On Yer Bike!

An iconic symbol of the Victorian age which led, ultimately, to the freedom of the road for many people of different classes is the penny-farthing, or high bicycle. It was originally developed in France around 1869 by Eugene Meyer but was significantly developed in England by James Starley in Coventry, who created his famous Arial model with its tangent spokes, mounting block, solid rubber tyres, and 'moustache' handlebars.

It looks an extremely dangerous machine – and its appearance does not lie. It was difficult to mount, the rider was perched perilously near the front, and 'taking a header' (hitting an obstacle and flying head-first over the front wheel) was an ever-present prospect. For steep descents, some riders chose to give up any hope of braking by backward pressure on the pedals directly connected to the hub, but put their feet up over the handlebars. At least by doing this, they could turn a header into a 'footer' and hit the ground feet first. The Whatton handlebars looped around behind the knees of the bicyclist to make jumping off easier. It may have cut down the number of fatalities that occurred.

Nevertheless, the bicycle (as it was known during its heyday – penny-farthing is a later name) had many advantages over the old velocipede. The large wheel gave a much more comfortable ride over potholes, cobbles and the generally poor road surfaces of the era. It was very fast for its time – in 1876, Frank Dodds recorded a speed of 15.8mph in an hour's timed run. It was also simple and reliable – no gears, and only a 'spoon' brake – so that that when American Thomas Stevens rode one around the world in the 1880s, his only mechanical problem was a bent wheel caused by local militia when his machine was confiscated.

After a short period of popularity, the 'ordinary' as it became derisively known, lost out to the new 'safety' bicycle with its equal wheels, gears and chains. And with the invention of pneumatic tyres, even its comfort was no longer a plus.