Victorian speed record finally falls

[Joshua Rogan]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-44503724/mark-beaumont-beats-127-year-old-penny-farthing-record

[Mayerling]

Interesting news item. Why were they called "Penny Farthings"?

Jeff

[Robert]

The name comes from British coinage, Jeff :

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penny-farthing

[Sam Flynn]

Interesting news item. Why were they called "Penny Farthings"?

The front wheel was huge compared to the rear wheel, just like the old penny coin was huge compared to the farthing.

[Mayerling]

Hi Robert and Sam,

Thanks for the answers. I am aware that "Penny and farthing" are British coins, but I did not think of how they resemble this form of bike. I believe it is called a "Bone Shaker" in the U.S.

Jeff

[GUT]

A penny was just over 30mm across a farthing about 20.

I can’t find a ruler in inches at the moment, but will remeasure when I do.

[Mayerling]

A penny was just over 30mm across a farthing about 20.

I can’t find a ruler in inches at the moment, but will remeasure when I do.

We never (as I said) had a coin like the farthing, but in the 19th Century there was a three cent nickel.

[Sam Flynn]

A penny was just over 30mm across a farthing about 20.

This picture might help:



... you could almost ride them away, couldn't you?

[GUT]

This picture might help:

[ATTACH]18700[/ATTACH]

... you could almost ride them away, couldn't you?

Thanks, couldn’t get the photo I took to post. But then I always have trouble posting photos.

[GUT]

We never (as I said) had a coin like the farthing, but in the 19th Century there was a three cent nickel.

Yeah Farthings we’re gone before my time, here anyway.

We did have the famous Holley dollar and the Dump in Aus way back at the start of the colony.

[yen_powell]

I've seen this PF rider at 2am in Blackwall E14 when on night work during the 2012 London Olympics. I was on a motorbike and had trouble keeping up, he flies along. I thought I was hallucinating at first because he was wearing 'plus fours' and a pith helmet.

I had to use Google the next dayto prove to myself I wasn't going mad!

[GUT]

They have a race down in Tasmania every Feb, 100s of Penny Farthings gather. Many build their own, they won’t use old ones for fear of damaging them