This guy is a great teacher! I drove 300 miles today just to visit his shop and see a high wheel in person. I didn't expect to ride but he had me up and riding in ten minutes! Wow! It was something I wanted to do for 40 years and he and his beautiful bikes made it happen. His bikes are high quality works of art! Thank you Greg
My father always was telling me "anything you do, do it with class"That is why years ago I decided to ride the big wheel.I have been riding Greg's Hiwheels for many many years ,the last one was 54 "Superior such a nice great bike.I am 72 years old and still I enjoy riding hundreds of miles my 54" Superior.That keeps me in shape with great health Thanks Greg for such a great ,durable and strong bike Marcello
I'm intending on riding one of these in the near future and this lesson was invaluable. Your advice on avoiding torque steer, and how to dismount, will have probably saved me from some broken bones at some point. I salute you sir...
Well I am glad you were able to take a few things away from the lesson that should help you once you get the chance to mount up and ride a hiwheel bike. Just remember to have fun and all will be well... Greg
@@gbarron64 , thank you. I live in a little village in Lincolnshire, England, so will soon be out and about. May consider getting some eccentric period costume 😊👌
This was quite interesting to watch. I've always thought that it might take some time to figure it out. Never thought that standing on that peg you're essentially already at riding height. That sure has to make it easier.
Great video! Follow what he says EXACTLY! Works like a charm! I ride one, a 50" Zimovçak, and used his teaching to teach myself how to mount and dismount, long before I ever got on the seat. Will be buying a Superior at some point.
WOW! YOU WERE RIDING IT WITH NO HANDS !! MAN YOU WERE FLYING ...Best thing i have seen since they showed how they walked the easter island statues i kid you not ..
Incredible! Decided I would like to invest in one of these one day! Thank you for this video! It's funny, I noticed there are a few similarities between the Hiwheel and riding English Horseback. Keeping straight, centre of gravity, ect.. definitely heard those before in my riding lessons.
Very informative video. I've owned several Penny Farthings; Coker, Choice Collective, etc. How functional is this bike? Good for as a cruiser or can it be ridden around town and go down curbs?
How functional is this bike? Well, it's all in the name really. Rideable Bicycle Replicas. 46 years in operation has to tell you something about how well they ride and last. As to curbs, when I was more flexible and bounced better I would drop off and go up curbs on my bike, but really that is a skill for an advanced rider and advanced or not, you could very easily go over the bars and or wreck your bike, so in general it's not recommended you do that. And I feel they are great cruisers but that's me. Probably best to ask some of the between 6,000 and 10,000 owners of RBR bikes that are out there in various places.
Does that thing have coaster brakes? How do you stop it? It seems to me that if you were going downhill, those pedals would spin out of control and you would lose control of your bike.
I own a penny farthing and mine does not have breaks. What I do is since there is no chain the wheel is all one piece like unicycle. So you just push it and it moves. If you apply pressure to the pedals in reverse it will keep the bike at a stable speed. However you can’t apply to much pressure otherwise you will go over the handle bars. Steep hills you just have to avoid unless you’re a daredevil. You won’t be able to stop. People will put there legs over the handles bars so that if they go over they’ll break their legs instead of breaking their skull into 5 separate pieces.
that bike I am standing by is a 52 and I have an inseam of 32" pant leg inseam. Actual inseam crotch to ankle is 29 1/2. Crotch to floor is 33". Always measure both crotch to ankle and crotch to floor when getting inseam measurements and have a friend read the tape while you hold the end of the tape to get a proper measurement. Greg
You should definitely bring a couple bikes over to the braille youtube channel for the day! They are in your area and it would benefit both of you! Fun for them advertising for you!
For the most part, people have been stopping these bikes with leg power for 149 years. Being that they are fixed gear cycles, muscle power does the job. Direct resistance to the pedals both speeds a bike up and slows it down. Why no brake? 3 reasons. 1st that the term Header is an historically correct term that originated on a hiwheel bike. 2nd, Braking can be done satisfactorily with either muscle as I mentioned or by standing on the step and applying foot pressure to the top of the rear wheel. So, no need to have a brake as the rider is the brake. That said, brakes have been fitted to both the front and rear wheel of hiwheels since the beginning of production. The problem with a brake though is that on the front, they contribute to headers to those that apply the brake too hard or quickly and on the rear, a locked wheel will cause a side skid that will high side you or cause a wreck in other ways. I prefer to rely on myself and the bike. 3rd reason. On original bikes the brake was a mechanical lever action and it tended to rattle something fierce when riding. So, many original bike had them removed so the rider would have a little peace and quiet on the ride.
Good question. There are a number of ways. Pick up trucks or vans are best but there are a number of other methods of transport. While I don't sell a rack, I have made a bunch for people to fit a receiver hitch by using a piece of angle iron, a trailer hitch and a piece of tubing. Some of the commercially sold trailer hitch racks will work and some folks have even put a large truck inner tube on their roof. Have a look at the customer picture page on my website to see some of the transport methods used by riders. Greg
Happy to hear that Duke. Give me a call at the shop and I can get you set up. 510-769-0980. M-F 9-6 Pacific time. Usually. Except lunch time. Never at lunch time.
@@gbarron64 correct, i want to make 2 pennyfarthing. A classic pennyfarthing A classic pennyfarthing with (cambio de marchas para que la pedalada sea más suave) sorry i dont know how to wrtite these Worl in english.
Braking is generally done by direct pressure to the pedals to the rear the same way acceleration in done by direct pressure to the front. This is a fixed gear bike so all the power is applied to the pedals by leg pressure.
Dang it looks so freaking cool. The amount of style just riding in a parking lot is amazing.
Well, you too can ride should you chose! Lemme know.
@@gbarron64 how's the shipping situation to Washington State?
This guy is a great teacher! I drove 300 miles today just to visit his shop and see a high wheel in person. I didn't expect to ride but he had me up and riding in ten minutes! Wow! It was something I wanted to do for 40 years and he and his beautiful bikes made it happen. His bikes are high quality works of art!
Thank you Greg
Thanks for the vote of support Chris. Let me know when you're ready for a bike and we'll get you set up.
Greg
Thanks for the kind words!
Amazing video, gives me motivation to buy one of these 😊
Glad you enjoyed the video and I hope it proves helpful!
My father always was telling me "anything you do, do it with class"That is why years ago I decided to ride the big wheel.I have been riding Greg's Hiwheels for many many years ,the last one was 54 "Superior such a nice great bike.I am 72 years old and still I enjoy riding hundreds of miles my 54" Superior.That keeps me in shape with great health
Thanks Greg for such a great ,durable and strong bike
Marcello
So glad to hear from you and know that bike is still doing me proud. Keep the rubber on the road and be well is this perilous time.
Greg Barron
@@gbarron64 you are always my great teacher and good friend
Thanks for keeping this beautiful art alive.
I'm intending on riding one of these in the near future and this lesson was invaluable. Your advice on avoiding torque steer, and how to dismount, will have probably saved me from some broken bones at some point. I salute you sir...
Well I am glad you were able to take a few things away from the lesson that should help you once you get the chance to mount up and ride a hiwheel bike. Just remember to have fun and all will be well...
Greg
Some great advice. I am a first day newbie , on a modern Penny farthing. Your guidance is invaluable to me, thanks 🙂👌
Glad I could help you a little with the video Graham. Go have some fun.
@@gbarron64 , thank you. I live in a little village in Lincolnshire, England, so will soon be out and about. May consider getting some eccentric period costume 😊👌
Just picked up a high wheel, great video, thank you
This was quite interesting to watch. I've always thought that it might take some time to figure it out. Never thought that standing on that peg you're essentially already at riding height. That sure has to make it easier.
I've had so many people ask me how to do it over the years, I figured it was a good idea to do an instructional. Glad you found it helpful!
Great video! Follow what he says EXACTLY! Works like a charm! I ride one, a 50" Zimovçak, and used his teaching to teach myself how to mount and dismount, long before I ever got on the seat. Will be buying a Superior at some point.
That is very gratifying! Thanks and have a great time riding your bike!
WOW! YOU WERE RIDING IT WITH NO HANDS !! MAN YOU WERE FLYING ...Best thing i have seen since they showed how they walked the easter island statues i kid you not ..
You too could be riding no hands!
You sir explain complicated things pretty easily, i subscribed
Thanks and welcome, I hope to have a maintenance video out shortly to go with the other repair videos so stay tuned...
@@rideablebicyclereplicasinc4133 sure will
Thank you Greg Barron and family.. from Carl the bike man . Staten Island New York, New York
Great video. See you on the playa.
Incredible! Decided I would like to invest in one of these one day! Thank you for this video! It's funny, I noticed there are a few similarities between the Hiwheel and riding English Horseback. Keeping straight, centre of gravity, ect.. definitely heard those before in my riding lessons.
Don't know how I missed this but the horse analogy has been around a long time...
Great video!!
glad you liked it!
Pretty sure you already had it down...
Very informative video.
I've owned several Penny Farthings; Coker, Choice Collective, etc.
How functional is this bike?
Good for as a cruiser or can it be ridden around town and go down curbs?
How functional is this bike? Well, it's all in the name really. Rideable Bicycle Replicas. 46 years in operation has to tell you something about how well they ride and last. As to curbs, when I was more flexible and bounced better I would drop off and go up curbs on my bike, but really that is a skill for an advanced rider and advanced or not, you could very easily go over the bars and or wreck your bike, so in general it's not recommended you do that. And I feel they are great cruisers but that's me. Probably best to ask some of the between 6,000 and 10,000 owners of RBR bikes that are out there in various places.
Does that thing have coaster brakes? How do you stop it? It seems to me that if you were going downhill, those pedals would spin out of control and you would lose control of your bike.
I own a penny farthing and mine does not have breaks. What I do is since there is no chain the wheel is all one piece like unicycle. So you just push it and it moves. If you apply pressure to the pedals in reverse it will keep the bike at a stable speed. However you can’t apply to much pressure otherwise you will go over the handle bars. Steep hills you just have to avoid unless you’re a daredevil. You won’t be able to stop. People will put there legs over the handles bars so that if they go over they’ll break their legs instead of breaking their skull into 5 separate pieces.
I ride one of these to work uphill both ways. Jk. Loved the video.
Could be worse. Could be downhill both ways.
Greg Barron it’s all downhill from here
Hi, can you tell me the size of the big wheeled bike, and how tall you are?
that bike I am standing by is a 52 and I have an inseam of 32" pant leg inseam. Actual inseam crotch to ankle is 29 1/2. Crotch to floor is 33". Always measure both crotch to ankle and crotch to floor when getting inseam measurements and have a friend read the tape while you hold the end of the tape to get a proper measurement.
Greg
You should definitely bring a couple bikes over to the braille youtube channel for the day! They are in your area and it would benefit both of you! Fun for them advertising for you!
Not really sure what that is? Can you email me details to info@hiwheel.com please and I'll look into it.
No mention of braking. There is an obvious direct pedal-to-axle drive, so I assume either no braking ability - or you just lock your feet in place?
For the most part, people have been stopping these bikes with leg power for 149 years. Being that they are fixed gear cycles, muscle power does the job. Direct resistance to the pedals both speeds a bike up and slows it down. Why no brake? 3 reasons. 1st that the term Header is an historically correct term that originated on a hiwheel bike. 2nd, Braking can be done satisfactorily with either muscle as I mentioned or by standing on the step and applying foot pressure to the top of the rear wheel. So, no need to have a brake as the rider is the brake. That said, brakes have been fitted to both the front and rear wheel of hiwheels since the beginning of production. The problem with a brake though is that on the front, they contribute to headers to those that apply the brake too hard or quickly and on the rear, a locked wheel will cause a side skid that will high side you or cause a wreck in other ways. I prefer to rely on myself and the bike. 3rd reason. On original bikes the brake was a mechanical lever action and it tended to rattle something fierce when riding. So, many original bike had them removed so the rider would have a little peace and quiet on the ride.
@@gbarron64 Definitely not for the faint of heart ,-]
one of my life goals is to own and ride one of those bikes
Give me a call, I can help with your life goal pretty easily as it happens.
Hi! Do you have a website?
Great advice.
How do you transport a penny farthing?..Are there bike racks for your car?
Good question. There are a number of ways. Pick up trucks or vans are best but there are a number of other methods of transport. While I don't sell a rack, I have made a bunch for people to fit a receiver hitch by using a piece of angle iron, a trailer hitch and a piece of tubing. Some of the commercially sold trailer hitch racks will work and some folks have even put a large truck inner tube on their roof. Have a look at the customer picture page on my website to see some of the transport methods used by riders.
Greg
What size is the front wheel?
Hello Michael, I am pretty sure the one I am installing the tire on in this video is a 48". That is the size I make the most of.
Welp I'm definitely buying one
Happy to hear that Duke. Give me a call at the shop and I can get you set up. 510-769-0980. M-F 9-6 Pacific time. Usually. Except lunch time. Never at lunch time.
Linda demais!
Where got tirets on this big wheel
I make my tires, should you have questions, please email me at info@hiwheel.com and we can discuss your needs. Greg Barron
Alguien sabe de que Diámetro es el tubo del marco de la bicicleta?
You want to know the frame tube diameter of the bike I make? is that correct? If so, my frame tubes are 1 1/2".
@@gbarron64 correct, i want to make 2 pennyfarthing.
A classic pennyfarthing
A classic pennyfarthing with (cambio de marchas para que la pedalada sea más suave) sorry i dont know how to wrtite these Worl in english.
@@gbarron64 thank u friend
He took almost 12 minutes talking about it when he showed the whole lesson in the last 30 seconds. Man, some people love to hear themselves talk 😆
Well, if you don't know how to ride, see if you can figure it out in 30 seconds without crashing. Otherwise, there is something to learn.
Braking?
Braking is generally done by direct pressure to the pedals to the rear the same way acceleration in done by direct pressure to the front. This is a fixed gear bike so all the power is applied to the pedals by leg pressure.
@@gbarron64 👍☺️
I think i'll get one.
Give me a call and we can talk about your needs. 510-769-0980. Greg Barron
@@gbarron64 in australia i mean. Thanks anyway. I appreciate your swiftness however. If i was in America i definitley would. Sorry Sir.
Lemme know!
Can see here:
th-cam.com/video/3FRuqoTKzl4/w-d-xo.html