penny farthing bicycles...why the big wheel?

[joko]

as above really.

seems odd that in designing this anyone in their right mind would consider the giant wheel to be a useful addition...it made it unstable, dangerous and awkward...so why ?

cheers

[ChuckFickens]

Decent gearing before chains and sprockets were used and larger wheels deal with bumps and uneven surfaces better than small wheels

[ehtubert]

Because the chain hadn't been invented. So the only easy way to travel further with less pedaling was the giant wheel.

[ehtubert]

Because at the times of the Penny Farthing the chain had not been invented. So the only way to make a turn of the wheel go further than the turn of the cyclists legs was to have a giant wheel. As soon as reliable chains could be manufactures the modern bike followed.

[Zeuhl]

As above; direct drive of a 'normal size' wheel would be very tedious - easier to walk!

[karenmac60]

My friend's dad had always wanted one. He eventually tracked one down last year and bought it only to fall off and break his leg on his very first go.

[cazzz1975]

some of the big wheels on the penny farthing were 5 feet!

[New Judge]

Yes, a five foot diameter wheel on an “Ordinary Bicycle” (the proper name for a penny-farthing) would mean the rider travels about sixteen feet for one revolution of the pedals. To achieve the same distance on one of today’s conventional bikes with 26 inch wheels a gearing of about 2.3 to one would be needed. This is a reasonable mid-range gear ratio.