Obituary: Richard Ballantine

Richard Ballantine

Richard Ballantine, the world's most famous cycling writer, died on May 29 in London. He had been ill for some time.



Ballantine's most celebrated work - Richard's Bicycle Book - has been inspiring people to take to the saddle since its publication in 1972, and for 40 years Ballantine was one of the greatest champions of pedal power, in all its shapes.

Although from a famous American publishing dynasty, Ballantine moved to live in Britain from the early 1970s. "Richard Grant - his partner on some of the books - always told me that Richard moved to Britain because America wasn't big enough for him and his father," his long-time friend and collaborator, legendary bicycle designer Mike Burrows, said.

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