The Penny Farthing

[JohnRedcoRn]

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

 

[Hilldodger]

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

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Some of us still do

Serious not winding you up question. Why? What's the attraction, the usp....

 

[Hilldodger]

They are THE most exhilarating machine to ride and incredibly fast, too

 

[tyred]

You can ignore the debates on chain lubrication as well

 

[hubgearfreak]

Some of us still do

pleased to hear it, sadly, pipe smoking seems to be less and less frequent

 

[JohnRedcoRn]

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]

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.

 

[chris667]

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 ?

Smoking two pipes?

 

[Hilldodger]

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

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

 

[tyred]

Thomas Stephens rode one around the world.

 

[Hilldodger]

The gear ratio is in the region of 50 - 60 inches

The wheel diameter on my smaller Penny is 52 inches with a circumference of 162 inches

 

[Hilldodger]

Thomas Stephens rode one around the world.

And so did Joff.

 

[Owch]

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.

 

[tdr1nka]

I can't see the pic.?