Racing Bicycles

Features racing bikes from the last 100 years. Spectacular photography of racing machines from the Tour de France, the Olympics and World Championships, as well as bikes for everyday use.

This breathtaking new compilation gathers a hand-picked selection of bicycles from Europe and Australia, and documents developments in technology and style over the past century. Racing bikes integrate form and function and the results are often surprisingly elegant, as well as practical, whether for cycling in competition or for pleasure.

The racing bikes contained in this book range from unused models to well-ridden but lovingly restored machines – from early-20th century models featuring wooden wheel rims, to the latest in carbon-fibre and titanium technology.

About the Author

David Rapley has been fascinated with mechanical devices and their origins for as long as he can remember. This led ultimately to a career as a professional mechanical engineer and a pastime as an amateur historian. He started racing bicycles from age 13 until educational and work demands relegated this to a recreational pastime and has since maintained a strong interest in this sport particularly its technical, social and historical roots.

For the past 36 years he has been a professional restorer of early sports and racing cars, motorbikes and bicycles and was the co-founder of the Austin Healey Club in Australia in the 1960s. After becoming a life member of the Victorian Historic Racing Register and part of the small group instrumental in formalising historic car racing in Australia with the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport. He continued to serve in various administrative and technical roles for the next 20 years and today acts as a consultative technical adviser to the sport.

David Rapley wrote the definitive history of Rifle Clubs in Australia, which was given a Special Commendation Award from the Victorian Government for this original research into an unexplored chapter of Australian social and military history. He is also a regular contributor to various magazines and books on historic car racing and rifle shooting and guest speaker.