The Enormous Front Wheel and Tiny Back Wheel

The penny farthing's most striking feature was its wildly unequal wheels — a giant front wheel (often 4 to 5 feet in diameter) paired with a tiny rear wheel (around 12 inches across). The name itself came from British coins: a penny was large and a farthing was tiny, so the bicycle looked like those two coins side by side. This lopsided design was not an accident or a joke; it was the best engineering solution available in the 1870s and 1880s, before the chain drive was perfected.

Because the pedals attached directly to the front wheel's axle with no gears between them, the only way to go faster was to make the front wheel bigger. A larger wheel meant each pedal rotation covered more ground. Riders sat high above the front wheel to reach the pedals, which meant they were perched several feet in the air on a machine that was inherently unstable.

Key Takeaways

  • The penny farthing had no chain or gears — the pedals turned the front wheel directly, so a massive front wheel was the only way to gain speed.
  • Riders sat directly above the front wheel, high enough to clear it as it rotated, which put them in constant danger of flying over the handlebars.
  • The tiny rear wheel offered almost no braking power and made the bicycle prone to skidding and tipping on uneven ground.
  • The high center of gravity and small rear wheel made penny farthings difficult to mount, dismount, and steer compared to modern bicycles.
  • The design became obsolete within a decade once the chain-driven safety bicycle arrived, which used two wheels of equal size.

Why Riders Flew Over the Handlebars So Easily

The penny farthing's geometry made it a machine primed for a specific kind of crash. When the front wheel hit an obstacle — a pothole, a curb, a stone — it stopped suddenly. The rider, sitting high and far forward, had nothing to stop their momentum. They would pitch forward over the handlebars and land hard on the ground or pavement, often on their head or shoulders. This accident was so common and so distinctive that it earned its own name: "taking a header."

Modern bicycles place the rider's weight more evenly between the wheels and lower to the ground, so the same obstacle causes a much gentler upset. The penny farthing rider, by contrast, was balanced on a knife's edge — literally suspended above a wheel that could betray them at any moment.

The Braking Problem

Stopping a penny farthing was difficult and dangerous. The rear wheel was so small and carried so little of the rider's weight that braking it did almost nothing. Most penny farthings used a spoon brake — a metal lever that pressed a rubber pad against the rear tire — but this brake was nearly useless at speed. Riders had to slow down gradually by easing off the pedals, or they had to risk skidding the tiny rear wheel and losing control entirely.

The front wheel, which carried most of the rider's weight and did most of the work, had no brake at all. Braking only the rear wheel on a machine where the front wheel was doing the steering and carrying the load meant the rider was essentially trying to stop a sled by dragging its tail.

The Mounting and Dismounting Nightmare

Getting on and off a penny farthing required real skill and athleticism. The seat was 4 or 5 feet above the ground, and the pedals were attached directly to the front wheel, so they were always in motion unless the wheel was locked. To mount, a rider had to swing one leg over the tiny rear wheel, step onto a small platform at the back, and then swing forward onto the saddle while the machine was moving — or hold it steady while a friend helped.

Dismounting was equally awkward. A rider could not straightforward step off as they would from a modern bicycle. Instead, they had to swing their leg back over the rear wheel and step down onto the platform, then jump to the ground. If the bicycle was moving, this was a genuine acrobatic feat. Many riders straightforward jumped off and let the bicycle fall, which is one reason penny farthings were often damaged.

Steering and Balance on Uneven Ground

The tiny rear wheel made the penny farthing unstable on anything but smooth, flat pavement. Cobblestones, gravel, ruts, and grass could catch the small rear wheel and throw the whole machine sideways. The rider, sitting high and forward, would feel the rear end slide out from under them with little warning.

Steering was also twitchy and sensitive. Because the front wheel was so large, even a small turn of the handlebars translated into a sharp change in direction. Riders had to develop a light touch and constant attention, or they would overcorrect and wobble dangerously. This made penny farthings nearly impossible to ride in a straight line at slow speeds — they were machines that demanded speed and smooth ground to stay upright.

Why the Design Disappeared So Quickly

The penny farthing dominated the 1870s and early 1880s, but it vanished almost entirely by the 1890s. The reason was the arrival of the chain-driven safety bicycle, which used two wheels of roughly equal size, placed the rider lower and more centered, and allowed for efficient braking and steering. The safety bicycle was faster, safer, easier to ride, and easier to mount and dismount. Once it became available, there was no reason to ride a penny farthing except for novelty or sport.

The penny farthing was not a failure of engineering — it was the best solution to the problem of how to make a pedal-powered bicycle go fast without gears. Once the chain solved that problem differently, the penny farthing became a historical curiosity. Today, a few enthusiasts still build and ride them, but they do so knowing exactly what they are choosing: a machine that is difficult, dangerous, and thrilling in a way that modern bicycles deliberately avoid.

Frequently Asked Questions

How fast could a penny farthing actually go?

On smooth pavement, a skilled rider could reach 20 miles per hour or more, which was quite fast for the 1870s. The giant front wheel meant each pedal stroke covered a lot of ground, but the rider had to pedal constantly to maintain speed. Fatigue set in quickly because the pedaling motion was less efficient than a geared bicycle.

Did penny farthings have any brakes at all?

Most had a spoon brake on the rear wheel, which pressed a rubber pad against the tire. Some had no brake and relied entirely on the rider easing off the pedals. Neither method was reliable at speed, which is why penny farthings were dangerous in traffic or on hills.

Could you ride a penny farthing downhill?

Going downhill was extremely risky. Once gravity took over, the pedals spun faster than the rider could pedal, and the brakes were nearly useless. Riders had to either walk the bicycle down steep hills or accept the danger of losing control and taking a header.

Why did people ride penny farthings if they were so dangerous?

In the 1870s and 1880s, they were the fastest bicycles available and a symbol of wealth and daring. Riding one showed status and courage. Young men especially were drawn to the speed and the challenge, much as people today are drawn to extreme sports, even though the risk is real.

Are there any penny farthings still in use today?

A small community of enthusiasts builds and rides penny farthings for sport and recreation. Some participate in penny farthing races or long-distance rides. These modern riders know the risks and choose to ride them anyway, treating them as a historical and physical challenge rather than practical transportation.