The forgotten energy

Authors: Arnfried Schmitz with Tony Hadland.
ISBN: 0 9536174 1 6
Publisher: Tony Hadland for Arnfried Schmitz (10 March 2000 - National Book Day)
Format: 210mm x 149mm, 128 pages, 104 monochrome illustrations, full colour front cover.
Stockists: In the UK, The Pinkerton Press. In France, Arnfried Schmitz.
Bookshop price: £12.95 suggested for the UK. 18 Euros in France.
Mail order in France: Price direct from Arnfried Schmitz, Quartier Gallas, 84220 Lioux-Gordes, France: 18 Euros.

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For a hundred years bicycles have looked the same. Most developments and design changes have happened solely for marketing reasons. There have been few serious attempts to make a bike that goes significantly faster and in most cases these have been well suppressed.

Within the framework of the incredible but true Mochet story, Arnfried Schmitz tells of his own efforts and contacts with some of the outstanding figures who have asked themselves what exactly is pedal power and what should the ideal cycle be like.

The story starts with the earliest work on aerodynamics and poses the question: Was the first aerodynamic vehicle a bicycle? Arnfried then tells us about:

• The Velo-Torpille in which Marcel Berthet broke world records in 1913
• Berthet's later work with the fully-faired Velodyne
• The rivalry between Berthet and Oscar Egg
• Charles Mochet's recumbent two and four-wheeled Velocars
• The UCI's suppression of recumbents and streamlined cycles
• The revival of interest in HPVs in the last quarter of the 20th century
• And his own personal involvement in cycling and HPV development in the company of Georges Mochet, Wolfgang Gronen, Mike Burrows and many more.

This profusely illustrated book will fascinate anybody interested in developing the bicycle beyond the diamond frame, or who wants to learn about an often neglected aspect of cycle history.

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