A bicycle frame builder is no ordinary man. He is a craftsman, an engineer, an artist, and a perfectionist, who through his extraordinary talent has produced a machine that can carry man over the highest mountains, along the narrowest roads, and over huge distances. He has given man the ability to travel under his own power at speeds in excess of 100 kilometers per hour on a machine that seems as flimsy as a balsa wood toy, yet in reality is as strong as a Centurion tank.
That is how the first page of Custom Bicycles (Images Publishing) begins, a proper description written by cycling commentator Phil Liggett about the people and companies featured in this extravagant 230+ page full-color book by Christine Elliott and David Jablonka. The book brings forward 39 amazing custom bicycle builders from all around the world to show you just how varied, weird, and elegant the community of custom frame builders is. Starting with Anderson Custom Bicycles and ending with Wolfhound Cycles, the book is an alphabetically sorted directory of [mostly] two-wheeled delights!
I was granted an advanced copy of Custom Bicycles on Thursday and I really haven’t been able to put the book down since. I’m just amazed at the level of care that is shown in each page of this book and reading the stories of some of these artists really makes me appreciate a well-made bike even more. Custom Bicycles puts you right alongside these bicycle builders and shows you just how special their expertise really are. From companies housed in large factories to individual builders working out of their garage, Custom Bicycles is certainly one of the most comprehensive authorities on custom bikes I’ve ever had the pleasure of coming across.
If there ever was a book to have on your coffee table, it’s this one. I have no doubt that anybody who picks up this book will immediately fall in love with the beautiful machines pictured inside and admire the great photographs that showcase some of the most skilled people on this earth. Get it at Amazon.com today and see if you might end up finding a person or company to tailor your very own custom bicycle.
Enjoy some snippets from the book below.
