IT'S ALL ABOUT THE BIKE by Rob Penn

Some unfortunate souls in Mayfield will have noticed that on occasion I make my journey to work from Broad Oak by bicycle. This combines the merits of environmentally friendliness, a degree of becoming less unfit and a source of humour for those catching the ever deepening beetroot colour of my face as I struggle up Fletching Street Hill. So even though only equipped with a '£25 off eBay' cycle - I was fascinated to come across Robert Penn's book - 'It's all about the Bike - The pursuit of happiness on two wheels'  [Particular Books; £16.99 ].

Rob achieved a degree of fame, or notoriety as one of those intrepid souls who set off to cycle around the world, in his case taking  three  years and about 40,00 kms. He still rides every day and has an array of cycles for various uses - but it was not enough. He wanted the perfect bike, for him. Not a lurid off-the-shelf carbon fibre monstrosity for five thousand pounds, but a custom built, bespoke model, using the finest of components and as individual as a Saville row suit.

In searching for the components he tells the mechanical and social history of the bicycle, from its seventeenth century origins, through the penny farthing to the shape we now are familiar with. He looks at its role in early twentieth century emancipation and giving access to the countryside to people who previously would have struggled to leave their parish. He also examines the impact of fashions and racing on cycling technology, the transformations in the west coast of America in the eighties, the rise of the mountain bike and development of cycling friendly cities like Portland, Oregon, and the changes that these have driven.

He starts off being measured for the frame by an artisan frame builder in Stoke-On-Trent (Rourkes), to Brooks of Smethwick for a leather saddle, he goes to Germany for tyres (Continental), to Italy for the gears and brakes (Campagnolo) and for handlebars and front forks (Cinelli), to the USA for headset bearings (Chris King)and wheels (Gravy rims and assembling with  British Royce hubs and Belgian spokes) and finally home for building. In each location he finds a wonderful history of each component and why it has developed to where it is and what is in the future. Nearly every manufacturer is almost obsessive with commercial secrecy; "you are the only outsider ever to allowed through this door, and no cameras" is an oft repeated refrain.

In the end he has spent a lot of money on a dream, the best there is. And has told us the great story of the bicycle in the process.