Blast from the Past!
If you’ve ever seen one of those bicycles – with a huge front wheel and tiny rear wheel – and wanted to build or ride one, don’t stop reading!
Arguably the biggest fad of the 1860s, the Penny-farthing bicycle-building class is being offered at Tafe Queensland.
Join mechanic Brett Richardson as he takes you on a full-time, two week course on how to make your own piece of history largely from scratch.
Whether you’re a teenager making questionable life choices, or retired and interested in some basic, hands-on engineering, this short course looks interesting and will undoubtedly leave you with a souvenir from your labour.
If you feel like taking your Penny-farthing passion further, get your friends together and go join in the annual Australian Championship held in Tasmania!
If you’re feeling uneasy about the riding part (not taught in the course), don’t worry, Brett has some words of wisdom for you:
“Once you’re up there it’s just like riding a conventional bike – it’s just that you’re much higher off the ground,” Mr Richardson said.
By the way, it’s named Penny-farthing after two old British coins – penny for the front wheel and farthing for the rear wheel.
