Penny farthing surprise...

[Pottsy]

Imagine my surprise whilst walking to the station today in Twickenham on the way to work, when a chap cycles past on a green penny farthing, one-handed, with a cup of Cafe Nero take away coffee in the other hand.

 

[Globalti]

Quel poseur!

 

[MajorMantra]

The Next Big Thing?:

http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/2008/11/penny-ante-ordinary-trend-moves-up.html

I think it would be enormous fun, if rather impractical, to ride one around town. Does anyone make fullsize ordinaries at non-astronomical prices?

Matthew

 

[Pottsy]

I have to say it didn't look like an antique, more a modern built version (mind you, no green deep-Vs like in your link!). Also perhaps not quite as tall as the really old ones I've seen before.

It did surprise me at 8am this morning though!

 

[tyred]

A penny farthing would be good fun but I would imagine it would be difficult to get the hang of one. It would be all too easy to do something like this


View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_2l8L6nJIs

 

[rich p]

Joff Summerfield went round the world on one

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=3Tzut&page_id=31096&v=fm

By the sound of it he built his own in a workshop

 

[Maz]

Imagine having a clipless moment on one of them. Bloody ell...

 

[tyred]

I wouldn't care about descending a steep hil.

 

[ufkacbln]

He also makes them!

 

[jonesy]

A few times now as I've got on and off the train with my Brompton (great bikes, Dellzeqq ) I've seen someone getting on with a unicycle! Anyone seen a unicyclist commuter in the Paddington area? I'm fairly sure there's at least one regular unicycle commuter travelling into Oxford.

 

[threefingerjoe]

I've ridden a penny farthing, but I've never seen anyone dismount like that! I put my foot back on the step, then stand up (bike is still rolling), and step down...just the opposite of mounting. As soon as I saw that guy start to throw his leg back, like climbing off a safety bike, I cringed, because I KNEW that was going to happen. The cranks don't stop. It's just like a fixie. So, standing on the pedal to dismount is nie on impossible, unless you can balance it standing still.

 

[tyred]

Has anyone ever built a freewheel penny farthing?

 

[John the Monkey]

Anyone seen a unicyclist commuter in the Paddington area? I'm fairly sure there's at least one regular unicycle commuter travelling into Oxford.

Seen one on Oxford Road in Manchester once, last summer. Cheered me up for the rest of the day.

 

[Tharg2007]

can you fit mudguards to them for winter commuting?

 

[Arch]

Has anyone ever built a freewheel penny farthing?

Presumably with a schlumpf unicycle hub gear, you could have a two speed one...