The Pleasures, Objects and Advantages of Cycling
Contents
- Argues that cycling's unique combination of speed, skill, and freedom produces a singular pleasure unavailable in other sports.
- Traces the cycle from early hobby-horses through penny-farthings to safety bicycles and tricycles of the 1880s.
- Recounts the author's personal journey from boneshaker through various safety machines, with candid observations on each.
- Makes the case for cycling as a practical mode of everyday transport, not merely a leisure pursuit for enthusiasts.
- Celebrates club touring, social rides, and the convivial pleasures cycling offers as an outdoor recreation.
- Describes road and track racing, the cyclists who compete, and the spectacle and significance of cycle sport in the 1880s.
- Surveys eccentric machines, unusual feats, and odd incidents from the diverse and sometimes bizarre world of cycling.
- Narrates a lively tandem excursion shared with a companion, evoking the unique joys of riding together.
- Reviews cycling's rich periodical press, handbooks, and poetry, surveying the sport's surprisingly extensive written culture.