Did you know that the only truly essential elements for undertaking a bicycle journey are "a minimum of habit and familiarity with the bike, so as to have secure balance and sufficient agility; adequate knowledge of the Highway Code; a good willingness to interpret unexpected events as schedule changes rather than annoyances"?

Did you know that, always in the case of a bike trip, "the main recommendation is just one: learn to slow down"?

Did you know that the four main fears of those who travel by bike are the fear of getting lost, the fear of traffic, the fear of getting a flat tire, and the fear of not making it?

Did you know that the perfect bicycle doesn't exist, so much so that "you can pedal from Padua to Cape North on a Graziella and travel around the world on a bike costing just a few hundred euros"?

Did you know that the idea of traveling without panniers, with bags tied directly to the frame, was once a taboo and is now even a philosophy?

Did you know that the multitool, also called a multi-tool (includes up to twenty tools, from screwdrivers to hex keys), is the best friend of those who travel by bicycle?

Did you know that, when you're without water and can't find any that's more or less safe, "a reliable source of water hides within the walls of cemeteries"?

Did you know that "if you use your smartphone for navigation, a phone holder mounted on the handlebars becomes practically indispensable"?

Did you know that you can't really give up electronic devices even when traveling on a bike powered solely by your own legs? "Power banks, cables, adapters, multi-outlet power strips with USB, even portable solar panels"?

Did you know that – first commandment of the cycle tourist: travel light – "a small trick consists of grating or shaving Marseille soap, then storing it in an airtight plastic bag" to have the necessary quantity ready and avoid carrying the entire bar of soap and its container?

Did you know that, according to the Highway Code, every bicycle must be equipped with an acoustic device (bell), visual signaling devices (white or yellow front light and red rear light), retroreflective devices (reflectors, red at the rear, yellow on the pedals and wheels) as well as a reflective vest or straps (mandatory at night or in case of poor visibility, when cycling outside built-up areas)?

Did you know that the best answer to the question, inevitable, that will sooner or later come, "but why would you do that?", is perhaps "the same one Louis Armstrong gave to those who asked him what jazz is: if you have to ask, you'll never know".

Ilaria Fiorillo and Monica Nanetti wrote "Cyclopedia" (Terre di mezzo, 224 pages, €18, with illustrations by Matteo Scanu and a preface by Giovanni Storti), a practical manual for traveling by bicycle.