Victorian wheel building help PENNY FARTHING

[ScottishRetro]

Before I go grab my Tweed jacket and flat cap can anyone help???

Ok possibly a bit to old for this Forum but has anyone built a penny farthing wheel before??

If you have could you share how you did it I would be most appreciative..
Building the frame would not really be a problem but im strungling to see a viable way of making a wheel outside of a full engineering workshop ..

I have seen a few other sites that have a bit of info but would like some information first hand from someone that has done it

 

[Lysander]

Have to say, I have no idea at all.............still, I'd be interested in seein' how it turns out if ye manage it.

Absolute bugger to get suspension forks for them, though...........

 

[ScottishRetro]

Absolute bugger to get suspension forks for them, though........... [/quote]




I think I would add pogo sticks if I was heading offroad on it

Also dialing in a cycle computer for the wheel size would be a challenge!!

 

[keithglos]

Built 1000's of wheels, but not one of these. There must be some pretty good illustrations out there, but basically radial spokes which screw into the hub, with a suitable nut at the rim. Using solid tyres means the rim is a fairly easy section and not too critical on size, but the spoke holes must be staggered. Number of spokes can be researched, guessing about 60, and I would expect something around the old 10 gauge equivalent in steel of a size you can cut the threads.
These were originally made in engineering workshops, with a high level of metalwork skills.

 

[Old Ned]

I have a friend who believes that cycle development stopped at the end of December 1899 and who only rides Ordinaries (Note - NOT Penny Farthings please. It is a derogatory term used only by urchins and guttersnipes). He has refurbished, rebuilt and renewed countless numbers of these majestic machines so please PM me and I'll see if he can assist you.

Being a member of Retrobike can bring SOOOOO many benefits

 

[blacknrusty]

Ordinary wheel

Building a wheel is beyond me but the fellows who ride them daily have 2 cycle computers fitted, one for each half of 1 rotation. As the wheels are 52 inch they set each computer to 26 and are real nerds with total distance and average speeds etc.

 

[dbmtb]

This is Retrobike, not Antiqueobike.


PLEASE let us know how you get on with this. Would love to know.

Used to work a place in Sale where a guy would come in on a repro Penny on a regular basis. Always struck me that there was very little tension (really, as if they were loose) in the spokes (obviously because of length, and the fact they were radial)

 

[ScottishRetro]

I have a friend who believes that cycle development stopped at the end of December 1899 and who only rides Ordinaries (Note - NOT Penny Farthings please. It is a derogatory term used only by urchins and guttersnipes). He has refurbished, rebuilt and renewed countless numbers of these majestic machines so please PM me and I'll see if he can assist you.

Being a member of Retrobike can bring SOOOOO many benefits

Thanks for the offer PM sent..

You would have thought that someone would have done a step by step penny farthing build, if they have I can't find it :roll: ...

Frame is easy enough to build and rear wheel could be a built using a BMX rim with a solid tyre fitted so no issues there but the front wheel could be a sod to sort out...

I did come across this chap though top marks see link...
http://www.pennyfarthingworldtour.com/

All of a sudden doing London to Paris doesnt seem worth it

 

[Lysander]

I have a friend who believes that cycle development stopped at the end of December 1899 and who only rides Ordinaries (Note - NOT Penny Farthings please. It is a derogatory term used only by urchins and guttersnipes).............

Ye forgot Jackanapes, ne'er-do-wells, and Ticket-of-Leave men.

And possibly churls and footpads..........

 

[Citoyen du monde]

The spokes on my Rudge are V-shaped. By this I mean that the one end of teh spoke is threaded into the rim with a spoke nipple, then the "wire" goes down to the hub flange where it passes through one of the flange holes and the continues back to teh rim where it is again fixed with a spoke nipple. This means that the rim has twice as many holes as the hub.