How Difficult is it to Ride a Penny Farthing?

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In this episode I learn to ride a Penny Farthing.
This Penny Farthing was supplied and designed by Roger from Unicycle.com in the UK branch.
Find out more about unicycle.com here: www.unicycle.c...
US site: www.udcpennyfa...
KZbin: / unicycledotcom
My name is Mike Boyd and I make videos documenting my process of learning stuff really fast. Subscribe for more upcoming videos and feel free to tell me what you'd like me to learn next in the comments.
Instagram: / mikeboydvideo
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Camera Work: Kim Boyd
Music: Epidemic Sound

[@aceonfire12]

3:29 "I'm f*ckin on it, I'm f*ckin on it! Holy Shit! GOOD DAY TO YOU SIR "

[@bengun1580]

Listen dont ever sit on mans bike

[@kerolosisfat4198]

@BEN GUN I don’t think you get the joke

[@bengun1580]

@@kerolosisfat4198I was watching a clip of sons of anarchy and a guy said it to another guy just thought it was funny then i saw this clip stay safe

[@chreint3370]

Yeah, im not deaf

[@19hundert92]

I was so waiting for the "fck how do I stop now" after that lol

[@tokagerkun]

The hardest part of this, is clearly having to talk to people that have questions about the penny farthing.

[@DannySullivanMusic]

hahahaha pro comment

[@portman3950]

same

[@orvillepareja9393]

@@alfatross542 This is not the time nor the place for that

[@the_water_wizard952]

@@alfatross542 You need help

[@GamesForNoobs]

LOL!!!

[@crobodile]

benefit of riding this around: nobody is ever gonna try and steal that

[@dxdxdxdxdxd7125]

and if somebody tries, he'll be found in a matter of minutes because this thing is so unique

[@zoleroid7027]

I would, I'm too broke to afford one. Also they're out of stock till 2023

[@eshock9208]

So I would be stolen by someone who wants one

[@roistin3944]

@@zoleroid7027 Aha let me see you ride one and taking off

[@captainretro373]

Or be able to

[@megalordcartman]

I would have been disappointed if you didn't have the full outfit. The outrageous top hat did not disappoint.

[@stanlyman3077]

I just had a stroke

[@AxxLAfriku]

One thing! Just one thing! Please tell IT to me: WHY tf do I have so many fans even though no KZbinr is unprettier than I am? WORLDWIDE!!!! WHY??? Tell me, dear me

[@DannySullivanMusic]

lol man pro

[@rohithbaliga]

@@AxxLAfriku it's because you're #1 at being unpretty

[@niepboss3374]

Is

[@Femaiden]

i'm just realizing, that back then, the height of that seat might not have been considered that "high", because that's actually about the same height as riding horseback. People might have been used to it. I always wondered how people get on and off these things, the mounting pegs on the back that you climb up them are ingenious. after a day or two of learning, people probably just got used to it.

[@onelooongboi5838]

Right but on a horse it’s way different. That bike looks like you could rip the entire thing by moving slightly. While I doubt a horse is gonna let itself tip over

[@hunterdavis9941]

@@onelooongboi5838 Because the wheel is so large, so long as you are moving at a relatively good pace, the bike becomes incredibly stable. Basically, like all bikes, the wheels stay up right because the more energy they have spinning the less they want to change axis, a top uses a similar principle just set horizontal instead of vertical. Stability wise the only difference compared to a normal bike is on a normal bike you achieve the same amount of energy by moving smaller wheels faster, where as on this you achieve it by moving a bigger wheel but slower.

[@onelooongboi5838]

@@hunterdavis9941 yes. But I’m just explaining how it probably looked insane regardless of the person riding that bike ever rode a horse or not because from here it looks real unstable lmao. Because how it’s so far off the ground and all. But yeah ofc basically all bikes. Once you get some speed you won’t tip.

[@si2foo]

honestly he was also doing it wrong you use the furthest back to get speed then use one of the two to give your self enough height to mount it he kept trying to skip them all together

[@zachweyrauch2988]

Saw an antiques roadshow with one that came with a steadying stick. It had a pointed end and a few foot holds. With momentum you were then expected to stow this freaking lance in in little holster sort of behind you. The principles of engineering have given us alot.

[@Commenter26]

The Penny Farthing looks and sounds like something Dr. Seuss would design

[@PersonWhoExists50306]

@Nomen Clature I knew this would be here the moment i saw the comment about Dr. Seuss. Also, Dr. Seuss' estate remove those books of their own volition. Nobody made them do it.

[@jruler93]

It was actually the original design of the bicycle before the invention of the safety bicycle (which is now more commonly known as the bicycle). To be fair though, cocaine was being used as medicine for everything back then.

[@hithere911]

@@jruler93 Cocaine, alcohol, heroin, and other various drug mixed together. Seriously, look up images of Victorian children's cough syrup.

[@jamesloll4601]

If I actually remember correctly there was a character in one of the books riding one. This is so sad, Dr. Seuss was know for being a colorful and rich book of imagination with rich rhymes and such. Apparently having an imagination and rhyming are considered illegal now a days. What a load of bull when 99.9% of the world enjoyed these stories then a nasty .1% got a stick stuck up their butt. Where's the justice in this? Just because 'someone' might get offended don't give the right to remove what MOST OF US ENJOY. If they hate the book so badly... NO ONE is forcing them to read it! So shame on a market forcing a view that the majority of us didn't have a problem with for the very few that seem to have a problem with EVERYTHING! If you don't like it, don't read it but that ALSO MEANS you can't dictate what books I love to buy and read either! Eventually one of these 'sensitive' people is going to say 'I don't like people breathing around me'. Does that mean we ALL have to stop and drop dead for this ONE person?!? The way I see it, why don't they start first? LOL

[@jamesloll4601]

@Nomen Clature LOL, I really wasn't expecting anyone to read that and I find it disheartening that the estate that actually owns the right's to those extremely creative children's books themselves decided to pull it AFTER the heads of our market was taking it down. So I felt this as a double whammy. The market betraying me then the people with the rights to the book folding on the simple note race IS noted but in a light and colorful humor. The books simply pointed out they're are different people out there without debasing them but simply viewed as different. If Dr. Seuss pointed out an American walking down the street with a pizza pie in one hand and an apple pie in the other confused which is better, would any True American be offended at that? We love our pizza that for sure but we're also know for our American pie from the past too! So I can laugh at this and not be offended but can see how this can be creatively inserted into a book most American children can enjoy too with them darn rich rhymes to boot and a simplistic art all children can understand. Better yet at least a group of three being America is a race of many cultures. The important note Seuss pointed out out is we are all people, differences and all. We are all known for something, should we be offended by that? Not really when in the end we are all PEOPLE, equal in that regard.

[@LucasGottfried]

Imagine going out with your girlfriend and then this distinguished gentleman drives by with his 50 inches. There's just no way you could contest.

[@AntonWongVideo]

Neither could she. The gentleman has no need for relationships. Relationships are temporary. Penny farthings are forever.

[@HopDuongTennis]

-friEND -boyfriEND -girlfriEND -best friEND -only penny farthing has no end

[@user-st7rq3sn7v]

Imagine using this as a downhill bike and hitting a berm.....

[@poly503]

@@user-st7rq3sn7v Bones broke: 20

[@HipposHateWater]

@@user-st7rq3sn7v Apparently some folks would just give up on maintaining braking force against the pedals on steep grades and place both feet above the handlebars (between the hands). TL;DR is that it was the Victorian "brilliant" strategy to simply "land feet-first" if they happened to vault head-first.

[@sboeke]

“I’m turning I’m turning!” Natural Geographic voice over: “He is in fact not turning instead he is going in a direction humans call ‘straight’”

[@IdtSo2]

No

[@baldeaglesarentbald1921]

Yes

[@alexanderwalter2253]

Considering the size of the wheel, my guess is that it’s actually the earth spinning around the bike while turning.😉

[@youtuuba]

As a highwheel (aka penny-farthing) owner and regular rider for over 30 years, I am always interested to see the efforts of others to experience this type of bike. Some observations on this video: - The geometry of that replica bike is not too good. A 50" front wheel is actually on the small side for a highwheel (48 was the smallest diameter in most maker's catalogs), and only the larges bikes (e.g. 62 inches, etc) had two sets of mounting steps. A 50 inch bike should only have a single step (the lower one), as the higher one is just asking to hurt the rider and interfere with proper mounting/dismounting. If the bike has the correct geometry, and the rider is matched to the size of bike (they were typically made in wheel sizes having increments of 2", and a rider always selected a bike (wheel) size that matched his legs/inseam, then when standing up with a foot on the step, the rider's crotch should be at the perfect height to simply slide forward onto the saddle. On this repro bike, the saddle looks to be a bit too high above the frame (backbone), and there are some other subtle geometry issues. Funny thing is, all the manufacturers in the 1880s had all that figured out 'to a T', but (most) modern repro makes have not learned the old lessons. - Mike Boyd looks to be a bit too short in the leg to properly ride this bike. I can see that the pedals are fit closer to the hub axle to accommodate his shorter legs, but too much so....this is allowing him to ride a wheel that is really too big for him....a 48" wheel might be better. When riding a highwheel with the pedals too close to the hub, the rider does not have adequate instantaneous torque to deal with everyday riding situations, making it more likely that the front wheel may stall on hitting an obstacle, thus inviting a potentially life-altering "header" crash. - Highwheels are inherently stable as long as the front wheel is even barely turning. Scooting along with lots of leg-skips before mounting accomplished nothing. The rider, in most cases, needs only one or two pushes/skips before the bike is stable and he should just get on with sliding into the saddle and commencing to pedal. - Turning highwheels is easy, although they are not good at SHARP turns. The point it to always consider loss of momentum during a turn, and be ready to apply fresh torque via pedaling to add more momentum to the wheel. - Highwheels never had adequate brakes, although front wheel spoon brakes were tried (with minimal success). Modern caliper brakes, such as this repro has, can be useful, but are not very good for serious braking, for example to arrest speed when coasting downhill.....there is just too little weight on the rear wheel, so it is likely to just skid along while the bike barges along forward in spite of it. But any properly made highwheel is direct drive, and should be very responsive to reverse torque applied to the pedals (this is often incorrectly called "reverse pedaling". But reverse torque should never be applied strongly and suddenly, as that would induce a "header" crash. - Vintage highwheels were designed, through steering head geometry and handlebar shape, to allow a "legs over" the bars downhill coasting position, which is the safest way of coasting. Any other downhill coasting position could be fatal in an accident. To see this actually happening, look at this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eKaze6J3bsx8qNE. Here, Jack Castor takes a non-header spill at speed during a long downhill coast when his front tire came loose and jammed up in the front fork, freezing the wheel. If he had been riding "legs under" he almost certainly would have died. But because he was coasting "legs over", his feet his the ground first, allowing him to roll out of the crash, as opposed to pile driving his head into the pavement which is what would have happened if he had been "legs over". Jack walked away from this this spectacular crash, with only minor bruises and abrasions. Unfortunately, far too many modern highwheel repros are made by makers who have no understanding of such things, and have handlebar shapes or other geometry issues that prevent this necessary safe coasting position. - For best and most comfortable handling, the highwheel's handlebar grips should be at a height that results in the rider's arms being straight down from the shoulders, no bending at the elbows, assuming that the rider's back and posture is straight up. - Actual wheelmen in the late 19th Century had some pretty nice looking, practical cycling outfits. Knickers, close fitting jackets, practical caps, slim low heeled shoes. It is a mystery to me why so many newbies automatically dress up in coat, tails and top hat to ride their highwheels....it looks ridiculous and is embarrassingly inappropriate from an historical perspective, and not practical either.

[@Yawyna124]

Hold up. If pedaling in reverse is not called reverse pedaling, then what is reverse pedaling?

[@Wingnut353]

@@Yawyna124 backpedaling....

[@youtuuba]

@@Yawyna124 , the geometry of these bikes makes riding then backwards impractical. And since they are all "fixies" (direct drive), they can't be pedaled backwards (reverse pedaling). They also can't be truly "back-pedaled" either in the way that modern coaster brake bikes can be. What the rider CAN do is apply reverse torque to a forward rotating wheel, by applying downwards pressure to the pedals as they move upwards, rather than applying downwards pressure as they move downwards. Doing THIS will retard the forward speed of the wheel and thus the bicycle.

[@bjct5002]

Imagine your just chilling at home, look out the window and see a guy, wearing a top hat the size of Britain on a wheel the size of Russia

[@米空軍パイロット]

Speaking of Russia, the penny farthing reminds me of the Tsar Tank

[@mcxhalo]

My day would be improved by 50 points instantly.

[@luftschiff1069]

Yeah this reminds me of the Tsar Tank they made. Think a Penny Farthing that is like 100x bigger

[@米空軍パイロット]

@@luftschiff1069 Mega penny farthing tricycle

[@ijemand5672]

you're*

[@petri7057]

imagine hanging in the park and seeing this funny Scotsman ride past saying „g‘day to you sir“

[@simpstandforsuperintensema9168]

Lol

[@caionascimento4234]

Which day is today? - It's March 30th. - Of which year?

[@simpstandforsuperintensema9168]

@@caionascimento4234 2021

[@DannySullivanMusic]

hehe excellent comment

[@rodeotcd]

As soon as I read this he said that

[@SnakePlissken25]

There's a brilliantly hilarious story by Mark Twain called "Taming The Bicycle", about the experience he had learning to ride a Penny-farthing. As Mark Twain goes, it's absolutely hilarious, and I highly recommend it :)

[@festerhairball6588]

just read his Penny Farthing experience ...........your right..... Mark Twain is a riot :~)

[@Lucius1958]

*"Get yourself a bicycle. You will not regret it, if you live."*

[@CodeParade]

You said you wanted suggestions; try Jumping Stilts! They're super fun, mine took me about a week to learn and be comfortable running and jumping. I'm still way too terrified to try any flips though.

[@clementbaron7323]

Is this a murder attempt ? 😂

[@xKuukkelix]

How to break your glankles 101

[@ari90i]

CodeParade? Didnt expect you see you here!

[@queeny5613]

thats so cool

[@Garchomp808]

or just normal stilts

[@anonymouse9105]

"To think this was the main form of transport back in the day." _Horses have entered the chat_

[@pkelly20091]

Steam powered trains have also entered the chat.

[@j-sant-animations8105]

*Walking has created a chat*

[@GuardTower]

horses meant you have a fuckton of money to maintain, if what he said is true then the general public chose this as a cheaper alternative than cars or horses

[@bassam_salim]

Horses are also hard to get on to, especially for a short guy like me

[@jimmym3352]

@@bassam_salim should have said horse and wagon, which is how most people rode. Not everyone was a cowboy.

[@Happy_Shopper]

So now that he's learned mountain biking and how to ride a penny farthing, I think we all know the next logical step.

[@Martin-dp8tt]

wheelie?

[@hhdhpublic]

Apparently it just glides over bumbs so penny farthing mountain biking should be a breeze!

[@Happy_Shopper]

@@hhdhpublic I imagine crashing from that height wouldn't be too much fun however

[@firenutter1798]

@@Martin-dp8tt i think they alredy did that if ya look in there vids and type learns how to manual

[@sarcasm-83]

​@@firenutter1798 I think they meant wheelieing the penny farthing. (Unfortunately impossible since you pedal the front wheel)

[@mostawesomestnamever]

"I'm turning, I'm turning!" Turning reality: ➡️➡️➡️➡️➡️

[@Moneycapn69]

Mike with a penny farthing bike: This is so high up Colin furze with his social distance bike (it's 6ft up): this is fine

[@Moneycapn69]

@soiung toiue why would i

[@mitsakos3151]

Kim must be the happiest person on earth watching all that struggle and swearing LIVE😂😂

[@vitriol9995]

@@alfatross542 creative

[@overpoweredeverything1401]

@@alfatross542 imagin, too bad it's not gonna happen : /

[@owenface8412]

@@alfatross542 All of the content you record is mobile games so screw off and find an interesting topic to make a video on

[@the_water_wizard952]

@@owenface8412 Harsh, but to the point, I like it

[@the_water_wizard952]

@@alfatross542 Piss off, Begging for subscribers is the wrong way of doing it You need to upload relevant content and let the viewers come to you, n-Fact why the hell am not even telling you this

[@PinkPlume]

"I'm torning" The accent just adds to these videos

[@TheWiseTorsk]

Fun fact: The name for this kind of bike in norwegian and danish translates into "falling Peter / falling over Peter"

[@markomihajlovic7480]

thats accurate if you hit a rock or go downhill lol

[@virii.win32]

whats it called in norwegian?

[@AlmostEngineering.]

@@virii.win32 In Danish Its VæltePeter

[@JadeMythriil]

penny farthing is practically a unicycle with training wheels.

[@jamesloll4601]

Yeah save when you fall forwards on a unicycle it's only a couple feet and can break your fall but with the Penny Farthing including your own body length it's a good ten foot fall forward face plant. Can anyone say broken wrists and flatten face with missing teeth and broken nose? LMAO Same note, if you feel that shift I'm hoping your already jumping off backwards off of it. Rather fly off backwards with a tumble any day over flying forwards with hands trying to catch me. Either way your getting hurt but guess which one is worst. Forwards, first hands then head take worst. Jumping backwards trying to unmount? Body, then arms and lastly head. I actually like the unicycle better though, that it can definitely hurt but falling off a unicycle is definitely safer than falling off a Penny Farthing because riding a unicycle your that much closer to the ground.

[@taylorwhiss94]

my thoughts exactly!

[@dkathrens77]

It's been established that unicycling was discovered by the rider of a penny farthing. He made a show of his new skill at a bicycle club meeting and it was recorded in the notes.

[@enterone801]

With training _wheel_. He is also riding a modern penny farthing, which is a bit of cheating. I've ridden a couple of antique ones and yes they are terrifying to ride at first (a unicycle not so much). I met a guy who had a collection of 3 or so of these and asked to try to ride them to which he obliged. The most terrifying thing was the brakes on an antique one. They consisted of a block of wood on a lever that applied pressure vertically down onto the rubber wheel. Oh yeah, that I should mention too, they didn't have inflated tires. Just a solid hunk of rubber for wheels. The problem with the brake was it was mounted at the top center of the wheel. If you braked hard you would instantly endo on it (which I did once and nearly many times). It also was wood so it would smoke up and burn the rubber with not too much effort. I now can say that I've ridden a penny farthing, a *real* penny farthing at that, but this I am sure faithfully recreates the experience for the most part. Definitely the start, riding, and dismount.

[@ChrisCoolski]

@@jamesloll4601 Your so right about that but a 36-inch uni can be a bit scary at first as well.

[@paulwilson5490]

"I'm turning... I'm turning..." *Keeps going in a straight line 😂

[@andymcl92]

Mike: The posture's actually better than when I'm sitting at my desk. Me: [Adjusts seat] ...

[@BlackringIII]

I don't think I've ever heard him so genuinely frightened 😂

[@juanchocorleone]

Watch his backflip video then.

[@eggmom_813]

The real lesson here is that if you see a bloke with a penny farthing he DEFINITELY knows how to ride it.

[@ivanbradic]

That is exactly what it felt like to ride the older sibling's bike 1:56

[@thef2pgamer500]

Lol

[@cucubits]

I feel bad for being a little disappointed that you didn't fall at least once...

[@georgesolorio9764]

Hahaha I’m very disappointed too

[@glendathegoodwitch6987]

There is a reason why they don't still exist everywhere -- they did not survive in a Darwinian sense because of their lack of "fitness."

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

The biggest issue is that this is a type of fixie. It's not got the optimal gearing except in very specific situations.

[@domeqdomeq9687]

there are gears like a shimano nexus and im 100% sure you could instal one of these in this bike and make it change gears.

[@RobMacKendrick]

They went the way of the Hydromatic because, while the giant forward wheel greatly assists hill-climbing, it also greatly complicates hill-descending. If you're interested, there are several KZbin videos of cyclists hospitalising themselves in freewheeled descent on a PF. That's why the frame style we ride today is called a "safety bike".

[@dylan-5287]

They were also dangerous. So when the more modern bicycle came out that we know today, it was called the "safety bicycle".

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Try riding a bike with your hands crossed, your right hand on the left handlebar and the left on the right, it's hard, but you get used to it!

[@erikbralten4370]

Backwards bike by smartereveryday

[@DaBestNub]

I think he already did that, with the handles turning the wheel in the wrong direction

[@vdawg8622]

I used to watch you!

[@Cottonmouth88]

Tried this one with motorcycle when I was 16. Almost got me killed

[@DaBestNub]

@@Cottonmouth88 intelligence 100

[@OoxNemesisxoO]

Peaky Blinders really missed a trick not making this Tommy’s main mode of transportation

[@hamzasadouk4741]

Scottish people are pure joy itself, whenever I hear their accent I can't stop myself from smiling ♥

[@andrewdevine3920]

You can't have met many. Threats of violence are usually soon to follow.

[@hamzasadouk4741]

@@andrewdevine3920 lucky me then ! The ones I met were chill and cool ! Sounds like I've won the Scottish ppl lottery LOL

[@ledj3]

@@andrewdevine3920 Usually only to people who are dicks...I'm assuming that you've had many threats of violence.

[@CoyotePark]

The accents and the talking was the most enjoyable thing for me here :D And the upstanding riding posture was hilarious :)

[@andrewdevine3920]

@@ledj3 Well when I was a teenager the Scottish security guard of the building where I was doing French class threatened to put my head through the wall because I signed my name instead of printing it. But yeah, I probably deserved that.

[@oleksiykolesnykov339]

Hey Mike, there’s a great KZbin channel “The UselessTrials” who challenged you to learn to bunny hop. It’s all your choice, but would be great seeing how it goes

[@angelemmanuelperezmuniz1474]

An unicycle with training wheels? Finally one that I can ride!

[@rgraika422]

He's brave doing that for the first time in shorts. Imagine the skinned knees.

[@e7725]

Nor knee or wrist guards 😳 imagine instinctively putting your hands out to catch yourself falling from this height 😬

[@adorjanbalazs6751]

Then in the suit with those flapping coat tails near the wheels... Holy crap thas ballsy

[@CockatooDude]

Well if people in the 1800's could do it, so can our man Mike.

[@jookie4207]

I think we’ve all always wondered how the heck you get on one of these. You learn something new everyday

[@icabod3374]

Mike went from shitting his pants to signing autographs in 30 minutes. 😂😂

[@maheedharakarri2553]

This might be the most times he swore in a video Goes to show how hard this man works.

[@junlee7237]

Those 2 things are 100% unrelated

[@jigglyroro6780]

2:02 meme material “people are just staring at me “ standing next to a bicycle almost as tall as him

[@yanicklinssen3061]

I think we got the record of the most swearing by mike in a single video 😂😂😂

[@tammyt3434]

I've been informed that the penny farthing was the bicycle of choice when someone wanted to bash their teeth out on the road... if I ever try this, mouth guards will be in place.

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

They were also called bone shakers.

[@dkathrens77]

@@SmallSpoonBrigade Um no that was an earlier all-wooden bicycle with no pedals. It had other names as well. penny farthing, with it's long spokes could soak up the bumps, and of course one could always rise and pedal standing.

[@phantomspaceman]

The common misconception is that these were for leisure. In reality these were hunting reconnaissance devices designed specifically for the Serengeti. It's fairly reasonable to fire a 30-30 from atop one and have stable aim but they proved to be obsolete for large game hunting. When one would touch off an "elephant gun" or similar large bore calibre, the user would often be launched off of the penny-farthing and into the open maw of a lion. What really sealed the fate of the penny-farthing was when the lesser primates (such as baboons) discovered that throwing sticks into the spokes could disable them. As such they were relegated to attention seekers and baffoons in Great Britain. A similar flaw was immediately apparent in that young children often enjoy throwing sticks at things. Spoke shielding was developed, but far too late to save the reputation of the penny-farthing. After one catastrophic incident, Oswalde Cobblingsworth (a man of 45 years) was discharged from his vehicle and into a holly thicket by some miscreant schoolchildren. Following a lengthy trial, the manufacturer was bankrupted.

[@coyraig8332]

Oswalde Cobblingsworth sounds very fitting

[@drdca8263]

I can’t tell if this is real or just some nonsense you made up for a laugh?

[@qwertyTRiG]

That is some top class nonsense. I salute you, sir.

[@benjaminkonikoff2026]

I love the reactions of the other people just seeing looking at Mike and wondering “what the f**k

[@PinkAgaricus]

Isn't the mascot for bicycle playing cards riding a penny farthing cycle? This whole video made me think that.

[@anindanahiyan8818]

From what it looks like to me, the very large front wheel gives it so much rotating mass, that once it's spinning, the great distance of the spinning mass of the tire makes it much more stable than conventional bikes, allowing you to easily mount, but for the same reason, turning requires so much effort and counter-steering because there's just so much stubborn spinning mass

[@lomairx9660]

You could run your own one man show.... So many skills.

[@aidanazr]

I mean- the channel's got his name on it

[@bushputz]

2:02 "People are just staring at me." No, sounds like someone is also chuckling at you. Love the tux and the hat/helmet (hatment? helhat?) Thanks, Mike - thoroughly entertaining as always!

[@patrickkelligan2875]

Your videos are a joy to watch and often make me giggle with delight when you pull something off!

[@smitbhabal]

His neighbours be like "Ah! Here we go again"

[@PeterNebelung]

O7. Well done. I've always wondered about these. Seeing gentlemen in coat and tails with a top hat riding the streets has always amazed me. And one thing for sure, no one is going to steal it, at least not without a van.

[@schorsch7457]

my brain: „don’t be childish don’t be childish don’t be childish“ also my brain: „how difficult is it to ride a penny farting?“

[@chilloha6464]

Y e s

[@ItzSmg]

S i r

[@Fire_Lightning]

Haha, I was thinking the same thing..yet you worded my thoughts much better than I ever could have, lol

[@ItzSmg]

@@wtjohnson3765 o_0

[@brandon6097]

This was one of the most extraordinary videos that I've seen on KZbin in a good while.

[@niallgalaxy48]

Next, you need to combine your unicycling skills with your penny farthing skills and buy a unicycle with a 50 inch wheel

[@willdwyer6782]

The penny farthing was invented in 1869 by Eugène Meyer in France. Meyer's previous design, called boneshaker also had a rear wheel smaller than the front wheel, but the front wheel was nowhere near the diameter of the front wheel of the penny farthing. The penny farthing was the first bicycle design to feature wire spokes. Prior designs were made with wooden or bamboo spokes.

[@BrokenGodEnt]

This just makes me all the more impressed that Johnny Knoxville and Ryan Dunn from Jackass were able to get on this thing and ride it first try lol.

[@randomperson4942]

Mike almost got it first couple tries but he was just scared to commit, dudes from Jackass have no fear lol.

[@Cyba_IT]

I dare say they practiced a bit and learnt to mount it before shooting that clip. Learning to dismount, on the other hand, not so much.

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

Not really, as long as you can get into the seat and peddling before it stops moving, that shouldn't be an issue. This is probably less scary and dangerous than the other stunts they.

[@mmartian1969]

I picked it up the first time I tried. It’s harder to find that peg when you try to get off the first handful of times.

[@chikinnoodlesupp]

this was a very wholesome video, very cute to see people being curious about it!

[@jeroen9637]

Nice video. I rode one at a bicycle fair like 20 years ago. I remember mounting it was a lot easier than I thought it would be. Make some speed and jump on. Making turns was a lot harder than I expected :D

[@johnbeauvais3159]

“Why is the last turn harder?” Because gyroscope my friend.

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

That's why you countersteer to lean it to the side.

[@deezynar]

A bicycle shop in my town owned one that they kept locked up outside to draw attention to their business. I knew the manager and he let me take it out for rides near the shop. The shop was next door to a university, so I was riding around the university mall on that thing, and everyone looked at it. If you feel like you are being ignored in life and you want to get some attention, a penny farthing is the medicine you need.

[@benritzman828]

On the next episode of learn quick: This Week I Learned To Do a Wheelie on a Penney Farthing

[@vega1287]

pretty shure that's impossible unless you go backwards

[@1h1oh34]

2yrs ago but a great find…I’ve been riding one as my edv for over 25yrs..was a pleasure watch you figure it out…such a beautiful view up there…the only downfall is that these bike have a two beer minimum, I learned the long way… great vid fren

[@LightslicerGP]

"He was the talk of the town the next day"

[@captain_context9991]

Creating this weird contraption is one of the largest "What were they thinking" moments of humankind.

[@HenryHaoVo]

“I think if there’s poo actually coming out of your butt whilst you’re doing it, it doesn’t count as being learned.” Words to live and learn by 😂

[@peerally2986]

3:15 "I think if there's poo coming out of your but while doing it, it doesn't count" So that means... 😳

[@nerdrulesu]

that explains life in general 😂

[@Glatzel132]

@@nerdrulesu It means none of us has learned to do number 2.

[@robertzeurunkl8401]

Everyone at my company has discovered bicycle riding, and they've got all these $3000 carbon fiber racing bikes. I think I want to join them and show up with one of these.

[@fuzzybuzzy3159]

DARE

[@omrishahar1855]

"Ohhhhhh how do i brake" I could feel the fear.

[@WikiPeoples]

Love that your sponsor is Curiosity Stream. I believe I found them through your channel and I absolutely LOVE their service. Netflix for documentaries. QUALITY documentaries. Can't plug them enough. Oh and, cool video :) I think I'll order one of these.

[@GP-sv8eg]

I think it would be more difficult for me to get on the bike than riding it actually, especially since I am slightly shorter compared to the average person.

[@Dannysoutherner]

These are so amazing! I see Mike on American Pickers ride them pretty often. That is where I learned how one gets on and survives stopping and getting off. Your video as someone doing it from square one is awesome! Love it!

[@elitheawesome1447]

This dude is the Swiss Army knife of people

[@bornwithawoodenleg]

He's not Swiss, he is from Norway.

[@elitheawesome1447]

@@bornwithawoodenleg I know but what I mean is he can do lots of different things like a Swiss Army knife

[@armandojuarez2064]

Man, I can't even make decent left turns on a regular bicycle. Awesome video sir!

[@kyokusiners1786]

Fun fact. He learn this bike so fast because he know how to ride a unicycle.this bike is just a big unicycle with handles for him.

[@Andyjones__]

Not true, it’s nothing like a unicycle

[@turtleduck9198]

Mike looks so short when he was walking away from the camera in the dress suit. 😂

[@phantomcruizer]

Schwinn bicycle company produced one of these “Hi-wheelers” back in the 80’s…a friend of mine test rode one in Fort Lauderdale Fl.

[@samuelfitzgerald2025]

These were never 'mass transport' - they were for racing, and the big wheels were a substitute for high gears

[@Yawyna124]

Less a substitute for high gears, more a predecessor. Gear and chain bicycles were invented in 1885, 14 years after the invention of the penny farthing. Earliest bicycles were ran by kicking off of the ground, and in the 1860's a direct drive version similar to the penny farthing but with less asymmetrical wheels. If anything is a substitute for another, gears are a substitute for the penny farthing.

[@dromedda6810]

This brings back memories of when I used to speed down hills on my new bike as a kid. I specifically remember when I got a speedometer on it and I clocked 64km/h and I was so full adrenaline and it was the best feeling ever. It was also at this time that I had a pretty bad crash trying to beat that speed when i had to dodge a little kid who ran out into the street. We we're both alright but it took me a few weeks to fully heal all my scratched up legs and elbows and havent beaten that speed since. But the feeling of bombing those hills and peddling as hard as I could was amazing

[@FireworkYT]

who else is here extremely early for every one of mikes videos?

[@raffiaditya1774]

Ello

[@daveprice5911]

What the fuck I only just noticed that this was uploaded 8 minutes ago

[@Happy_Shopper]

@@daveprice5911 within 30 seconds my friend, and completely by accident

[@mattiasmeimre]

I came here at posted 16 seconds ago.

[@diasnugraha6765]

I came here at 12 second

[@TVsGringoStarr]

I used to live around the corner from the family that runs unicycle.com. It was crazy seeing unicycles running up and down the sidewalk all of the time.

[@RaumBances]

I'm amazed at how few people recognize this classic and assume it is something new. I remember seeing dozens of them over the years. From circus posters to old motion picture clips of streets, there was one lingering in there somewhere.

[@EpikEthann]

Fun fact: in the 1800s this actually was quite a popular form of transport before the bicycle, technically it was the first bicycle ever.

[@PeterSelie001]

This is awesome advertisement for the guy who built this. 1. It looks awesome 2. It's easier to ride than it looks 3. It looks like it's quality I bet lots of people going to buy this after watching the video. Good job Mikey boy(d).

[@Naamis1]

I was wanting just one more thing out of this video: how to stop quickly!

[@Heinrich99]

So I'm driving through East Pinta Arizona on I-40, and I see a guy on the interstate pedal'n down the road on one of these thing. (Penny Farthing Bike) cars are flying by.😂

[@tacogod4729]

Why do people always say first? Even though being last is wayyyyyy more impressive

[@nimbloce]

true

[@hpermutation4439]

Someday there will be the last KZbin comment. We don't know when but someday it will come

[@CrustyTheMoist]

I can't be the only one who is peeved by the "I'm so early!" comments too, right?

[@Luke-jc1qs]

generic comment

[@EditioCastigata]

The comfort is not from tyre in this case, as it’s rather small relative to the wheel diameter, but from the “walking” (length change) of the spokes.

[@ahmedhamza7671]

aM i gOiNg tO cRaSh iNtO tHe fEnCe? Dead 😂😂😂

[@Eye_Exist]

really worth remembering that a helmet was not a thing back in the day when these were ridden. imagine the amount of splashed heads you would see on a grocery trip

[@tedstrong3990]

I call this “the unwanted attention machine”

[@pawtcha]

I saw someone riding one of these yesterday! what a coincidence that it's in my recommendations.

[@propyro85]

Can we take a moment to appreciate the bloody squirrel metropolis in the background at 4:26. I don't know if I've ever seen a nest that big.

[@gablmn_]

No mask in Scotland? Good job guys. People over here on America still figuring out what a Covid means.

[@jessicamacinnes5084]

We still have to wear them in schools and shops but not in parks or gardens

[@gablmn_]

That’s amazing to hear

[@jessicamacinnes5084]

Ye its good to see progress

[@bobowon5450]

how in the absolute fuck did this get designed and the guy was like "Yeah. this is the most ideal version of what this could be"

[@kameramann7570]

Next Challenge: Try to make a Wheely with one of those XD

[@quaker47]

i'm learning how to ride a normal bike this summer so this is very encouraging

[@roro0465]

alright hear me out, we wanna see your wife learn things like this along with you, it would really complement the video

[@Sideclipzfunny]

When I first read the title I thought it said “how hard is it to ride a penny farting” 😂

[@rdizzy1]

You drill holes into the penny, sit down on it totally naked, then fart through the holes in the penny and it creates lift, like a tiny, asshole powered, hovercraft.

[@Gabby_Ponce]

Mike: "holy sh**, holy sh** im on it" Also Mike: "Ok so its not too bad to ride"

[@krupt5995]

Pennis Farting

[@casita6151]

everyone gangsta until he removes the h from penny farthing

[@benhats9697]

thank you i was waiting for someone to make a penny farting joke

[@MrSquareart]

OH great funny video!! thank you for sharing your video. My dad had a OG Penny Farthing bike and it was good memory to see this video!