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The Penny Farthing was the sketchiest bicycle ever made

The Penny Farthing was the bicycle that immediately preceded the “safety bicycle”, which is in most ways exactly what we have today. Today we’ll talk about the Penny Farthing, why we rarely see them anymore, and why they were so sketchy.

Thanks to the Little Congress Bicycle Museum
807 Llewelyn St, Cumberland Gap, TN 37724
http://www.bicyclemuseum.net/

Penny Farthing Crash Clip
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSyQyUucSWw
http://frederick.com/

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28 Replies to “The Penny Farthing was the sketchiest bicycle ever made”

  6. 1:40 it's funny since Sam is also not a tall guy and you have to compare yourself to him instead of someone actually tall

  9. James Bedford Elliott made the first unicycle back in 1870's and it was made from a Penny Farthing.

  10. Seth, this may be one of your best vids yet! Did not expect this level of quality this morning. 🙂

  11. Live close to Marin museum of cycling. Has all this history and the actual bikes from the start. Plus the history of mountain biking, Definitely worth a visit.

  13. When I woke up today, watching someone ride a Penny Farthing down a stair set, was not something I thought I would see.

  14. FYI..Most Women didn't ride during this era not due to dresses but the perception that it would ruin their "health" by stimulating them in unmentionable ways. Those that did were more scandalous than the breeches they wore and doctors warned that the riding could essentially turn a Woman into a whore on wheels. Indeed riding side saddle on horses was quite real at times amongst the elite since their legs had go be kept in check though some were quite creative in hiding how they rode. The Penny Farthing often was more of a sporting phenomenon both in racing and how far early bicycles could go was reported with even the military infantry trying them…????

  16. Could you back pedal to lift the rear tire and try to balance on the front wheel?

  20. Named after the old British coins. (The Penny represents the big wheel and Farthing the small)

  23. Could you potentially tuck your feet back on that bar that I assume you’d use to mount it as if you were on a crotch rocket for better steering capabilities in a pinch?

  26. Awsome! very cool history lesson/backflash 🙂
    The funny thing is, what was new back in the 1860s specifically the solid rubber tire, is on its way back to the mass market but it is improved so much in quality that it feels in fact like an ordinary general inflatable bike tire (with an inner tube not tubeless).
    the downside is, its very expensive because it still sits in baby diapers but is available in the EU if you (the customer) specifically want it on your bike.

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