FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Jaime Jennings, 202-232-7933x44 jjennings@islandpress.org Katharine Sucher, 202-232-7933x43 ksucher@islandpress.org
PRESS RELEASE
Bike Boom The Unexpected Resurgence of Cycling By Carlton Reid Washington, DC (June 15, 2017)—Cycling has seen many cycles of boom and bust since the first bicycle hit the roads exactly 200 years ago. With the health and environmental benefits of cycling well established, what can we do to encourage future bike booms—and keep them from busting? By taking a realistic look at the current state of cycling and learning from the successes—and failures—of its past, we will be better equipped to create a bike boom for this century. That’s the inspiration behind journalist and cycling advocate Carlton Reid’s optimistic new book, Bike Boom: The Unexpected Resurgence of Cycling (Publication Date: June 15, 2017). A follow-up to his “fascinating” (Vox) Roads Were Not Built for Cars, which examined the 1890s “cycling craze,” Bike Boom picks up where that story left off: immersing readers in cycling advocacy from 1906 to the doldrums of the 1980s. Bike Boom is an extensively researched, at times humorous journey through time, with emphasis on two under-reported periods in cycling history: the creation of British protected cycleways in the 1930s and the Great American Bike Boom of 1970–1974, both of which yielded aftershocks that are still being felt today. Throughout the book, Reid explores the benefits and challenges of cycling and the roles of infrastructure and advocacy. He also examines cities that have successfully supported and encouraged bike booms, including London; Davis, California; Montreal; Stevenage, U.K; ISLAND PRESS | PRESS RELEASE | 1