The U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame will present Andrew Ritchie, author of “Quest for Speed,” from 7 to 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 23, at the Hall, 303 Third St. in downtown Davis.

Ritchie, a former bicycle racer himself, has been writing about cycling for 30 years, and has published several books. He has a Ph.D. in history from Strathclyde University in Glasgow, Scotland.

Ritchie will present a slide show about “Quest for Speed” and have copies of his biography of cycling pioneer Major Taylor available for purchase and signing.

“Quest for Speed” offers a comprehensive social and technological history of the emergence of bicycle racing and bike technology between 1867 and 1903 in Britain, France and the United States. It argues that there was a symbiotic relationship between the growth of the sport and the growth of the industry — each needed the other to improve issues of technical construction, design and usability.

The development of the bicycle becomes a test case of how and why technology changes the design of an artifact, Ritchie argues.

“Crammed full of documents, technical information, insights into the role of the press and interesting personalities and their roles in the development of early cycling, ‘Quest for Speed’ makes essential reading for anyone working to understand how the sport was organized, changed and evolved in the last 30 years of the 19th century,” a news release said.

Doors to the Hall of Fame will open at 6 p.m. on Sept. 23. Light refreshments will be served.

Admission is free to members and costs $5 general, $3 for students and senior citizens. For more information, call (530) 341-3263, email [email protected] or visit www.usbhof.org.

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Author Andrew Ritchie will speak from 7 to 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 23, at the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame. Courtesy photo

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