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It's All About the Bike: The Pursuit of Happiness On Two Wheels: In Pursuit of Happiness on Two Wheels [Paperback]

Robert Penn (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (60 customer reviews)
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Book Description

Publication Date: 5 May 2011

Robert Penn's It's All About the Bike: The Pursuit of Happiness on Two Wheels is a paean to the humble bike; it's the story of why we ride, and why this simple machine holds the power to transport us all.

Robert Penn has ridden a bike most days of his life. He rides to get to work, to bathe in air and sunshine, to stay sane and to feel free. This is the story of his love affair with cycling and the journey to build his dream bike; a freewheeling pilgrimage taking him from Californian mountain bike inventors to British artisan frame builders, and from perfect components to the path of true happiness.

'A gem of a book ... a joy'
  Economist

'Infectious, exhilarating, highly engaging'
  Independent

'Be swept along by Penn's enthusiasm, humour and refreshing candour'
  Sunday Telegraph

'Enriches your enjoyment of a ride'
  Sunday Times

'As a depiction of a world you might vote for, Penn's does not sound bad at all'
  Observer

Robert Penn writes for the Financial Times, Observer and Condé Nast Traveller, as well as a host of cycling publications. He is the author of The Wrong Kind of Snow. Robert lives in the Black Mountains, South Wales with his wife and three children and commutes to work across a heather moor on a mountain bike.

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Product details

  • Paperback: 208 pages
  • Publisher: Penguin (5 May 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0141043792
  • ISBN-13: 978-0141043791
  • Product Dimensions: 12.9 x 1.2 x 19.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (60 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 3,004 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Product Description

Review

Gem of a book (Economist )

Penn writes with a Bill-Brysonesque facility for concentrating a lot of information and research into an easy-to-read ... Best of all ... his account enriches your enjoyment of a ride (Tim Dawson, Cycle Guy Sunday Times )

Fantastic ... Well worth a read if, like me, you love cycling! (Paul Smith )

Artfully, Penn turns his quest for hardware ... into a worldwide spin around cycling and its culture (William Fotheringham Guardian )

The pages overflow with pioneers, mavericks and geniuses - certainly, it is hard to imagine anyone who reads this book being able to buy a bike "off the peg" again (Tim Lewis Observer )

I've just spent a week pedalling slowly from Windermere to Aviemore with a copy of Penn's zealous eulogy in my pannier. His infectious admiration for the exhilarating sociability of cycling, coupled with reverence for quality craftsmanship, made highly engaging company ... appreciate the wit and enthusiasm of this unusual odyssey (James Urquhart Independent )

Penn tells us that the bicycle, as we know it, was invented in 1885 and is the most efficient form of transport ever devised... A joyful book (William Leith The Scotsman )

Bike-lit is booming, and while 'cross-country hardtail' might not have the same ring to it as 'penny-farthing', there's evidently little to do with cycling about which Robert Penn can't wax lyrical. Whether his subject is spokes or saddle sores, he is relentlessly enthusiastic... Penn's amiability is puncture-proof (Stephanie Cross Daily Mail )

[H]is adrenalin-charged enthusiasm... delivers a good ride... The social history is snappy and his almost religious quest for ultimate craftsmanship full of wit. (James Urquhart Financial Times )

About the Author

Robert Penn rides a bicycle to get to work, sometimes for work, to keep fit, to bathe in air and sunshine, to travel, to go shopping, to stay sane, to savour the physical and emotional fellowship of riding with friends, for fun, occasionally to impress someone, to scare himself and to hear his boy laugh. He's ridden a bicycle most days of his adult life, in over forty countries on five continents. In his late-twenties, he pedalled around the world. A journalist, Robert writes for the Financial Times, Observer and Condé Nast Traveller, as well as a host of cycling publications. His last book The Wrong Kind of Snow, was praised as 'jam packed with grand themes ... intelligently done' (Daily Mail) and 'endlessly fascinating ... written with flair' (Financial Times). Robert lives in the Black Mountains, South Wales with his wife and three children and commutes to work across a heather moor on a mountain bike.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
79 of 82 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars No really, it IS all about the bike! 30 July 2010
By Mr. P. Etherington
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I purchased this after having watched the TV documentary of the same name and i was not let down!
I had some initial reservations about watching the programme, city guy moves to wales to rediscover himself and finds cycling in the process, it has british movie industry written all over it! The lifelong passion for the bike that was revealed however left me once again chiding my own preconceptions, and yet another inward promise to be more open minded and less reactionary!
Obviously the book fleshes out the broad strokes painted on the tv, but the passion and almost reverence that comes across is a joy to read. Clever writing prevents the book going the way of a sentimental eulogy to craftsmen passed, and instead reveals a soaring demand for the bespoke bike, albeit for a very different user. As a cyclist myself i was particularly gratified to learn that the principal aim of the author attaining his dream bike was to ride it all the time, celebrating it through use, and not just having it as another expensive accessory, (penn himself compares the skill and artistry of a framebuilder to that of a watchmaker or tailor)thus needing it to be absolutely perfect in every detail. Any jealousy at the author having the time and money to be able to trek globally in order to acquire the components for his dream bike are soon forgotten thanks to the total passion that is revealed for every detail of the bike through very skilled writing. It's always gratifying to connect with a fellow bikie, even if through the pages of book, and i was very pleased to see that i already own most of his selected reading!
If you like cycling, buy this book.
If you like travel, buy this book.
If you want a dollop of inspiration to get you back on your own bike, buy this book.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic and inspirational! 8 April 2011
By R. taylor
Format:Hardcover
I bought this after reading an excerpt in a craft magazine.
Having just started cycling regularly again, and planning some touring, this was perfectly timed to inspire me to look beyond what my LBS offers.
Firstly, this book combines a great potted history of bikes and cycling with Robert's personal quest for his ultimate bike. The historical stuff is all very interesting and well presented, never boring, and overall very informative while remaining fun.
On to the inspiring stuff: I have been planning to invest in a proper touring bike, and had a shortlist of four or five - none hand-built, all from my LBS - when I picked this book up. Whilst I do. It have the time, money nor inclination to travel and research in the same way, I am now far more aware of the components and how they are made, and what the true functions are.
Wile I don't have the money for e Rourke frame - the builder Robert chose for his frame - I searched out one of the other frame builders he mentioned, and am planning a visit to Bob Jackson's workshop and shop in Leeds soon (I am currently selling like mad on eBay to fund the new bike!) and am as yet not certain if I will be able to buy a custom frame or not.
The information Robert presents is both incredibly interesting and useful - this book has been the most useful tome whilst I consider my next push-iron.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is planning to spend good money on a bike, anyone with an interest in bikes, and anyone who cycles regularly.
Simply brilliant!
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19 of 21 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars For armchair cyclists (like me), and those of you who know your stuff 28 July 2010
By R. Pryor
Format:Hardcover
Rob's enthusiasm, not just for bikes, but also for the climate their innovation has created, springs out of this book. I enjoyed the people he met - the kinds of people who for me become legends in their determined application of skill, creativity and other nuttiness. Tripping along with him as he watched a welder, I found myself halfway through a piece of fairly complex engineering, only to find that I still understood and I could feel and in some way touch the simplicity and development of the technology. I'm not an engineer, so I love a book that takes me back to fettling in the garage with my Dad. Magic.

Connecting me with the heartbeat of our talented forbears (the British contributors to the development of cycling) , their sharing of genius with those across borders, and to their present incarnations, makes me feel hopeful for Britain too - and that's a gift for me. Ta, Rob.

My only problem with the book is that I unwittingly read it without thinking of the obvious result - that the discomfort of my own bike - and the reasons for that - is now achingly clear, and I guess I might just see if I can find a local frame-maker.... and some cash... :-)
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars Reading material
Was recommended to me and I bought it for a cyling friend so did not get a chance to read it myself so can only say it is a good read as recommended to me
Published 27 days ago by R. Yates
4.0 out of 5 stars Re affirmation
Having gone through a similar process of acquiring a custom built road bike, discovering that this level of two wheeled fetishism was not unique was actually quite refreshing, the... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Surfer Nomad
5.0 out of 5 stars All about the bike
Great book recommended by mr Browning, learnt a lot and amusing too

Great for the history of my new hobby or fascination and also taught me some of the correct terms... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mallibon
5.0 out of 5 stars what a lucky man
As others have said its all about a passion for creating his perfect bike, but the other themes running behind this passion make this book all the more interesting. Read more
Published 2 months ago by JP
5.0 out of 5 stars For cyclists it's a great read
If you have any interest in cycling read this one even a non cyclists will enjoy the story of one man's passion for his hobby
Published 2 months ago by mcmenamb
5.0 out of 5 stars A brilliant present for any bike enthusiast
I chose this a present for a good friend and He loved it, read it in one evening. A definite recommendation; I hope to read it in the future and so gain some biking knowledge!
Published 4 months ago by miss n coates
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Just like the tv programme, this book is excellent. The level of detail is superb and the authors enthusiasm knows no bounds
Published 4 months ago by Pete Dickinson
5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful tale about the bicycle
The author build his bike step by step. Each chapters about different components of the bike frame, headsets etc... Read more
Published 6 months ago by lowlander
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic and Charming
I don't know how I came across this book, but a great find. As someone who just started commuting everyday by (new) bike and quickly becoming a bike nut, it was fantastic intro... Read more
Published 6 months ago by MumbleNut
3.0 out of 5 stars A light read
I bought this on the recommendation of a friend expecting it to add more detail to Rob's interesting TV documentary. Which one is a spin-off from the other is unclear. Read more
Published 7 months ago by R. Bowker
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