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CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
It is astonishing how far a couple of wheels, some metal tubing and a length of chain will take you. Some people have used a bicycle to travel around the world or become household names by racing on one. Others have used a bicycle to become fitter, healthier people, or simply to arrive at work on time without sitting in traffic for hours on end. But something all these different uses have in common is the simple pleasure of cycling.
Beijing, China: Asian cities have depended on the bicycle for many years.
Whether youre pedalling through Alpine scenery on a holiday or swishing along a city cycleway during your commute, the bicycle is a uniquely liberating and exciting way to travel.
In the 150 years since its invention, the bicycle has had its share of ups and downs. In some countries, such as China and India, it has, until recently, been an essential mode of mass transport. In Western countries, such as Britain, the bicycle has evolved into a piece of leisure or sporting equipment. These distinct views of how a bike can be used, however, are now merging, and a cycling renaissance is taking place across Europe, the USA and beyond.
In cities across the world, from London to Washington, DC, and from Toronto to Melbourne, bike-share schemes are sprouting. Computerised stations dispense sturdy bicycles for short trips around town. The bikes are returned to another rank ready for someone else to use. With so many people trying a bicycle again, perhaps for the first time since childhood, its no surprise that cycling as transport is booming. Bike sales in Britain are predicted to increase to about four million per year in 2015, and miles of new cycle paths are being laid. Even in fast-paced New York, hardly the most easy-going city for cyclists, the revolution has taken root, and streets are becoming car-free zones, as more than 1,900km (1,200 miles) of new cycle lanes are planned to be in place by 2030. The result is an increase of 45 percent in cycle commuting in the three years to 2009: build it, and they will come.
Mountain biking pioneers on Mt Tamalpais, California, took cycling to another level.
People are turning to cycling for a number of reasons: a concern for the environment or as a way to cut down on vehicle fuel bills, for low-cost exercise or simply as a way of getting from A to B quicker than using a car or bus. And among these new cyclists there will be some who will want to take their bicycle to new places or race it against other riders. This book charts that progression. Whether youre starting out, riding for fitness or becoming interested in racing, The Cycling Bible will share useful insights and information. It will explain how to buy the right bike, get in shape for the sport and teach you all the skills needed to ride further faster. Road cycling and mountain biking are given equal prominence, and whether you ride on or off the road, youll be guided through what to wear, the kit youll need and how to use it. Safety is a priority for any cyclist too, so expert advice is delivered on reducing all sorts of risk, whether youre commuting to work on busy roads or hitting the trails in your free time.
Bike-sharing schemes are proliferating around the world.
Throughout this book, the bicycle is celebrated. A functional machine it may be, but it inspires great devotion in its riders, whether theyre schoolchildren or weekend racers. In part, this is thanks to what the bicycle enables. Its a means of getting together with friends, challenging yourself or simply getting away from daily stresses for a couple of hours to feel the wind in your hair and that sense of weightlessness.
The bicycle is the most civilised conveyance known to man, wrote author Iris Murdoch. Other forms of transport grow daily more nightmarish. Only the bicycle remains pure in heart.
Cycling in the mountains can be exhilarating.
The bicycle opens minds, reveals cities and offers freedom. A cyclist becomes part of the whole scenery, absorbing sights, sounds and smells in an instant. Liberated from the confines of a train or car, the cyclist can take swooping detours through parks, stop to greet friends or freewheel down deliciously thrilling hills. And when the joy of cycling is rudely interrupted by a piece of broken glass or a rough-edged pothole, The Cycling Bible will explain how to repair a puncture in a matter of minutes.
Cyclings renaissance looks set to continue, attracting ever-greater interest, as a sport, recreation and transport solution. Whether you take up 24-hour mountain bike marathon racing or just take the children to school in a bike trailer, The Cycling Bible will be an essential companion.