1001 Bikes: To Dream of Riding Before You Die

Never before have so many bicycles been profiled within one beautifully illustrated volume. 1001 Bikes to Dream of Riding Before You Die explores in detail the greatest bikes of all time and from across the globe: from the early historic velocipedes of the 1890s to the arrival of today's standard upright bikes that dominate the marketplace.

This comprehensive book brings together models from every cycling discipline, from road to mountain biking and BMX to track racing. Key brands are also represented, from the Italian maestros Colnago, Bianchi, De Rosa, and Pinarello to the American ambassadors, Trek and Specialized. Also included are many of the smaller but equally influential designers, such as BMC, Scott, LeMond, and Cervélo.

1001 Bikes to Dream of Riding Before You Die celebrates the designs and individual stories behind the world's most influential, groundbreaking, and high-profile bicycles. A detailed photograph of each bike-whether it is a racing shot or stock manufacturing image-is accompanied by illuminating and insightful text revealing the history, development, and importance of each of the 1001 bikes featured.

Each entry details every bike's specifications and manufacturing history, as well as the impact it has had on the bicycle industry. A visually stunning compendium, the book allows readers to trace the evolution of the bicycle, from its early incarnations in wood, all the way through to the record-breaking race bikes of the contemporary world. It promises to be an intriguing read for all bicycle enthusiasts and experts.

An avid bike enthusiast since the days when he shared his child seat with the weekly groceries, Guy Kesteven brings an effervescent passion for pedalling and an encyclopaedic knowledge of cycling technology to this book. Wokring in the bike trade for twenty-four years, and as a professional mountain, road and triathlon bike tester for the past seventeen years, he has personally ridden and reviewed hundreds of the bikes selected for this book. This gives him a unique insight into the history, significance and individual characters of the amazing machines that are featured.