A beautiful machine, Dan. I rode a vintage one that belonged to a bicycle shop I worked at 20 years or so ago. I used to ride it around the shopping mall on weekends, people were fascinated by it!
It’s a lot of fun and it is easy as long as your fitted nicely to the bike. Too big or too small is difficult or a race bike is difficult compared to a touring or casual street version.
Wow! Thanks for the clear instruction! Just purchased a '84 Columbia Expert and I'm trying to get comfortable on it. The emergency dismount demonstration is invaluable and will definitely boost my confidence.
Robert Young thank you, it can be a challenge when you have old bike to learn on as you need time to see how well you fit up to it. You’ll be okay, take you time and enjoy the learning process. Once you can scoot along efficiently and balance, the rest is a lot easier.
Thank you Dan. You taught the essentials and more. I am awaiting my custom RBR 48" model here in the USA, and I REALLY look forward to the challenge and FUN. This video took me to your website. I loved all your models, the CLEAR photography, and your foldable model. Whew! I will reach out as I add or upgrade. FIRST I have to put in my miles... (Kilo's!)
Thank you for the feedback, that’s great to hear. Supporting new riders is important to me so we have a supportive and encouraging transition into a new sport. Photography is not easy for me and I struggle to really capture decent photos but slowly improving.
Hi Dan, glad to see you! I have a creative experimental idea for you, why don't you create a penny-farthing, but so that the front wheel is only the leading one, and the steering wheel is made small by using cables, as is done on modern cargo bicycles. The front wheel will be the leading one, but it is fixed with the help of additional horizontal feathers, completing a full-fledged dropout. Moreover, I suggest that instead of a simple bushing, put a 3-step planetary one so that you can at least rest and not pedal all the time. And that in the dry balance, we will get a comfortable, safe bike, but at the same time with the advantage and feeling of a penny-farthing, a sense of flight and freedom.
I was on one of these at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. Of course, it was between two blocks in place and stable and you had stairs to get on it.
Thank you, it’s important for me to back up and support my customers so they have a great experience. It’s a bit organic and needs an update but the system is the main thing.
Kerri Papstein Hi, that’s a common problem, sometimes it’s hard to identify the maker. Usually it’s pretty easy to work out roughly the approx year though. It’s most likely some sort of original work as there is almost no true copies of specific make and models.
TheTedster thank you. The video is here to help new riders and even experienced riders to help teach. There’s more on my website www.pennyfarthingdan.com.au and I share a lot of our riding adventures on Facebook and instagram.
Very good instructional video. However, this and all the other Penny Farthing instructional videos I have viewed on RU-vid are not showing a beginner being taught how to use one in real time. To see and listen to an experienced rider and instructor is one thing. To actually see how challenging it is going to be for a beginner, along with any unfortunate possible falls is critical.
Thank you, that is a very good comment, I will try to do one, over the years I have developed the process that means if it’s followed, it will be no problem. In the past I had a few issues that were lessons for me to teach better. I will try to film the actual teaching process with the next new rider.
@@pennyfarthingdan You are welcome my friend, I wish you and your family a very good health and much happiness, much strength, much faith, much succes and much power The most respectful and very friendly greetings 🖖 of me, Johan Capiau
One thing I think worth mention: the bike becomes increasingly more stable as that huge wheel begins turning faster just like a gyroscope. Angular momentum is your friend on a highwheel!
Hi Scott, any shoes are okay as long as they aren’t loose and floppy laces. We ride through the hills a lot, up to 15% is fine on normal long distance tours, then we have done a 22% challenge at an enemy which was fun!
I frequently go to Victorian events, like a Renaissance Fair but for the 1890s, might buy a penny-farthing for the next one I go to, feel like I'd become rather popular
I imagine that would be rough, fortunately my bikes do not run hard tyres and are purpose designed semi-pneumatic tyres offered in a range of performance options to suit the riders needs. Truing wheels is a lot of fun, regardless of size the principles and techniques are the same. 😊
I've been a cyclist both road and mountain bikes for years, but I would bust my azz on that penny farthing in a New York Minute! Thanks for showing how it's done!
Are you able to do radial spokes? The mounting method you demonstrate is but one of two popular methods. The method you did not show, is when you position yourself to the left proper of the hi-wheel, place your right foot upon the foot step, and propel yourself forward with your left leg (like riding a scooter), and with sufficient momentum built up, you stand using your right leg on the foot step, and you catch the left proper pedal with your left foot, stepping onto it and elevating yourself over the saddle, and then sitting upon the saddle as you raise your right foot to meet the right proper pedal to begin pedaling.
How fast will these go mph? Looks like a person could go faster will a lot less work than riding a regular bicycle. Is that the advantage of having one?
The top riders will get up to 38mph on the pedals and on a high speed downhill lying down over the bike in a tucked position we can do up to 50mph. There is an advantage with marginally less mechanical loss overall but a disadvantage in general riding not being able to match the ideal cadence with the terrain. The biggest inhibitor of top speed for us is wind resistance which has a much greater effect with the large wheel.
@@pennyfarthingdan I guess it’s hard to put into words. If a person was going to ride 10 miles would it be less exhausting to ride this or a regular bicycle? What would be the normal speed going down the road like for pleasure riding. I am fascinated with these bicycles. I am thinking that hills or inclines would be a challenge for these big wheels. Very informative video by the way. I had no idea how people got on and off of them.
@@JohnDavis-yz9nq a steady east cruising speed is about 10mph, when we ate in a group on long tours we sometimes sit in tight and ride at about 15mph just like a typical peloton. It’s only as hard as the effort you put in, typically because of varied conditions like undulations, wind, road surface etc overall it’s harder than a modern bike or more that it takes a bit longer at the equivalent input. If you look through my videos you’ll find I have one on doing downhill. I should do one on uphill riding as well when I get a chance.
@@pennyfarthingdan what are the benefits of riding one? I have never seen one in person. They are a very rare item. Also with your skills maybe you could reinvent it with maybe a chain drive. Sorry for the comment. It’s just that I am a thinker and I always think how can I make something better. Just wonder if anyone has thought about building something between this and a regular bicycle. Once again I think too much. I have seen pictures of the bid wheel tricycle.
@@JohnDavis-yz9nq it’s not a bicycle to compare, it’s just a different interest, like the difference between road, MTB, cyclocross, BMX, its a stand alone type of cycling. There is many transitional designs, the only reason there is a large wheel is to maximise speed within the fixed drive design, chain or gearing drives mean there is no reason to have a large wheel, development of this design is the latest carbon road bike any blend in between is possible but it’s a different bicycle and different cycling interest.
APG 1219 hello, go to: www.pennyfarthingdan.com.au Yes I sell them to something like 20 countries. I’ve got very good systems in place to ensure smooth and easy delivery anywhere in the world directly to your front door.
Thanks for your question. Normal road rules apply, at traffic lights when the light is green we go and when it’s red we stop, at a roundabout, if it’s clear we ride through, if it isn’t we stop and give way.
Andrew Savin that one is a 53”, it’s my touring and general riding bike, the one I use the most. I have a range of sizes on hand to lend to riders for events.
No, this is a genuine hammock saddle, suspended on a point at the front and rear, as the front narrows into the nose it is softer. A pan saddle or a modern bicycle saddle with different base and hardware requires a flatter position. My customers are comfortably doing up to 20,000 kilometres a year and on big days riding 250ks in 16hrs. The saddle and position is very comfortable.
No, obviously not, as explained it is not a hard flat pan saddle, it is a soft hammock saddle so you sit down into it not on top of it like you would a hard solid surface.
lal5555f Hello. Thanks for your interest, I don’t sell individual loose parts only complete bikes, everything is made in house and is an integrated design, as they were in the late 1800’s.
Hi Doug, I know we’ve been messaging and emailing about a bike for you and a test ride but I thought I’d add a public reply for anyone else with the same question. Go to pennyfarthingdan.com.au and you can email me there to order a bike.
Peter Vick riding up hills you just pedal, it’s harder the faster you go, as for down hill, you can either pedal it out to your top speed or step down on the rear steps and let gravity take over. Many people don’t realise that all highwheels are very different, some are more suited different uses from hill climbing, racing, touring, manoeuvring or a balance between uses. The main thing is they are fitted to the rider correctly.
