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(streaming flash slideshow w/voice) Common knowledge on how to ride a penny farthing. Please always use safety equipment. Step 1, Stand at the rear of the bike and place your left leg on the mounting step while holding onto the handlebars. Look straight ahead. Step 2, While looking straight ahead push off with your right foot and get the bike up to steady pace making sure you do not look down. Always look directly in front of you. A beginner just may want to stay at this level to feel out the bike and gather confidence before taking the next step. Step 3, Now that you have the bike moving along at a steady pace stand up on the mounting step and slide your body onto the saddle whilst at the same time throw your leg forward to catch the right pedal. Catching the pedal is very important for smoothness so you will want to time yourself to its point of revolution in order to catch it properly. Step 4, Now that you have successfully mounted the bike, ride off at a steady pace always looking about four meters in front of you at all times. Lookout for anything that might be an obstacle in your path, and give yourself plenty of time to dodge it. Step 5, Dismounting. When you want to dismount, slow the bike down then throw your left leg back and place it on the step. DO NOT look back to find the step as this task has to be completed while looking straight ahead. Practice makes perfect here. Remember to dismount only while the bike is going in a straight direction. If you do this while turning you could accidently put your foot into the spokes. That would not be good. Step 6, After placing your left leg on the step move your body out of the saddle while at the same time take your right leg off the pedal and bend your left leg and lower right leg to the ground. Some will use their foot to press against the rear wheel causing a braking action. Step 7, Now your right foot should be placed on the ground, and once you are completely stopped you can take your left foot off the step. If these steps are followed you should be able to successfully ride your penny farthing with ease. While penny farthing’s might look difficult to ride they are not really once you have become used to riding up high. But it is important when first learning to ride that you choose a large open space, which is free of traffic and has a smooth surface. A quiet road or car park is a perfect spot for learning to ride. After you have gained your confidence you might like to challenge yourself to longer rides, and hills if your legs will allow it. However, always keep your eyes on the road ahead as even small objects, which would not worry a normal bicycle, will cause trouble for a Penny farthing. Always wear tight fitting clothes and have nothing dangling from you like a radio, cell phone or even the straps from a backpack that might get caught in the spokes. This would also include your feet. Special thanks to Don Speden for the use of his photos and most of the text. Please do read the disclaimer at the bottom of this page. Thank you. Good Bye. (Womens voice is computer generated) My first experience riding the R2 was in the hotel hallway. The R2 is almost done but minus the seat. Today we put on the rear peg and redesigned the brake lever for the spade grips. Sorry but I just can't wait any longer so being the only person on the 5th floor and the owner has left for the night... Well, why not? As I place my left leg up on the rear peg a bad feeling comes over me and I just look at my wife and tell her I am not sure I can do this. I am 50 years old, 240 lbs and have bad knees. With what I have invested in the R2 project, all that's riding on the future of it and how important it is for me to ride it on a daily basis I had to ask myself if I have bitten off more than I can chew? My leg bent that high makes me feel how weak my knee muscle is. I do not remember when the last time I used it... Childhood? So I push off and do my best. One thing that nobody's instructions tell you is the "Balance". My knee is bent up, I am standing on one foot bent over a bicycle bigger than me with my arms up holding the grips. Balance is a bit of a problem at this moment! They all say push off but push off into what? It's a bicycle, it has two wheels and without balance you will push off into a fall! So the first thing I learn is to find (really feel) the balance. It's a balance that you can feel grow. With a normal bicycle it almost instant and with a motorcycle you fight bottom weight to find its balance. But with a High Wheel the large front wheel turns and you feel a growing "Tall Balance". It's a big wheel and you will feel it. As I keep on trying my knee muscle begins to wake up and double that with my newfound sense of "Tall Balance" and happily I start to lose the fear factor. At the 7th try I know 100% I can do it. After a few more tries pushing off down the hallway I notice a lot of tension in my lower neck and shoulders and I feel a headache coming on so it's time to take a break. After a break I realize I have forgotten that the hotel I stay in leans. It really does and it's only two inches from touching the bank next door. It's amazing what happens with a lack of laws. This is Asia. Once I turn the bike around and try it on a slight downhill things happen fast. Speed goes right up and much easier to find the balance but I have only twelve inches on each side of the bike and I start going into the walls banging my shoulder but its worth it. After 30 minutes of practice I am able to stand up on the rear peg and control the bike down the hallway... most of the time anyway. I remembered seeing an old British film clip about a Penny Farthing Club and in it was a very elderly gentleman who with only one short push was able to mount his bike. So I stand on the peg and do everything I can to calm myself as I want to try this. With what little I have learned in less than an hour I push off, felt the balance and stood up on the rear peg and put my right leg forward to press on the pedal. I have no seat remember so that's all I can do for now and very happy that I did it. Alas, I did overdo it a few tries later and went into the wall a bit too hard for my shoulder to stop me and with the edge of the spade grip put a nice little gash in the hotel wall. Guess it's time to graduate to the street. Next day we had to set the angle on the seat mount bracket we designed so I walked the bike two blocks to the shop. Since there is no level floor space in the shop from years of patching we took the bike out to the sidewalk. Mistake... Within five minutes we had a crowd of over one hundred people looking and touching the bike. Me and our head machinist just looked at each other and knew we had to bring the bike back into the shop. Once finished I will learn to ride it after 10 PM when there are few people around. A week later and it's done. Sunday night April 10th 2005 at 10 PM I take it outside. A few looks but I am left alone Thank God! I push off a few times and just get up on the rear peg and ride it that way. The bike is great. It's me that has the problem. Long gone are the days when I actually look forward to falling down. Rode it this way for 20 minutes. My shoes have soft soles and my foot hurts from the pressure of the rear peg but I will live. Now I am gaining some confidence so while coasting on the rear peg I slide part way on the seat and use my right leg to press on the right pedal. Years of riding normal bicycles have taught me to pedal with a forward motion but that causes the stearing to go off on a high wheel. Once I pedaled downward I was able to hold the steering bar steady and still press on the pedal. I was able to go all the way down the road this way... Left foot on the rear peg, halfway on the seat and right leg pressing down on the right pedal every time it came up. Did this for another 20 minutes. Now I am covered in sweat and need to sit and rest a while. Now it's time to try it... After a few push offs I find a good balance and slide all the way on the seat. Things are much different here! I press on the pedal but something is braking me. Feels like the bearings are binding. I am slowing down and the curb is getting closer and I know I am going to fall so I make it to the curb and fall off sideways. Because the curb is high I can land on one leg but the side momentum throws me sideways into a wall. Good thing I have a tough shoulder but the bike hits the sidewalk. No damage except some paint chips on the rim. Powder coat has it short comings and the edge of the rim is a weak spot. To add insult to injury my wife had a good laugh watching me fall. After thinking about it I have a feeling the pant guard is not long enough. I look at my jeans and I could see why I slowed down. My leg was rubbing against the tire. When we moved the seat back two inches to make the bike safer we kept the original guard. Well, now I am covered in sweat, I have fallen, been laughed at and the bike needs a modification. My strength and confidence are low and it's near midnight. Time to call it a night. Next day we make the pant guard 2 3/4 inches longer. It's getting dark but my shoulder is tender, my legs hurt and my back a bit stiff. Think I will pass tonight but in the hotel I put the bike on my stand that allows the front wheel to turn and get up on the bike. No problems so I turn the backbone off to the side and get on again. Yes I can see that my fall was caused by my leg rubbing against the wheel. The longer guard works better but I can see right now when turning any amount I will have to ride a little bow legged as my leg will still hit the guard and tire somewhat. We want to keep the R2 as close as we can to the original Rudge but if it was a normal bike I would redesign the pant guard and rear peg. The longer guard does change the looks a bit but it's a safety item and we have no choice. A few days later I take it out again at 11:30pm. Again I pedal with one leg on the right pedal and the other on the rear peg. After I feel confident it's time to try. I have trouble but I get on the seat and pedal a few times... Wow! It was an experience but its time to get off. I am trying to find the rear peg but can not. My speed is getting slower and slower but I can not feel the rear peg. Now I am at a standstill and get to enjoy a half second between the time I know I am going to fall and actually doing it. I have not learned to jump off yet and so... I fall sideways to the right. I am gaining speed as I fall. I put out my foot but I hit the ground so hard my sandal turns on my foot and my toes go under my foot. I am thrown down to the road and the bike comes with me and actually is on top of me pointed to the stars for a second or two before it also falls to the side and hits the road. Then to add insult to injury I hear roaring laughter coming from an outdoor coffee shop up the street. Asians have a bad side! I broke one of my toes at the joint but can still walk. Come to find out that I needed to raise the rear peg another two inches as I am having a lot of trouble getting my fat thigh around the edge of the seat and finding the peg when I need to get off. These bikes are not a "One size fits all" product. The two inches made a big difference. I also sprayed some Armor All on the seat corner and my jeans at the trouble spot as it's slippery stuff and it helped a lot. Well, if I am a "Normal" Newbie then there is a problem here. Nobody needs a broken ankle! IF I had someone knowledgable to help me it would have been a lot easier. The professionals use a series of "Training Bikes" starting with the 38" Coker to teach you to ride. The Coker is a great bike for your kids by the way. But I am alone in Vietnam and must learn to ride with no help except for the info on the Web. I did not want to sell a product that many will buy only to be put away or sold because they could not learn to ride it. So I thought about it and I made some "Training Wheels". You can see pictures of this attachment on the website. I designed it so it will go on an off in five minutes and no added holes are required to put it on. I also made a long sandbag because the bike can still go over. The "Bag" really sticks the bike to the ground! In the hotel room I can easily mount and dismount the bike at a standstill but I have some chairs to the side for safety as you can still go over. After my toe healed I take the bike out with the Training Attachment and sandbag. What a difference an extra wheel makes! At just a walking speed I can keep the balance and learn to ride. I can corner at low speeds but must lean my upper body to the side when I wish to turn. I did however fall three times. Because the bike has two wheels if you get too close to the roads edge where it goes down it will "Suck" you down with it. I panicked and fell three times that night (yea, they all had a good laugh!). At least the falling speed was much slower as the wheel out to the side will slow the fall. Something to do with Geometry... If you learn to ride in a parking lot you will avoid this problem. I was finally able to learn about jumping off the bike using the pedals after a while. Being a male I had been afraid of landing on the backbone. The first time there was a bit of contact so I now jump a bit more to miss it. Once my leg was "Bitten" by the rear peg. Expect to get hurt learning how to ride any High Wheel bike. In fact how many times did we fall as children learning to ride a "Normal" bike? The second night I took the bike out but did not use the sandbag. The bike is much lighter without it and I felt one of the back wheels coming off the ground a few times while riding. I learned to stay away from the roads edge and I rode from midnight to four a.m. without falling! It's time to take off the Training Wheels!..... Please believe me when I say that I am not writing this to sell the Training Attachment but it really did help me to learn to ride. It got me over the "Fear factor". I was able to adjust the rear step with it too. My problem with the rear step caused me to break a toe! Being a Newbie I did not know there was a problem till it was to late. It's also great for when guests come over. They can mount the bike and stay on with just your helping hand and can feel what riding a High Wheel would be like. Once when riding I stopped for breakfast at four in the morning. There were some Vietnamese there who obviously have been drinking all night. One was from Canada so was able to speak English to me. One of his friends wanted to try so I helped him. On the flat part of the road he was able to ride! I would not let him go however and stayed with him till he got into the same problem near the edge of the road. I was there to stop him from falling and he enjoyed the experience. Hope he remembers it... A few nights later I take her out again. Ok, here we go... Bike now has two wheels and the rear peg is fixed although it is a bit too high to push off properly with. I can either lose 50 lbs or get a narrow seat in the future... People who rode these bikes 120 year ago where thinner and more fit than we are. I get the bike going and find the balance. I get up but only to use my right foot to pedal with till I get tired then dismount. I do this a few times to get used to the bike. I finally fully mount the bike and I get real nervous for a few seconds... Balance is a bit different on two wheels. The bike moves from side to side very easy. I know I could fall sideways. Actually it is a better balance with much more control than with three wheels but I must keep some speed up. The first corner was scary. So I make the corners not smoothly but more of a series of jerks catching my balance between them. Think it's time to hit the big wide road. I do not have enough room on the small roads to learn and I do not need any oncoming traffic at an intersection either! I get up on the wide road and ride a few miles before having to dismount. That night I must have totaled about seven to ten miles but only dismounted about three times. One time I almost fell. I put too much shoe on the rear peg and when I started to dismount the wheel hit the tip of my shoe and started to come down sideways. I jumped and caught the bike without falling. I will not do that again. I should mention that after each nights ride I get sore knees. Takes a few days to go away. I am not in the best of shape! A few nights later I take her out again. I am getting used to making corners. I must use the full width of the road but I can do it without jerking. I did try a U-Turn on the big road and that scared me good! I almost fell. It will take a lot more riding before I can smoothly do one. On the forth night I went out and I can now corner using just my half of the road. After twenty hours of riding I can now go slower and keep a good balance. With that I can do things in a smaller space. I can now go around the traffic circle/water fountain but still a little jerky... I went up a hill but walked the bike down. I am not ready for that yet. Very easy to get hurt if you lose control going downhill. The most important part though is learning to see trouble coming ahead. Learning to slow down and being able to quickly dismount or jump off is necessary to avoid an accident. So now I am putting in the hours and learning every time I go out. I guess that ends my story... Riding a bicycle is dangerous and may cause serious injury even to include death. We make no claim to the safety or legality of operating this bicycle. If you choose to ride this bike wear all safety equipment available, including but not limited to a helmet designed for a motorized vehicle. Obey all traffic laws regulating the operation of this bicycle. Determine all safety equipment needed and required for operation and inspect this equipment to make sure they are in good operating condition before operation. Always inspect your bicycle to insure it is properly adjusted before and after each ride. R2REPRO, NOR ITS PERSONAL, OWNERS, PARTNERS, ARE RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE IN YOUR DECISION TO PURCHASE OR RIDE THIS BIKE. R2REPRO, NOR ITS PERSONAL, OWNERS, PARTNERS, ARE RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE IN YOUR ACTIONS OR OTHERS WHO CHOOSE TO RIDE THIS BIKE. |
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