On yer bike

ROBERT PENN is a British journalist and cycling enthusiast whose quest to assemble the perfect bicycle is chronicled in his new book, It’s All About The Bike: The Pursuit of Happiness on Two Wheels.

As he sources the frame, steering system, driver-train, wheels and saddle over several months in Europe and America, Penn encounters a series of master craftsmen whose enthusiasm for cycling is, if anything, even greater than his own. He also recounts the illustrious history of the bicycle and its supporters, outlining its contribution to social change in the early 20th century, as well as its role in the world of sports.