Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder - wisdom is in the mind. Partaking of either requires a good vantage point. These hilly vignettes were written to help you enjoy the climb. This book takes you places you can only discover by cycling up hills. Some hills are in the pretty part of New Jersey, a place few people imagine. Some are in France, Italy, Oregon and California. All these vignettes capture the enthusiasm of discovery, enjoying life, and cycling. Over the past six years, these vignettes were written to share some of the thoughts, tranquility and delight of cycling in beautiful places. Cycling up hills requires the right perspective and good conditioning. These hilly vignettes provide perspective. As a bonus, there are cycling routes that can take you on some of the prettiest roads you're likely to find.

The hottest sprinter in the world - Telegraph Mark Cavendish is the first British cyclist to win the Tour de France's green jersey, the first to wear the iconic rainbow jersey in almost 50 years and our only ever rider to capture the Giro d'Italia points title. He is the most prolific sprinter in the Tour's history, and - according to L'Equipe - the best sprinter of all time. But smashing records and racking up victories means whole new levels of fame: and this has come at a price. Living in the goldfish bowl, he has come under fire for his bombastic riding style and been portrayed as everything from an outlaw to a psychopath. Joining Sky in 2012, Cav soon found his own sprint interests to be incompatible with the team's other goals, while the expectations of a nation made his London Olympic failure hard to take. In At Speed Cav takes you through the highs and lows of it all in intimate detail. This is a take-no-prisoners account of life at the pinnacle of his sport, and learning how to survive in the fast lane, both on and off the bike.

The bicycle is a common, yet unique mechanical contraption in our world. In spite of this, the bike's physical and mechanical principles are understood by a select few. You do not have to be a genius to join this small group of people who understand the physics of cycling. This is your guide to fundamental principles (such as Newton's laws) and the book provides intuitive, basic explanations for the bicycle's behaviour. Each concept is introduced and illustrated with simple, everyday examples. Although cycling is viewed by most as a fun activity, and almost everyone acquires the basic skills at a young age, few understand the laws of nature that give magic to the ride. This is a closer look at some of these fun, exhilarating, and magical aspects of cycling. In the reading, you will also understand other physical principles such as motion, force, energy, power, heat, and temperature.

Robert Penn has saddled up nearly every day of his adult life. In his late twenties, he pedaled 25,000 miles around the world. Today he rides to get to work, sometimes for work, to bathe in air and sunshine, to travel, to go shopping, to stay sane, and to skip bath time with his kids. He's no Sunday pedal pusher. So when the time came for a new bike, he decided to pull out all the stops. He would build his dream bike, the bike he would ride for the rest of his life; a customized machine that reflects the joy of cycling.

"It's All About the Bike "follows Penn's journey, but this book is more than the story of his hunt for two-wheel perfection. En route, Penn brilliantly explores the culture, science, and history of the bicycle. From artisanal frame shops in the United Kingdom to California, where he finds the perfect wheels, via Portland, Milan, and points in between, his trek follows the serpentine path of our love affair with cycling. It explains why we ride.

"It's All About the Bike" is, like Penn's dream bike, a tale greater than the sum of its parts. An enthusiastic and charming tour guide, Penn uses each component of the bike as a starting point for illuminating excursions into the rich history of cycling. Just like a long ride on a lovely day, "It's All About the Bike" is pure joy- enriching, exhilarating, and unforgettable.

Robert Penn has worked as a lawyer, waiter, contractor, DJ, photographer, and journalist-and biked to every single job. He writes for the "Financial Times," the "Observer," and Conde Nast "Traveler," as well as a host of cycling publications. Penn lives in Wales with his wife and three children.

Praise from the UK for "It's All About the Bike":

" A] gem of a book." -"Economist"

It Takes Two to Tandem Louise and Nev, have been linked for 32 years through their wedding vows. Now Louise is going to be linked to Nev through the steel of a tandem bike frame as they ride for sixteen days, travelling 880 miles through the United Kingdom, from John O'Groats to Lands End. Nev with a history of success in mountain bike racing is determined to do this trip. Louise, concerned about keeping up with his superior prowess isn't so sure. The tandem bike, will force them to ride together and face a new challenge of working completely in unison. As if muscle fatigue wasn't enough to contend with, the summer of the ride was to be one of the wettest in the United Kingdom since records began. Louise, in the subordinate rear position, blocks out the long miles of tedious leg rotations with recollections of travel in these regions, embarked on in their early years of married life. Train journeys link the British cycling epic with loops of tandem riding in Tuscany and Provence. While at a more relaxed cycling pace, the hauling of luggage and the inability to meet train schedules while travelling with an oversized tandem in tow, presents further obstacles and tribulations that threaten the very core of their relationship.