# Craftsmanship, Elegance and Function.



## cyclingday (Jan 9, 2010)

I just got a book, titled " The Golden Age of Handbuilt Bicycles"  
By Jan Heine and Jean Pierre Praderes.
 It covers the French built touring bikes from 1909 up through the mid 1960s
with marque names such as;
 La Gauloise,Hirondelle,Reyhand,Uldry,Longoni,Integral,Alex Singer and Rene Herse.
 Of course, being a myopic American, I had never heard of most of those names. 
 They had a competition before and after World War II called "The Concours de Machines" (Technical Trials) Where builders competed for the prize of being voted the best Cyclotouring Bicycle of the year. Out of that came most of the modern day innovations that we now take for granted.
 It's a pretty interesting book in that it shows how the bicycle went from being a childs toy to a serious vehicle that could traverse an entire country.


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## sam (Jan 9, 2010)

That was his first book,just wait till you get "The Competition Bicycle"


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## sailorbenjamin (Jan 9, 2010)

That's a great book.  Lots of eye candy.  Lots of words too.  I didn't have time to read most of the word, standing there in the bookstore.


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## Rus Tea (Jan 12, 2010)

Stand?  Plop down in leather sofa compliments of Barnes and Noble enjoy a Starbucks and spend the day....it's free 'cept for the java!


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## pedal alley (Jan 12, 2010)

Starbucks ? probaly more reasonable to buy the book.
least be...youd still have the book the next day.LOL.


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