Whether you’re here for information on clown circus bikes or penny farthings, we stacked up some questions and answered them. See if yours is answered here.
1. What’s the difference between a clown circus bike and a regular bike?
They are both bicycles, but a “regular” bike has a chain drive, whereas, to maintain a greater degree of agility and control for trick riding, a clown circus bike does not.
Also, many clown circus bikes have components that rotate independently of each other, further improving maneuverability and agility.
In other major respects, they are the same.
2. Can you actually ride a minibike?
If you can ride a full-size bike, you can ride a minibike. The limit on ridership is really on the larger, not the smaller end. Meaning that there are bikes that may be too large for you, but there really aren’t (within reason) bikes that are too small. You’d be surprised how functional a high-quality minibike can be.
3. What is the name of the odd bike with the larger front wheel?
You are likely thinking of what is known as a penny farthing. These have much larger front wheels and much smaller trailing rear wheels.
4. Why is it called a penny farthing?
They are called penny farthings after the resemblance of the two wheels to two units of Sterling currency; the penny (for the larger front wheel) and the farthing (for the rear wheel). The latter is a defunct unit of Sterling that was once in circulation and which was equivalent to a quarter of a penny.
The farthing was also much smaller than the penny, which is why these odd bikes are so named.
5. What replaced the penny farthing?
A type of bike known as a “safety bicycle” replaced the penny farthing in the late 1800s and the design is nearly identical to modern bicycles.
The new design was intended to mitigate some of the safety concerns of the penny farthing’s design, such as that it required the rider to sit very high above the ground, increasing the danger of a fall.
6. Can you still buy a penny farthing?
Not only can you still buy penny farthings (and other odd bikes if you know where to look) but you can still ride them. Try looking online at Unicycle.com. They carry a variety of penny farthings in different sizes, all of them made to a high level of quality.
7. How much does a penny farthing cost?
Naturally that depends on a few factors, as well as on the size of the bike, but you can get one somewhere between a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. They’re expensive, but then again, so are regular bikes, and like regular bikes, with proper maintenance, they will last a lifetime.
8. Do you need any special safety gear or training?
You don’t necessarily need any special safety gear to learn to ride a penny farthing; you’ll need the same safety gear as when you ride your regular bike. A helmet, knee and elbow pads are a good investment.
As for training, not necessarily. If you can ride a bike, you can ride a penny farthing, but you will have to observe some other special conditions. One is that you should be very careful when making turns or attempting to brake, as braking too abruptly can cause the bike to stop short, which can throw you over the handlebars.
Where to Learn More About These Odd Bikes (or Buy One)
Want to learn more about these odd bikes, or you buy one, or some safety gear? What you’re looking for can be found online at Unicycle.com. Visit their website or get in touch with them directly if you have questions.
