Penny Farthings!
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Penny Farthings!
Postby ldrcycles » Sun Aug 12, 2012 10:05 pm
I'm assuming that buying one would be jolly expensive, so i'm contemplating making one using a 36 inch unicycle as the front wheel (which would also make it a bit lower and presumably a little less daunting than a 48 or 52").
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Re: Penny Farthings!
Postby Chooka » Sun Aug 12, 2012 10:34 pm
On eBay right now:
1880's Penny Farthing
1880's Pope Columbia
― Terence McKenna
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Re: Penny Farthings!
Postby Clydesdale Scot » Sun Aug 12, 2012 10:35 pm
is there a Penny Farthing Club in Qld?
There is one in SA (I am on their hardcopy newsletter mailing list), they so far managed to avoid a web presence
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Re: Penny Farthings!
Postby LG » Sun Aug 12, 2012 11:04 pm
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Re: Penny Farthings!
Postby RonK » Sun Aug 12, 2012 11:45 pm
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Re: Penny Farthings!
Postby ldrcycles » Mon Aug 13, 2012 8:04 am
I've heard about the evandale races, and seen a few youtube clips, it looks like a lot of fun!
I'm very tempted to do that course, the cost looks very reasonable to me, and if those ones on ebay are anything to go by i could make it back a couple of times over by selling just one. Hmmm, Lachlan Davis, Penny Farthingsmith, i like the sound of that .
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Re: Penny Farthings!
Postby Clydesdale Scot » Mon Aug 13, 2012 8:40 am
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Re: Penny Farthings!
Postby ldrcycles » Mon Aug 13, 2012 9:03 am
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Re: Penny Farthings!
Postby RonK » Mon Aug 13, 2012 9:03 am
Yes, Rideable Replicas machines do look to be quite reasonably priced.Clydesdale Scot wrote:originals cost more than the replicas
Some more information - how I first found out about the penny building course - from an article in Australian Cyclist magazine.
I registered for the 2011 courses but could not get in. Then just before xmas I saw the mass penny ride (about 15 pennies) down at Nudgee Beach and got talking to the riders - all were graduates from the previous courses. So I shortlisted for this years course, but eventually declined a place, much to my regret. To build my own is something I'd really love to do, but sadly I just don't have room for it.
I think there is also a Facebook group called “Penny Farthing Brisbane Chapter”. Might be worth looking up.
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Re: Penny Farthings!
Postby ColinOldnCranky » Mon Aug 13, 2012 10:08 am
I have no contact but Dan's FB page is at http://www.facebook.com/daniel.talbot.944
36" is going to be a whole lot less of a practical beast than a 52" or 54" in terms of speed, although it will have pneumatic tyres which is a plus. AFAIK penny farthings only run with pram-chord.
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Re: Penny Farthings!
Postby Mulger bill » Mon Aug 13, 2012 9:46 pm
London Boy 29/12/2011
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Re: Penny Farthings!
Postby ldrcycles » Mon Aug 13, 2012 10:41 pm
Precisely my thinking, and the short gearing wouldn't be an issue at least at first as i'm looking at having it just for very gentle rides and basically posing. The other benefit i can see from a 36" is being a lot closer to the ground, my balance is not great.ColinOldnCranky wrote: 36" is going to be a whole lot less of a practical beast than a 52" or 54" in terms of speed, although it will have pneumatic tyres which is a plus. AFAIK penny farthings only run with pram-chord.
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Re: Penny Farthings!
Postby singlespeedscott » Mon Aug 13, 2012 11:12 pm
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Re: Penny Farthings!
Postby Saro28 » Mon Aug 13, 2012 11:18 pm
you could try asking via Dulwich Hill BC in Sydney (DHBC). Alan Sumner is the man who builds and races Vetran class 70+yo
I was just talking about him today with an older gent. He said when Alan was racing he grew wings, that is, his elbows stuck out as wide as possible
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Re: Penny Farthings!
Postby ldrcycles » Mon Aug 13, 2012 11:34 pm
Yea i found that out from the article ronk linked, i was quite surprised by that. And funnily enough i actually found an old Beretto just last week .singlespeedscott wrote:For your info the penny course is actually run by non other than Brett Richardson of Berretto bikes fame. Apparently Brett is a pretty avid rider and goes down to Tassie to race them.
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Re: Penny Farthings!
Postby singlespeedscott » Mon Aug 13, 2012 11:35 pm
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Re: Penny Farthings!
Postby rob2012 » Tue Aug 14, 2012 1:11 am
didnt read the thread just wanted to chime in with that
p.s. my girlfriend wants one too
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Re: Penny Farthings!
Postby ColinOldnCranky » Tue Aug 14, 2012 7:59 am
Higher may actually be easier in terms of balance but I'll do some asking.ldrcycles wrote:The other benefit i can see from a 36" is being a lot closer to the ground, my balance is not great.
Paradoxically a tall unicycle (giraffe) is less of an issue for balance than for a regular one. Which is one of the benefits of a giraffe for performers. The reasons are quite well understood, requiring only a high school level of physics. Though easier balance may be compromised by other issues that could still make it more difficult.
Anyway, I'll ask around and post again.
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Re: Penny Farthings!
Postby ldrcycles » Tue Aug 14, 2012 8:27 am
Something else that's got me curious, is why do some of the high wheelers have the little wheel tucked right in and others have it spaced out a bit? My first thought is that it would be more stable with a longer wheelbase?
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Re: Penny Farthings!
Postby Clydesdale Scot » Tue Aug 14, 2012 8:52 am
perhaps with the sound DOWN
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Re: Penny Farthings!
Postby RonK » Tue Aug 14, 2012 8:58 am
hehe well naturally the short ones are racers. The long ones are tourers.ldrcycles wrote:Something else that's got me curious, is why do some of the high wheelers have the little wheel tucked right in and others have it spaced out a bit? My first thought is that it would be more stable with a longer wheelbase?
I met Joff Summerfield on his world tour at Southbank in Brisbane and again later at Salamanca Place in Hobart. He'd just been to Evandale for the penny farthing world champs...
From my brief chat with the Brisbane penny riders, I discovered that braking without going over the bars is the bugbear of pennies, especially on downhill sections.
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Re: Penny Farthings!
Postby redrover3 » Tue Aug 14, 2012 6:47 pm
Exactly what I was thinking when I saw the disc brake on the front of that purple penny.From my brief chat with the Brisbane penny riders, I discovered that braking without going over the bars is the bugbear of pennies, especially on downhill sections.
Tony
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Re: Penny Farthings!
Postby ColinOldnCranky » Tue Aug 14, 2012 9:40 pm
There are things to make a PF safer but my understanding is that they will always still be considerably more dangerous than a regular bike. And as indicated going over the bars is the normal and significant one.RonK wrote:From my brief chat with the Brisbane penny riders, I discovered that braking without going over the bars is the bugbear of pennies, especially on downhill sections.
met Joff Summerfield on his world tour at Southbank in Brisbane and again later at Salamanca Place in Hobart. He'd just been to Evandale for the penny farthing world champs...
From my brief chat with the Brisbane penny riders, I discovered that braking without going over the bars is the bugbear of pennies, especially on downhill sections.
When you come off a unicycle you are simply left to fall down to the ground. On PF the handlebars will be in the way and so you are launched up and over the bars. The PF is likely also to follow up by crashing onto you. As I undertand it, this is what makes a PF so dangerous.
To address this handlebars evolved with the curly moustache shape so there was a better chance that you at least would not have the PF still attached but you still have to go UP before you can go forward and down to the ground. Another evolution was the Wharton bars which sit behind you. You are still gonna easily be launched forward but more akin to a UPD on a unicycle. (The ridiculously designed Yike Bike has these sorts of bars if you are interested in seeing it in use. Seach on You Tube.) The problem I see however with the Wharton bars is how do you mount the thing?
I have never ridden a PF, so my advice is not born of practical experience. I do see the occasional rider on the path and in the Xmas pageant and ask questions of the riders and read up a little, that' all.
There is a reason why the safety bike was so developed so soon after the introduction of PFs and why PFs fell from favour so quickly.
btw while I will attack going on the straight or going up a rise or hill on q unicycle, I do not do so going down hill. Much like a PF rider.
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Re: Penny Farthings!
Postby RonK » Tue Aug 14, 2012 10:30 pm
Joff Summerfield demonstrates correct descending technique, with legs over the bars ready to plant. Also commonly used for dismounting.ColinOldnCranky wrote:To address this handlebars evolved with the curly moustache shape so there was a better chance that you at least would not have the PF still attached but you still have to go UP before you can go forward and down to the ground.
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Re: Penny Farthings!
Postby RonK » Tue Aug 14, 2012 11:17 pm
Downhill doesn't seem to bother Kris Holm too much Colin...ColinOldnCranky wrote:...I will attack going on the straight or going up a rise or hill on q unicycle, I do not do so going down hill.
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