Richard's 21st Century Bicycle Book

 Product Details:
# Paperback 384 pages (October 6, 2000)
# Publisher: Pan
# Language: English
# ISBN: 0330377175




Synopsis
A comprehensive guide to choosing, buying and owning a bicycle. In addition it contains 
sections on riding in traffic, cross-country, competition riding, and the history and 
politics of cycling.

From the Publisher
©Packed with facts©marvellous© © Observer

▒The best guide to bikes and cycling ever published▓ √ Bike Events

▒This book makes one proud to be a cyclist▓ √ 
Mike Burrows, designer of Chris Boardman▓s Olympic Gold Medal monocoque bicycle

▒We pedallers treat Richard▓s Bicycle Book more seriously than the Bible▓ √ Jonathan Sale, The Guardian

Richard▓s 21st Century Bicycle Book is the definitive guide to cycling √ from choosing the right 
bicycle for you, to using it for mountain biking, commuting and competing, fitness and pleasure, 
to maintenance for comfort, reliability, and top performance.

First published in 1972, Richard▓s Bicycle Book became a classic which inspired millions of 
cyclists. Now completely revised and updated to lead cycling into the new millennium, 
Richard▓s 21st Century Bicycle Book covers the latest innovations in cycle design, 
from suspension systems and disc brakes, to compact lightweight folders and cargo bikes, 
to aerodynamic superbikes and swift, all-weather human-powered vehicles.

Cycling is economical, ecological and most importantly great fun √ this book confirms that 
pedal power is, quite simply, the only way forward into the 21st Century.



If, like the reader from Paris, you're just looking for a book that tells you how to twiddle 
the screws on your bike, Richard's may not be the book for you. If you're looking for a book 
that helps you to understand how to ride the bike and, more importantly, how to enjoy riding 
a bike, Richard's is the only book. Richard Ballantine gives essential advice on how to choose 
a bike to suit you, how to behave in traffic, and how, little by little, to extend your 
capacities - to become a fitter, safer, cleverer cyclist.

Along with all this, he suggests that cycling is not just a pastime or a way of getting 
from A to B, but a way of seeing the world. To ride is to experience a degree of freedom 
no other form of transport will allow - you set your own pace, and you don't need to 
worry about traffic jams or petrol stops. Cyclists know their surroundings more 
intimately than motorists or riders on public transport; but they can travel much further 
than people who walk.

The seemingly irrelevant bits are part of an argument: cycling can be the starting-point for a 
freer, happier and more rational way of living and thinking. To a lot of readers, this may 
seem cranky, " religious". Spend some time reading Richard's and riding your bike; you may 
begin to wonder if it isn't just common sense.



It looks like the author had difficulties on deciding what was this book all about. He covers 
such an enormous terrain of anything even remotely related to biking that on the other hand 
he can't discuss any of the topics properly, just scratch the surface. I was expecting this 
book to be a comprehensive information package of modern bicycles, their technology, 
selecting one, servicing, tips and tricks and only a little bit of ideology. Unfortunately 
such practical topics have very much given space for philosophical or should I say, 
religious, discussions of merits of cycling. Topics such as careers with bicycles (!?!) 
and many other quite irrelevant subjects are discussed. The book is also rather poorly 
organized from a point of view of finding factual information. It is there, but 
systematically hidden inside the lenghty religious discussions throuhgout the book. 
The illustrations are sparse and rather simplified.




In the late 70's, I was lucky enough to purchase a copy of Richard's Bicycle Book, 
1978 edition, which told me everything I needed to know to setup and maintain my 
10 (well, actually 12) speed bike. [I still own this edition - probably a collectors 
piece now, except it is well thumbed...]

However, as a recent convert to a Mountain Bike, I was looking for something similar, 
but somewhat more up to date. I ended up with a couple of books by Leonard Zinn, 
and something called Mountain Biking Skills - all of which are excellent books 
as far as I can tell. But they all assume you know the basics. For example, they 
all refer to "spinning", but assume you know what that means.


Richard's new book provides that information. It has the basics, and goes much further 
than that in that it explains why and how as well as what. And it is not just about 
mountain bikes. It gives equal time to all bicycles - road, commuter, track, mountain, 
recumbent & HPV.

But do not get me wrong, it is not just a book for beginners. For example, it is the 
only book I have found so far that not only talks about how to shift, but also how 
to select ratios, determine what you have and determine what you need, and then 
build and maintain it.

The guy is obviously a cycling fanatic, but he presents his ideas pragmatically and 
intelligently. I wish I had found this book two years ago (obviously not possible 
without a time machine), but am glad I have found it now. Can anyone tell me how 
to give it 6 stars out of 5?