A Book About Bikes That’s Not Really About Bikes

As an art director in the publishing industry, Tree Abraham considers herself to be a person who primarily designs books and not a person who writes them.

Abraham did both in her new book. Cyclettes is a memoir, a trip, and a rumination on human existence, but no matter which direction the book takes, bikes are always part of the story. Bicycles used for escape and utility were some of the things bicycles were used for. Abraham is the main character in the book, but the bicycle is also important.

Abraham's life from her childhood in Canada to her adulthood in New York is chronicled in Cyclettes. Abraham recounts her relationships with family, friends, lovers, bosses, and strangers throughout the book. A bike is her constant companion, physically and psychologically, and it is675316753167531675316753167531675316753167531675316753167531675316753167531675316753167531 She talks about the place of humans in the world and how the bicycle can change it for the better.

Abraham and I talked over the phone about her book, her approach to cycling, and her idea of the perfect bike ride. The conversation has been shortened.

Michael Calore wants to know about the title. A cyclette is a piece of equipment.

There is a bicycle. In terms of bikes, but also in terms of cycles and spirals. It's a little tableau or anecdote if it's a text or non-text.

There are many passages in your book that are not related to bicycling. There are a few pages in the middle that discuss the nature of existence.

I didn't know what to expect when I began working on this project. I had stories about every bicycle I had seen. It was helpful for me to be able to explore other notions related to that.

This isn't a book for bikes. The topics that aren't in the book are listed at the beginning. You would expect a bike book to include cycling tips, gear recommendations, and bike repair tips.

The book was strange to read. I wasn't sure who would want to buy a book about bicycles but not about bikes. It isn't for a cyclist. There is a line between what is interesting to a person who rides a bike and what is interesting to a person who is trying to figure things out. The bicycle metaphor can be ignored and you can go in for the rest of the story.

I warn you that I'm not claiming to be a serious cyclist. I have a normal upbringing and a normal relationship to the bicycle. I would be seen as an amateur in the world of cyclists if I leaned deeper into cycling. I love it. I would try to integrate it into my life or into my travels. It's not an obsessive thing.