S
Steve McDonald
Guest
I just saw a clip on TV of a high-wheel race in Tasmania. These bikes, dating back to 1880, have a
front wheel of about 50-inches, a small rear wheel and no gears. They said they could go 40 mph.
Maybe that was a NASA-type misconversion and it is really 40 kph?? Anyway, those racers were really
hauling. They didn't say if they were using the original solid rubber tires or pneumatic ones. Has
anyone used one of these or know of any racing of them in other places? When I was 15, I got to ride
one, that had been my Grandfather's. It had solid rubber and took only a few minutes to learn how to
mount. However, any bumps or sudden stops usually sent you flying ass over teakettle, as they had
little to keep you from pitching forward. When they got smart enough to put the little wheel in
front, they called them "safety bicycles". Like skateboards and then rollerblades, I'll bet at the
peak of their popularity, they greatly increased the business of orthopedists.
Steve McDonald
front wheel of about 50-inches, a small rear wheel and no gears. They said they could go 40 mph.
Maybe that was a NASA-type misconversion and it is really 40 kph?? Anyway, those racers were really
hauling. They didn't say if they were using the original solid rubber tires or pneumatic ones. Has
anyone used one of these or know of any racing of them in other places? When I was 15, I got to ride
one, that had been my Grandfather's. It had solid rubber and took only a few minutes to learn how to
mount. However, any bumps or sudden stops usually sent you flying ass over teakettle, as they had
little to keep you from pitching forward. When they got smart enough to put the little wheel in
front, they called them "safety bicycles". Like skateboards and then rollerblades, I'll bet at the
peak of their popularity, they greatly increased the business of orthopedists.
Steve McDonald