Cyclists in bowler hats and bow ties stand ready beside their penny-farthing bicycles. The starter gives the signal, and the racers are off. Each rider places a foot on the mounting-peg and pushes to accelerate, scooter style, swinging quickly up into his high saddle.
In the 1870s, the penny-farthing or “ordinary” bicycle was an exciting innovation. Today, though the bowler hats have been replaced by helmets, the excitement is still alive on the scene of the annual penny-farthing race in New Westminster, BC.
Riding a penny-farthing is a true challenge. Gordon Hobbis, race organizer and owner of Cap’s Bicycle Shop, likens it to riding a five-foot high tricycle with the added challenge of balancing on only two wheels. Like a tricycle, the penny-farthing is a fixed-gear design, so pedalling hard requires good upper-body strength to keep the handlebars straight, or the force of the pedal thrusts would otherwise push the huge front wheel from side to side. It’s far from easy to accelerate quickly and still maintain a steady course. Cornering is a delicate matter, since with steering and power together in the front wheel, leaning into the turn isn’t an option. In last year’s race, a rider misjudged a corner, and came away with a case of road rash and a front wheel looking like a giant taco.
Bicycle history buffs know that the heyday of the “ordinary” bicycle was short. With the arrival of the “safety bicycle” in the mid 1880s, the “ordinary” quickly went out of fashion, since the new design was so much easier to handle with its equal-sized wheels and chain drive. Most of the penny-farthings that will be used in the upcoming criterium style race are replicas, but nostalgics may admire the 130-year-old originals on display at Cap’s Bicycle Shop.
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