Best history of bicycles reference?

[Starcell]

Hiya all
Interested in learning about bicycles, from start to present (history of the bicycle!). In terms of mechanical development and the actual manufacturers and bikes produced. What is the best reference material for me to learn from?
Cheers!
Mitch.

 

[claudbutler]

I hear Elizebeth1 had a Raleigh hope this helps.

 

[midlife]

Not an authoritative reference book but "its all about the bike" by Robert Penn is a good read. Cheap as chips on kindle

Shaun

 

[User32269]

In the past I just hit Google. Initially started researching about an old Elswick racer I was rebuilding, 4 hours later I had PDF files, with obscure histories of long gone bike manufacturers, filling hard drive.
I also now have downloads of British bike catalogues going back to pre ww1.

 

[growingvegetables]

Interested in learning about bicycles, from start to present (history of the bicycle!).

No help - but I like "Bikes were invented because a volcano killed all the horses."

http://mashable.com/2015/08/29/evolution-of-bicycles/#Jq.MKVlIikqz and http://dandycycle.blogspot.co.uk/2010/10/the-dandy-horse-or-how-german-baron-and.html

 

[Starcell]

Thanks for all of the replies Will follow some of the routes described!
Mitch.

 

[bikeman66]

I hear Elizebeth1 had a Raleigh hope this helps.

Whaaatttt???? You can't go saying things like that........... You'll be sent to The Tower!

 

[claudbutler]

Whaaatttt???? You can't go saying things like that........... You'll be sent to The Tower!

She was only following her farther, he used his chopper quite a lot

 

[raleighnut]

She was only following her farther, he used his chopper quite a lot

The sharp one or the blunt one.

 

[Dogtrousers]

The Dancing Chain (History and Development of the Derailleur Bicycle) by Frank J Berto

Fantastic book. It concentrates mainly on the history of derailleurs, but it does go into some detail on different kinds of hub gears, and other exotic gearing systems like "retro direct" (pedal forwards for one gear, backwards for another) expanding chainwheels and so on.

PM me if you want a cut price copy, because due to an ordering blunder, I have two.

 

[Starcell]

Ah thanks for the replies

The Dancing Chain (History and Development of the Derailleur Bicycle) by Frank J Berto

Fantastic book. It concentrates mainly on the history of derailleurs, but it does go into some detail on different kinds of hub gears, and other exotic gearing systems like "retro direct" (pedal forwards for one gear, backwards for another) expanding chainwheels and so on.

PM me if you want a cut price copy, because due to an ordering blunder, I have two.

Thanks- I'll have a quick look up on that and get back to you asap
Mitch.

 

[RichardB]

If you're after a general history of the bicycle, you could do worse than The Penguin Book of the Bicycle. It's out of print but still available from Amazon resellers for a penny a copy. My copy has now fallen apart, but funnily enough I took it down from the shelf, shuffled the pages into approximate order, and read it again only last week.

 

[EltonFrog]

Roads Were Not Built For Cars, some bike history and how and why are roads are the way they are.

 

[Dogtrousers]

How about this Chris Boardman The Biography of the Modern Bike http://www.amazon.co.uk/Chris-Boardman-Biography-Ultimate-History/dp/1844037835
I've not read it but there's a partial preview on google books here
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=MWCuCAAAQBAJ

 

[Widge]

'It's All About The Bike' by Rob Penn is indeed a very good read...and his 'film-of-the-book' is just as good and he comes over well! I watched it last night and my wif enjoyed it too. I think it's free somewhere on Sky?

I have a shedload of books on my Kindle too - a good resource if you are interested in Cycling+Literature.