Bicycles & Tricycles: A Classic Treatise on Their Design and Construction (Dover Transportation) [Paperback]

Archibald Sharp (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2, 2011 | Series: Dover Transportation

This late-19th-century volume on the science and mechanics of the bicycle remains unsurpassed in its thorough, accurate, technical coverage of the subject. More than 560 illustrations, diagrams, figures, and tables complement an exhaustive examination of such topics as the development of cycles, kinematics, stability, steering, the frame, gears, stresses, and mechanical components.

Product Details

• Paperback: 576 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications (November 2, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486429873
• ISBN-13: 978-0486429878
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #213,763 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #33 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Antiques & Collectibles > Transportation

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow - I never expected...., August 4, 2005

By 

Mark A. Lucas "SingleSpeeder" (Austin, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bicycles & Tricycles: A Classic Treatise on Their Design and Construction (Dover Transportation) (Paperback)

Honestly, I have studied some of the older bikes, like highwheelers and the safeties and even the racing frames used by 6-day racers like Major (Marshall) Taylor... and I honestly thought most of the early bikes were designed by luck and a prayer.

Sharp shows how much engineering knowledge was known about bicycles at the early parts of the 20th century. No wonder bikes were the precursors to --the automobile, --the airplane, --Harleys!

Concerns about bottom-bracket flex, weight distribution, climbing efficiency, transmission systems, steering control, comfort, stability at speed, etc. are all covered. Various materials and their pros and cons are covered (but back then exotic materials were bamboo and heat treated rolled steel!).

If you are an engineer or have a good background in math, you will be entertained by the incredible amounts of analysis presented in the text. If you are just a techie bike geek like me you will still enjoy it without breaking out the calculator to verify the formulaes. There are lots of 'pretty pictures' and well explained concepts to inform and entertain anyone interested in the fundmental engineering priciples and concerns of bicycles.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A classic., December 17, 2003

By 

Mark (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bicycles & Tricycles: A Classic Treatise on Their Design and Construction (Dover Transportation) (Paperback)

The greatest bicycle engineering book ever written, and it's from 1896. When resources and minds were focused on bicycles, Archibald Sharp was leading the pack. Soon after the focus turned to internal combustion engines and no other books like this one have ever been published. This new edition is economical and a must for any serious bike book collection.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Still Useful Today, June 30, 2004

By 

Leopold Bloom (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bicycles & Tricycles: A Classic Treatise on Their Design and Construction (Dover Transportation) (Paperback)

One of Sharp's goals was to debunk the truly awful designs of his day, and hopefully bring about their demise. When the book was written, the "ordinary" had only recently given way to the "safety," and the proliferation of designs described here is truly mind-boggling. As a historical record of early bicycle design, no other book even comes remotely close. The technical section is thorough enough to qualify as an engineering textbook, and needs no updating. The section on the design of individual components is of course limited by what was available at the time, but nevertheless is still of interest. After the numerous references to this book in Mike Burrows' "Bicycle Design," I had searched unsuccessfully for years for a used copy. The reissuance of Sharp at a reasonable price shouldn't be passed up by anyone with even a passing interest in bicycle design and history. Be forewarned: this is a faithful facsimile of the original, and as such, the typeface isn't as clear as what we're used to nowadays. We're lucky that the book is available at all, and this edition is undoubtably superior in appearance to an original (assuming you can even find one).