You’ll have to get used to these if you have one
Ever heard of a penny farthing? Perhaps you have, if you landed here. A penny farthing is a specific type of odd bike, one of the first, actually, with a large front wheel and a smaller, trailing rear wheel. This actually yields the name, though that is a topic for a different time.
Anyway, learning to ride an odd bike like this is going to require you to get used to some new things. Namely, these 3 – take them to heart.
You’ll Need to Get Used to the Higher Center of Gravity
Because these odd bikes lack a chain drive (more on that in a minute) you’ll need to get used to the fact that you’ll be way higher in the saddle than normal.
This is because, in order to attain a higher speed in the absence of a chain drive, you need a larger wheel. And with a larger wheel comes a larger diameter, which means you need to sit higher to clear it.
Obviously, this has safety concerns, as, all things being equal, a fall from a greater height is more serious than one from a lesser. Always wear appropriate bike safety gear when in the saddle, including a helmet.
You’ll Need to Learn How to Brake
Secondly, braking one of these odd bikes is not like braking a “regular” bicycle. You’re lower on a regular bike, which makes it easier to brake.
If you hit the brakes too hard on one of these, well, you know what happens to a body in motion? It tends to stay in motion. That means if you bring the bike to a stop too hard, you’ll just keep going, right over the front.
This is called “taking a header” and if you can imagine, it is not a pleasant experience.
Therefore, you need to learn to brake very slowly. In fact, it’s best to coast to a stop by anticipating where you want to end up.
Another penny farthing tip is to step on the pegs over the rear wheel behind the saddle before you apply the brake.
This will lower your center of gravity, put pressure on the rear wheel so it’s less likely to skid, and improve the efficiency of the brakes themselves.
You’ll Need to Learn How to Pedal an Odd Bike Without a Chain Drive
Finally, you’ll need to get used to riding a bike without a chain drive. For those of you that got here from the world of unicycling, this shouldn’t be too big of a shift. For everyone else, though, it means getting used to a direct crank hub interface.
For one thing this means it will be physically harder to pedal, especially when going uphill, because there’s no chain system to mess with to provide differing mechanical advantages. The other thing is that you won’t be able to reach the top speeds you’re used to with other bikes.
Where to Get a New Odd Bike
Still think you want to give riding a penny farthing a try? You can learn more about these – and other odd bikes – over at Unicycle.com. They also carry all the bike safety gear you need, too. Visit their website for more information or get in touch with them directly.
