THE PENGUIN BOOK OF THE BICYCLE

From the back cover:

“Richly illustrated, entertaining and packed with fascinating detail, this is a sparkling celebration of the bicycle, in all its forms and fashions. The authors have brought their immense enthusiasm and experience to bear on every aspect; the social and technical evolution of cycling, the dramatic complexities of cycle sport, the modern bicycle revival. There are behind-the-scenes visits to the cycle industry, and many practical insights into buying, assembling, maintaining, and riding a bicycle. Above all, this is a book about the aesthetic and technical beauty of a mechanical contraption that is one of the simplest and most perfect (and harmless) that the human mind has devised.”