Japanese Steel

Japanese bicycles have long been at the forefront of both competitive and recreational cycling—from top-flight racing bicycles ridden by champions in international competition to the most collectible custom frames on the fixed-gear scene.

In this comprehensive and stunningly illustrated book, Japanese Steel, William Bevington—one of the leading collectors of Japanese bicycles in the United States, and an authority on their design and manufacture—presents a fascinating overview of the golden age of Japanese bicycles. Coinciding with the flourishing of the Japanese steel industry, the most prolific and celebrated period of Japanese bicycle design came between the 1950s and the 1980s, when an abundance of exceptional raw materials, uniquely talented artisanal craftsmen, and an expanding international market combined to produce some of the most iconic and enduring bicycles of the twentieth century.

From the most recognisable silhouettes of road bicycles from major manufacturers like Fuji, Panasonic, and Bridgestone to the rarest and most collectible frames from artisanal builders like 3-Rensho or Nagasawa, Japanese bicycle designers dominated the cycling world and created machines that are still revered today. Illustrated with specially commissioned photographs of fully restored bikes, and supplemented with artifacts and ephemera from manufacturers' manuals to photography of the legendary Keirin racing circuits, this book is a glorious reference for anyone with an interest in cycling and the phenomenon of Japanese design.