The Elite Bicycle: Portraits of Great Marques, Makers and Designers

By: Gerard Brown and Graeme Fife and Sir Paul Smith

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Synopsis: On a modern bike, carbon fibre, titanium and ceramic are combined with hand worked steel, CNC'd aluminium and finely tooled leather. There's also a deep and rich tradition of engineering excellence married to artisan eccentricity in all parts of the bicycle industry. In Brittany, top quality racing tyres are still hand made from cotton, silk and latex while in Germany they are made on huge industrial presses. The approach to both couldn't be more different but the end result is the same.This in-depth, lavishly illustrated book looks in detail at some of the world's finest road bicycle and bicycle component companies. Old-world craftsmanship and modern process engineering will sit side by side on the page, while photographs of the factories show the different processes and environments that go towards making these superb machines. The finished product is featured in use or in a studio set.