Created at the dawn of the industrial age, bicycles remain the perfect, sustainable means of transportation. This engaging history traces the vehicle's evolution, and the creation of new technologies and materials, from the first velocipedes through today's elite racing and mountain models. In addition, it pays homage to the leading manufacturers and peers into the future to suggest what the bike of tomorrow might look like. AUTHOR: Roberto Gurian has been a professional journalist since the 1980s, working with various specialized motoring newspapers before continuing his career as a freelancer. Currently he collaborates with "Corriere della Sera Auto," "AM," and RSI, the Swiss-Italian television network, reporting on car tests and Formula 1 Grand Prix races. An amateur cyclist, he manages to find the time to ride at a good pace for almost 10,000 kilometers a year.