"Cycle through time as Dr Michael Toohey uncovers the pioneers of New Zealands cycling history. Blacksmiths become bikers and circus hijinks ensue as the humble bicycle trundles from laufmaschine to the pedal-pushers we know today. From the first cycling competitions to tight-rope circus performances, bicycle mania captured the imagination of everyday New Zealanders from the 1860s and beyond"--Publishers website