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Hi Mark,
Limiting factor is not so much reading the books (though only a 15-minute
commute each way 1-2 times per week at the moment!) but having access
to a laptop to write them up. I've used the work one a couple of times but
they're touchy about outgoing emails, especially with attachments. Anyway,
hopefully I have a solution now, with the Phoenix-like resurrection of my old
faithful laptop!
Book review attached.
Cheers,
Nigel

Great British Cycling – Ellis Bacon
Great British Cycling is an enjoyable romp through GB’s involvement in this
great sport. While some of the more recent stories will be familiar, some
of the older ones may surprise you. A selection is presented below to give
you an idea of the content.

Early Days
Ely Museum in the Old Gaol houses the bike that won the first official bike
race, at Parc Saint-Cloud Paris on 31 May 1868 –ridden by the famous
James Moore. (Or to be more exact, the first official race with wheels of
1-metre diameter - there was a race earlier in the day but it is believed to
have been open to hobby-horse type machines.)

Moore was born in Bury St Edmunds, Suffok in 1849 but his family moved
to Paris, where his father worked as a farrier for the prestigious
Maisons-Lafitte horse-racing centre. The family lived just off the Champs-
Elysee, opposite the home of Pierre Michaux – the coach-builder who went
on to mass-produce pedal-driven velocipedes in 1868. Moore was taught
to ride by his son, Ernest Michaux.

Moore was also the winner of the first massed-start road race – the 123km

Paris-Rouen, on 7th November 1869, finishing in 10hrs 40mins (11.53kph).
Also in the race with the 118 other starters, was “Miss America” – actually
an Englishwoman, who was one of the 34 finishers. The winning bike was,

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