smells of bikes40km biking at lunch today including this fun encounter
#weirdbikemastodon
#weirdbikemastodon
theantladyBecause, you know, why not??
Martin, Regulus Tithonium@smellsofbikes challenge them to a race
@tithonium some day I want to go to the world pennyfarthing championships in Hobart and compete.
Dune (1987), but regular time@smellsofbikes lol the brake on the tiny wheel in the back like "I'm trying I'm trying I'm trying"
Isaac Ji Kuo@nofunoverlord @smellsofbikes That's the correct place for a brake, though.
A brake on the front wheel would just launch you face first into the road.
Historically, the way to stop quickly on a pennyfarthing was to crash into something. This rear wheel brake thing is a huge improvement.
@isaackuo @smellsofbikes lolol oh, oh I know a front brake would be a terrible, terrible thing on a penny farthing
but like it's gonna be tricky not to just lock and slide
@nofunoverlord @isaackuo yeah you ride these like a fixie (well it is) and do most of the braking with pedal back pressure. Plenty did have spoon brakes on the front wheel but yeeeesh.
@isaackuo @nofunoverlord there was a reverse pennyfarthing design called The American Star and it was better in almost every way. Much stiffer frame, front and rear brakes, no headers, period photographs show people riding down staircases on them.
Headzo@smellsofbikes we're laughing, but this dude is probably retired, just chilling around town on a pennyfarthing. I'm so fucking jealous
@headzo very much same. Oozes cool.
Frank@smellsofbikes wow I was scrolling and thought oh photo of someone in Brunswick. Then realised no, you're not in hipsterville, Melbourne 😀
@vwdasher boulder, Colorado, close enough, and definitely hipster
@smellsofbikes definitely sharing the same vibe 😀
Errol Cavit@smellsofbikes They take part in the Pioneer Race at each Omaka airshow, great fun. We AvGeeks asked them what their maximum safe crosswind was. Apparently you mount into the wind then you are all good as they have lots of momentum.
https://flic.kr/p/2mu6Q24
https://flic.kr/p/2mu6Q24
@ErrolNZ companies have made aerofoil spoke wheels that can derive some forward thrust from lift generated by quartering side winds, but I've never seen a big wheel like this built like that
lemgandi@smellsofbikes Oh man, I experimented with one of these a while ago. They're fun, but scary hard to turn and stop.
Unicycles, on the other hand...
Kevin RussellIs that little notch 15 inches above the rear wheel the step to climb up?
@kevinrns Yeah. Although as others have pointed out, it also looks like a ridiculous spoiler.