Farthing

The ordinary or penny-farthing is an early model of bicycle, produced largely in England and the United States in the mid to late 19th century. more...

The earliest bicycles had pedals mounted directly on the front wheel. In order to increase speeds in the absence of any practical method of gearing, larger and larger wheels were built, culminating in the classic penny-farthing where the wheel could be 1.5m (60") or more in diameter. The name refers to the English penny and farthing coins of the time, the former being large and the latter unusually small. Other popular names include high-wheeler, high bicycle and boneshaker, although this last generally referred to any early bicycle before the invention of the pneumatic tyre.

It had only a brief vogue, arriving and departing within a couple of decades, but it has caught the imagination as visually representing the late Victorian era. This brief lifetime coincided almost exactly with the birth of cycle sport.

Characteristics

The ordinary is a direct-drive bicycle, meaning that the cranks and pedals are affixed directly to the hub. Instead of using a relatively complex and heavy gear system to multiply the revolutions of the pedals, the driven wheel was enlarged to its maximum radius -- up to a length close to the rider's inseam -- to increase the maximum speed. This shifted the position of the rider upward, placing him nearly on top of the wheel. This meant that the rider's feet could not reach the ground while riding, making it effectively little more than a unicycle with an extra wheel for stability.

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