Saw someone cycling a crazy tall bicycle in London yesterday...

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jimster99
Posts: 210
Joined: 18 Jun 2012, 7:00pm

Saw someone cycling a crazy tall bicycle in London yesterday...

Post by jimster99 »

I saw something yesterday evening in London (cycling towards Greenwich) that was both hilarious and scary. It was a dude riding a bicycle in heavy traffic - normal in every respect - except that it was really, really tall. When I say tall, his head was about level with the upper floor of a double decker bus and the pedals of his enormo-bike were about level with my head (I was riding a normal MTB).

He looked like he was enjoying it enormously. As he went past I asked what happened if he had to stop and he said "I try not to"!

Anyone else seen this or have any idea what the background/history is? Seems to me like a lot of fun but also super dangerous. If he wipes out, he's either landing in the oncoming traffic lane or going headfirst into a shop window (depending on which way he falls) and the leverage means he'll be going pretty fast on the way down. Perhaps with practice and sufficient adroitness you could leap off delicately?

The mind really boggles - how does someone get into this type of cycling? Where do you even BUY a bike like that? How do you get on??? Is this an actual thing done regularly by people? And it looked like a proper bicycle (not some amateur DIY-welded bodge job). Is he a professional acrobat riding home after a hard day of circus work?

Wish I'd got a picture! The bicycle equivalent of a monster truck!
jimster99
Posts: 210
Joined: 18 Jun 2012, 7:00pm

Re: Saw someone cycling a crazy tall bicycle in London yesterday...

Post by jimster99 »

This is not the actual bike but it was a bit like this one. On the road amidst heavy traffic! In central London! In the dark!
invertabike-brad.jpg
Bonefishblues
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Location: Near Bicester Oxon

Re: Saw someone cycling a crazy tall bicycle in London yesterday...

Post by Bonefishblues »

Solves the problem of your blending into the background at a stroke.
colin54
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Joined: 24 Sep 2013, 4:34pm

Re: Saw someone cycling a crazy tall bicycle in London yesterday...

Post by colin54 »

Here's a previous thread on the subject by cycle tramp, with an interesting video at the start.
viewtopic.php?p=1652414#p1652414
Nu-Fogey
jimster99
Posts: 210
Joined: 18 Jun 2012, 7:00pm

Re: Saw someone cycling a crazy tall bicycle in London yesterday...

Post by jimster99 »

gcogger wrote: 8 Dec 2022, 10:52am Something like this? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKZyEHhx5LY
Yes! Maybe it was the GCN crew out for part 2 of that video! :)
colin54 wrote: 8 Dec 2022, 11:25am Here's a previous thread on the subject by cycle tramp, with an interesting video at the start.
viewtopic.php?p=1652414#p1652414
Thanks, interesting!
Gazelles
Posts: 45
Joined: 10 Sep 2022, 6:51am

Re: Saw someone cycling a crazy tall bicycle in London yesterday...

Post by Gazelles »

The Zenga Brothers made a couple of inspiring videos on tall bikes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQLEUS_-VdQ
Over time they have developed tall bike designs with a longer wheelbase which should reduce the risk of falling of forward or backward by a great margin.
I think the videos should be seen with some caveats: They show what was fun and what worked well. They don't show what went wrong. They have experience in chosing ways that suit tall bikes. They go in a group and are imposible to be overlooked. They have experience in making stunts.
I feel too old but like these tall bikes a lot! A long time ago I drove chain driven tall unicycles from time to time but I think the tall bikes would be more fun.
Dingdong
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Joined: 22 Apr 2022, 4:59pm

Re: Saw someone cycling a crazy tall bicycle in London yesterday...

Post by Dingdong »

Seen a few of these in Manchester, apparently it was a 'thing' about a decade ago
PT1029
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Joined: 16 Apr 2012, 9:20pm

Re: Saw someone cycling a crazy tall bicycle in London yesterday...

Post by PT1029 »

Yes, there was/still is(?) a scene. I wiorked in a LBS about 20 years ago with someone who was 6'4". He had a tall bike. A Raleigh 20 shopper. He cut out the rear brake bridge and mud guard bridge to fit a 26"/700c rear wheel (I forget which fitted best), and replaced the forks with 26"/700c forks.
a.twiddler
Posts: 343
Joined: 4 Jun 2009, 12:17am

Re: Saw someone cycling a crazy tall bicycle in London yesterday...

Post by a.twiddler »

When you are my height (5'6"), all bikes are tall bikes to me!
Dingdong
Posts: 966
Joined: 22 Apr 2022, 4:59pm

Re: Saw someone cycling a crazy tall bicycle in London yesterday...

Post by Dingdong »

PT1029 wrote: 11 Dec 2022, 8:36am Yes, there was/still is(?) a scene. I wiorked in a LBS about 20 years ago with someone who was 6'4". He had a tall bike. A Raleigh 20 shopper. He cut out the rear brake bridge and mud guard bridge to fit a 26"/700c rear wheel (I forget which fitted best), and replaced the forks with 26"/700c forks.
They look quite sketchy to ride tho :lol:
Bice
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Joined: 18 May 2020, 7:33pm

Re: Saw someone cycling a crazy tall bicycle in London yesterday...

Post by Bice »

Never seen him about. But just about every type of electric contraption can be encountered on the London cycle routes now.

The oddest cyclist I have encountered was coming up Whitehall to Trafalgar Square in heavy traffic. Youngish guy on single speed, with only one arm.
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