With 15 minutes until closing and all the work being done it was time to have a little fun.

We have a “penny farthing” or 1900’s big front wheel bike that my boss took in on a trade because it’s a cool and iconic looking bike to have at the entry way to one’s bike shop.

It’s an out dated design for sure but being bored and having time to kill I convinced my two coworkers to attempt to ride the beast.

Full disclosure I was not the first to attempt to tame the big wheel beast. I was just lucky enough to have my feet actually reach the pedals. As far as I know I am the fist fool to successfully ride this obsolete and ridiculous contraption at my local bike shop.

When you turn the bars the pedals turn. That REALLY messed me up at first.

My LBS has 2 on the wall. Don't know if anyone's tried to ride them

Now if I had to mount the thing alone and dismount it there would be chaos. It was kind of a cool ride as long as I was going straight. Kind of like a lifted 4x4 the view up there was neat but the fall down was a concern.

That huge wheel was a firm riding beast I don’t think it had any air in any tube and was just a bit of rubber wrapped around a big rim. Firm riding as hell!

Doesn't look too hard.

Makes me wonder how they ever got sold.

Some years ago myself and 4 friends traveled to Wichita Falls ,Texas from Baton Rouge, La. and participated in a bike ride...Last weekend in august,, "Hotter-n-Hell Hundred".... Starting line 11,350 riders IIRC... 38 states and several countries represented.. 1/2 of the riders were signed up for the "centry" loop (100 miles).. My actual ride time 7hrs 8 minutes.... Saw several of these big wheel bikes (penny farthing)... Some even had the "areo" handle bars.. Some had clipless pedals ... ................. drill sgt.

quote:

Originally posted by Skull Leader:


Doesn't look too hard.

I have tons of respect for anyone willing and able to mount one of these things on their own. We didn’t have time to master it but with enough practice I think I could do that.

That is so cool!!! We had a pain in the butt drunk guy that always rode his bike around the city I work however; this guy was a fabrication genius. One day he built one of those. Rode it all over until he was too drunk to maintain control. It is a very long fall from the top of one of those. Banged himself up pretty good. Head injury and all.

Back when I was young there was an ice cream parlor in town called the Big Wheel. They had a few of these on display and would ride them in parades.

It just clicked - brakes on the back wheel to keep from going over the front.

My brother has ridden a 100 miler on his.

Our bike club used to put on a couple of rides every year. For a few years in a row, there was a guy from the area that would show up on a penny farthing. It was a modern build, not an original, so I presume it was at least a bit more comfortable. He rode that thing like a pro.

The answer is your shop wasn't around before the ordinary lost popularity and was replaced by the safety bicycle. What'd I win?

You never hear of people going up and over the handle bars on those.

I wonder if it's because there were no survivors.

Back in the '90s Coker tire sold these. I managed a tire business and we had some antique tires, traded Coker for one of them. The owner took it home and I have no idea what happened to it. He had kids but I never heard about them riding it.

quote:

Originally posted by bendable:
You never hear of people going up and over the handle bars on those.

I wonder if it's because there were no survivors.

Pretty close. My brother fell on his a couple years ago. Screwed up his shoulder pretty good. He's a recumbent trike rider now.

Looks like a great way to break a wrist. Cool bike though.