Wednesday, March 08, 2023

a day at the races, in Victorian times, was a much slower pace


 https://www.flickr.com/photos/boston_public_library/6009193630/in/album-72157627356059350/

4 comments:

  1. I have always wondered how one felt when they fell off of one of these big wheelers. OUCH!

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  2. That's why the smaller wheeled bicycles we recognize today were referred to as "safety bicycles". A common crash mode of 'high wheelers' was hitting an unnoticed rock or pothole and faceplanting forward over the front wheel due to the ridiculously high center of gravity.

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    Replies
    1. I already covered that, a couple different ways, and so I don't bring it up anymore:
      https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2020/04/the-1885-hillman-herbert-and-cooper.html
      http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2011/08/racer-a-zimmerman-and-his-star-safety.html
      https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2014/04/bone-jarring.html
      https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2011/05/1890-clipper-high-wheeler.html
      High Wheelers, Penny Farthings, Bog Wheels, Ordinary (s), there were several names these were known by before the common bicycle came around

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  3. They need high wheelers so their neckties don't get caught in the spokes. Perhaps it's just economy here: when you fall and die of brain injury, you're already wearing a suit you can be buried in.

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