Bill Talbot wrote (Sat, 27 Oct 2007):
What one cycling book stands out in your memory from back in the day? For me it was Sloane's Original "The Complete Book of Bicycling" with the "split bike" on the jacket. I don't think anyone in my hometown got a chance to check it out of the library for months once I got my hands on it in the early 70's. And speaking of which, can someone please tell me who the builder is on the "rear half"??? Just looking at the jacket again today reminded me I never knew what type of bike it was.......
Bill and list, I still have my copy of this book, picked up as a bargain book well after the original publication date. I've enjoyed it greatly and also wondered about the picture on the back of the slipcover. I remember scrutinizing every photo in the book, certain that the bike on the jacket must appear somewhere within. The photo is credited to Irwin Horowitz. A Google search on him yielded nothing of value. A quick search of the mailing list archives turns up the opinion by Richard Sachs that the bike is an Atala 101 Professional. The next step would be to try to find a photo of the whole bike.
John Hurley
Austin, Texas, USA