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Gem of a book Economist Penn writes with a Bill-Brysonesque
facility for concentrating a lot of information and research into
an easy-to-read ... Best of all ... his account enriches your
enjoyment of a ride -- Tim Dawson, Cycle Guy Sunday Times Fantastic
... Well worth a read if, like me, you love cycling! -- Paul Smith
Artfully, Penn turns his quest for hardware ... into a worldwide
spin around cycling and its culture -- William Fotheringham
Guardian The pages overflow with pioneers, mavericks and geniuses -
certainly, it is hard to imagine anyone who reads this book being
able to buy a bike "off the peg" again -- Tim Lewis Observer I've
just spent a week pedalling slowly from Windermere to Aviemore with
a copy of Penn's zealous eulogy in my pannier. His infectious
admiration for the exhilarating sociability of cycling, coupled
with reverence for quality craftsmanship, made highly engaging
company ... appreciate the wit and enthusiasm of this unusual
odyssey -- James Urquhart Independent Penn tells us that the
bicycle, as we know it, was invented in 1885 and is the most
efficient form of transport ever devised... A joyful book --
William Leith The Scotsman Bike-lit is booming, and while
'cross-country hardtail' might not have the same ring to it as
'penny-farthing', there's evidently little to do with cycling about
which Robert Penn can't wax lyrical. Whether his subject is spokes
or saddle sores, he is relentlessly enthusiastic... Penn's
amiability is puncture-proof -- Stephanie Cross Daily Mail [H]is
adrenalin-charged enthusiasm... delivers a good ride... The social
history is snappy and his almost religious quest for ultimate
craftsmanship full of wit. -- James Urquhart Financial Times
内容简介
Wales resident Penn, a contributor to Condé Nast Traveler and
various bicycle publications, has traveled 25,000 miles on a
bicycle, and his expertise is evident. Seeking "craftsmanship, not
technology," he met with top bike mechanics in order to customize
an ergonomically efficient dream machine: "I want a bike that shows
my appreciation of the tradition, lore and beauty of bicycles."
Coasting past the large manufacturers who service the cycling
masses, he visited the U.K.'s few remaining artisan frame builders,
where he analyzed the angles of frame geometry: "Along with the
immaculate fit and the right tubing material, geometry is an
intrinsic part of buying a bespoke bicycle." As he writes about
handlebars, gears, wheels, and saddles, each component gets a
chapter, and the reader feels Penn's enthusiasm at seeing his steed
assembled. Along the way, he looks back at bike history, beginning
with the 1817 Draisine, propelled by paddling one's feet along the
ground. Saddles were a concern to the conservative elements of
Victorian society: "That bike riding might be sexually stimulating
to women was a real worry." These pages are a delight, packed with
facts, informative illustrations and two-wheeled tales, they map a
path into the heart of cycling culture. (May)
作者简介
Robert Penn rides a bicycle to get to work, sometimes for work,
to keep fit, to bathe in air and sunshine, to travel, to go
shopping, to stay sane, to savour the physical and emotional
fellowship of riding with friends, for fun, occasionally to impress
someone, to scare himself and to hear his boy laugh. He's ridden a
bicycle most days of his adult life, in over forty countries on
five continents. In his late-twenties, he pedalled around the
world. A journalist, Robert writes for the Financial Times,
Observer and Conde Nast Traveller, as well as a host of cycling
publications. His last book The Wrong Kind of Snow, was praised as
'jam packed with grand themes ... intelligently done' (Daily Mail)
and 'endlessly fascinating ... written with flair' (Financial
Times). Robert lives in the Black Mountains, South Wales with his
wife and three children and commutes to work across a heather moor
on a mountain bike.