Jonny Fuego Michael Ames Cruisers offers an insider's look at the latest and greatest cruiser bicycle styles and designs, and provides tips on how you can trick out your own bike to proclaim your individuality. The book also tells the unique history and development of cruiser bikes, from their pre-World War II origins to the popular California beach bikes of the 1970s to today's retro-chic bikes. Without style, a bike is just a bike, a means of getting from here to there. With it, the bike you ride becomes a defining stamp of who you are. The modern cruiser-with its oversized balloon tires, solid steel framing, shock-absorbing suspension, and custom colors and modifications-is a testament to individual style. So saddle up in the seat of a classic bike and rediscover the smooth-rolling freedom of your lost childhood. Jonny Fuego is a mad cruiser scientist. From the laboratory garages of his Boise-based Cruisers & Choppers, Fuego breathes life into scraps of metal, rubber, and leather. His smooth-rolling creations can be found throughout the country. Michael Ames is a freelance writer and contributing editor to the Sun Valley Guide magazine in Ketchum, Idaho. Cover designed by Kurt Wahlner Front cover photograph 2009 Felt Bicycles Front flap photograph 2009 Chris Lockhart Back cover photographs: Above left 2009 Ranell Nystrom Above right 2009 Jonny Fuego Below left 2009 Marcel Danek Below right 2009 Aaron Bethlenfalvy Back flap photograph: Above 2009 Marc Pfisterer Below 2009 Piper Loyd