The Bicycle Book - Wit, Wisdom and Wanderings
book review
Satya House Publications, 2007, $14.95, 152 Pages
This is a book for people who love cycling. And although I had a few suspicions at first, I must finally have become a real cyclist, because I enjoyed this book.
The Bicycle Book: Wit, Wisdom and Wanderings is a compilation of contributions from the Bicycle Exchange website, edited by Jim Joyce. The book also includes contributions that have never appeared on the site. It is divided into three categories – you guessed it: Wit, Wisdom, and Wanderings.
At first, the Wit section might remind you of those cliché golf books; you know, the ones that only golfers think are interesting and funny? Articles like the “Life is a Bike” series, and “Are You a Gearhead?” are okay, but you’ll really start to warm up to the book when you read the part about what dogs and cyclists have in common.
The Wisdom section is my favourite, mostly because of the sample of questions and answers from Andy the Mechanic’s bike repair column on the website. Andy’s contributions should almost be in the Wit section – they are entertaining and full of great information.
The Wanderings section is aptly named, and is an eclectic mix of mostly personal stories, ranging from a tribute to a bicycle mentor, to a short bit about a railbike tour. If you don’t already know what railbiking is, you’ll have to read the book to find out.
Overall, the book has some nice touches. The comics are great, and the little bicycle icons at the end of each article are so cute! It’s the sort of book that you leave lying around and dip into from time to time. For avid cyclists, it’s a worthwhile read.
----------
