Penny Farthings
Discussion
I had a go on a proper Victorian one about thirty years ago after my old man rebuilt the front wheel, it was not a pleasant experience. It was easy enough to get going, but stopping wasn't fun, although it probably gets easier with practice. Downhills are quite frankly terrifying, especially living in the Pennines, the COG was too far forward, and a near vertical head tube angle and zero trail made it very twitchy. No standing up.
Is that a serious question??
They were made before gears and chains had been invented so the only way to get a higher gear was to have a bigger wheel. Typically about 50" wheel diameter', modern gearing is still calculated as equivalent penny fathing wheel size, i.e a 53 front to 12 rear gives you 119" gear equivalent to a 119" diameter penny fathing wheel
They were made before gears and chains had been invented so the only way to get a higher gear was to have a bigger wheel. Typically about 50" wheel diameter', modern gearing is still calculated as equivalent penny fathing wheel size, i.e a 53 front to 12 rear gives you 119" gear equivalent to a 119" diameter penny fathing wheel
Tiddy1 said:
Is that a serious question??
They were made before gears and chains had been invented so the only way to get a higher gear was to have a bigger wheel. Typically about 50" wheel diameter', modern gearing is still calculated as equivalent penny fathing wheel size, i.e a 53 front to 12 rear gives you 119" gear equivalent to a 119" diameter penny fathing wheel
Not sure why you would consider it as NOT a serious question. To me they look frankly dangerous. I'd rather have a bike with lower gearing but upon which I was less likely to splash my brain matter across the road.They were made before gears and chains had been invented so the only way to get a higher gear was to have a bigger wheel. Typically about 50" wheel diameter', modern gearing is still calculated as equivalent penny fathing wheel size, i.e a 53 front to 12 rear gives you 119" gear equivalent to a 119" diameter penny fathing wheel
You are right, for 20 years they were a popular choice of bicycle but looking back now they look frankly dangerous to ride, so the question seems a fair one to me.
gazza285 said:
I had a go on a proper Victorian one about thirty years ago after my old man rebuilt the front wheel, it was not a pleasant experience. It was easy enough to get going, but stopping wasn't fun, although it probably gets easier with practice. Downhills are quite frankly terrifying, especially living in the Pennines, the COG was too far forward, and a near vertical head tube angle and zero trail made it very twitchy. No standing up.
Your comment about downhills and zero trail made me laugh. Would love to watch someone go down a twisty hill on one.Nice downhill video here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuPJoA9gIro
Donbot said:
There's a guy near me who I occasionally see riding one. I can't help but smile.
So do it and bring joy to people. Just try not to fall off
Do we live near each other ?So do it and bring joy to people. Just try not to fall off
I often see a guy in a weekend on the lanes to the North of Northallerton
Bizarre - but seems to be a modern thing of CF build ??
PushedDover said:
Donbot said:
There's a guy near me who I occasionally see riding one. I can't help but smile.
So do it and bring joy to people. Just try not to fall off
Do we live near each other ?So do it and bring joy to people. Just try not to fall off
I often see a guy in a weekend on the lanes to the North of Northallerton
Bizarre - but seems to be a modern thing of CF build ??
and it looks a long way from Great Yarmouth. 
LeadFarmer said:
Were they originally made at he time as a fun gimmick, or a serious method of cycling?
T'other name for a 'Penny Farthing' is an 'Ordinary Bicycle'.Invented in the late 1860s, they had a rather short heyday - John Kemp Starley used the development of the drive chain to design his Rover Safety Bicycle in the mid 1880s, and a few years later John Dunlop developed a reliable pneumatic tyre, The combination of these two developments meant that, by the early 1890s, demand for the 'Ordinary Bicycle' had pretty much died away, and the basic design of the Safety Bicycle had taken over. It's basic design hasn't really changed that much since. Gears, brakes, and the materials it's made from mean the modern bicycle doesn't share specific features with the late Victorian bikes, but generally all the features are there, and in broadly the same layout/operation.
Mark Beaumont's 2018 attempt at the World Hour Record for the Ordinary Bicycle... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpAkhMmD3WA ...he failed to take the World Hour Record, but set a new British Hour Record of 21.92 miles in an hour. The previous record had stood for 127 years.
ETA: Guiness World Records set the rules for an indoor velodrome Hour Record, and it's over 34.5 mph
... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyqDOra2T3IEdited by yellowjack on Thursday 26th March 20:25
And don't forget the guy who broke the Lejog record on one last year:
https://www.bikeradar.com/news/lejog-penny-farthin...
https://www.bikeradar.com/news/lejog-penny-farthin...
So said:
The are impractical and arguably dangerous, but they are quite an elegant thing aren't they.
With all due respect I don't think anyone could argue they are not dangerous either then or now. Even at the time they developed the so called "safety bicycle" to replace the Penny Farthing to overcome it's inherent dangers :-)MikeStroud said:
Your comment about downhills and zero trail made me laugh. Would love to watch someone go down a twisty hill on one.
Nice downhill video here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuPJoA9gIro
Nice downhill video here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuPJoA9gIro
That was only going to end one way! The death weave on the thing! What a loon!
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