Penny Farthing

[happyfilmluvguy]

I saw there was a subject on vintage bicycles, so I thought I'd bring up one of the unique ones, the Penny Farthing.

Before there was the bicycle with equal size wheels, there was a bicycle consisting on a large and a small wheel. I've seen someone riding down the street with one of these. Anyone own or have seen one of these before?

I wouldn't mind seeing a penny farthing race one day, if at least 3 of you have one, let the races begin!

 

[Salv]

Bike snobs refer to a penny-farthing as an 'Ordinary' - this is as opposed to a 'Safety' bicycle, which was the description given to those new-fangled bikes with two equal sized wheels, a chain and gear sprockets.

Not long after I first got into cycling I took part in a charity ride from London to Bath - about 120 miles, many over rolling countryside (that's still my favourite one-day ride). One of the riders was going to attempt it on an Ordinary, but he almost didn't make it away from the start. As we set off a car turned into the road we were on and the Ordinary rider only just managed to steer away from the car in time. I heard later that he made it about half way before abandoning, which was a fine effort.

The only other time I've seen them being ridden was at the annual New Years Day Parade in London. There was a group of vintage cyclists with several Ordinaries, and their riders were very skilled, weaving across the road and building up quite a speed.

 

[scotrace]

I had always heard them called "High Wheelers." The local Victorian museum has a couple. They're a good way to go a$$ over teacups.