What Was Unusual About the Penny-Farthing Bicycle? Shocking Facts

What was unusual about the penny-farthing bicycle was its dramatic wheel-size difference: it had one very large front wheel and a much smaller rear wheel. The rider sat high above the ground directly over the front wheel. This unusual design helped the bicycle travel farther with each pedal revolution, but it also made mounting, stopping, and falling much more difficult.

How Was the Penny-Farthing Different From Modern Bicycles?

The penny-farthing looked unlike almost any bicycle people ride today.

Its most obvious feature was the enormous front wheel. The rear wheel was much smaller, creating the distinctive high-and-low shape that gave the bicycle its nickname.

The rider sat on a small saddle positioned above the front wheel. Unlike a modern bicycle, the pedals were attached directly to the front wheel, so one revolution of the pedals turned the wheel once.

That arrangement explains both the bicycle’s impressive speed for its time and many of its disadvantages.

Why Did the Penny-Farthing Have Such a Large Front Wheel?

The large front wheel was not simply a strange design choice. It served a practical purpose.

Because the pedals were connected directly to the front wheel, a larger wheel covered more ground with each pedal revolution. This allowed the bicycle to travel faster without requiring the rider to pedal at an extremely high rate.

At a time when bicycle designs were still developing, this was an effective way to increase speed.

The drawback was obvious: the larger the front wheel became, the higher the rider had to sit.

How Did the Penny-Farthing Work?

The penny-farthing used direct drive rather than the chain-and-sprocket system found on most modern bicycles.

The pedals were mounted on either side of the front wheel’s axle. When the rider pushed the pedals, the front wheel rotated directly.

The rear wheel mainly helped support the bicycle and provided stability. It did not receive power from the pedals.

This made the bicycle mechanically simple in one sense, but it also created an important limitation. The rider could not simply change gears to make climbing hills easier or adjust the gearing for different speeds.

Why Was the Rider So High Off the Ground?

The rider’s height was a direct consequence of the large front wheel.

Since the pedals were connected directly to the wheel, increasing the wheel diameter increased the distance traveled per pedal revolution. But it also raised the position of the axle, pedals, and saddle.

The result was a bicycle that placed the rider much higher than on a modern bicycle.

From that high position, the road below looked very different. Small obstacles could also become more significant because the rider had farther to fall.

What Made the Penny-Farthing Difficult to Ride?

The unusual design created several practical challenges.

Mounting the bicycle was not as simple as stepping over a modern bicycle frame. Riders typically used a small step or peg to help climb into the saddle.

Stopping could also be awkward. Because the rider’s weight was positioned high over the front wheel, braking or encountering an obstacle could potentially cause the rider to pitch forward.

This contributed to the bicycle’s reputation for dangerous forward falls, sometimes described as going “head over heels.”

The height also made falling particularly unpleasant. A rider sitting several feet above the ground had a much greater distance to cover during a fall than someone on a modern bicycle.

What Was Unusual About the Penny-Farthing’s Riding Position?

The rider sat almost directly above the front wheel.

On a modern bicycle, the rider’s position is generally centered between two similarly sized wheels. The penny-farthing was very different.

Its high saddle and large front wheel put the rider in a forward, elevated position. This arrangement helped with efficient direct-drive riding, but it left less room for error when braking or hitting an obstacle.

The bicycle therefore demanded careful control and balance.

Was the Penny-Farthing Faster Than Earlier Bicycles?

The large front wheel could make the penny-farthing faster than earlier high-wheeler and small-wheeled bicycle designs.

The basic principle was straightforward. Since the pedals directly turned the front wheel, a larger wheel moved farther with each revolution.

But speed was not the only consideration. A bicycle that is faster but difficult to stop or control has obvious disadvantages, especially on rough roads.

This is one reason bicycle development eventually moved toward safer designs with chain drives and differently positioned riders.

Penny-Farthing vs. Modern Bicycle

Feature	Penny-farthing	Modern bicycle
Front wheel	Very large	Usually similar in size to rear wheel
Rear wheel	Much smaller	Usually similar in size to front wheel
Drive system	Direct drive	Usually chain and gears
Rider position	Very high	Much lower
Pedals	Attached directly to front wheel	Drive rear wheel through chain
Gearing	Generally no modern gear system	Multiple gears are common
Falling risk	Greater from elevated position	Lower riding height

The comparison shows how the penny-farthing’s design differed from the bicycle layouts that became common later.

Why Did Penny-Farthings Become Popular?

During the late 19th century, bicycles were becoming an increasingly important form of personal transportation and recreation.

The penny-farthing offered speed and a relatively efficient way to travel compared with walking. It also became associated with cycling clubs, recreation, and sporting culture.

For riders who were comfortable with the machine, its high seating position and large wheel provided an enjoyable and fast ride.

But its disadvantages became increasingly difficult to ignore as bicycle designers searched for safer alternatives.

How Did the Safety Bicycle Replace the Penny-Farthing?

The development of the safety bicycle changed cycling dramatically.

Safety bicycles used two wheels of roughly similar size and placed the rider much closer to the ground. They also used a chain-drive system that allowed the pedals to turn a smaller gear, which then drove the rear wheel.

This design provided much more flexibility.

A rider could achieve useful speeds without needing an enormous front wheel. The lower riding position also made mounting, stopping, and recovering from a fall easier.

As pneumatic tires, improved frames, braking systems, and other developments appeared, the basic safety-bicycle layout became the foundation for the modern bicycle.

A Surprising Detail About Penny-Farthing Design

The giant front wheel was effectively a form of gearing.

Modern bicycles use different-sized chainrings and sprockets to change the relationship between pedal movement and wheel movement. A penny-farthing had no such chain system.

Instead, the wheel itself determined how far the bicycle traveled with each pedal revolution.

That means the enormous front wheel was not just part of the bicycle’s appearance. It was an essential part of how the machine achieved higher speeds.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Conclusion

What was unusual about the penny-farthing bicycle was its enormous front wheel, tiny rear wheel, direct-drive system, and extremely high riding position. The large wheel helped the bicycle travel farther with every pedal revolution, but it also made the machine harder and riskier to ride.

The penny-farthing was an important step in bicycle development. Its unusual design solved the problem of increasing speed with direct drive, while its limitations helped encourage the development of the safer bicycle designs that eventually led to the modern bicycle.