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We’re so excited to welcome local nonfiction author Christopher Sweet to the shop for a book signing in celebration of the release of 'A History of Bicycling in Illinois: 160 Years of Booms and Busts' -- out on January 6, 2026! Join us at the bookstore on Saturday, January 24th from 10am - 12pm to meet the author, check out a very cool antique bicycle, and take home a signed book or two! Books will be available for purchase at the event but pre-orders are highly encouraged! To reserve your copy, head to this link: https://bobzbay.square.site/product/a-history-of-bicycling-in-illinois-160-years-of-booms-and-busts-by-christopher-sweet/3WXF3A2P6H7ZW3HADUDNCYRV
About 'A History of Bicycling in Illinois: 160 Years of Booms and Busts': In the 1890s, the bicycle became a sensation that impacted the whole of society. People flocked to races while Progressive Era reformers boosted bicycle-related benefits that ranged from fitness to women’s rights. As American industry exported two-wheelers around the globe, Chicago and Illinois emerged as a center of bicycle manufacturing. Tracking the bicycle’s up-and-down popularity, Christopher Sweet shows how the bicycle’s varying fortunes affected the industry and the thousands of Illinoisians laboring for iconic brands like Schwinn and Western Wheel Works. He also details forgotten history such as the bicycle's many associations with the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, national and international interest in Illinois bicycle races, and the role of the Illinois bicycle industry in the rise and fall of Midwest manufacturing. An engaging blend of social and business history, A History of Bicycling in Illinois rediscovers the people, companies, and events that made Chicago and Illinois synonymous with the bicycle.
About the author: Christopher Sweet is a professor and Information Literacy and Scholarly Communications Librarian at Illinois Wesleyan University’s Ames Library.
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