The Golden Age of Handbuilt Bicycles: Craftsmanship, Elegance, and Function

By Jan Heine

Book Overview

The Golden Age of Handbuilt Bicycles is a celebration of the design history and craftsmanship behind this simple but efficient two-wheeled vehicle. Featuring fifty classic models built by hand, this book unveils the bicycle's technical evolution within a historical context. Beautifully detailed are early-twentieth-century models with multi-gear systems, mid-century machines where war and postwar economy challenged craft and utility, as well as modern and contemporary bicycles. Featured artisans and brands include La Gauloise, Reyhand, Schulz, Barra, Alex Singer, and Rene Herse. With brilliant full-color images of each model and chronological text detailing the craftsmanship that went into producing these elegant machines, this book will appeal to bicycle enthusiasts and to anyone interested in design.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0847830942
• ISBN13: 9780847830947
• Release Date: March 2009
• Publisher: Rizzoli International Publications, Incorporated
• Length: 168 Pages
• Weight: 2.94 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 9.7" x 12.1"