Cyclopedia: It's All about the Bike

The world of cycling is one of death-defying feats and obscure mechanical

oddities, heroics and geekiness in equal measure. In Cyclopedia, renowned two-wheel aficionado and acclaimed sportswriter William Fotheringham delves deep into this world to unearth amazing facts and enthralling anecdotes.

This essential book is an A to Z compendium of everything you could ever want to know about the bicycle, from the history of the Tour de France to Chris Hoy’s dominance of the Beijing velodrome, from the origins of the quick-release system to the diet that powered Graeme Obree to the world hour record, from Lance Armstrong’s fabled career to the slang words used for performance-enhancing substances, from the literature of cycling to the perils of vicious dogs.

Cyclopedia has all the equipment, the races, the chases, the faces, the places, the drugs, the sex, and the scandals to convert any amateur cyclist into a full-fledged bike expert.

William Fotheringham has been a racing cyclist on road and track since 1981. He has been cycling correspondent at the Guardian newspaper since 1994 and, since then, has covered the Tour de France for them every year. In 1993 he was launch editor of Cycle Sport magazine, and in 1998 he launched procycling magazine and website. His biography of Tom Simpson, Put Me Back on My Bike, was acclaimed by Vélo magazine as “the best cycling biography ever written.”