The custom bicycle: buying, setting up, and riding the quality bicycle

by Michael J. Kolin, Denise M. de la Rosa

Serious and competitive bicycle riders are provided with detailed information on bicycles built to specific body measurements and offered professional advice on the proper adjustment of the saddle, handlebars, and stem

288 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1979

Reviews

[Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though the book was written in 1979, I must say that this was a much more interesting that I thought it would be.



Some of the information was seriously dated... like the section on how to size and fit toe clips, but most of the information is surprisingly still current, well not that surprising since fundamentally the shape and style of bicycles hasn't really changed that much.



I was intrigued and captivated by the stories about the frame frame builders around the world. From the little shops in USA & France to the Master Builders in Italy. I now have a much greater respect on what frame builders (even in modern times) go through for their art. The skill of building frames has really been handed down from builder to builder (father to son sometimes) for generations and it is really sad to see this lost in the sea of Carbon Fibre that now dominates the industry.

[Dann Zinke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of outdated info, but a good glossary and a good overview of the bike "scene" in the mid-70s. Also lots of detailed info about frame building.