1001 Bikes to Dream of Riding before you die
May 8th, 2015
By Andrew Dodd in Lifestyle
Product full name: 1001 Bikes to dream of riding before you die
Retail Price: £20
Available from: www.amazon.co.uk
Compiled by renowned cycling journalist Guy Kesteven – who has one of the most remarkable (en)cyclopaedic brains in the bike industry – 1001 bikes to dream of riding before you die, as you might have guessed, features 1001 bikes. There’s a split between road bikes, mountain bikes, BMX bikes and all the odd stuff that can’t really be categorised. Like the odd looking Rickshaws used in Asia to transport small houses or entire flocks of birds, each in their own cage.
It’s a fascinating book and there is plenty to learn in here – It will no doubt trigger a few smiles and memories if you’ve been riding for more than a decade, and will also earn you valuable pub knowledge to impress your fellow riders.
The Santa Cruz Tazmon was one of the early full suspension bikes that got it right
Mert Lawwil brought his engineering experience in to mountain bikes from the world of motor cycle racing, and developed the parallelogram design used on the Straight 8, Straight 6 and the Four Banger. Schwinn also used the same design, but Yeti really had it going on…
Most people will know the Mongoose Supergoose – but who remembers the Raleigh Vektar with it’s onboard ‘computer’? What an amazing POS that thing is! I used to want one of those when I first saw the advert on TV for them!
John Tomac’s Team Raleigh made from Titanium and Carbon Fibre – lugged tube construction. And of course the infamous Tioga Disc Drive with it’s rumble…
The Mountain Cycle San Andreas is still widely regarded as one of the best original suspension bikes. It had floating disc brakes and upside down forks in a day when most couldn’t even figure out where to put the pivot point!
Way back in 2007 Kirk Pacenti made the 650b wheel, tyre and bike. No one listened. One of the biggest ‘told you so’s’ in MTB history.
The famous GT Lobo. Famously cool, famously desirable and famously breakable!
This is considered a fairly modest cargo in India. No joke.
We say
If you ride bikes and have even the slightest bit of bike geek about you, then you need this book in your life. It’s a brilliant resource and will teach even the most knowledgeable cyclist a thing or two. Except Guy of course, who probably plucked the list from the top of his head. He’s weirdly brilliant like that.
Right now, the book is on offer for just £16 on Amazon. Get involved!
