5 Amazing Journeys On A Penny Farthing

I don't know how you can ride for more than a mile on a penny farthing {wiki}. No brakes, no gears, and no stopping, or you'll fall off! These five lunatics have managed thousands of miles on them. For example, Thomas Stevens rode one of these early bicycles around the world!

The only supplies Stevens had when he set out from San Francisco were fresh socks, one clean shirt, a raincoat that did double duty as a tent, and a Smith and Wesson .38 revolver. Because paved roads and automobiles were so scarce at the time, Stevens restricted most of his journey to wagon trails, towpaths, limited public roads, and, on sometimes even railroad tracks. Naturally, the penny-farthing was not built for the same rugged terrain as a locomotive. Therefore, he was often forced to walk, carrying his bike, hopping the railroad tracks, hoping that he would never hear the sound of a locomotive bearing down on him from behind.

http://www.sidiergo.com/blog/5-amazing-journeys-on-a-penny-farthing/

From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by delrond.


This year I did a 120mile over-night cycle ride (the dunwich dynamo http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunwich_Dynamo a most excellent endevour)

Someone did it on a penny farthing.. taking around 15 hours! I really wouldn't have liked to have been on some of those twisty country lanes in the pitch black on that.

of course they would prefer to refer to the bike as a 'normal' but that's another story
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