Introduction -- American cities -- Berlin -- Istanbul -- Buenos Aires -- Manila -- Sydney -- London -- San Francisco -- New York

Since the early 1980s, renowned musician and visual artist David Byrne has been riding a bike as his principal means of transportation in New York City. Two decades ago, he discovered folding bikes and started taking them with him when traveling around the world. Byrne's choice was initially made out of convenience rather than political motivation, but the more cities he saw from his bicycle, the more he became hooked on this mode of transport and the sense of liberation, exhilaration, and connection it provided. This point of view, from his bike seat, became his panoramic window on urban life, a magical way of opening one's eyes to the inner workings and rhythms of a city's geography and population. Bicycle Diaries chronicles Byrne's observations and insights--what he is seeing, whom he is meeting, what he is thinking about--as he pedals through and engages with some of the world's major cities.--Publisher