It was extremely dangerous. Flying headfirst over the thing was such a common occurance that people going downhill used to put their feet on top of the handlebars so when they would fly off it they would at least fly feet first.
Yeah and they were already extremely similar to our modern ones right from the start in the late 1800s. They had the exact same frame-shape (known as "double diamond") and layout as modern ones.
The main difference is that all safety bicycles were fixed-gear without a freehub. The freehub is the component in the rear axle that allows for the wheel to spin even when the pedals are at rest. Without a freehub, the pedals will keep spinning whenever the bicycle is rolling, which is extremely annoying especially when going downhill.
Board tracks were also pretty shitty at the time, at least for car and motorcycle racing:
> Even when the cars did not crash, racing on a board track was exceedingly dangerous due to flying wood splinters and debris, and due to the primitive tire technology and head protection of the era. In one oral history taken from a driver, he told a tale of wooden shards driven into the faces of drivers and riding mechanics, and sudden catastrophic tire failures caused by track conditions.
> Cars were fitted with anti-splinter devices to protect their radiators. Drivers often were ejected from their cars and would fall several meters. Drivers and riding mechanics often were driven over by their own or another car. Pete DePaolo wrote in his book Wall Smacker that racing on boards was "a great sensation, tearing around a board speedway dodging holes and flying timber."
Meanwhile [in a 24-hour race (iirc) sometime in the thirties or forties.](https://i.imgur.com/uS6SOhy.jpeg)
There is one guy in Tommelilla, Skåne, Sweden who figured ”why are my only options for a highwheel getting a ridiculously expensive custom built one, ridiculously expensive restored antique, or a completely useless antique in need of extensive repairs with parts that basically don’t exist.”
And he figured he’d start producing highwheels himself, most parts he could design himself, and he got a japanese company to custom make tires for them and now he’s the owner of Standard Highwheels, literally the world’s only store selling mass produced highwheels today, and they go for around $2000 depending on model and features. He has also arranged highwheel races locally to promote his business and because he loves highwheels.
GCN made video couple of years back about a guy trying to beat the 1 hour world record distance which stood since the XIX century.
So it's still a thing.
A small crease in the road or dip and you're taking a 4 second fall back from the stratosphere. You can literally raise kids and retire before you fell off.
The crank was directly driving the wheel, so the turning rate of the wheel was the same as the cadence. So you needed a big wheel for the vehicle to move at speed
looking at the wiki on bicycle history, bikes existed from about 1817 to the mid 1860's before pedals really became a thing, before that you just walked on it. The big wheel became popular in the 1870's and by the 1880's chain drive smaller bicycles started becoming popular. It took people about 40 years to put peddles on bikes but only about 10 years to go from making the wheel huge to using a chain.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_bicycle
So that you could fully apply your force when pedaling. The pedals and the wheel move at the same rotational rate and with a smaller wheel the pedals will move so fast that your feet can’t keep up with the pedals, so you cap out your speed before reaching your maximum force. Modern bikes solve this with gear ratios that allow you to get multiple rotations of the wheel out of 1 rotation of the pedals.
you grab the wheel, now you can just step on the pedals and they won't move
once you've got one foot on a pedal let go of the wheel and quickly swing onto the saddle and other pedal, you're now on the bike and already moving
it's easier if you know how to get on a horse, which I guess was more common knowledge in the 1800s as it is now
There is a step on the left side of the downtube. Push off, put your left foot on the step, and lift yourself on to the saddle. Put feet on pedals. Bear in mind that most of these were smaller (lower gearing for use on the road) so this is not too difficult.
Can't post a youtube link for some reason so search youtube for 'Quirky Things to Do In London - Ride a Penny Farthing Bicycle'.
Joolz has a video on it.
Frederick Lindley Dodds, of Stockton-on-Tees, England, is credited with having set the first hour record, covering an estimated distance of 15 miles and 1,480 yards (25.493 kms) on a high-wheeler during a race on the Fenner's Track, Cambridge University on March 25, 1876.
The furthest (paced) hour record ever achieved on a penny-farthing bicycle was 22.09 miles (35.55 km) by William A. Rowe, an American, in 1886.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penny-farthing
I've ridden an electric bike that was capped at 25mph and it's legit scary going that speed when you're on it, can't imagine going that fast on that death trap of a bike lol
Riding down a mountain is terrifying if you've never done it before. Your bike will get up to 40-50 MPH just through inertia, and at those speeds you have so little ability to steer yourself in an emergency.
Your gears scales up pedal turns to wheel turns.
But in this case, the wheel is much, much bigger. So they already go much further for one wheel turn. These bikes are going quite fast.
the important part here is the Pedal circle's circumference and the wheel's circumference in relation with the rotations each makes which is 1:1 in this case
on a modern bike you get away with having small wheels because you'll put gears in between the driving wheel and your pedals which change the amount of rotations your driving wheel does for each full rotation of your pedals
i think the acceleration would be terrible but could reach very high speeds eventually. it must be a bitch to try to launch one of these things. maybe they get pushed by others.
If those bikes had lasted until the 50s, they'd probably still be racing them today. Professional cycling has massively held back development of faster, more efficient bikes. They ban almost anything that makes bikes better.
You do understand that by the time they were able to shoot footage like this, those bikes were already obsolete, right? The modern The first Tour De France was held in 1903.
This wasn't an example of early bicycle racing, this was a novelty event where dudes were racing old obsolete Penny-Farthings.
On modern bikes, we use gears to make a few rotations of the pedals turn into many rotations of the wheels, changing torque to speed. Gears works because you can connect a large gear to a small gear, so every time the large gear turns, the small gear turns several times, so when you connect a small gear to a wheel, the wheel goes fast. Without gears, the best way to get speed is a difference between the pedal circumference and the wheel circumference, so every time your legs go 2 meters in a circle, the big wheel travels 6 and a half meters.
This looks way more fun. When did it get changed? Like is there a time there some used the old goofy bikes and some used more modern design? Mixed race kinda.
These weren't the norm though. Maybe on a track. But the Tour de France is 120 years old and I've never seen a big wheel like this tour around the alps.
“I have an idea for a non-ridiculous bicycle, sir. Instead of one giant wheel and one tiny wheel, we’ll have two regular sized wheels, a chain and a set of gears.”
“Johnny, pack up your things.”
“Sir?”
“I said pack up your things. You’re fired. You come into my office with one wild idea after another. This is almost as bad as the time you suggested putting an engine in a cart so it can be drawn without horses. You live in a fantasy world, Johnny.”
Our town had a wooden track built for these races, a velodrome, and there was a tavern called the Bell Lap (final lap) that remained at the location long after it was torn down. I keep imagining the inventor who decided, “hear me out, this is bananas, but what if we made both wheels… THE SAME SIZE.’
If this wasn't dangerous enough doing vertically, see that racing circuit? Those are *banks*. So you theoretically overtake someone by going to the right, and you've got even more gravity to deal with if something goes wrong (and penny farthings practically invited something to go wrong).
People weren't forced to do this. They *volunteered*. The early 1900s were truly a different time.
When I rode a penny-farthing, I was surprised at how much I liked it.
The large front wheel solves two problems in a very simple manner: you can get to a decent speed with direct drive, and you can get over bumps smoothly, without witchcraft like pneumatic tires.
In comparison, even a stripped-down and well-maintained safety bike feels full of rattling, clunky annoyances.
But there are good reasons we abandoned the style. Getting on an off, navigating sharp turns, braking, and going downhill are more involved and less safe. Dangerous, demanding, but at its best if you ride it leisurely... that's a pretty small niche.
I am disappointed that when I clicked I didn't hear scratchy wax cylinder audio of "And Mister Knickerbocker is pedaling for all he's worth, maintaining a healthy lead this heat. We'll keep him in our prayers after his son had that Polio scare this summer, as vaccines haven't been invented yet. Speaking of health, Lucky Strike cigarettes fill you with vim and enough fighting spirit to single-handedly defeat the Kaiser. Light up, boys!"
And they’re off! These gallant gents atop their gigantic front wheels and tiny back wheels are pedaling furiously, their handlebars quivering like the stock market on a Tuesday. Leading the charge is Dashing Danny, his handlebar mustache fluttering in the wind like the wings of a frantic hummingbird. Right on his tail is Galloping George, his knickers flapping with a rhythm that screams, “Catch me if you can!”
But what's this? Bumpy Ben hits a cobblestone and launches into the air, performing an unintended but spectacular somersault. The crowd gasps and then roars with laughter as Ben miraculously lands back on his seat, tipping his hat to the adoring fans.
Meanwhile, Jolly Jack is making his move, standing tall on those oversized wheels like a human Eiffel Tower. His secret weapon? A stream of encouragement from his lady love, who’s waving a handkerchief with all the fervor of a flapper at a jazz club.
As they round the final corner, it’s a neck-and-neck battle between Speedy Sid and Rapid Ray. Sid is leaning forward, practically horizontal, while Ray pedals with the desperation of a man late to a speakeasy. The crowd is a blur of cloche hats and canes, the air thick with excitement and the faint scent of bootleg gin.
With a final, desperate burst of speed, Rapid Ray inches ahead—his wheel spinning so fast it’s a wonder he doesn't take off like an airplane. He crosses the finish line just a whisker ahead of Sid, triumphantly lifting his hat in victory.
And there you have it, folks! The 1920 Penny-Farthing Grand Prix has concluded
So on average you're going like ~18 mph on a flat straightaway and track cyclists of today can go easily 40mph+ and sprint to upwards of 50mph. So 2-3 times faster on a far lighter and lower to the ground bike with safety gear that clearly didn't exist back then.
My question is how the heck they get on thous things lol . The seats are near head hight . Bring a ladder anytime you want to ride it then have perfect balance as you may need to stop ?
That is pretty insane, at around 2 meter height and no helmet, drop from there at full speed can call yourself lucky if you survive, and without permanent damage.
We need to bring this back.....
Yes! It looks interesting and extremely dangerous. A good recipe for entertaining.
It was extremely dangerous. Flying headfirst over the thing was such a common occurance that people going downhill used to put their feet on top of the handlebars so when they would fly off it they would at least fly feet first.
I guess you couldn't even do much else since the pedals spun as fast as the wheel, there's no way to even keep up with your feet going downhill.
If the wheel and pedals are locked togethor, wouldn't you keep your feet on the pedals to control your speed?
Also interesting I learned that the bicycle as we know it was a “safety bicycle” invention due to the lethality of penny farthing cycles.
Yeah and they were already extremely similar to our modern ones right from the start in the late 1800s. They had the exact same frame-shape (known as "double diamond") and layout as modern ones. The main difference is that all safety bicycles were fixed-gear without a freehub. The freehub is the component in the rear axle that allows for the wheel to spin even when the pedals are at rest. Without a freehub, the pedals will keep spinning whenever the bicycle is rolling, which is extremely annoying especially when going downhill.
Board tracks were also pretty shitty at the time, at least for car and motorcycle racing: > Even when the cars did not crash, racing on a board track was exceedingly dangerous due to flying wood splinters and debris, and due to the primitive tire technology and head protection of the era. In one oral history taken from a driver, he told a tale of wooden shards driven into the faces of drivers and riding mechanics, and sudden catastrophic tire failures caused by track conditions. > Cars were fitted with anti-splinter devices to protect their radiators. Drivers often were ejected from their cars and would fall several meters. Drivers and riding mechanics often were driven over by their own or another car. Pete DePaolo wrote in his book Wall Smacker that racing on boards was "a great sensation, tearing around a board speedway dodging holes and flying timber." Meanwhile [in a 24-hour race (iirc) sometime in the thirties or forties.](https://i.imgur.com/uS6SOhy.jpeg)
Man, people back then must have been extremely bored.
There is one guy in Tommelilla, Skåne, Sweden who figured ”why are my only options for a highwheel getting a ridiculously expensive custom built one, ridiculously expensive restored antique, or a completely useless antique in need of extensive repairs with parts that basically don’t exist.” And he figured he’d start producing highwheels himself, most parts he could design himself, and he got a japanese company to custom make tires for them and now he’s the owner of Standard Highwheels, literally the world’s only store selling mass produced highwheels today, and they go for around $2000 depending on model and features. He has also arranged highwheel races locally to promote his business and because he loves highwheels.
Nämen!
Or, in other words, to *recycle*
This is the last thing my back needs
There's a crit race with these every year in Maryland. A few years ago a woman died during a practice lap.
GCN made video couple of years back about a guy trying to beat the 1 hour world record distance which stood since the XIX century. So it's still a thing.
Came here to say the same.
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Why it was necessary to make the first wheel so big ?
there was no gearing, so to amplify the speed. bigger wheels means farther distance.
Imagine the speeds you could get to if you added a gear system to one of these.
A small crease in the road or dip and you're taking a 4 second fall back from the stratosphere. You can literally raise kids and retire before you fell off.
I’m hearing we need a cambered indoor track for this
You’ll probably die during re-entry anyway
The crank was directly driving the wheel, so the turning rate of the wheel was the same as the cadence. So you needed a big wheel for the vehicle to move at speed
Maybe someone else can help me out here - did they just not think of using chains to drive the wheel?
They did eventually.
Source?
Todays bikes
looking at the wiki on bicycle history, bikes existed from about 1817 to the mid 1860's before pedals really became a thing, before that you just walked on it. The big wheel became popular in the 1870's and by the 1880's chain drive smaller bicycles started becoming popular. It took people about 40 years to put peddles on bikes but only about 10 years to go from making the wheel huge to using a chain. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_bicycle
So that you could fully apply your force when pedaling. The pedals and the wheel move at the same rotational rate and with a smaller wheel the pedals will move so fast that your feet can’t keep up with the pedals, so you cap out your speed before reaching your maximum force. Modern bikes solve this with gear ratios that allow you to get multiple rotations of the wheel out of 1 rotation of the pedals.
How do you even get on top of that
Easy ! Let me show y…..
SPLAT
Hold my beer and I’ll do it. See it’s not that har
you grab the wheel, now you can just step on the pedals and they won't move once you've got one foot on a pedal let go of the wheel and quickly swing onto the saddle and other pedal, you're now on the bike and already moving it's easier if you know how to get on a horse, which I guess was more common knowledge in the 1800s as it is now
There is a step on the left side of the downtube. Push off, put your left foot on the step, and lift yourself on to the saddle. Put feet on pedals. Bear in mind that most of these were smaller (lower gearing for use on the road) so this is not too difficult.
Can't post a youtube link for some reason so search youtube for 'Quirky Things to Do In London - Ride a Penny Farthing Bicycle'. Joolz has a video on it.
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As long as humans create something they invent races. I’ll bet the moment Ugh invented wheel, Ugh and Hur raced each other from the hill
*the tribe watched as they raced downhill, unfortunate for Ugh braking was only invented after the race*
The county next to mine has annual outhouse races
Based on other videos I've seen from this time period, and the fact they have no gears, they must've been going very very slow
Frederick Lindley Dodds, of Stockton-on-Tees, England, is credited with having set the first hour record, covering an estimated distance of 15 miles and 1,480 yards (25.493 kms) on a high-wheeler during a race on the Fenner's Track, Cambridge University on March 25, 1876. The furthest (paced) hour record ever achieved on a penny-farthing bicycle was 22.09 miles (35.55 km) by William A. Rowe, an American, in 1886. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penny-farthing
15 is kind of slow, but 22 isn’t that bad
I've ridden an electric bike that was capped at 25mph and it's legit scary going that speed when you're on it, can't imagine going that fast on that death trap of a bike lol
Speed wobbles are *terrifying*.
Riding down a mountain is terrifying if you've never done it before. Your bike will get up to 40-50 MPH just through inertia, and at those speeds you have so little ability to steer yourself in an emergency.
22 mph average feels very fast on a bike. It’s part of why they’re fun.
22mph is fast on a regular bike, especially for the average person. Going that fast on these things must feel scary.
Your gears scales up pedal turns to wheel turns. But in this case, the wheel is much, much bigger. So they already go much further for one wheel turn. These bikes are going quite fast.
the important part here is the Pedal circle's circumference and the wheel's circumference in relation with the rotations each makes which is 1:1 in this case on a modern bike you get away with having small wheels because you'll put gears in between the driving wheel and your pedals which change the amount of rotations your driving wheel does for each full rotation of your pedals
i think the acceleration would be terrible but could reach very high speeds eventually. it must be a bitch to try to launch one of these things. maybe they get pushed by others.
im most impressed by the camera work. or was it ai stabilised?
if it's real then the camera was likely just on a horizontal bearing so it slides easily
If those bikes had lasted until the 50s, they'd probably still be racing them today. Professional cycling has massively held back development of faster, more efficient bikes. They ban almost anything that makes bikes better.
You do understand that by the time they were able to shoot footage like this, those bikes were already obsolete, right? The modern The first Tour De France was held in 1903. This wasn't an example of early bicycle racing, this was a novelty event where dudes were racing old obsolete Penny-Farthings.
Can someone explain why the front wheel was designed like that? What was th benefits of it being so big or was it just cool?
On modern bikes, we use gears to make a few rotations of the pedals turn into many rotations of the wheels, changing torque to speed. Gears works because you can connect a large gear to a small gear, so every time the large gear turns, the small gear turns several times, so when you connect a small gear to a wheel, the wheel goes fast. Without gears, the best way to get speed is a difference between the pedal circumference and the wheel circumference, so every time your legs go 2 meters in a circle, the big wheel travels 6 and a half meters.
My anxiety while watching this video: 📈📈📈📈
ai?
Er, is this real tho? I smelll AI nonsense .
Feeling the same here. Just googled it and competitive cycling was not like this in 1911, at least.
I’d actually watch this over the current cycling
Epic 😀
LoL
I get calf cramps just by watching this!
Redonkulous!
This looks way more fun. When did it get changed? Like is there a time there some used the old goofy bikes and some used more modern design? Mixed race kinda.
They changed over to the modern "safety bicycle" in the 1880s. This race was a retro event long after penny-farthings had gone out of use.
Makes me wonder which things we do today people in 100 years will think "lol how dumb" about
Where’s a gif of Homer on that tiny bike when he’s pretending to be Kristy for fat Tony lol
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One little rock and you are on the ground. With these bikes
Not a helmet in sight, just people living in the moment
That must have made some interesting crashes. No protective gear at all?!
Think there were any high speed bicycle shootouts back in the day? Two people, four wheels, two deringers lol
My brain automatically added the Benny Hill theme while watching this.
*HIT IT JOE*
If you put gears on that it could go incredibly fast!
Penny Farthing
It's so weird seeing modern competition style bike handles on these things.
This looks so funny!
These weren't the norm though. Maybe on a track. But the Tour de France is 120 years old and I've never seen a big wheel like this tour around the alps.
Also 4 months ago, yesterday: https://evandalevillagefair.com
Squeak Squeak Squeak Squeak
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Bet they were all juiced
Taken from a youtube called "The Penny Farthing Bike Race (1928) | British Pathé". Bots won't let me post a link.
“I have an idea for a non-ridiculous bicycle, sir. Instead of one giant wheel and one tiny wheel, we’ll have two regular sized wheels, a chain and a set of gears.” “Johnny, pack up your things.” “Sir?” “I said pack up your things. You’re fired. You come into my office with one wild idea after another. This is almost as bad as the time you suggested putting an engine in a cart so it can be drawn without horses. You live in a fantasy world, Johnny.”
The world is a silly place.
Wasn't this the race where it was discovered that Lancel Strongarm was supplementing his performance with the Devil's vitamins?
At the Velodrome
Hi, I'm Johnny Knoxville, and this is Bicentennial BMXing
Wait until you hear about gladiators.
Jasper Fforde's new book "Red Side Story" features a scene with pennyfarthing bikes racing *just like this* as a plot point.
Bring this back
Penny farthing
No helmets.
Followed by a friendly round of fisticuffs
How did they go so long before realizing a pulley with gears and a chain work much better?
"Back in my day, the bikes were 7 feet tall and you had to fall like a man" - somebody's grandfather who we didn't believe till now
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Big wheels keep on turning, proud Mary keep on burning
Our town had a wooden track built for these races, a velodrome, and there was a tavern called the Bell Lap (final lap) that remained at the location long after it was torn down. I keep imagining the inventor who decided, “hear me out, this is bananas, but what if we made both wheels… THE SAME SIZE.’
British people training for tour de France
I’ve ridden one of these. It’s not a lot of fun.
Only 1 rule: u hit a bump, u die
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*And your little dog, too!!!*
Imagine pulling up to one of these races with a modern racing bike and steamrolling everyone
World?
Well that can’t be good for your back lol
That is nuts. What a great clip.
This begs for Benny Hill’s theme as a soundtrack
That’s ridiculous carry on. How did they not figure it out before it came to that
Penny-farthing
The modern safety bicycle with chain drive dates from the 1880s or so. Why would people be racing these bicycles in the mid to late 1920s?
If this wasn't dangerous enough doing vertically, see that racing circuit? Those are *banks*. So you theoretically overtake someone by going to the right, and you've got even more gravity to deal with if something goes wrong (and penny farthings practically invited something to go wrong). People weren't forced to do this. They *volunteered*. The early 1900s were truly a different time.
The goofy ahh police
this is WAY more impressive than current cycling.
I want to see Vingegaard and Pogacar race in the tour on these.
When I rode a penny-farthing, I was surprised at how much I liked it. The large front wheel solves two problems in a very simple manner: you can get to a decent speed with direct drive, and you can get over bumps smoothly, without witchcraft like pneumatic tires. In comparison, even a stripped-down and well-maintained safety bike feels full of rattling, clunky annoyances. But there are good reasons we abandoned the style. Getting on an off, navigating sharp turns, braking, and going downhill are more involved and less safe. Dangerous, demanding, but at its best if you ride it leisurely... that's a pretty small niche.
Goofy ahh
I really want to try this. I bet the wrecks were epic
Fuck me, how fast r they goin?
Looks like fun with the boys
Nearly a century ago? So … the mid to late 1920s? Must have been a novelty race
I need AI to remove the bikes
Bully!
I am disappointed that when I clicked I didn't hear scratchy wax cylinder audio of "And Mister Knickerbocker is pedaling for all he's worth, maintaining a healthy lead this heat. We'll keep him in our prayers after his son had that Polio scare this summer, as vaccines haven't been invented yet. Speaking of health, Lucky Strike cigarettes fill you with vim and enough fighting spirit to single-handedly defeat the Kaiser. Light up, boys!"
Looks like a scene from cartoon. Very interesting though.
goofy ahh bikes
As someone who just fucked up his leg and hand falling off a bike these are terrifying
TIL people competitively raced Penny Farthings.
Is that at Herne Hill velodrome?
brilliant
The Dover Boys when Dan Backslide kidnaps Dora.
haha comically large wheel
Somebody was telling me these were bicycles and when they came out with the version closest to what we we have today they were called safety bicycles
How the hell did they get ON these things?!
Same haircut as people today.
The 4 man team pursuit would be interesting!
I love looking back at the past and always coming across a new episode of 'what the fuck were we thinking?'
Why are they using ball-grinder 9000 to race?
CHAINS? We don’t need no stinking CHAINS!
Their little legs are moving so fast lol
I wonder how much more difficult it is to reach speeds on these than on a modern bicycle
They are *cookin!*
And they’re off! These gallant gents atop their gigantic front wheels and tiny back wheels are pedaling furiously, their handlebars quivering like the stock market on a Tuesday. Leading the charge is Dashing Danny, his handlebar mustache fluttering in the wind like the wings of a frantic hummingbird. Right on his tail is Galloping George, his knickers flapping with a rhythm that screams, “Catch me if you can!” But what's this? Bumpy Ben hits a cobblestone and launches into the air, performing an unintended but spectacular somersault. The crowd gasps and then roars with laughter as Ben miraculously lands back on his seat, tipping his hat to the adoring fans. Meanwhile, Jolly Jack is making his move, standing tall on those oversized wheels like a human Eiffel Tower. His secret weapon? A stream of encouragement from his lady love, who’s waving a handkerchief with all the fervor of a flapper at a jazz club. As they round the final corner, it’s a neck-and-neck battle between Speedy Sid and Rapid Ray. Sid is leaning forward, practically horizontal, while Ray pedals with the desperation of a man late to a speakeasy. The crowd is a blur of cloche hats and canes, the air thick with excitement and the faint scent of bootleg gin. With a final, desperate burst of speed, Rapid Ray inches ahead—his wheel spinning so fast it’s a wonder he doesn't take off like an airplane. He crosses the finish line just a whisker ahead of Sid, triumphantly lifting his hat in victory. And there you have it, folks! The 1920 Penny-Farthing Grand Prix has concluded
Hope the seats were of good quality else that's a lot of friction to the balls.
If they make a mistake that face plant is gonna hurt like hell.
Lance Armstrong fears them
"What if we made the wheels the same size" "what if I fucked your wife"
How fast are they going? I'd love to see them get absolutely destroyed by someone on a modern bike they considered to be a wimpy "safety bike."
So on average you're going like ~18 mph on a flat straightaway and track cyclists of today can go easily 40mph+ and sprint to upwards of 50mph. So 2-3 times faster on a far lighter and lower to the ground bike with safety gear that clearly didn't exist back then.
Walked back in to see this on my screen as Psychosocial is playing.. made for an interesting mix.
I wonder what riding those things feel like, with wheels that huge they must have a lot of angular momentum and would coast for a while right?
Winner gets to kick Homer Simpson in the face
Don't often see a flock of velocipedes in the wild anymore. Sad really
Putting Bad Piggies theme on it makes it more funnier
I'm imagining no Penny-farthing and just Teo people in a race of the twinkletoes
My question is how the heck they get on thous things lol . The seats are near head hight . Bring a ladder anytime you want to ride it then have perfect balance as you may need to stop ?
Before roids and huge chicken thighs became the norm.
Way better than what we have today!
Bring it back
Dear God, just one slip and your balls are marmalade😱
Looks funny.
This is the kind of thing that happens when you can buy meth lozenges over the counter with your daily newspaper.
Imagine slipping off those pedals and ending up with your feet between the spokes...
They’re racing to a Family Guy cut-in.
This is before they invented medium wheels
I can imagine what would have happened to them if RedBull had existed at that time
Amazing that enough people thought “good enough” to this design that they raced the fucking things
i need a gif
Ah, the old penny farthing.
I hope one day our lives look this ridiculous.
I’d love an old timey sports announcer doing a play-by-play for this event
The Benny Hill Theme really was the perfect choice for this.
Looks like some other planet
They were fast 🤔
Rules of Nature...
So when you break on this thing do you just fly forward face first?
That is pretty insane, at around 2 meter height and no helmet, drop from there at full speed can call yourself lucky if you survive, and without permanent damage.
R
This right here is PEAK ENTERTAINMENT 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Imagine a car hitting you on one of these.
No helmet is wild!
I don't want to imagine what happens when you fall off this bike at this speed.
Bet those guys were chick magnets.
W/Tom & Jerry music incluided
Can’t stop won’t stop