Custom Bicycles: A Passionate Pursuit [Hardcover]

Christine Elliott (Author), David Jablonka (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 15, 2009

A unique study of the names and bikes of the world's most famous, innovative and legendary makers of contemporary bespoke bicycles.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Images Publishing Dist Ac (May 15, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 186470313X
• ISBN-13: 978-1864703139
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 10.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #983,259 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars images and writing miss the point, July 14, 2009

By 

G. R. Smith (Chicago IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Custom Bicycles: A Passionate Pursuit (Hardcover)

It's a shame about this book. The Authors have hit on some interesting builders and some not...the book seems to have been put together by people who aren't passionate about bicycles or maybe don't know about what to put into a book for people who are...There are a few satisfying photos, but not many, its mostly artsy detail shots AND NEVER SHOWING YOU THE WHOLE FROM WHICH THE DETAIL WAS TAKEN...which is lame.
The writing also seems to miss, in that the one consistent point (made vaguely) is what music is playing in the builders studios at the time of interview...which could be interesting if there were real content.
At no piont are any specs of bicycles discussed in terms beyond the words steel, carbon fiber, and titanuim...

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful book on beautifully crafted bicycles, May 19, 2009

By 

Steve Frazier (Seattle) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Custom Bicycles: A Passionate Pursuit (Hardcover)

One of the great features of bicycling is that the bikes themselves can still be made to personal specifications by individual craftspeople or small shops. This book features both well known veterans, and a few newcomers, and shows all types of bikes -- from all-out racers, to touring bikes, to even a few "show" bikes that likely don't get ridden much (e.g., Craig Calfee's bamboo bike with bullhorn handlebars).

There are plenty of "coffee table" type books exploring other crafts -- hand made furniture, pottery, custom motorcycles, etc. -- but as far as I know this is the only widely available recent book showing the current state of the art of custom bike building. Many of these bikes appear to date from early 2008 (several of them were on display at the North American Handbuilt Bicycle Show in Portland in February 2008, and were made about then). And most of the builders are "open for business:" except for two or three who have exceptionally long waiting lists, I think you could contact practically anyone in the book and get your own custom bike in a matter of weeks or months (more likely months than weeks).

A few quibbles - since the photos were collected from a variety of photographers from various sources in Europe, North America and Australia, the photos and layout lack a consistency or point of view about how to show a bike (as opposed to Jan Heine's book, "The Golden Age of Handbuilt Bicycles," which is about historic custom bikes, and which used a single photographer shooting bikes with a consistent, clean white background). As a result, while all the photos are good, in some cases the photos are not as useful as they could be (for example, there are way too many shots of Calfee's novelty bikes and not enough of his standard bamboo or carbon fiber bikes).

Anyway, that is just a quibble. It's a great book for any serious cyclist or anyone who enjoys fine craftsmanship.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars top-flight bicycles and their designers, May 17, 2009

By 

Henry Berry "Henry Berry" (Southport, CT) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Custom Bicycles: A Passionate Pursuit (Hardcover)

Thirty-nine small (boutique) bicycle design and manufacture companies from Australia, Canada, the U.S., and Europe are catalogued with website references in an appendix. This alone would make the book of special interest for serious amateur bicyclists and competitors. But the book goes far beyond this with a section of a short essay on each company followed by half a dozen or so color photographs of its bicycles and close-ups of details of these. Some of the sections also have photographs of workshops, employees, manufacturing steps such as welding, and bikes in use for pleasure or competition.

Reading the essays on the companies gives an overview of design intents, ideas, and options for custom or limited-production bicycles and different types, uses, materials, and features. The essays also have information on the backgrounds of the founders of the small manufacturers, their attachment to the field, and the principles and aims in the design of their bicycles. In this material, readers will learn about advanced dimensions and trends of the field.

The illustrated book combining elements of a buyer's and consumer's guide and art-book appearance and quality makes an ideal gift for any bicycle enthusiast or an outstanding book on the technicalities and romance of the field for oneself.