I have only ridden an ordinary once, IIRC it was not a replica and brakes were non existent. It scared
the h.. out of me. Maneuverability is marginal, the wheel has significantly more momentum than a
safety bike and braking is a balance between reverse pedal pressure, whatever brake comes on the
machine and the tendency of the bike to throw you forward over the wheel into the ground. I would
suggest absolutely flat terrain, low traffic conditions and a full face helmet for your riding. Neck protection is left to the gods. You are several feet higher than a safety bike and as the old saying goes
the bigger they are the harder they fall. Those narrow tires can easily get caught in grates and cracks.
Not to rain on your parade, and if you have ridden one before you may know all this. Ordinaries are good
for parades though, if you check out the route carefully in advance. Mounting was not easy but dismounting unassisted is like getting off a 36" + unicycle, but the ordinary is a lot heavier. Steve