Penny farthings
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Penny farthings
How hard is it to ride a penny farthing? Anyone got one and learnt from scratch? Any tips? I fancy one and new ones are available online
Re: Penny farthings
Call it an Ordinary if you want anyone who knows to answer
Re: Penny farthings
Famed around the world cyclist Mark Beaumont is planning to set the hour record on a penny farthing. The record is something like 23 miles!
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Re: Penny farthings
I had a guy come past me on the coastal path at Lytham St annes, riding a penny farthing. He looked totally relaxed and was clearly enjoying the ride and the attention he got. I'm guessing that once you get up on the thing, it would be quite easy to ride.
Re: Penny farthings
I'd imagine it would be a pain on a ride with lots of stop/start. Having to dismount and remount at every red light.
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Re: Penny farthings
I rode a small one, had maybe a 36" wheel, quite easy and maybe fairly practical, would get attention too +1, the gear might be a bit low
I collect books, almost nothing else but I do have a model ordinary, with a 5 inch gear. That might be too low even for Tigerbiten
I collect books, almost nothing else but I do have a model ordinary, with a 5 inch gear. That might be too low even for Tigerbiten
Entertainer, juvenile, curmudgeon, PoB, 30120
Cycling-of course, but it is far better on a Gillott
We love safety cameras, we hate bullies
Cycling-of course, but it is far better on a Gillott
We love safety cameras, we hate bullies
Re: Penny farthings
Is it possible to have a small penny-farthing and use some sort of hub gear system to make the gearing bigger and variable?
Mick F. Cornwall
Re: Penny farthings
There was a type whose name escapes me for now, essentially a small wheeled penny with cranks part way up the forks and chain drive to a sprocket on the wheel, hence a "geared up" penny. Build that wheel with a hub gear and there you have it.Mick F wrote:Is it possible to have a small penny-farthing and use some sort of hub gear system to make the gearing bigger and variable?
Re: Penny farthings
Yes, Schoumpf did a Direct crank gear set version of their speed drive/mountain drive IIRC
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
Re: Penny farthings
Mick F wrote:Is it possible to have a small penny-farthing and use some sort of hub gear system to make the gearing bigger and variable?
If my memory is correct I believe specialised produced a half size machine with gearing in the hub. Some were sold to the public but they were really a publicity thing. Can't find any reference to them now though. Maybe 20 years ago.
Perhaps it was called a halfpenny groat.
Last edited by rjb on 2 Jun 2018, 4:45pm, edited 2 times in total.
At the last count:- Peugeot 531 pro, Dawes Discovery Tandem, Dawes Kingpin X3, Raleigh 20 stowaway, 1965 Moulton deluxe, Falcon K2 MTB dropped bar tourer, Rudge Bi frame folder, Longstaff trike conversion on a Giant XTC 840
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Re: Penny farthings
1982john wrote:Famed around the world cyclist Mark Beaumont is planning to set the hour record on a penny farthing. The record is something like 23 miles!
I wonder if the machine has to be direct drive or may include a hub gear? If direct drive that limits the gearing and could make the record hard to beat (depending how long the legs are!)
Re: Penny farthings
Mick F wrote:Is it possible to have a small penny-farthing and use some sort of hub gear system to make the gearing bigger and variable?
... said the guy who invented the safety bicycle...
(Well OK, not the "variable" bit. That came later.)
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Re: Penny farthings
"There are many types of musical instrument"
Said the man with a wooden trumpet
Irish proverb
Said the man with a wooden trumpet
Irish proverb
Entertainer, juvenile, curmudgeon, PoB, 30120
Cycling-of course, but it is far better on a Gillott
We love safety cameras, we hate bullies
Cycling-of course, but it is far better on a Gillott
We love safety cameras, we hate bullies
Re: Penny farthings
[XAP]Bob wrote:Yes, Schoumpf did a Direct crank gear set version of their speed drive/mountain drive IIRC
It was originally for unicycles. I had a go on one and while I couldn't get the gear-change (ankle button tap) because I'm not a good unicyclist it certainly gave a very good turn of speed compared to my normal ride. The one I tried had a 24" wheel and geared up by 1.5, so about the same as a Coker, while I usually ride a 26" Muni.
Pete.
Often seen riding a bike around Dundee...
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Re: Penny farthings
Do you ride a unicycle from A to B?
Please tell us more!
Please tell us more!
Entertainer, juvenile, curmudgeon, PoB, 30120
Cycling-of course, but it is far better on a Gillott
We love safety cameras, we hate bullies
Cycling-of course, but it is far better on a Gillott
We love safety cameras, we hate bullies