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(V)BQ explores many aspects of the history of French cyclo-tourism and French cycling culture more broadly. There are vintage cycling photos, archival magazine articles translated into English, explorations of developments in bicycle technology, and profiles of the personalities that brought them about. If you've got a fetish for vintage bicycle parts - and who doesn't - this is definitely the publication for you: details of bikes and parts are lovingly analyzed with the help of close up photography and the beautiful drawings of Daniel Rebour. More to the point here, not an issue goes by without material focusing on Paris Brest Paris. Jan Heine has done some valuable archival work, and his passion for his subject has opened up a fascinating world to English speaking cyclists. At a time when much of PBP and other cyclo-tourist history is in danger of fading into the mists of time, VBQ is breathing new life into it. I should mention also that the subject of the publication is not always historical, and not always located in France - contemporary cycling concerns are not forgotten. But true to its nature, the contemporary material in VBQ tends to be informed by a broader historical sensibility. There is now a rich inventory of back issues in addition to the on-going publications and I can recommend both. Ordering options are posted on the VBQ web site: Eric F - 2003, 2005 |
