he made money spending that money. I think in part that the expensive bike was kind of a grain of sand that he used to make the pearl of his TV show. His "Dream Bike" gets him into the doors of places like Chris King headsets, where few of us will ever see, much less step into.

gerv 

I'm working on a similar dealing. I'm hoping to get paid to ride bikes equipped with old Suntour parts picked out of the bottom of the co-op parts bin.

Tell me this will work. I hear Suntour is a giant mega-corp these days.

[edit] those Youtubes look pretty good!

Roody

I don't get it. What's the deal with suntour? I had a pair of pedals they made, and they were fantastic.

gerv 

[in a less facetious moment..] it really is sad that Suntour no longer exists because, as you say, they made fantastic components. They were the developers of the power ratcheting friction shifters, which are probably the best thumb/ DT shifters ever made. And probably the best reasonably priced gruppos in the 1980s.

https://www.hadland.me.uk/page35.htm

You can however still pick up great used and even new Suntour components if you look around.

Roody

Thanks for the info. I bought my Suntour pedals in about 2005. They were in the box, so I assumed they were new. The bike they were on was stolen. I'm going back to the LBS that sold them to see if they still have any left, because they were sweet pedals, and i think only about 20 or 30 dollars. I don't need any pedals right now, but I guess I should stock up if they still have some.

jodypitch

Loved the book, not bothered by the somewhat over-the-top premise---it is escapism/entertainment, like much of the reading (and TV, and movies!) I enjoy. Except this time it was about something I could relate to very closely.

sauerwald

I enjoyed the book, and was able to relate to much of it. I have had 2 custom bikes built, and spent a lot of time and effort thinking about each component on each bike. The two bikes were built for different purposes, and that is reflected in both the component choices and the geometry of the bikes. In some cases I chose the same components as Robert Penn did for his bike, but in most cases, we went different ways. To be honest, I was surprised after his extolling the virtues of steel that he selected so much carbon fiber for his bike - including front fork and handlebars. I would have preferred if he had started with a better description of exactly what he wanted this bike for. Perhaps it was my bias and knowledge of his long distance touring that led me to assume that he was building a bike designed more for reliability and long term use than for speed.

I enjoyed many of the historical anecdotes.

Artkansas 

I suspect his component choice may have sometimes been affected by who would give him a tour of their factory.

Roody

Let' hope that was the only compensation he was getting from manufacturers.

Caretaker

When you're making a documentary that has the premise of building a 'dream bike' from top quality components there are few manufacturers who would refuse you a factory tour. Add to this that you are making it for the BBC, an outfit with some credibility, refusal is even less likely.

Campagnalo refused to let him film but he still used their groupset.

Given the above, I don't share your suspicions in this case.

Artkansas 

The DO lectures chose to have Mr. Penn as one of their guest speakers. It's an interesting talk.

The DO Lectures - An Ode to the Bicycle