Are you riding a bicycle yet, Claude?

[HansV]

"Over the last four years, Sydney has become a city of cyclers, with the number of bike-riding residents increasing by more than 130% since 2010."

See: Cycling sees massive growth in Sydney

[Claude]

Yep, since I was 7 years old, alas, I'm not telling you for how many years that is

[John Gray]

Ah, those happy trips out on a penny-farthing...

[HansV]

You're showing your age there, John...

[John Gray]

You're showing your age there, John...

No, I'm showing Claude's age!

[Claude]

You're showing your age there, John...

No, I'm showing Claude's age!

You're well wrong there my friend: I was around when they invented the wheel, never mind the bike !

[Rudi]

"Over the last four years, Sydney has become a city of cyclers, with the number of bike-riding residents increasing by more than 130% since 2010."

Nah, I just think they're fed-up with the fuel prices and this is some form of subtle mass protest against the oil companies.

[DaveA]

Yep, since I was 7 years old, alas, I'm not telling you for how many years that is

And the bike was one of these?

[Rudi]

Whatever possessed a man to come up with a design like this...esp. in a day where women wore corsets (oh, and long dresses).
The practicability of this design is worse than sitting in a saddle.

[BobH]

Mechanics!

There is no chain and sprocket to provide momentum to drive the vehicle. One must cause the front wheel to turn. If the wheel were much smaller, the amount of energy expended to attain momentum would be most inefficient . . . to say nothing of tiring. I'm certain it was derived at those proportions on the first trial.

When someone thought of using a chain and sprockets to multiple force into momentum, the designed became approximately what it is today. What's more, this chain-and-sprocket design lingers almost in its original form more than 100 years later.

[Rudi]

Thanks Bob. Insightful and makes sense.

Talking about mechanics....

1.jpg

[HansV]

The rider will have a nice view once he's on his way, but how do you get up there, and how do you ride away without falling over?

[Rudi]

He'll have to push his bike to the nearest tree...

[HansV]

... and probably have a couple of assistants to stabilize the bike until it gains speed.

[NotQuite]

Here's how to ride a Penny-Farthing

http://youtu.be/UImiYy44rRE" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Don't think I want to try one just yet !!

[Rudi]

Gosh, how critically important is that peg!
A header must be excruciatingly sore!

[HansV]

Nice video! Riding a penny farthing nowadays is only safe in areas without other traffic...

[HansV]

You wouldn't want to do this: Pennyfarthing Crash.

[DaveA]

...esp. in a day where women wore corsets (oh, and long dresses).
The practicability of this design is worse than sitting in a saddle.

Because the "Ladies" did not ride such things, they were forbidden to. Remember that time period, they were all stay at home moms, but I would call them stay at home slaves.

[HansV]

couple.jpg

(Looks like a posed picture - I don't think they really rode those bicycles)