Biography of the Bike: The Ultimate History of Bike Design

Chris Boardman is a leading bicycle designer and the Chairman and Design Director of Boardman Bikes, a subsidiary of Halfords. An Olympic gold medalist, he set three world cycling records and multiple British records and has worn the yellow three times in the Tour de France. A tireless bicycling advocate, he has been awarded an MBE for services to the sport. His nickname, "The Professor," comes from his technical know-how and meticulous attention to detail. Chris has been associated with cutting-edge design since riding his famously radical Lotus bicycle to a gold medal in the 1992 Olympics.

Chris Sidwells is a cycling journalist and the author of more than 20 books on the subject, including My Complete Bike Book (DK, 2003), which was translated into 24 languages, and the Bike Repair Manual (DK, 2004), now in its fifth edition. He is a regular columnist for Cycle Sport and Cycling Weekly, and also contributes to Bicycling, Men's Fitness, GQ, and other magazines.

Eddy Merckx, the Belgian former world champion, has been described by Velo as "the most accomplished rider that cycling has ever known," and by VeloNews

as "the greatest cyclist of all time." Winner of three World Championships and five victories each in the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia, Merckx today is the owner of Merckx Cycles, which specializes in the design and manufacture of top-end competition bikes.