It's All About the Bike: The Pursuit of Happiness On Two Wheels

by Robert Penn

Robert Penn has saddled up nearly every day of his adult life. In his late twenties, he pedaled 25,000 miles around the world. Today he rides to get to work, sometimes for work, to bathe in air and sunshine, to travel, to go shopping, to stay sane, and to skip bath time with his kids. He's no Sunday pedal pusher. So when the time came for a new bike, he decided to pull out all the stops. He would build his dream bike, the bike he would ride for the rest of his life; a customized machine that reflects the joy of cycling.

It's All About the Bike follows Penn's journey, but this book is more than the story of his hunt for two-wheel perfection. En route, Penn brilliantly explores the culture, science, and history of the bicycle. From artisanal frame shops in the United Kingdom to California, where he finds the perfect wheels, via Portland, Milan, and points in between, his trek follows the serpentine path of our love affair with cycling. It explains why we ride.

It's All About the Bike is, like Penn's dream bike, a tale greater than the sum of its parts. An enthusiastic and charming tour guide, Penn uses each component of the bike as a starting point for illuminating excursions into the rich history of cycling. Just like a long ride on a lovely day, It's All About the Bike is pure joy- enriching, exhilarating, and unforgettable.

Genres: Cycling, Nonfiction, Sports, History, Memoir, Travel, Bicycles

199 pages, Paperback

First published August 24, 2010

About the author

Rob Penn is an author, journalist, TV presenter and cyclist. He’s ridden a bicycle most days of his adult life, in over fifty countries on five continents.

Reviews

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great for the Cyclist Enthusiast

I was given this book as a Christmas present, so I had absolutely no preconceptions about it. I have not read many books about bicycling. It seems like an activity that is best experienced directly rather than vicariously, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The book is written by a serious cyclist who loves the sport, and he communicates that in the book. All members of the Pedalers should be able to connect to this feeling.

The author Robert Penn, is a serious recreational cyclist. In the introduction he claims:

I cycled across the USA, Australia, South-East Asia, the Indian subcontinent, Central Asia, the Middle East and Europe — effectively around the world.

and then he explains his need for a new bike.

I need a talismanic machine that somehow reflects my cycling history and carries my cycling aspirations. I want craftsmanship, not technology; I want the bike to be man-made; I want a bike that has character, a bike that will never be last year’s model. I want a bike that shows my appreciation of the tradition, lore and beauty of bicycles.

Penn decides to hand pick all of the components of his bike and visit the factories where they are built. He has chapters on the frame, wheels, drivetrain, saddle, and handlebars. Each chapter features a visit to the factory or shop where he will get that component, stories from his cycling experiences, and a bit of cycling history relevant to that component.

In the chapter on frames, he discusses frame geometry and the characteristics of different frame materials, carbon, steel, aluminum, and titanium. While he owns a carbon racing bike, he decides to choose steel for his custom bike. Steel's strength and repairability being the most important characteristics to him. He expects his bike to last for decades. After discussing his decision on steel, Penn goes into the history of the Reynolds Tube Company and their steel bicycle tubes, and his own experience of breaking a frame and having it repaired in Amritsar, India. A steel frame can be repaired anywhere you can find a welder. A carbon frame can't be repaired anywhere. His frame will be custom built by Rourke Cycles in Stoke on Trent, England.

In the chapter on the steering system, the evolution of the modern bicycle from velocipedes to high wheelers to the modern bike. The reason that this is discussed in the handlebar chapter is that steering is impeded by having the pedals attached to the front wheels. Penn quotes a journalist from 1869 about the difficulties.

Velocipedes are pretty things to look upon as they whirl along so swiftly and gracefully, operated by some practiced hand. But did you ever try to ride one? It seems an easy thing to sit on the little carpeted seat, put your feet upon the treadles, and astonish everybody by your speed; but just try it! And don’t invite your lady friends to witness that first performance either. You mount the machine with a great deal of dignity and confidence, you see that all is clear, you undertake to place your feet in the proper position, and – the trouble begins. Your first half hour is spent [deciding] which shall be uppermost, yourself or the machine, and the machine exhibits an amount of skill and perseverance that astonishes you.

Attaching the pedals to the rear wheels were the major breakthrough in bicycle design making it much easier to steer and balance.

Of course handlebars need a headset, so Penn travels to Portland, Oregon to get the headset for his bike. It is a Chris King headset. Chris King invented the sealed bearing headset in 1976 and still sells the same model. Since he is visting Portland to get the headset, he has to describe the cycling culture there. A visit to Milan to pick Cinelli handlebars results in a discussion of Italian cycling to end the chapter.

In the chapter on drivetrains, Penn visits the Campagnolo factory, since he plans to buy the Record groupset. His original plan was to buy separate components, but his builder told him that was madness. This chapter also covers the history of Tullio Campagnolo who invented the quick release skewer and the derailleur. There is also another chunk of Italian cycling history, including the story of the fraud that claimed Leonardo da Vinci invented the bike.

In the chapter on wheels, Penn visits Marin County, California to purchase Gravy wheels. He brings his hubs with him. Having purchased them in England. For tires he bought Continental Grand Prix 4000s. That is the only component mentioned in the book that I might actually buy. His wheels are hand built. Since Penn was in Marin County, he visited with some of the inventors of mountain biking and rode with them on one of the classic courses of the 70s.

I consider the century ride (100 miles) that I did several years ago to be one of my significant achievements, and the first century ride is mentioned in this chapter.

They ‘mounted their machines just as the sun was rising’ and, ‘pedalling bravely, they reached Mr Starley’s residence just as the clock of St Michael’s struck the hour [of midnight]’. It was a remarkable feat — 100 miles on primitive roads. Starley was 41 years old and he weighed 196 lb. Both men didn’t get out of bed for three days, but the ride attracted public interest.

The last chapter on bike components is about saddles, and of course Penn buys a Brooks saddle. He is going for a classic bike, which will give years of use. A major piece of this chapter is on six-day races, which started in Victorian England.

The first competitive six-day race was held in the Islington Agricultural Hall, London, in 1878. Riders, on high-wheeler bicycles, rode round and round until they dropped, slept briefly, rose, and rode round and round again — for six days straight. There was no racing on the Sabbath. Phew! As sport, it would not meet with the customs of our times.

Six day races reached New York in the 1890s and were a very popular spectator sport through the 1920s. Major races were held at Madison Square Garden and were attended by celebrities like Bing Crosby and Ernest Hemingway.

The last chapter is on the assembly of all those components into his bike. He has to choose a color scheme for his bike. At first he chooses purple, but his builder tells him no, so he decides on Frederick Pedaler colors of orange and blue. I wonder how he knew that we use those colors. Then he is off to ride his new $5,500 custom built bike, and it is all that he had hoped for. He comes to the conclusion:

Lance Armstrong was wrong. I realize this is rich — telling the winner of the world’s toughest cycle race a record seven times that the title of his global, best-selling book, It’s Not About the Bike, is erroneous — but there you go. I’ve done it now. Lance, you don’t know what you’re talking about. It is about the bike. It’s all about the bike.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I would recommend to anyone who enjoys cycling.

[Ragav · Rating 5 out of 5]

All about bike
I am a cyclist, it has become sort of my identity lately, and despite being one I had never read a book on cycling.

I was gifted this book and the subject of the book was very interesting to me, its about the author’s journey of building his dream bike , he travels to different part of the world and sources various components required for his dream machine.

What he describes in the book is not just his bike building journey the book is filled with rich history of bicycle, right from the days it was built in wood to how much has changed now.
Unlike Europe, in our part of the world , cycling is ridiculed and there is a sense of superiority for motorized vehicles. But they wouldn’t feel the same when they find out cycling is one of the prime reasons we have good road infrastructure now - it was the first invention for mobility and it created a huge demand for road networks.

The chain system , the ratchet mechanism, bearings, so many key concepts were taken from the cycle and applied directly to automobiles later on. The book talks about how thw whole cycle didn’t evolve in one simple day, it took years , and many great minds to formulate and arrive at a perfect bicycle we see nowadays. Earlier it was wood/iron wheels, penny farthings, no gears etc, all this changed ober the time and Europe and US was at the centre stage for all the developments.
The writer having ridden around the world on a bicycle already wishes to build a dream bike and explores the best in class for each part, Roorke frames, Rolls Royce hubs, campagnolo drivetrain, sapim spokes, dt swill rims, and so on.

While sourcing each part he gives us a taste of rich history behind them, the chapter on brooks saddle was such a relatable one to me having done some endurance rides.
Inventions of quick release, tension lever wheels, rover safety bikes were a treat to read and for a cyclist this book is such a treat.

Also got to know many famous personalities back then were keen cyclists too – Arthur conon doyle, HG wells, mark twain , da vinci, wright brothers to name a few.
Famous MTB rides like repack course, spring classics and monuments feature in this book and adds mre information about the classic events.

The book is also filled with rich quotes like the ones below
When I See an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of human race – HG wells
Get a bicycle and you will not regret it till you live – Mark twain
And this one was my favorite – There’s a calming familiarity in riding a bike – Its faster than walking, slower than a train, higher than a car, and lower than a plane but there is simply no other way of mobility that can give you a sense of freedom as bicycle does.


By the time you finish reading the final chapter of this book where he’s done with building and assembly of his dream bike youd have known so much about the history of cycles and how the industry evolved.

This is a must read for any cyclist out there and I had thoroughly enjoyed this book. Thanks Robert Penn for letting us into such an informative journey which read like a story.
It’s All about the bike indeed.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I admit it, I'm biased in favor of this book from the get go. I have a background in history, I ride a bike, and I really enjoy industrial tours.

Oh, yeah, I'm also biased in favor of good writing!

You'd think this kind of thing had been done before and for all I know, it has. My ignorance of the existence and depth of such works worked in my favor. Given the quality of the writing, though, I don't think it matters how many other works in this style exist.

Here's the story of a man who has been riding bicycles most of his life. Now, on the downhill side of that life, the author and rider wants to have his first and only "bespoke" bicycle. This is the story (and the back story) of the parts that make a whole.

But first, Penn tells us what riding a bicycle means to him:

"I've been riding bicycles for thirty-six years. Today, I ride to get to work, sometimes for work, to keep fit, to bathe in air and sunshine, to go shopping, to escape when the world is breaking my balls, to savour the physical and emotional fellowship of riding with friends, to travel, to stay sane, to skip bathtime with my kids, for fun, for a moment of grace, occasionally to impress someone, to scare myself and to hear my boy laugh. Sometimes I ride my bicycle just to ride my bicycle. It's a broad church of practical, physical and emotional reasons with one unifying thing-the bicycle." [page 11]

I can relate.

Penn organizes his work by building his dream bike. Start with the frame, add the steering, drive train, wheels, and saddle - viola! - we have a bicycle. Along the way we learn bits of the history of each component, a little about the men (yes, all the early design and build work on the bicycle was accomplished by men) who created the pieces of what we now think of as a bicycle, and how the parts under discussion were employed by men and women.

Penn's writing is so smooth and engaging that I have no complaints at all. He won't make you scratch your head in confusion over some arcane piece of equipment. In fact, I found myself saying, "Who knew bearings could be so interesting?"

If you or someone you know likes to ride, has an interest in history, and enjoys a pleasant read, I can't recommend this work enough. Enjoy!

[Philippe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a delightfully entertaining riff on one of the greatest inventions of humankind: the bicycle. Cheap, elegant, efficient and clean, it had a tremendous influence on the social mores, urban development and technological progress of the last 150 years. The bicycle was a key driver behind the emancipation of women, the mobilisation of the working class, the expansion of cities and the unlocking of remote countryside. And it served as a precursor to the automobile and the airplane (the Wright brothers started out as bicycle mechanics after all), thereby contributing to its own demise. But today the bicycle's cultural status is on the rise again and we can only speculate about the magnitude of its redeeming, future contribution to a world reigned by congestion, energy scarcity, obesity, and burnout.

Robert Penn relied on a simple and endearing scheme as a scaffolding for his literary tribute: after having spent decades on bikes crisscrossing remote areas on this planet he sets out on a journey to put together the ultimate, talismanic bicycle. Component by component - starting with the frame, moving on to the handlebars, drivetrain, wheels, and saddle - he assembles his fully customised dream bike, seeking out the choicest craftsmen who pursue their mechanical trade with spiritual ardour. And piece by piece we learn about the surprisingly tortuous history of bicycle invention. Altogether it makes up for a fascinating narrative, and one that is permeated with the profound love that this most glorious, most honest, and sanest of inventions can instill in human beings:

The bicycle saves my life every day. If you've ever experienced a moment of awe or freedom on a bicycle; if you've ever taken flight from sadness to the rhythm of two spinning wheels, or felt the resurgence of hope pedalling to the top of a hill with the dew of effort on your forehead; if you've ever wondered, swooping down bird-like down a long hill, if the world was standing still; if you have ever, just once, sat on a bicycle with a singing heart and felt like an ordinary human touching the gods, then we share something fundamental. We know it's all about the bike.

[Vishal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've got no words for how beautiful this book is. The way Robert Penn talks about his dream bike and goes about assembling it while traversing the length and breadth of the country, all the time talking us through the history of cycling and the evolution of every bicycle component is exhilarating.

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent - rich in history & (some downright crazy!) facts & humour & love for the bike. Laughed out loud a fair few times & had a smile on my face throughout. Appreciate my bikes in a whole new way & love them even more than I thought possible. & I am very excited at the prospect of building my own someday.
I got this as a gift & having not read any books about the bike before, I now look forward to reading more.

[David Rubenstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lance Armstrong wrote a book titled, It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life. This book by Robert Penn an exact opposite, because he claims that if you love bicycling, then it is about the bike. If you love bicycles, then you will love this book. If you don't like bicycles, then maybe this book isn't for you.

In this book Robert Penn combines the history of the bicycle with his own adventures on his bicycle. He has pedaled tens of thousands of miles, including a trip around the world. He puts a great deal of insight into the technologies in bicycles, and how they have affected bike-related sports and recreational bicyclists. The details of the technologies are fascinating. In the early days of bicycles, the development and integration of new technologies skyrocketed. However, for a few decades in the first half of the 20th century, technology development stagnated, because bicycling sports were dominated by purists. These purists believed that sports should be entirely about an athlete's ability, and not about the latest, best gizmos.

Penn organizes the book by describing the accumulation of parts for his dream bike. He goes all over the world, to buy components for his dream bike. Sometimes he is able to tour factories and talk to designers and inventors, while at other times he is denied entranced, for manufacturers are afraid of theft of secret processes. The book is very well-written and deserves to be read by every bike enthusiast.

[David Sasaki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somehow Robert Penn was able to convince his publisher to pay for a custom made, high-end bicycle by visiting all of the factories of that make the parts and writing a book about it. How did I not think of this!

Envy aside, the book is full of useful cycling history & trivia for enthusiasts like myself. The prose isn’t memorable, but I’d still recommend it to anyone who nods knowingly at the following description:

The bicycle saves my life every day. If you’ve ever experienced a moment of awe or freedom on a bicycle; if you’ve ever taken flight from sadness to the rhythm of two spinning wheels, or felt the resurgence of hope pedalling to the top of a hill with the dew of effort on your forehead; if you’ve ever wondered, swooping bird-like down a long hill on a bicycle, if the world was standing still; if you have ever, just once, sat on a bicycle with a singing heart and felt like an ordinary human touching the gods, then we share something fundamental.

[Kimmo Sinivuori · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable paean to the bicycle and craftsmanship. Penn tells the story of his quest to build himself the perfect racing bike. While explaining how his bespoke bike is made by the best manufacturers and craftsmen of bicycles and bicycle parts, he also writes about the industrial and cultural history of the bike. With a good editor and half the length this would have been worth four stars. With good illustrations and caption it could even have been five stars.

[Documentally · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have started a lot of books recently but not finishing as many as I would like. I finished this though. So why only 3 out of 5 stars. I'd rather 3.5 but it's not there. I do like a decent travel book. And this is nearly one. It's more of an adventure with a shopping list.

I really appreciate the sentiment behind buying decent, if not the best you can, in order to not buying often. But as the author jets off round the world in search of the ultimate parts for his dream bike I can't help but wonder about his carbon footprint. I won't loose sleep about it and who knows how much Robert has done for the environment throughout his life. That said it was always in the back of my mind.

I was still inspired though. And educated.

Being born in Coventry it was great to read big chunks of its cycling history in these pages.
So although quite technical in places I'm glad I could see through the necessary product placement and also resist searching for these parts myself.

Robert really does champion the inventors and pioneers of bicycle development and this book captures much of that passion.

I'd recommend this to anyone that appreciates the bicycle as a mechanical thing of beauty. Or just wants to be inspired to get back on their bike.

[Alessandro Argenti · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sono appassionato di ciclismo ma l'idea che sta alla base di questo libro è irragionevole... Lasciamo stare che grosso modo metà contenuto è riferito a notizie storiche (che sinceramente in un romanzo proprio non vado a ricercare mai), il resto non è altro che una velata propaganda ad amici/costruttori di materiale tecnico. Fatemi capire, una bicicletta su misura non va bene, è necessario spendere quattro volte tanto per un altro mezzo costruito su pezzi unici che alla fine è....esattamente su misura come il primo?!? E tutto questo solo per dire "la mia bici è esclusiva". Nessuno mai ha sentito una baggianata del genere. E te credo. Un libro solo per estimatori dell'autore o per chi una bici non l'ha mai avuta in vita sua. L'ho interrotto, era scontato.

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's okay. Short, and at times it feels truncated for reasons beyond "that's all I have to say". Feels vaguely like a way to buy a bike and write it off for taxes at times. Interesting for bicycle enthusiasts and maybe for people interested in niche hobbies, but I feel like there's a great book hidden in this good book.

[Robert Sayre · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author is funny. I can identify with his quest to find the perfect bike, though I am quite happy with mine already. Worthwhile for anyone who loves bicycles and appreciates their history and their prominent role in history.

[Georgekapa · Rating 2 out of 5]

περιμενα οτι θαταν πολυ ενδιαφερον αλλα δυστυχως απογοητευτηκα

[Benjamin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty fun! I recommend it if you like bikes and wanna learn a little light bike history

[Noah Kagan · Rating 3 out of 5]

i really liked the premise of the book but kinda gets winded in areas. the story of him making a bike and then history of the best parts is neat. i liked the parts about the history of the bicycle....simple review. just wanted to give context on it.

[Vitalii Makarets · Rating 5 out of 5]

Надихаюча історія про велосипед мрії із епізодами про формування велосипеда.

[Gregg · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not really a book worthy topic.

[Matt Parsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful dig into the history of cycling. Anyone that has built a bike with selected components will know the feeling of it all coming together, and this book takes that and infuses a sense of connection and history to each piece.

[Shay Underwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book about the Authors experience getting a custom built bicycle. Was looking for something more about life experienced while on the bike. Probably a good read if you’re into engineering/design.

[Juuso · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun read - especially if you like or ride bikes.

[Dan Eickmeier · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a way this is a very niche book. A story of a man’s custom bike. I own a custom bike myself and can identify with his journey. I’m not sure folks who don’t have this luxury would feel the same. But it’s also a book about craftsmanship. What it means to be an artisan and really care about your craft. This is much more universal. Anyone can enjoy this part of the book. It’s a quick read that will make you think about a bigger place in culture for the bicycle.

[David Henkhaus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fifth star if he would have put in better photos of his finished bike. ;)

[JK · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful. The magic of cycling and bicycles all in one, and was a joy to read in the way a nice ride is joyful. Just felt swept along, and totally taken by the author's own joy and wonder at bicycles and bicycling history.

But I would not recommend it to anyone who wasn't into bicycles, they'd likely find it inane. Their loss~

[Adrienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is definitely one of my favorite books I've read this year. I loved how each chapter was broken down into one major piece of his bike that he was building. Then on top of following that, we get all this history! I love bikes and I love history so this was a very enjoyable book for me. I will say since there is so much knowledge given, the book was a bit dense and took me a little while to get through. But even so, I really did thoroughly enjoy this book and everything I learned! It has encouraged me to get more bike books.

[Serena · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun introduction into biking culture: much as I would've done as a child, if someone asked me to draw a picture of a bike and express what it means to me, I would draw some lines connecting two circles and say that biking was a fun way to get from Point A to Point B.

How naive.

Biking is not just an outdoor activity, but an intense culture that spans the globe, and the machine itself is quite fascinating when you pay attention. Reading this book was like finding myself at a party and eavesdropping on a handful of people telling a really engaging story. I didn't know what they were talking about but I wanted into the group and their conversation. The analogy holds true for all its pros and cons: pros in that the book welcomes you into its explanations in a not condescending way; cons where it almost assumes you may know more than you do, and doesn't explain enough or in a simplified enough manner. (I would have loved more diagrams and a glossary; maybe even some maps!)

That being said, it's still worth a read for biking culture newbies like me. The author integrates history (including interesting development alongside its sibling, the automobile - many familiar names you once thought started with cars actually began in biking); philosophies behind craft; community; development of the machine itself (including geometry and relationships to the human body - fascinating!); with soulfulness expressed in his own personal adventure to build his dream bike.

The author's yearning is infectious, and I think anyone who already has the bug understands the passion that can be stored in a frame and two wheels and all the components in between, not to mention the distances and adventures over which these things will carry its rider. Makes me want to ride off into the sunset on my own dream bike, wherever that will take me.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author describes some of the history, particularly the early history, of the development of cycling along with an account of his selection of the bits and pieces that are eventually assembled to make his dream bike including visits to manufacturers, all in less than 200 pages. Since I have a coffee table book that describes the history of just derailleurs, he obviously summarizes, generalizes, and leaves some (OK, a lot of) stuff out. For me, knowing something about the subject, it was an interesting read - I enjoyed it. I have to wonder how a reader who was interested in bikes but didn't know that much about the subject would find his explanations of certain slightly technical subjects. It would have been great to have more and better illustrations.

I read the U.S. edition. The dust cover of the U.K. edition included a color photo of this bike he went to so much trouble to have built; it seems odd to have left that off the dust cover of the American version. The British English was not fixed for the U.S. edition - I thought that was a standard process. "Tyre" etc. Not a big deal but seems odd. U.S. distances are supplied in addition to kilometers etc.

Even having read his book, I still don't quite understand what this was the ideal bike for (given that he has six other bikes of various types). It almost seemed like he wanted a randoneering (touring) bike, anyway something for long-long rides, but the subject of randoneering (with its rather different views of many of the choices he made) doesn't come up.

At the end he points out that the bike cost him $5,500. (He translated that to a U.S. measure). There are plenty of off-the-shelf bikes that cost more than that, so I think he got a pretty good deal.

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

I inherited a love of cycling from my Dad. I was encouraged to cycle as a child and found I thoroughly enjoyed the freedom and exercise. Living in the Fens at the time, you could go for miles without too many slopes to climb - although now I love the challenge. We also watched the Tour de France together, an annual ritual that has continued to this day, which I have in turn passed onto my son. This year was a year I never thought I would see as a cycling fan - building from Mark Cavendish winning the Green Jersey in 2011's Tour and the Rainbow Jersey of the World Champion, to the heady heights of Bradley Wiggins winning race after race after race, winning the Tour in 2012 and the Olympics Time Trial - magnificent!

This is the context into which I was lent Robert Penn's slim book, a no apologies celebration of the bicycle. On the surface it is the story of his quest for a bespoke bike, with parts bought from specialists around the world, but at heart it is a celebration of the history of this great invention, exploring the past of each aspect in turn and the people behind it. His passion shows through on every page and reveals many of the forgotten names behind not so much the races, but the invention and refinement of the bike, and it's impact on social history. A fascinating read. It's light in tone, short and easy going, but between its covers lie a substantial amount of information. If, like me, you are a fan of cycling, I'd say you couldn't go far wrong by giving this book a spin.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

What can you say about a guy from Wales who rode around the world because an Irish woman inspired him? foolish? Naive? Soft hearted sentimentalist? I am sure somebody has already had their say about Robert Penn's private devices, his proclamatory penchant for his own garage, his mountainous ascents, the people he hob knobs with, his own rough scrapes flying down nepalese gravel roads...it all sounds so free spirited and liberalizing a reader might be sidled with grief for their own lack of experience.
As a journalist approaches a story though, Penn forgoes his own (admittedly infrequent, compared to an average Strava user's twitter feed) philandering, and adopts a humble, awed perspective, as if he were holding the museum curators hand after wandering into the lecture hall after closing time. As a cyclist and as a journalist, he wants to know the long history of each component: the chain, the seat, the handlebars, the derailleur, the frame and does each piece of engineering the justice it deserves. As a cyclist himself, Penn comes across as an individualist and nearly peerless - his attitude seems appropriate for the characters he encounters while building himself what amounts to a white elephant.
The vast majority of people who ride a bicycle would never have recourse to something like Penn's investment, but any of them could take it out for spin. Perhaps that's what Penn would want to know he had expressed in his memoir - dream bike or not, if it's got two wheels, a drivetrain, a seat, handlebars and a sturdy frame, it'll roll.

[Harve Lemelin · Rating 2 out of 5]

The word elitism springs to mine when reading this book for it is everywhere, from the author’s highlight of his knowledge to his quest to have “the best” custom made bike. However, the reality which seems allude the author throughout the book, is that most people can not afford to have a custom made bike and are therefore compelled to purchase a mass-factory bike. Bikes which the author’s loves to deride or completely ignore yet apparently owned since he mentions his several other bikes), but somehow is now above or beyond these bikes because of his new custom bike.

Conspicuous consumption at its best, and not a single thought or phrase examining what the industry is doing to become (or not) more sustainable or to address social justice. And let’s be clear here, just because the author had the money and support to buy bike components from small cottage industries and specialised bike manufacturers some of who he meet, most people do not. Therefore, this book and the bike purchase represented in are not representative of the larger bike industry.
The historical sections were good, but then again, there are better books on the subject.