The Penny Farthing

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JohnRedcoRn

New Member
Noticed one of these at a vintage rally at the weekend and I thought to myself...

To ride one of these whilst smoking a pipe, dressed in your sunday best and smoking a pipe, maintaining a dignified gentlemanly posture and all the while being ever alert to the perils of street urchin devilment ?;)

- that was some skill those olden days gentleman cyclists mustve had. Hats off to them
 
JohnRedcoRn said:
Noticed one of these at a vintage rally at the weekend and I thought to myself...

To ride one of these whilst smoking a pipe, dressed in your sunday best and smoking a pipe, maintaining a dignified gentlemanly posture and all the while being ever alert to the perils of street urchin devilment ?;)

- that was some skill those olden days gentleman cyclists mustve had. Hats off to them

Some of us still do:thumbsup:
 
OP
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JohnRedcoRn

JohnRedcoRn

New Member
how exactly do you get on them ?
come to think of it, once your on, how do you STAY on? how do you stop and start again? and i dont even want to think about climbing.
I dare say they may have been of a time when a gent would merely ride a short distance around town on the flat, no traffic lights etc, probably just to show off and look daper - you know, just 'being a gentleman' in the days when wives looked after the kids and did the housework and a chap could enjoy his leisure time after a hard weeks work
 

tyred

Legendary Member
Location
Ireland
I would say climbing wouldn't be too much of a problem. The gear ratio is in the region of 50 - 60 inches which is low by SS standards and there will be no transmission loss. I would be more concerned about going down a steep hill.

I knew an old man who spent a lifetime collecting old oddities and he was still able to ride the penny he had on his 85th birthday.
 
JohnRedcoRn said:
To ride one of these whilst smoking a pipe, dressed in your sunday best and smoking a pipe, maintaining a dignified gentlemanly posture and all the while being ever alert to the perils of street urchin devilment ?:sad:
Smoking two pipes?;)
 
JohnRedcoRn said:
how exactly do you get on them ?
come to think of it, once your on, how do you STAY on? how do you stop and start again? and i dont even want to think about climbing.
I dare say they may have been of a time when a gent would merely ride a short distance around town on the flat, no traffic lights etc, probably just to show off and look daper - you know, just 'being a gentleman' in the days when wives looked after the kids and did the housework and a chap could enjoy his leisure time after a hard weeks work

They were racing bikes in there day and very fast ones at that - up to 40mph.

And many people rode long distance on them - the first LeJog was on a Penny in IIRC 1882.

I've done Leicester - York in two days and am just thinking of riding Calais - Toulouse next year for a bet. And to see a beautiful French lady friend:thumbsup:

Riding across London is fine if a little exciting at times.
 

Owch

Senior Member
Some years ago (late 80s?) there was a 'high bicycle race' as part of a cycling festival in Market Harborough - terrifying! If memory serves me right a certain Mr Obree was the winner.
 
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