It's all about the bike: the pursuit of happiness on two wheels

As an avid cyclist and former bike mechanic, I enjoyed the read. It didn't blow me away, but I enjoyed the ... ride. I wouldn't think that a non-cyclist would enjoy it, since it's fairly mechanic and gets into the nerdy-gerdy (the way someone who likes bikes would).

Fun for bike nerds; maybe others, too. ( )

If you're a bike nerd of any kind, you'll love this. Penn visits the makers of every component (and the frame) as he gets his own bespoke bike made for him. Also, lots of bike history and trivia. ( )

A quick and humorous read about a Welshman's overly epic quest to find the perfect bike for his cycling needs. think Bill Bryson on two wheels.

It's All About the Bike is the author expressing his lifelong love affair with the bicycle, pulled together by the thread of having his dream bike custom-built for him. With each chapter he takes on a piece of the bicycle, talking about the history of the part and why he is choosing the specific brands he is. In several cases he visits the factories or workshops where the parts are made. Penn is a traditionalist, liking the solidity and tradition of builders and companies that have been in the business for a long time. There is nothing wrong with that, but to the cycling population there's also nothing particularly surprising or interesting about choosing a steel frame, a Campagnolo Record groupset, a Brooks saddle, and Continental tires. All are reliable and widely agreed to be good. But they are not unique or special in any way--heck, I'm a much less serious cyclist than Penn, and I have a steel bike with Campagnolo components and Continental tires, and tried a Brooks saddle before deciding it wasn't for me. Though there was one thing notably missing from the work, and I'm a bit curious why he didn't talk about pedals.

So I'm not entirely sure who Penn is writing this book for. He talks about the parts without sufficient images for it to be clear to someone who isn't already quite familiar with bikes, so I don't think it would work so well for non-cyclists. I suppose it is probably written for fellow cycling enthusiasts, then. But most of things he says about his bike he is building -- about the importance of good fit, and the component choices he made -- are not exactly going to be surprising to people who love bikes. There are some interesting bits about the history of the bicycle, and one particularly good section when he visits California and talks about the beginnings of mountain biking, but I'm not sure that those alone are sufficiently interesting to make the book worth picking up for another cyclist. Perhaps it is intended to appeal to the cyclist's inner geek, who loves bikes so much they just love talking about them. I could see myself reading a book like this in the middle of the winter when I couldn't be out riding, to give me a little hope that warmer days are coming again. But I still don't think there is enough interesting content to make it worth buying. ( )