I just received this email from Frank Berto and decided to post his synopsis of the new book to the list. I have no connection to Frank, other than being a longtime fan, and I may have to sell my Amazon copy of the book when it arrives in order to raise funds for an autographed copy ... :-) :-) :-)
- Don Gillies San Diego, CA
SUMMARY of the 2ND EDITION of THE DANCING CHAIN February 10, 2005
by Frank Berto
FIRST EDITION. I paid to publish the 1st edition of The Dancing Chain in 1999. It was the definitive history of the derailleur and the derailleur bicycle, but no publisher would touch it. They felt that there would be no market for a $50.00 technical bicycle book with 352 pages, 110,000 words and 1200 illustrations. By 2002, all 2300 copies were sold and used copies were selling on eBay for $100. I broke even by selling autographed copies.
The first edition had five co-authors. Ron Shepherd edited the first five chapters, covering bicycle history before WW-II. I edited the last seven chapters, covering bicycle history after WW-II. Raymond Henry wrote the French history, Walter Ulreich wrote the German and Austrian history, and Tony Hadland helped with the British history. Rob Van der Plas published the first edition and was surprised when it sold out. It proved that there was a market for a definitive technical history book about bicycles.
SECOND EDITION. Rob agreed to publish the 2nd Edition. We decided to make it our masterpiece. We added everything that had been left out of the 1st edition to keep the cost down. We kept the 8-1/2 x 11, b/w, hard cover, format and we added 32 pages. There are about 150,000 word and about half of the editorial content is rewritten or new.
Ron Shepherd was terminally ill so he could not participate. I was the sole editor. Raymond Henry had done a first class job of French derailleur history in the 1st edition but British derailleur history was marginal and I had received numerous comments and corrections. Tony Hadland agreed to rewrite the history of Raleigh, Sturmey Archer and Moulton. Gordon Selby agreed to rewrite the history of British Cyclo, Osgear and Simplex.
I started collecting illustrations and new information. The 2nd edition has 1600 illustrations. We added more illustrations of early derailleurs so that old bicycles could be dated from the derailleur.
I love Daniel Rebour's line drawings and I used 220 in the 1st edition. I knew that Daniel Rebour kept doing commercial work after he retired from Le Cycle in 1974. Bertin-Milremo was his last major account. Shimano-France has acquired Bertin and after much pleading, I borrowed copies of the last surviving Bertin-Milremo catalogs for the early 1980s. These were a Rebour treasure trove. There are 370 Rebour line drawings in the 2nd edition. It's a lovely book and I'm proud of it.
///////////////////////// Chapter Summaries ///////////////////////////
Chapter 1. The First Bicycles: 1817 - 1860. (10 pages, 24 illustrations.) I was commissioned to update the section on "bicycle" for the Encyclopaedia Britannica. I incorporating comments of eight historians from the International Cycle History Conference. This is the basis for Chapter 1. I believe that Karl Von Drais invented the bicycle and that there is no conclusive proof to decide between Michaux and Lallement as the inventor of the first pedal-driven bicycle.
Chapter 2. The Search for Speed: 1861 - 1890. (18 pages, 77 illustrations.) This chapter takes you from Michaux velocipedes, to high bicycle to the first geared bicycles. The first chain lead to chain-driven bicycles. By 1887, the chain-driven, rear wheel drive, safety bicycle had taken over.
Chapter 3. The Bicycle Boom: 1891 - 1899. (16 pages, 68 illustrations.) The pneumatic-tired safety bicycle sets off the first bicycle booms in Britain and America. Exotic gear trains appear but they do not survive. The first practical derailleurs, the Gradient and the New Protean, appear but they can't compete with hub gears and bottom bracket gears in Britain.
Chapter 4. England, Epicyclics and Exotics: 1900 - 1907. (16 pages, 69 illustrations.) The Sturmey Archer 3-speed hub takes over in England. In France, there is competition between retro-directs (reverse pedaling), shaft drives, expanding chain wheels, lever cycles and various multi-chain systems.
Chapter 5. The First Derailleurs: 1908 - 1919. (24 pages, 63 illustrations.) Velocio (Paul de Vivie) leads the way in encouraging variable speed bicycles. Four new derailleurs appear in 1908. Joanny Panel and the Chemineau derailleur. Albert Raimond and the Cyclo derailleur. Derailleurs versus hub gears.
Chapter 6. Practical Derailleurs: 1920 - 1929. (12 pages, 32 illustrations.) Cyclo makes a practical touring derailleur. Lucien Juy begins Simplex. Vittoria makes Italian derailleurs. Shimano and SunTour.
Chapter 7. The Golden Age: 1930 - 1939. (36 pages, 178 illustrations.) Cyclo, Simplex, Huret and Vittoria compete with numerous small makers. Oscar Egg starts Super Champion. Tulio Campagnolo makes his first derailleur. Racers adopt derailleurs.
Chapter 8. The Post-War Years: 1945 - 1954. (32 pages, 141 illustrations.) Touring and racing in France. Simplex dominates the low-priced market. Coppi and Bartali dominate the Tour de France. Campagnolo makes the Gran Sport.
Chapter 9. Slow Growth: 1955 - 1964. (22 pages, 75 illustrations.) The Huret Allvit, Simplex Prestige and Campagnolo Record. The first Moulton bicycles. Shimano enters the U.S market. Schwinn opts for Huret on the Varsity. The SunTour slant parallelogram.
Chapter 10. The "Great American Bike Boom": 1965 - 1974. (30 pages, 113 illustrations.) The high rise "Sting Ray" leads to the bike boom. America becomes the major bicycle market. The Japanese take over the derailleur market from the Europeans.
Chapter 11. The Dawn of Mountain Biking: 1975 - 1984. (46 pages, 304 illustrations including 13 full pages by Rebour of Campagnolo, Huret, Simplex and Shimano gruppos.) This is my favorite chapter. The real story of Repack and the invention of the mountain bike. SunTour hits its peak.
Chapter 12. The Rise of Shimano: 1985 - 1994. (28 pages, 182 illustrations.) Huret, Sachs, Simplex, Raleigh and Schwinn reach the end of the line. SunTour can't compete with Shimano's indexed shifting and Hyperglide. Campagnolo survives with the racers. Trek, Cannondale and SRAM.
Chapter 13. Recent Developments: 1995 - 2005. (30 pages, 190 illustrations.) Shimano gruppos dominate the market. Campagnolo and SRAM provide competition. Keizo Shimano's contribution. City bikes and comfort bikes. China takes over the low-priced market.
Chapter 14. How Derailleurs Work. (26 pages, 85 illustrations.) How front and rear derailleurs work. Chain wheels, freewheels and chains. Five sprockets to ten sprockets. Shimano's key innovations. How to gear your bicycle. My favorite gearing.
Chapter 15. Nothing New Under the Sun: (4 pages, 10 illustrations.) New inventions from the 1890s.
Bibliography: (8 pages.) Index (16 pages.) These sections will be a great help to future researchers.
To order an autographed copy of The Dancing Chain, send a check or money order for $59.00 to:
Frank Berto 70 Crane Drive San Anselmo CA 94960
This covers packing and media mail postage. California addresses add $4.00 for CA Sales Tax.
Tell me if you want a special autograph, otherwise it will be:
GEARS2U! Frank Berto