View source for Penny-farthing

{{Short description|Early type of bicycle}}
{{Other uses|Penny farthing (disambiguation)}}
[[File:15-mile Penny Farthing Race, Harvard University Cycling Association in 1887.png|thumb|15-mile Penny Farthing Race, Harvard University Cycling Association in 1887]]
[[File:Ordinary bicycle01.jpg|thumb|right|A penny-farthing in the [[Škoda Auto Museum]], Czech Republic]]

The '''penny-farthing''', also known as a '''high wheel''', '''high wheeler''' or '''ordinary''', is an early type of [[bicycle]].<ref name="auto">{{cite web
 |url=http://www.pedalinghistory.com/PHhistory.html
 |title=Pedaling History Bicycle Museum, A Quick History of Bicycles: The High Wheel Bicycle
 |access-date=2009-01-24
 |url-status=dead
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090205043857/http://pedalinghistory.com/PHhistory.html
 |archive-date=2009-02-05
}}</ref> It was popular in the 1870s and 1880s, with its large front wheel providing high speeds, owing to its travelling a long distance for every rotation of the wheel. These bicycles had solid [[Natural rubber|rubber]] tires and as a consequence the only [[Shock absorber|shock absorption]] was in the saddle.

The penny-farthing became [[obsolete]] in the late 1880s with the development of modern bicycles, which provided similar speed, via a [[chain drive|chain-driven]] [[gear train]], and comfort, from the use of [[pneumatic tires]]. These later bikes were marketed as "[[safety bicycle]]s" because of the greater ease of mounting and dismounting, the reduced danger of falling, and the reduced height to fall, in comparison to penny-farthings.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Rabo |first1=Adam |title=Cycling History: What Was The "Safety Bicycle"? |url=https://biketips.com/safety-bicycle/ |website=Bike Tips |access-date=2023-09-26 |date=2022-11-03}}</ref><ref name="Brown">{{cite web
| url=http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gloss_ha-i.html#highwheel
| title=Sheldon Brown Glossary High Wheeler
| last=Brown
| first=Sheldon
| access-date=2008-05-15}}</ref>

The name came from the British [[penny (British pre-decimal coin)|penny]] and [[farthing (British coin)|farthing]] coins, the penny being much larger than the farthing, so that the side view of the bicycle resembles a larger penny (the front wheel) leading a smaller farthing (the rear wheel).<ref name="Herlihy">{{cite book
| last = Herlihy
| first = David V.
| author-link = David V. Herlihy
| title = Bicycle, The History
| url = https://archive.org/details/bicyclehistory0000herl
| url-access = registration
| publisher = Yale University Press
| year = 2004
| pages = [https://archive.org/details/bicyclehistory0000herl/page/155 155–250]
| isbn = 0-300-10418-9}}</ref> Although the name "penny-farthing" is now the most common, it was probably not used until the machines had been almost superseded. The first recorded print reference is from 1891 in ''Bicycling News''.<ref name="OED">{{cite book
| title = [[Oxford English Dictionary]]
|author=John Simpson & Edmund Weiner
| year = 2008
| publisher = Oxford University Press
| edition = Draft, online}}
</ref> For most of their reign they were simply known as "bicycles" and were the first machines to be so called, although they were not the first two-wheeled, pedalled vehicles.<ref name="auto"/> In the late 1890s, the name "ordinary" began to be used, to distinguish them from the emerging safety bicycles,<ref name="Wheelmen">{{cite web
| url = http://www.thewheelmen.org/sections/faq/faq.asp#9
| title = The Wheelmen FAQ: What do you call high wheel bicycles?
| access-date = 2009-01-23
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090207062050/http://thewheelmen.org/sections/faq/faq.asp#9
| archive-date = 2009-02-07
| url-status = dead
}}</ref> and that term, along with "hi-wheel" and variants, are preferred by many modern enthusiasts.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.hiwheel.com/
| title = Rideable Bicycle Replicas
| access-date = 2009-01-26}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.bikeroute.com/HiWheelers/
| title = HiWheel Sources aka Penny Farthing, Ordinary, Boneshaker
| access-date = 2009-01-26}}</ref>

Following the popularity of the [[Velocipede#Boneshaker|boneshaker]], [[Eugène Meyer (inventor)|Eugène Meyer]], a Frenchman, invented the high-wheeler bicycle design in 1869 and fashioned the [[Wire wheel|wire-spoke tension wheel]].<ref name = "Hadland">{{cite book
| title = Bicycle Design, an Illustrated History
| author = Tony Hadland and Hans-Erhard Lessing
| date = 2014
| publisher = MIT Press
| quote = Eugene Meyer ... gets the credit for making the high-wheeler feasible and making it known.
| page = 92}}</ref> Around 1870, English inventor [[James Starley]] described as the father of the bicycle industry, and others, began producing bicycles based on the French boneshaker but with front wheels of increasing size,<ref name="Herlihy"/> because larger front wheels, up to {{convert|5|ft|cm|0}} in diameter, enabled higher speeds on bicycles limited to [[direct-drive mechanism|direct-drive]].<ref name="Brown"/><ref name=Herlihy/><ref name="WheelmenFAQ">{{cite web
| url = http://www.thewheelmen.org/sections/faq/faq.asp#16
| title = The Wheelmen FAQ:"Why did they make the wheel so big?"
| access-date = 2008-05-15
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090207062050/http://thewheelmen.org/sections/faq/faq.asp#16
| archive-date = 2009-02-07
| url-status = dead
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Bicycle|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/64721/bicycle/230024/The-ordinary-bicycle|access-date=2008-05-15|website=www.britannica.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Wheel|url=http://www.exploratorium.edu/cycling/wheel1.html|access-date=2008-05-15|website=www.exploratorium.edu}}</ref> In 1878, [[Albert Pope]] began manufacturing the [[Pope Manufacturing Company|Columbia bicycle]] outside [[Boston]], starting their two-decade heyday in the United States.<ref name=Herlihy/>

Although the trend was short-lived, the penny-farthing became a symbol of the late [[Victorian era]]. Its popularity also coincided with the birth of cycling as a sport.<ref name="Herlihy"/>

== History ==
{{Main|History of the bicycle#1870s: the high-wheel bicycle}}

=== Origins and development ===
[[File:Cover - The Modern Bicycle (1877), cover - BL.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Book cover of ''The Modern Bicycle'', published in London in 1877]]
Eugène Meyer of [[Paris]] is now regarded as the father of the high bicycle<ref name = "Hadland"/> by the International Cycling History Conference in place of [[James Starley]]. Meyer patented a [[wire wheel|wire-spoke tension wheel]] with individually adjustable spokes in 1869.<ref name=Herlihy/> They were called "spider" wheels in Britain when introduced there.<ref name=Herlihy/> Meyer produced a classic high bicycle design during the 1880s.

James Starley in [[Coventry]] added the tangent [[spokes]]<ref name=Herlihy/> and the mounting step to his famous bicycle named "Ariel". He is regarded as the father of the British cycling industry. [[Ball bearing]]s, [[Bicycle tire#Solid|solid rubber tires]] and hollow-section steel frames became standard, reducing weight and making the ride much smoother.<ref name=Herlihy/>

Penny-farthing bicycles are dangerous because of the risk of headers (taking a fall over the handlebars head-first). Makers developed [[Bicycle handlebar#Moustache|"moustache"]] handlebars, allowing the rider's knees to clear them,<ref name="Norcliffe">{{cite book
| last = Norcliffe
| first = Glenn
| title = Ride to Modernity: The Bicycle in Canada, 1869-1900
| publisher = University of Toronto Press
| year = 2006
| page = 52
| isbn = 978-0-8020-8205-3}}</ref> "Whatton" handlebars that wrapped around behind the legs,<ref name="Wilson" /> and ultimately (though too late, after development of the safety bicycle), the American "Eagle" and [[American Star Bicycle|"Star"]] bicycles, whose large and small wheels were reversed.<ref name="Norcliffe, p.53">Norcliffe, p.53.</ref><ref>{{cite web
 |url         = http://www.oldspokeshome.com/hb-smith-co-42-pony-star-smithville-nj-1889
 |title       = Old Spokes Home: 1889 Special Pony Star
 |access-date  = 2010-01-05
 |url-status  = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20101010141419/http://oldspokeshome.com/hb-smith-co-42-pony-star-smithville-nj-1889
 |archive-date = 2010-10-10
}}</ref> This prevented headers but left the danger of being thrown backwards when riding uphill. Other attempts included moving the seat rearward and driving the wheel by levers or [[treadle bicycle|treadles]], as in the "Xtraordinary" <!-- This is the correct spelling, don't change it. -->and "Facile",<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.oldspokeshome.com/ellis-and-co-40-%E2%80%9Cfacile%E2%80%9D-1884
| title = Old Spokes Home: 1884 "Facile" Highwheel Safety 40" by Beale and Straw
| access-date = 2010-01-05
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101010150852/http://oldspokeshome.com/ellis-and-co-40-%E2%80%9Cfacile%E2%80%9D-1884
| archive-date = 2010-10-10
| url-status = dead
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.oldspokeshome.com/about-osh
| title = Old Spokes Home: 1885 Xtraordinary Challenge 50" wheel by Singer
| access-date = 2010-01-05
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151108013824/http://oldspokeshome.com/about-osh
| archive-date = 2015-11-08
| url-status = dead
}}</ref> or gears, by chain as in the "Kangaroo" or at the hub, as in the "Crypto";<ref name="Norcliffe, p.53"/> another option was to move the seat well back, as in the "Rational".<ref name="Norcliffe, p.53"/><ref>{{cite book
| title = Bicycles & Tricycles, A Classical Treatise on Their Design and Construction
| last = Sharp
| first = Archibald
| publisher = Courier Dover Publications
| year = 2003
| isbn = 978-0-486-42987-8}}</ref>

Even so, bicycling remained the province of the urban well-to-do, and mainly men, until the 1890s,<ref>Norcliffe, pp.31-2 & 124.</ref> and was a salient example of [[conspicuous consumption]].<ref>Norcliffe, pp.31-2, 35, 124, & 243-6.</ref>
{{Clear}}

=== Attributes ===
[[File:A man with a Penny-farthing bicycle - Ladybank, Scotland c.1880.jpg|thumb|Man standing next to a penny farthing in Fife, Scotland, 1880]]






The penny-farthing used a larger wheel than the [[velocipede]], thus giving higher speeds on all but the hills. In addition, the large wheel gave a smoother ride,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sheldonbrown.com/brandt/ideal-tire-size.html|title=Ideal Tire Sizes | last = Brown
| first = Sheldon |author-link=Sheldon Brown (bicycle mechanic) |access-date=2018-11-27}}</ref> important before the invention of [[Bicycle tire|pneumatic tires]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sheldonbrown.com/gloss_sa-o.html#safety |title=Safety Bicycle| last = Brown
| first = Sheldon |author-link=Sheldon Brown (bicycle mechanic) |access-date=2018-11-27}}</ref>

An attribute of the penny-farthing is that the rider sits above the front axle. When the wheel strikes rocks and ruts, or under hard braking, the rider can be pitched forward off the bicycle head-first. Headers were relatively common and a significant, sometimes fatal, hazard. Riders coasting down hills often took their feet off the pedals and put them over the tops of the handlebars, so they would be pitched off feet-first instead of head-first.<ref name="Wilson">{{cite book
| title = Bicycling Science
| url = https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780262731546
| url-access = registration
| edition = Third
| last = Wilson
| first = David Gordon
|author2=Jim Papadopoulos
| year = 2004
| publisher = The MIT Press
| page = [https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780262731546/page/22 22]
| quote = Whatton bars were handlebars that came under the legs from behind, so that in the event of a pitch forward the rider could land feet first.
| isbn = 0-262-73154-1}}</ref>

Penny-farthing bicycles often used similar materials and construction as earlier velocipedes: cast iron frames, solid rubber tires, and [[plain bearing]]s for pedals, steering, and wheels. They were often quite durable and required little service. For example, when cyclist [[Thomas Stevens (cyclist)|Thomas Stevens]] rode around the world in the 1880s, he reported only one significant mechanical problem in over {{convert|20000|km|mile}}, caused when the local military confiscated his bicycle and damaged the front wheel.

=== End of an era ===

The well-known dangers of the penny-farthing<ref>{{cite book
 | last = Herlihy
 | first = David V.
 | title = Bicycle: the History
 | publisher = Yale University Press
 | year = 2004
 | page = [https://archive.org/details/bicyclehistory0000herl/page/226 226]
 | url = https://archive.org/details/bicyclehistory0000herl/page/226
 | isbn = 0-300-10418-9
}}</ref> were, for the time of its prominence, outweighed by its strengths. While it was a difficult, dangerous machine, it was simpler, lighter, and faster than the safer velocipedes of the time. Two new developments changed this situation, and led to the rise of the [[safety bicycle]]. The first was the [[chain drive]], originally used on [[tricycle]]s, allowing a [[gear ratio]] to be chosen independent of the wheel size. The second was the pneumatic [[bicycle tire]], allowing smaller wheels to provide a smooth ride.
[[File:L-Hochrad.png|thumb|left|An 1880 penny-farthing (left), and the first modern bicycle, [[John Kemp Starley|J. K. Starley]]'s 1885 [[Rover Company#Before cars|Rover]] [[safety bicycle]] (right)]]
The nephew of one of the men responsible for popularity of the penny-farthing was largely responsible for its demise. James Starley had built the Ariel (spirit of the air)<ref name="Mirco">{{cite book
| last = De Cet
| first = Mirco
| title = The Complete Encyclopedia of Classic Motorcycles
| editor = Quentin Daniel
| publisher = Rebo International
| year = 2005
| isbn = 978-90-366-1497-9
}}</ref> high-wheeler in 1870; but this was a time of innovation, and when [[chain drive]]s were upgraded so that each link had a small [[roller chain|roller]], higher and higher speeds became possible without the need for a large front wheel.

In 1885, Starley's nephew [[John Kemp Starley]] took these new developments to launch the modern bicycle, the [[Rover Company#Before cars|Rover]] [[safety bicycle]], so-called because the rider, seated much lower and farther behind the front wheel contact point, was less prone to a header.<ref name=Herlihy/><ref>{{cite news|title=Cycle market: Moving into the fast lane|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/cycle-market-moving-into-the-fast-lane-1702191.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220525/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/cycle-market-moving-into-the-fast-lane-1702191.html |archive-date=2022-05-25 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|agency=The Independent|date=26 February 2018}}</ref>

In 1888, when [[John Boyd Dunlop|John Dunlop]] re-invented the pneumatic tire for his son's tricycle, the high wheel was made obsolete. The comfortable ride once found only on tall wheels could now be enjoyed on smaller chain-driven bicycles. By 1893, high-wheelers were no longer being produced.<ref name="Brown"/> Use lingered into the 1920s in [[track cycling]] until racing safety bicycles were adequately designed.

=== Modern usage ===
[[File:Höghjuling - Ystad-2020.jpg|thumb|right|Two highwheel cyclists at a press conference in [[Ystad]] ahead of the "Sweden 3 Days Highwheel Race" 2020.]]Today, enthusiasts ride restored penny-farthings, and a few manufacturers build new ones with modern materials.<ref>{{cite news
| url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/frederick-hosts-high-wheel-bike-race/2012/08/19/c295e334-ea2b-11e1-a80b-9f898562d010_story.html
| title = Frederick hosts high-wheel bike race
| author = Tomi Obaro
| date = August 19, 2012
| newspaper = [[The Washington Post]]
| quote = An original can cost $29,000, a well-made replica $4,000 to $5,000; cheaper, newer examples can be had for less than $1,000.
| access-date = 2012-09-10}}</ref> Manufacturers include Richards of England (Hull, UK), Rideable Bicycle Replicas (US), Trott & Sons (UK) and UDC (Taiwan).<ref>{{cite web |last1=Terrence |first1=Houlahan |title=Buying a Penny-Farthing |url=http://www.penny-farthing.org/equip-buy-pennyfarthing/ |website=Penny-Farthing.org |publisher=Terrence Houlahan |access-date=6 July 2024}}</ref> One of these manufacturers, UDC Penny Farthings, the largest penny-farthing retailer in the United Kingdom, recorded record sales of penny-farthings in 2020 during the [[COVID-19 lockdown in the United Kingdom|COVID-19 lockdown]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Butterworth |first=Benjamin |date=2021-01-12 |title=Sales of penny-farthings double in a year as the Victorian bike enjoys lockdown revival |url=https://inews.co.uk/news/consumer/penny-farthings-lockdown-sales-surge-demand-doubles-827047 |access-date=2022-09-03 |website=inews.co.uk |language=en}}</ref>

The Penny Farthing Club is a [[cycling club]] that was founded in 2013 by [[Neil Laughton]]. The club offers rider training, bike tours of London and other UK cities, and hosts club events such as [[Cycle polo|penny-farthing polo]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Home |url=https://pennyfarthingclub.com/ |access-date=2022-09-03 |website=Penny Farthing Club |language=en-US}}</ref>

{{clear}}

== Characteristics ==
[[File:DaileyGreenspunProject1.svg|thumb]]
The penny-farthing is a direct-drive bicycle, meaning the cranks and pedals are fixed directly to the hub. Instead of using [[Bicycle gearing|gears]] to multiply the revolutions of the pedals, the driven wheel is enlarged so the radius from the hub to the outer wheel is comfortable for the rider to reach the pedals fixed to the hub. But the rider needs to be able to both mount the saddle and reach the pedals. If the wheel is too large, this will not be achievable. For instance a 5'9" cyclist due to their leg length could at best ride a 50"-54" high wheel depending on the height of the saddle.

=== Construction ===

The frame is a single tube following the circumference of the front wheel, then diverting to a trailing wheel. A mounting peg is above the rear wheel. The front wheel is in a rigid fork with little if any [[Bicycle and motorcycle geometry#Trail|trail]]. A [[Bicycle brake systems#Spoon brakes|spoon brake]] is usually fitted on the fork crown, operated by a lever from one of the [[Bicycle handlebar|handlebars]]. The bars are usually mustache shaped, dropping from the level of the [[headset (bicycle part)|headset]]. The [[Bicycle saddle|saddle]] mounts on the frame less than {{convert|18|in|cm}} behind the headset.

One particular model, made by [[Pope Manufacturing Company]] in 1886, weighs {{convert|36|lb|kg}}, has a 60-spoke {{convert|53|inch|cm|adj=on}} front wheel and a 20-spoke {{convert|18|inch|cm|adj=on}} rear wheel. It is fitted with solid rubber tires. The rims, frame, fork, and handlebars are made from hollow, [[steel]] tubing. The steel axles are mounted in adjustable [[ball bearing]]s. The leather saddle is suspended by springs.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://americanhistory.si.edu/onthemove/collection/object_285.html
| title = National Museum of American History, America on the Move Collection: Columbia Light Roadster ordinary bicycle
| access-date = 2009-01-23
| archive-date = 2009-03-01
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090301193120/http://www.americanhistory.si.edu/onthemove/collection/object_285.html
| url-status = dead
}}</ref>

Another model, made by [[Humber cycles|Humber and Co., Ltd.]], of [[Beeston, Nottinghamshire|Beeston, Nottingham]], weighs only {{convert|24|lb|kg}}, and has {{convert|52|and|18|in|cm|adj=on}} wheels. It has no step and no brakes, in order to minimize weight.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://americanhistory.si.edu/onthemove/collection/object_287.html
| title = National Museum of American History, America on the Move Collection: Humber "Genuine Beeston" racing ordinary bicycle
| access-date = 2009-01-23
| archive-date = 2009-06-09
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090609115043/http://americanhistory.si.edu/onthemove/collection/object_287.html
| url-status = dead
}}</ref>

A third model, also made by Pope Manufacturing Company, weighs {{convert|49|lb|kg}} and has [[forging|forged]] steel forks. A [[Bicycle brake systems#Brake levers|brake lever]] on the right of a straight handlebar operates a [[Bicycle brake systems#Spoon brakes|spoon brake]] against the front wheel.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://americanhistory.si.edu/onthemove/collection/object_281.html
| title = National Museum of American History, America on the Move Collection: Standard Columbia ordinary bicycle
| access-date = 2009-01-23
| archive-date = 2009-06-09
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090609115426/http://americanhistory.si.edu/onthemove/collection/object_281.html
| url-status = dead
}}</ref>

All three have cranks that can be adjusted for length.

=== Operation ===
It is generally advised to mount a penny-farthing from flat, level ground, since mounting on a slight incline may prevent the cyclist from gaining momentum and possibly result in loss of balance. Similarly, dismounting on an incline is also advised against.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Terrence |first1=Houlahan |title=Mount & Dismount |url=http://www.penny-farthing.org/mount-dismount/ |website=Penny-Farthing.org |publisher=Terrence Houlahan |access-date=6 July 2024}}</ref> Speed moderation, as with other types of bicycles, is an important safety measure. In particular, freewheeling and sudden braking are discouraged due to the increased danger of falling and of being ejected from the vehicle in comparison with a modern bicycle.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Terrence |first1=Houlahan |title=Speed Moderation |url=http://www.penny-farthing.org/speed-moderation/ |website=Penny-Farthing.org |publisher=Terrence Houlahan |access-date=6 July 2024}}</ref> Changing direction on a penny-farthing also requires caution, due to its more restrictive steering.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Terrence |first1=Houlahan |title=Changing Directions |url=http://www.penny-farthing.org/direction-changing/ |website=Penny-Farthing.org |publisher=Terrence Houlahan |access-date=6 July 2024}}</ref> Generally, riding a penny-farthing is comparable to riding other types of bicycle in respect to anticipating hazards, signalling, and defensive cycling. Penny-farthings are legal to ride on UK roads.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Terrence |first1=Houlahan |title=Are Penny-Farthings Legal to Ride on Public Roads (UK) |url=https://bicycles.stackexchange.com/questions/73453/are-penny-farthings-legal-to-ride-on-public-roads-uk |access-date=18 November 2020 |website=bicycles.stackexchange.com}}</ref>

<gallery widths="200px" heights="200px" mode="packed" caption="Operation">
File:Zbraslav 2011, jízda elegance (07).jpg|A rider stands on the mounting peg to lift his other leg to a pedal
File:Zbraslav 2011, jízda elegance (19).jpg|The rider astride the bicycle
File:Zbraslav 2011, jízda elegance (22).jpg|A second person can be carried on the mounting peg
</gallery>

=== Performance ===
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.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McKay |first=Feargal |date=2018-08-22 |title=The First Hours - The Hour Record Before Henri Desgrange |url=https://www.podiumcafe.com/book-corner/2018/8/22/17767778/cycling-hour-record |access-date=2022-05-31 |website=Podium Cafe |language=en}}</ref>

The furthest (paced) hour record ever achieved on a penny-farthing bicycle was {{convert|22.09|miles|km}} by William A. Rowe, an American, in 1886.<ref name="Feargal McKay">{{cite web|author=Feargal McKay |url=https://www.podiumcafe.com/book-corner/2018/1/30/16951728/penny-farthing-hour-record |title=The Penny Hour - The Last Hour Record Set On A High-Wheeled Bicycle |date=30 January 2018 |publisher=PodiumCafe.com |access-date=2018-02-01}}</ref>

The record for riding from [[Land's End to John o' Groats]] on a penny-farthing was set in 1886 by [[George Pilkington Mills]] with a time of five days, one hour, and 45 minutes. This record was broken in 2019 by Richard Thoday with a time of four days, 11 hours and 52 minutes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fastest Journey from Land's End to John-O'-Groats by penny farthing (male) |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/469573-fastest-journey-from-lands-end-to-john-o-groats-by-penny-farthing-male |access-date=2022-09-03 |website=Guinness World Records |language=en-gb}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-07-27 |title=Teacher breaks 130-year old record by cycling from Land's End to John O'Groats on a penny farthing |url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/people/teacher-breaks-130-year-old-record-cycling-lands-end-john-ogroats-penny-farthing-1412295 |access-date=2022-09-03 |website=The Scotsman |language=en}}</ref>

Until the 21st century, the last paced hour record to be set on a penny-farthing was probably BW Attlee's 1891 English amateur record of {{convert|21.10|miles|km}}.<ref name="Feargal McKay"/> This was beaten by Scots cyclist [[Mark Beaumont (cyclist)|Mark Beaumont]] at [[Herne Hill Velodrome]] on 16 June 2018 when he covered {{convert|21.92|miles|km}}.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-44494577|title=Mark Beaumont breaks British Penny Farthing record
|work=BBC News |date=15 June 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/local/perth-kinross/671854/beaumont-misses-out-on-penny-farthing-world-record/|website=The Courier|title=Beaumont misses out on penny farthing world record|date=15 June 2018 }}</ref>

In 1884, [[Thomas Stevens (cyclist)|Thomas Stevens]] rode a Columbia penny-farthing from San Francisco to Boston<ref name=Herlihy/>—the first cyclist to cross the United States. In 1885–86, he continued from London through Europe, the Middle East, China, and Japan, to become the first to ride around the world.

Tremendous feats of balance were reported, including negotiating a narrow bridge [[parapet]] and riding down the [[U.S. Capitol]] steps with the [[American Star Bicycle]] which has the small wheel in front.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.pedalinghistory.com/PHhistory.html
 |title = Pedaling History Bicycle Museum, A Quick History of Bicycles: The High Wheel Safety |access-date = 2009-01-24 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090205043857/http://pedalinghistory.com/PHhistory.html |archive-date = 2009-02-05}}</ref>

== In popular culture ==
[[File:American Star, 51 inch, HB Smith Machine Company, Smithfield, NJ, 1885.JPG|thumb|An [[American Star Bicycle]] from 1885 with the small wheel in front]]
The bike, with the one wheel dominating, led to riders being referred to in America as "wheelmen", a name that lived on for nearly a century in the League of American Wheelmen until renamed the [[League of American Bicyclists]] in 1994.<ref>[http://www.bikeleague.org/about/history.php The History of the League of American Bicyclists] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070216030410/http://www.bikeleague.org/about/history.php |date=2007-02-16}}</ref> Clubs of racing cyclists wore uniforms of [[peaked cap]]s, tight jackets and knee-length breeches, with leather shoes, the caps and jackets displaying the club's colors. In 1967 collectors and restorers of penny-farthings (and other early bicycles) founded the Wheelmen,<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.thewheelmen.org/sections/aboutus/aboutus.asp
| title = The Wheelmen - About Us
| access-date = 2009-01-24}}</ref> a non-profit organization "dedicated to keeping alive the heritage of American cycling".

The high-wheeler lives on in the [[gear inches|gear inch]] units used by cyclists in English-speaking countries to describe gear ratios.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gloss_g.html#gearinch
| last = Brown
| first = Sheldon
| title = Sheldon Brown's Glossary: Gear Inches
| access-date = 2009-01-24}}</ref> These are calculated by multiplying the wheel diameter in inches by the number of teeth on the front chain-wheel and dividing by the teeth on the rear sprocket. The result is the equivalent diameter of a penny-farthing wheel. A 60-inch gear, the largest practicable size for a high-wheeler, is nowadays a middle gear of a [[utility bicycle]], while top gears on many exceed 100&nbsp;inches. There was at least one {{convert|64|inch|m|adj=on}} Columbia made in the mid-1880s,<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.niquette.com/bicycle-pavilion/ridethg.htm
| title = You're Never Going to Ride That Thing
| last = Niquette
| first = Paul
| year = 2005
| access-date = 2009-01-23}}</ref> but 60 was the largest in regular production.

A penny-farthing is the logo of [[The Village (The Prisoner)|The Village]] in the cult 1960s [[television]] series ''[[The Prisoner]]'', and is also featured in the show's closing titles. Co-creator and star [[Patrick McGoohan]] stated that the bike represented slowing down the wheels of progress.

The penny-farthing is a symbol of the cities of [[Sparta, Wisconsin]];<ref>{{cite web |title=Sparta: Bicycling Capital of America |url=https://www.spartawisconsin.org/community |publisher=Sparta, WI |access-date=28 September 2024}}</ref> [[Davis, California]];<ref>{{cite web |title=Highwheel Bicycle |url=https://www.cityofdavis.org/about-davis/history-symbols/highwheel-bicycle |publisher=City of Davis, CA |access-date=28 September 2024}}</ref> and [[Redmond, Washington]].<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.redmondhistoricalsociety.org/RHS/index.php?view=article&id=325:bicycle-capital-of-the-northwest&option=com_content&Itemid=185
| title = Bicycle Capital of the Northwest
| last = Torell
| first = Jerry
| access-date = 2016-10-26}}</ref>

== Events ==
[[File:Höghjuling - High wheel race - Ystad-2021.jpg|thumb|right|High wheel race 2021.]]
* Each February in [[Evandale, Tasmania]], penny-farthing enthusiasts from around the world converge on the small village for a series of penny-farthing races, including the national championship.<ref>{{cite news |title=Evandale Village Fair and National Penny Farthing Championships |url=http://evandalevillagefair.com/index.php/event-information |access-date=2019-12-04 |archive-date=2019-12-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191204003943/http://evandalevillagefair.com/index.php/event-information |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* In October there is a bicycle ride from the {{convert|30|ft|m}} statue of an 1890s bicyclist on a penny-farthing in [[Port Byron, Illinois]] named "Will B. Rolling" to a similar statue in Sparta, Wisconsin named "Ben Bikin'".<ref>{{cite news |title=Port Byron to host bicycle tour across Illinois, Wisconsin |url=https://qctimes.com/news/local/port-byron-to-host-bicycle-tour-across-illinois-wisconsin/article_826b2696-e4d7-54e9-baad-f594fedc2626.html |work=Quad City Times |date=2015-04-07}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Will To Ben |url=http://www.willtoben.com/ |website=BikeWisconsin.com |access-date=28 October 2018}}</ref>
* In 2004, British [[leukemia]] patient and charity fundraiser [[Lloyd Scott]] (43) rode a penny-farthing across the [[Australian outback]] to raise money for a charitable cause.<ref>{{cite news
| url = https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4060779.stm
| title = Penny-farthing man's Bondi brake
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060701084528/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4060779.stm
| archive-date = 2006-07-01
| access-date = 2008-08-13 | work=BBC News | url-status = live
| date=2004-12-02}}</ref>
* In November 2008, Briton Joff Summerfield completed a {{convert|22000|mile|km}} round-the-world trip on a penny-farthing. Summerfield spent two-and-a-half years cycling through 23 countries, visiting locations including the Taj Mahal, Angkor Wat and Mount Everest.<ref>{{cite news| url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/3411787/Cyclist-goes-around-the-world-on-penny-farthing.html
| title = Cyclist goes around the world on penny-farthing
| access-date = 2008-11-12
| work=The Daily Telegraph
| location=London
| date=2008-11-09}}</ref>
* [[Knutsford]] in England has hosted the Knutsford Great Race every 10 years since 1980. The 1980 race had 15 team entries, and there were 16 in 1990 and 2000. The 2010 race was limited to 50 teams and was in aid of the [[ShelterBox]] charity.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theknutsfordgreatrace.co.uk/ |title=Latest News &#124; the Knutsford Great Race |access-date=2010-08-25 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140807115256/http://theknutsfordgreatrace.co.uk/ |archive-date=2014-08-07}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-11192407|title=BBC News - Penny-farthing race takes place in Knutsford|work=bbc.co.uk|access-date=5 September 2010|date=2010-09-05}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/local/manchester/hi/things_to_do/newsid_8816000/8816945.stm |title=BBC - Knutsford museum set for ten-yearly penny farthing race |work=news.bbc.co.uk |date=2010-07-13 |access-date=15 January 2020}}</ref>
* In 2012, the first Clustered Spires High Wheel Race took place in [[Frederick, Maryland]], USA. This is the country's only race of its kind - a one-hour criterium race around a {{convert|0.4|miles|m|sigfig=3}} course through the historic downtown district.<ref>{{cite news
| url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/frederick-hosts-high-wheel-bike-race/2012/08/19/c295e334-ea2b-11e1-a80b-9f898562d010_story.html
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130227003058/http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2012-08-19/lifestyle/35492081_1_high-wheel-racer-youngest-rider
| url-status = live
| archive-date = February 27, 2013
| title = Frederick hosts high-wheel bike race
| author = Tomi Obaro
| date = August 19, 2012
| newspaper = [[The Washington Post]]
| access-date = 2013-04-04}}</ref>

== See also ==
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Big Wheel (tricycle)|Big Wheel]], a tricycle
* [[High wheeler]], an automobile
* [[Outline of cycling]]
* [[Monowheel]], a single-wheeled vehicle
* [[Tall bike]], an unusually tall bicycle
* [[Unicycle]], a single-wheeled vehicle
* [[Velocipede]], a predecessor
* [[Yike Bike]], an electric "mini-farthing" design
{{div col end}}

== References ==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Penny-farthings}}
* [http://video.wpt.org/video/2365364140/ Big Wheel Biker] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161113224450/http://video.wpt.org/video/2365364140/ |date=2016-11-13 }} Video produced by [[Wisconsin Public Television]]

{{Human-powered vehicles}}

[[Category:1869 introductions]]
[[Category:Cycle types]]
[[Category:History of cycling]]