Penny-farthing

The penny-farthing is a famous early type of bicycle used during the 1870s and 1880s.

It is known by several names, including the high wheel, the high wheeler, or the ordinary. The name "penny-farthing" refers to British coins from that era. The penny was much larger than the farthing coin. When viewed from the side, the large front wheel looks like a penny. The small rear wheel looks like a farthing.

This machine was a symbol of the late Victorian era and helped start cycling as a sport.

These bicycles operated through a system called direct-drive. In this system, the cranks and pedals are fixed directly to the front wheel hub. Because there were no gears to multiply movement, the wheel size determined the speed. A larger wheel travels a longer distance for every single rotation. This allowed for high speeds, but it required a very large front wheel.

To reach the pedals, the rider had to sit high above the front axle. This design made the machine faster and smoother than earlier velocipedes, but it was difficult to control.

Because of this high center of gravity, riding was quite dangerous. If the wheel hit a rock or a rut, the rider could be pitched forward. This type of accident was called a "header," where the rider falls head-first over the handlebars. To stay safe, some riders would take their feet off the pedals while coasting downhill. They would place their feet over the handlebars to ensure they fell feet-first instead.

Other inventors tried to fix this by moving the seat or using different handlebar shapes. Some models used "moustache" handlebars to let the rider's knees clear the bars.

Several inventors played key roles in the development of the high-wheeler. Eugène Meyer of Paris is often called the father of the high bicycle. In 1869, he patented a wire-spoke tension wheel with adjustable spokes. In England, James Starley is known as the father of the British cycling industry. He built the "Ariel" in 1870, adding tangent spokes and a mounting step. In the United States, Albert Pope began manufacturing Columbia bicycles near Boston in 1878.

These men helped move bicycle design from the older "boneshaker" models toward more advanced machines.

Construction varied between different models and manufacturers. A 1886 model from the Pope Manufacturing Company weighed 45 pounds. It featured a 60-spoke front wheel and a 20-spoke rear wheel. This bike used hollow steel tubing for the frame and handlebars. It also used solid rubber tires and a leather saddle suspended by springs. Another model from Humber and Co., Ltd., was even lighter at only 31 pounds. That version had only 28 spokes and lacked both a mounting step and brakes to save weight.

Despite the risks, people achieved incredible feats on these bicycles. In 1884, Thomas Stevens rode a Columbia penny-farthing from San Francisco to Boston. He later became the first person to ride around the world between 1885 and 1886. In 1876, Frederick Lindley Dodds set an early hour record by riding 15 miles and 1,480 yards. Later, in 2018, Mark Beaumont set a new record by covering 21.3 miles in one hour.

These records show how much skill was required to master the machine.

The era of the penny-farthing ended due to two major technological shifts. First, the development of the chain drive allowed for speed without massive wheels. This allowed a gear ratio to be chosen that was independent of wheel size. Second, John Dunlop reinvented the pneumatic tire in 1888. These air-filled tires provided a comfortable ride on much smaller wheels.

This led to the "safety bicycle," such as the Rover launched by John Kemp Starley in 1885. These newer bikes were much safer because the rider sat lower to the ground.

Today, the penny-farthing lives on through enthusiasts and specialized clubs. Some companies, like Richards of England or UDC in Taiwan, still build or sell them. In 2020, UDC recorded record sales during the COVID-19 lockdown. There is even a Penny Farthing Club, founded in 2013, which organizes tours and even penny-farthing polo.

While they are no longer used for daily travel, these machines remain a fascinating part of cycling history.