"In this, the definitive history of the bicycle, David Herlihy recounts the saga of this far-reaching invention and the passions it aroused." "Because we live in an age of cross-country bicycle racing and high-tech mountain bikes, we may overlook the decades of development and ingenuity that transformed the basic concept of human-powered transportation into a marvel of engineering. This history retraces the extraordinary story of the bicycle - a history of disputed patents, brilliant inventions, and missed opportunities. Herlihy shows us why the bicycle captured the public's imagination and the myriad ways in which it reshaped our world."--Jacket.