In thirty-three vivid chapters, David Houghton profiles some of the most unusual people ever to ride a bicycle.
Not just champions and record-holders, but inventors, daredevils, misfits, rebels, and glorious obsessives. The first man to loop the loop on a bicycle. The woman who advertised spring water on her bloomers while riding around the world. The poet determined to break 200 km/h. The ill-fated Antarctic rider. The octogenarian chasing the hour record. Even Albert Einstein and Freddie Mercury make appearances in cycling's long and improbable story.
Spanning from Karl Drais's 1817 running machine, born in the shadow of the "Year Without a Summer", to the modern era of world-circling endurance feats, these stories connect two centuries of invention, obsession, speed, endurance, race, gender, rebellion, and reinvention.
This is not a book about gear ratios or race results. It is a celebration of the human spirit.
Houghton writes with the precision of a historian and the timing of a storyteller. His research is meticulous, but never showy. The facts illuminate rather than overwhelm. Each chapter can be read in a single sitting, yet together they form a sweeping, 200-year narrative of motion and madness.
What Readers Are Saying "What a pleasure! These fun, bite-sized stories are a true joy to read. - Richard Snodsmith, Trek Travel
"Inspiring, fun, and educational. I enjoyed every unique, wild story." - Goh Iromoto, Filmmaker
"More than a book about bicycles. It's a celebration of the spirit of riders large and small, past and present." - Nate Lessnick, Flow State Bike Co.
"Houghton's engaging prose and impeccable research turn Thirty Three Cyclists into a compelling journey through the famous landmarks and forgotten corners of cycling lore." - Gabriel Aldaz, The Accidental Bicycle Tourist
"Meticulous research and captivating storytelling... a journey through the most bizarre, exciting, and often forgotten events in cycling history." - HD Sports
If your idea of a good ride involves a little discomfort and a lot of storytelling, Thirty Three Cyclists deserves a permanent place on your bookshelf.
And once you finish the thirty-third story, you may find yourself hoping for thirty-three more.
