Everything you need to know about road cycling - the bikes, the races, the famous riders - in an intricately illustrated, compact volume. Every major historical development of the road bicycle and the road race is illustrated, from the first geared bikes to modern-day time-trial machines, and from the first penny-farthing races up to the modern Tour de France. Also included are a wealth of facts, figures, and stats, as well as intriguing and quirky stories from the history of competitive cycling.