Reviewed by Rama Gaind.
By Rupert Guinness, NLA Publishing, $39.99.
“For most people, riding a bike is one of their first childhood memories. That first memory is the key to their relationship with the sport. It is a defining moment that determines whether the relationship is short or everlasting.”
The latter was certainly the case for cycling journalist Rupert Guinness who has put some painstaking effort to reveal two centuries of the bike in Australian: everyday life and in the world of competition. He first started writing the book in 2014 and it took him four years to complete, incorporating facts, figures, research and photos from the National Library of Australia.
Delving into 200 years of the bike in Australia, uncovers not only its place in Australian everyday life, but also the big races, here and abroad. Along the way, you learn of the cycling feats of well-known Australians — from Sir Hubert Opperman to Kathy Watt, Cadel Evans and Anna Meares — who have inspired and entertained many enthusiasts the world over.
The first bike came to Australia in the mid-1800s and how they changed our lives! They meant a new and faster way to get around, in both the country and the city, and gave rise to ways of exploring, socialising and competing.
In the 19th century bicycles gave us `overlanders’, adventurers who explored new routes through rugged terrain; cycling clubs, which gave women a new kind of freedom to mix socially with men; and novel kinds of racing.
Well illustrated, this is a rich history of cycling in Australia. You also get the chance to delve into the chronicles from the penny farthing and long rides in Australia to 21st-century commuters and Olympic stars.
Guinness reveals all, from the fascinating origins through to the current popularity of cycling and competing. Highlights include the tradition of international games participation, use of the bicycle as transport and service tool in military conflicts, Australia’s participation in the world’s great races and women’s advocate Mrs E.A. Maddock, who cycled from Sydney to Melbourne in 1894, leading the way for women to participate in all aspects of cycling.
