The bicycle is almost unique among human-powered machines in that it uses human muscles in a near-optimum way. This new edition of the bible of bicycle builders and bicyclists provides just about everything you could want to know about the history of bicycles, how human beings propel them, what makes them go faster, and what keeps them from going even faster. The scientific and engineering information is of interest not only to designers and builders of bicycles and other human-powered vehicles but also to competitive cyclists, bicycle commuters, and recreational cyclists.The third edition begins with a brief history of bicycles and bicycling that demolishes many widespread myths. This edition includes information on recent experiments and achievements in human-powered transportation, including the "ultimate human- powered vehicle," in which a supine rider in a streamlined enclosure steers by looking at a television screen connected to a small camera in the nose, reaching speeds of around 80 miles per hour. It contains completely new chapters on aerodynamics, unusual human-powered machines for use on land and in water and air, human physiology, and the future of bicycling. This edition also provides updated information on rolling drag, transmission of power from rider to wheels, braking, heat management, steering and stability, power and speed, and materials. It contains many new illustrations.

As of May 1, 2004 the other customer reviews posted for this title are somewhat misleading, because they refer only to the much older (second) edition. The third edition, published April 2004, is dramatically enlarged and updated -- a completely new book based on a tremendous amount of recent work. Dave Wilson and I have attempted to address all the issues to be seen in those reviews, plus many more, we hope successfully.

In this 5-year process every chapter was rewritten or even replaced outright. A great quantity of new material on history, physiology, speed calculations, aerodynamics, steering theory, human powered vehicles etc. is available nowhere else.

I encourage any scientifically curious cyclist, or bicycle industry engineer, to contribute a genuine review of the third edition, so potential readers can learn about this distinctly different book.

This book can help one separate reality from marketing hype. Does cutting down the weight of spokes really help much? How does crank length affect performance? What affect does cooling have on a cyclist? How much does the difference between cheap bearings and good bearings affect performance? How fast should you really pedal? Are aluminum, titanium and carbon fiber vastly superior to steel? How heavily is someone breathing when they begin breathing through their mouths? How efficient is a person on a bike (in energy per mass per person per speed) compared to a bus, moped, swimmer, horse or hopping bunny? How many wives can you trade your bike for in Nigeria? These questions, and many more, are answered in this book.

The style is very much that of an academic journal, and the book is a survey of the literature in the field. References abound. The authors do their best to combine the results from different sources into a coherent reference. If this style is familiar to you, then you will not feel out of place with this book.

Chapters in the book include those on human power generation, cyclist cooling, wind resistance, the wheel, mechanical friction, braking, balancing and steering, materials and stress, and future developments. I particularly like the chapter on stability, an apparently controversial topic. The chapter presents a plausible theory supported by experiment, and provides a simple equation to calculate a stability factor for a bike design. The book concludes with an interesting chapter on what advances can be made to bicycles and to the infrastructure to make biking more viable as a form of transportation.

I mainly did not give Bicycling Science five stars because it is getting out of date. I'm sure that much additional research has been performed since the 1982 copyright date, and many advances have been made in the last 20 years, particularly those as a result of the International Human Powered Vehicle Association (IHPVA). The materials section could add data for some of the newer materials used for bikes such as Reynolds 853 steel and some new titanium alloys. Also, the authors tried to present data from different sources on common graphs, and in some cases, I am still puzzled at how to interpret some of the plots. I also felt that sometimes I had a bunch of data dumped in my lap with no conclusions being drawn. For example, after reading the chapter on human power generation, I wasn't sure if one should always attempt to pedal at 90-100 RPM, or should reduce cadence for the required endurance.

My complaints are few and minor, however, and I highly recommend this book to the cyclist, or cycling aficionado, who relishes the math and physics.

The only book that I've heard of that seems to be similar is High-Tech Cycling by Edmund Burke. However, I've not seen it, and reviews of it seem few and far between.

However, it is a bit dry and boring for others. As an engineer I found it interesting and informative.

If you're looking for a book to teach you how to ride in a pack, what to take on a bike tour, or which type of bike to purchase then this is not the book for you. If you're an avid cyclist and want to learn more about the science behind cycling then you'll enjoy this book.

Although this is a great book I can't give it 5 stars because of the date. It was written in 1984 and a lot has changed since then. Much of the basic science in the book remains the same but technology and bicycle materials have evolved. I hope the authors are working on an updated edition.

If you are interested, I wouldn't wait for an updated edition, because they might not make it, and this one is getting pretty darn hard to get.

I find that the data supporting some of the experiments, and the conclusions from that data, could use some more flesh. For example, I'm still not entirely sure why a larger diameter wheel has less rolling resistance, but the data supports that conclusion.

I agree with other readers that the book could use an update.