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Weird Bike Sighting of the Year
Wow, did I see one today. In the area between downtown Salt Lake
City and the University of Utah, there it was, unfortunately going the other way on a busy street. I only got a glimpse, but what a glimpse. My very first, gen-yoo-wine highwheeler. An actual penny-farthing. That's not so weird, you say? Add this to the mix. It was being ridden backwards. Yup, farthing first. I'll remember this ride for a while. Bill (Frumious) __o | Get a bicycle. You will not regret it, if you live. _`\(,_ | (_)/ (_) | -- Mark Twain |
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Weird Bike Sighting of the Year
.... going the other way on a busy street. .... It was being ridden backwards. Yup, farthing first. Are you sure you weren't just passing? |
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Weird Bike Sighting of the Year
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Weird Bike Sighting of the Year
On Jun 25, 11:27*pm, wrote:
* *Wow, did I see one today. *In the area between downtown Salt Lake City and the University of Utah, there it was, unfortunately going the other way on a busy street. *I only got a glimpse, but what a glimpse. * My very first, gen-yoo-wine highwheeler. *An actual penny-farthing. * That's not so weird, you say? *Add this to the mix. *It was being ridden backwards. *Yup, farthing first. *I'll remember this ride for a while.. They are a bit rare but there was at least one design with the farthing first layout. Possibly one of the American "Star" brand? I don't think I've ever seen an Ordinary being just ridden on the street. John Kane Kingston ON Canada |
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Weird Bike Sighting of the Year
On Jun 26, 8:14*am, DougC wrote:
wrote: * *Wow, did I see one today. *In the area between downtown Salt Lake City and the University of Utah, there it was, unfortunately going the other way on a busy street. *I only got a glimpse, but what a glimpse.. * My very first, gen-yoo-wine highwheeler. *An actual penny-farthing. * That's not so weird, you say? *Add this to the mix. *It was being ridden backwards. *Yup, farthing first. *I'll remember this ride for a while. Bill (Frumious) * *__o * | Get a bicycle. You will not regret it, if you live. *_`\(,_ *| (_)/ (_) | * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * -- Mark Twain Carl will be along in a few minutes to provide examples--but they were built both ways. ...Some had the little wheel behind, some had it in front. |
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Weird Bike Sighting of the Year
On Jun 25, 9:27*pm, wrote:
* *Wow, did I see one today. *In the area between downtown Salt Lake City and the University of Utah, there it was, unfortunately going the other way on a busy street. *I only got a glimpse, but what a glimpse. * My very first, gen-yoo-wine highwheeler. *An actual penny-farthing. * That's not so weird, you say? *Add this to the mix. *It was being ridden backwards. *Yup, farthing first. *I'll remember this ride for a while.. Bill (Frumious) * *__o * | Get a bicycle. You will not regret it, if you live. *_`\(,_ *| (_)/ (_) | * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * -- Mark Twain Dear Bill, An email asked me about your small front wheel highwheeler. You may have seen a replica of an Eagle safety highwheeler. (There may also be replica Stars, but I don't know of any offhand.) Or you may have seen an original with a happy owner. As other posters already pointed out, there were several popular small front wheel versions, which were one kind of safety highwheeler. Another kind of safety highwheeler still had the large wheel in front, but it was downsized and used gearing and chains or complicated treadles to get enough gearing to be useful (sometimes called a dwarf highwheeler). They included the Kangaroo, Facile, Xtraordinary, King, Columbia, American G&J, and others. Yet a third kind of safety highwheeler used the normal large front wheel, but powered it with two rearward facing treadles, which let the rider sit further back--the Springfield Roadster. *** Probably the most famous photo of a small-front-wheel highwheeler, a treadle Star descending the steps of the Capitol: http://i11.tinypic.com/8ak80wj.jpg (Despite the caption, the shadows show that the photo was taken in broad daylight.) Small-front-wheel highwheeler's front suspension visible: http://www.pepcak.webzdarma.cz/vyspan175.jpg *** Dwarf highwheelers next to their big brothers: http://www.flickr.com/photos/deqaden...13533/sizes/o/ http://www.pepcak.webzdarma.cz/vyspan085.jpg An ad for the Kangaroo dwarf highwheeler with gears and chains: http://books.google.com/books?id=vVN...#PRA1-PA117,M1 The Kangaroo, Facile and Xtraordinary dwarf highwheelers are shown in Sharp, as well as the Star small-front wheel: http://books.google.com/books?id=gFMN3-srupsC&pg=PA151 http://books.google.com/books?id=gFMN3-srupsC&pg=PA189 A large-front-wheel Springfield roadster with two rear-facing treadles: http://www.pepcak.webzdarma.cz/vyspan144.jpg Cheers, Carl Fogel |
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Weird Bike Sighting of the Year
In article ,
" writes: On Jun 25, 9:27*pm, wrote: * *Wow, did I see one today. *In the area between downtown Salt Lake City and the University of Utah, there it was, unfortunately going the other way on a busy street. *I only got a glimpse, but what a glimpse. * My very first, gen-yoo-wine highwheeler. *An actual penny-farthing. * That's not so weird, you say? *Add this to the mix. *It was being ridden backwards. *Yup, farthing first. *I'll remember this ride for a while. Bill (Frumious) * *__o * | Get a bicycle. You will not regret it, if you live. *_`\(,_ *| (_)/ (_) | * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * -- Mark Twain Dear Bill, An email asked me about your small front wheel highwheeler. You may have seen a replica of an Eagle safety highwheeler. (There may also be replica Stars, but I don't know of any offhand.) Or you may have seen an original with a happy owner. As other posters already pointed out, there were several popular small front wheel versions, which were one kind of safety highwheeler. Another kind of safety highwheeler still had the large wheel in front, but it was downsized and used gearing and chains or complicated treadles to get enough gearing to be useful (sometimes called a dwarf highwheeler). They included the Kangaroo, Facile, Xtraordinary, King, Columbia, American G&J, and others. Yet a third kind of safety highwheeler used the normal large front wheel, but powered it with two rearward facing treadles, which let the rider sit further back--the Springfield Roadster. *** Probably the most famous photo of a small-front-wheel highwheeler, a treadle Star descending the steps of the Capitol: http://i11.tinypic.com/8ak80wj.jpg (Despite the caption, the shadows show that the photo was taken in broad daylight.) Small-front-wheel highwheeler's front suspension visible: http://www.pepcak.webzdarma.cz/vyspan175.jpg *** Dwarf highwheelers next to their big brothers: http://www.flickr.com/photos/deqaden...13533/sizes/o/ http://www.pepcak.webzdarma.cz/vyspan085.jpg An ad for the Kangaroo dwarf highwheeler with gears and chains: http://books.google.com/books?id=vVN...#PRA1-PA117,M1 The Kangaroo, Facile and Xtraordinary dwarf highwheelers are shown in Sharp, as well as the Star small-front wheel: http://books.google.com/books?id=gFMN3-srupsC&pg=PA151 http://books.google.com/books?id=gFMN3-srupsC&pg=PA189 A large-front-wheel Springfield roadster with two rear-facing treadles: http://www.pepcak.webzdarma.cz/vyspan144.jpg Y'know, a plain ol' Ordinary bicycle ~could~ be ridden backward by a skilled rider. I guess riding a forwards bike backwards would be akin to playing a right-handed guitar left-handedly. I wouldn't be surprised if a left-handedly-strung violin facilitated the playing of Paganini's caprices. Maybe plus some certain modal, diatonic tunings. cheers, Tom -- Nothing is safe from me. I'm really at: tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca |
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Weird Bike Sighting of the Year
On Jun 27, 3:10*am, (Tom Keats) wrote:
In article , * * * * " writes: On Jun 25, 9:27*pm, wrote: * *Wow, did I see one today. *In the area between downtown Salt Lake City and the University of Utah, there it was, unfortunately going the other way on a busy street. *I only got a glimpse, but what a glimpse. * My very first, gen-yoo-wine highwheeler. *An actual penny-farthing. * That's not so weird, you say? *Add this to the mix. *It was being ridden backwards. *Yup, farthing first. *I'll remember this ride for a while. Bill (Frumious) * *__o * | Get a bicycle. You will not regret it, if you live. *_`\(,_ *| (_)/ (_) | * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * -- Mark Twain Dear Bill, An email asked me about your small front wheel highwheeler. You may have seen a replica of an Eagle safety highwheeler. (There may also be replica Stars, but I don't know of any offhand.) Or you may have seen an original with a happy owner. As other posters already pointed out, there were several popular small front wheel versions, which were one kind of safety highwheeler. Another kind of safety highwheeler still had the large wheel in front, but it was downsized and used gearing and chains or complicated treadles to get enough gearing to be useful (sometimes called a dwarf highwheeler). They included the Kangaroo, Facile, Xtraordinary, King, Columbia, American G&J, and others. Yet a third kind of safety highwheeler used the normal large front wheel, but powered it with two rearward facing treadles, which let the rider sit further back--the Springfield Roadster. *** Probably the most famous photo of a small-front-wheel highwheeler, a treadle Star descending the steps of the Capitol: *http://i11.tinypic.com/8ak80wj.jpg (Despite the caption, the shadows show that the photo was taken in broad daylight.) Small-front-wheel highwheeler's front suspension visible: *http://www.pepcak.webzdarma.cz/vyspan175.jpg *** Dwarf highwheelers next to their big brothers: *http://www.flickr.com/photos/deqaden...13533/sizes/o/ *http://www.pepcak.webzdarma.cz/vyspan085.jpg An ad for the Kangaroo dwarf highwheeler with gears and chains: *http://books.google.com/books?id=vVN...titlepage#PRA1... The Kangaroo, Facile and Xtraordinary dwarf highwheelers are shown in Sharp, as well as the Star small-front wheel: *http://books.google.com/books?id=gFMN3-srupsC&pg=PA151 *http://books.google.com/books?id=gFMN3-srupsC&pg=PA189 A large-front-wheel Springfield roadster with two rear-facing treadles: *http://www.pepcak.webzdarma.cz/vyspan144.jpg Y'know, a plain ol' Ordinary bicycle ~could~ be ridden backward by a skilled rider. I guess riding a forwards bike backwards would be akin to playing a right-handed guitar left-handedly. I wouldn't be surprised if a left-handedly-strung violin facilitated the playing of Paganini's caprices. Maybe plus some certain modal, diatonic tunings. cheers, * * * * Tom -- Nothing is safe from me. I'm really at: tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca Dear Tom, Heck, skilled trick and fancy riders rode ordinaries with the rear wheel _removed_. Here's an ad for Kaufmann riding his highwheeler with the backbone, seat, and rear wheel removed, up and down some steps, like a giant unicycle with a handlebar: http://www.designasign.eu/images/upl...elShow1886.jpg Here are more tricks illustrated, some with the back of the highwheeler removed, in a Scientific American article about a Leipzig trick and fancy contest in which Kaufmann whomped his rival, 284 to 228 style points: http://i17.tinypic.com/8eufoqs.jpg But no, it's not likely that anyone was riding a normal highwheeler backwards down a modern street. Most likely, it was a replica safety highwheeler (rare but intended for riding) or an original (rare and rarely ridden). As for Paganini's caprices, the odds are overwhelming that any recording uses a normal violin: http://www.youtube.com/results?searc...h_type =&aq=f Occam's razor works pretty well. Cheers, Carl Fogel |
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Weird Bike Sighting of the Year
=v= Sounds as if you saw Martin Krieg:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jym/3455085048/ Oh wait, that's his "ordinary" bike. Here he is on his not-so-ordinary: http://www.bikeroute.com/ _Jym_ |
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