Alt Bike Culture - anyone ever built a penny farthling
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i found these directions on building one, just wondering if anyone else has experience.
here's the link: http://webfiles.uci.edu/robertsw/www/hiwheel/pennyfarthing.html
DCCommuter
11-18-05, 09:55 PM
That article is pretty cool. The thing that strikes me though is that he should have spent more time sourcing materials -- black iron pipe is not a structural material, for instance. I would lean toward using bike components and materials where ever possible. I guess it depends on how much you want it to be home-built -- nowadays, that normally means just the frame. If it were me I'd be proud enough building the frame and the front wheel, and use stock components for the rear wheel, headset, handlebars, etc.
treechunk
11-18-05, 10:24 PM
a friend of mine made one out of an old clothing rack, some "spokes" that I think he used a plasma cutter to make, and some assorted bicycle tubing. He used some old wacky hub/crank combo that I think was originally part of a kid's tricycle.
I wish I had a bigger picture.
FlatTop
11-19-05, 07:19 AM
Does that big wheel have some momentum/flywheel effect? It looks like a blast.