Short Synopsis
From author Robert Penn, It's All About the Bike is an exhilarating and unforgettable memoir of one man's quest to build the perfect bicycle.

Full Synopsis

Robert Penn has saddled up nearly every day of his adult life. In his late twenties, he pedaled 25,000 miles around the world. Today he rides to get to work, sometimes for work, to bathe in air and sunshine, to travel, to go shopping, to stay sane, and to skip bath time with his kids. He's no Sunday pedal pusher. So when the time came for a new bike, he decided to pull out all the stops. He would build his dream bike, the bike he would ride for the rest of his life; a customized machine that reflects the joy of cycling.

It's All About the Bike follows Penn's journey, but this book is more than the story of his hunt for two-wheel perfection. En route, Penn brilliantly explores the culture, science, and history of the bicycle. From artisanal frame shops in the United Kingdom to California, where he finds the perfect wheels, via Portland, Milan, and points in between, his trek follows the serpentine path of our love affair with cycling. It explains why we ride.

It's All About the Bike is, like Penn's dream bike, a tale greater than the sum of its parts. An enthusiastic and charming tour guide, Penn uses each component of the bike as a starting point for illuminating excursions into the rich history of cycling. Just like a long ride on a lovely day, It's All About the Bike is pure joy—enriching, exhilarating, and unforgettable.

"If you don't long for your own bike at the end of this book, you will at least never look at one the same way again." ---Kirkus

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

"Gem of a book." ---The Economist

"With his deep British accent, Jonathan Cowley conveys the enthusiasm of the author as well as the pride of the craftsman." ---AudioFile