The comment about "The Dancing Chain" being out of print is a sad commentary on the state of literature of bicycling. I managed to get one of the last new copies from the publisher early last year. (And, if there is indeed a second printing in the works, that is great news.) However, let's think about it for a second: is there any other book out there that has even a partial history bicycle gearing? (Yes, while the book does concentrate on its subject as shown in the title, there is a lot on hub gearing, the ups and downs of the industry itself, the "Great American Bike Boom", and a lot else.)
So why did a book filled with incredible pictures and drawings go out of print so fast, while we are barraged with books about too many people who ride and their drug addicition? Are technical books about bikes and their components (aside from 'how to' texts) really all that boring, or are those who ride bikes really that indifferent to the history and (yes) the 'art' of the components that make what they ride work?
Sorry for the rant, but this is a book that I went through cover to cover, and still dip into again and again, coming away with something interesting each time.
Dave Novoselsky,
Chicago, Illinois