a book about a man's search for his perfect bike

[Climb01742]

i heard an interview with the author on NPR. sounded like a good guy, an interesting guy, and a cool book. wanted to share:

http://www.npr.org/2011/05/15/136239243/bike-mad-author-finds-happiness-on-two-wheels

[AngryScientist]

caught the same feature, pretty cool.

[Birddog]

Interesting, but that guy is delusionary if he really thinks this will be his last bike. He's just like the rest of us, he'll want another soon enough. N+1!

[fuzzalow]

Great way to build a bike, nice locales too. What's not to like? Be nice to follow this up to find out if that bike was a keeper or just another ship in the night. Doesn't matter, every bike is a new love.

[Nil Else]

His documentary version(?):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cj4iu8w5Dys

[Ti Designs]

Interesting, but that guy is delusionary if he really thinks this will be his last bike. He's just like the rest of us, he'll want another soon enough. N+1!


Leave me out of "the rest of us". I now have two road bikes, my Serotta and a Specialized Allez, seems like one too many...

[vsefiream]

I'm terrible about reading books, my library is mostly magazines covering just about anything on wheels. That said, I definitely plan on picking up this book! I have a spot reserved between The Bicycle Wheel and Cannonball!.

[Len J]

Thanks Climb....just downloaded it to my IPad.

Len

[Tailwinds]

Thanks for the tip!

Another book to check out is Need for the Bike... one of my faves!

[MattTuck]

Very interesting, thanks for the heads up.

Watched the video... that frame builder makes "5 bespoke frames per week" :o :o Something doesn't sound right there... Unless he is more than a one man shop.

[fiamme red]

Leave me out of "the rest of us". I now have two road bikes, my Serotta and a Specialized Allez, seems like one too many...Then you also have the fixed-gear, and MTB, and tandem... :)

[dekindy]

Leave me out of "the rest of us". I now have two road bikes, my Serotta and a Specialized Allez, seems like one too many...

I am with you. I just keep a backup bike because my Legend had a DS dropout crack and I was without it for 3 weeks and could have missed RAIN except for Serotta's exceptional warranty service. Probably just need extra set of wheels for backup and to make it quick and convenient to put the bike on the trainer.

[InspectorGadget]

... a bike that I'm going to ride for the rest of my life. Famous last words.

[Ti Designs]

Then you also have the fixed-gear, and MTB, and tandem... :)

Well, I have a fixed gear, a track bike, a mountain bike, a road tandem and an off road tandem. But they serve different purposes and as much as I would always like to take the bike closest to the door with air in the tires, it just doesn't work - I've tried.

[Ti Designs]

I am with you. I just keep a backup bike because my Legend had a DS dropout crack and I was without it for 3 weeks and could have missed RAIN except for Serotta's exceptional warranty service. Probably just need extra set of wheels for backup and to make it quick and convenient to put the bike on the trainer.


Good point. The bolt on one of my dropouts on my Serotta failed too, and I only had the one road bike at the time.

[Ray]

Thanks for the heads up - just loaded it onto my Kindle and will get to it soon.

I know a lot of people don't think there is such thing as "the bike I'll ride for the rest of my life", but I believe there is. I have one of them (two actually, but someday I may decide I only need one and could sell the other). I pretty much knew it from the first ride, but I didn't really believe it until a couple of years had gone by without even a THOUGHT about a different bike. After about six years now and STILL no thoughts of other bikes, I'm pretty damn sure. And this was after about ten years of trying EVERYTHING out there and liking some bikes a lot but never being QUITE satisfied. And then I was.

Unless age somehow causes me to be unable to ride it and maybe I'll get a trike or something, but for my foreseeable riding future, I think I have it. (BTW, the second one was just an attempt to pretty much replicate the first but with clearance for fatter tires and fenders, and S&S couplers so I could take it with me - its not identical, but its close enough).

-Ray

[benb]

Thanks..

I stuck it on my wish list and I'll get to it eventually.. two I also saw which looked interesting after they were recommended by Amazon based on this book.

Bike Snob: Systematically and Mercilessly Realigning the world of cycling (By BSNYC)

Cycling's 50 craziest stories (by Les Woodland)

[katematt]

Does anyone know what kind/brand or type bike he eventually picked?

or am I missing the point.... meaning its the journey etc.

Just don't think I'll get to read it anytime soon thats all.

[Nil Else]

If I remember correctly (I watched the vid a little while ago) it's a custom frame from an UK builder... I can't recall the name though.

I'm assuming the book and the video story is one and the same...

[e-RICHIE]

If I remember correctly (I watched the vid a little while ago) it's a custom frame from an UK builder... I can't recall the name though.

I'm assuming the book and the video story is one and the same...


brian rourke atmo.

[MattTuck]

the video indicated the builder made 5 frames a week, is that even possible???

[MarleyMon]

I watched the youtube video, its OK. He is very enthusiastic and the build is eclectic.
I suppose his extensive travel is all a business expense for the book -
smart move. He described it as the bike w/ the biggest carbon footprint ever.

[rounder]

i heard an interview with the author on NPR. sounded like a good guy, an interesting guy, and a cool book. wanted to share:

http://www.npr.org/2011/05/15/136239243/bike-mad-author-finds-happiness-on-two-wheels

Good interview. The writer should hang out here and read threads about buying a bike for $2,000, etc. You find a frame that will be all things possible for the rides you do. Then you ask around to find out what components will suit your needs. Then you go out and find the stuff, hopefully at reasonable prices, and build the bike. After all your successful efforts, you go out and ride the thing. After all the hard work and good advice, you realize that all went well and post pictures and thank everyone. That is how it went for me. Thanks all.

[Peter P.]

Thanks for posting the link to the youtube video. I JUST WASTED OVER AN HOUR WATCHING IT!

No, seriously: Rob Penn's enthusiasm and passion was great. Worth that hour!

[fogrider]

you gota love it! he was got to travel to italy to pick up his groupo after taking a factory tour! I just watched the youtube vids, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't ride on aero rims everyday. I ride a steel frame twice a week, but it not because I think its the best riding bike in my stable. its my lunch time training bike and its my heaviest road bike which means the best workout. so why not ride the super light road bike that is hand built as often as you can?

[PBWrench]

This is a really good book -- I read it about 6 moinths ago. I learned a lot about the historical evolution of the bicycle. Well worth the time!

[T.J.]

I would like to believe there is a perfect bike and that I have it. I have owned more than my fair share of bikes. Some were great but left a little something to be desired. My Speedvagen seems to have ended my search. I still look at all the awesome bikes posted here and other places on the intrawebs but now its just an appreciation of the bikes, the builds etc instead of " ohhhhhh I want!!!!"

[Hawker]

Looks like he is on a book tour of the Western U.S.

http://www.robpenn.net/speaking.phtml