Not to take anything away from the new record holder's accomplishment, but I can't help wondering if the contemporary record and the historical one are really comparable. I mean, a 19-year-old kid, on his own, unsupported, on period equipment...what were the roads like in those days? They both did amazing rides, of course, but very different rides as well.
don't worry, you're not taking anything away from this ride. As you say, in a way the two rides are incomparable, the list of differences is huge, both positives and negatives for both situations. G P Mills was a 19 year old but back then a 19 year old was no kid. He was also not unsupported but looked after by cycling clubs the length of the country and had pace riders with him for him to draft and look after him. I would love to know what the roads were like in those days, I have an idea but to experience it would be a real eye opener. Penny farthings are of course the original gravel bike and cope quite well with gravel but potholes and ruts which must have plagued rural roads can be deadly to a penny.
What a wonderful achievement, kudos to you and to your support crew. And how wonderful to see how cheerful you looked, day after day - even when I'm sure the struggle was hard! I know precious little re boneshakers, so here are a few questions, for you or any kind soul who'd care to reply: - There's no gearing on your bike, correct? No swapping of wheels at the bottom and top of a climb? How did you cope with the diverse terrain, is there a reliable happy medium in wheel size for speed on the flat, and climbing ability on the hills, or is it always the wrong development? - What's the manufacturer of the penny-farthing that you ride? Such a pretty combination of traditional design, and modern features. Thanks for the video, thanks for your cheerful outlook on life, and for sharing it so well with us all.
Even by your standards, Richard, truly impressive. An honour ever to have ridden (very gently recreational-only on fixed was enough for me!) with you. Respect.
@@richardthoday4431 Mutual! Strangely (and probably unfairly) I am still alive! And even riding - 400 miles per month most months - if ever more slowly! Take care.
Hi Mr Thoday its Calvin here i like to congratulate you well done for breaking the world record and you deserve chocolate and wine after all that hardwork you put into
@@chrisheynes4525 HI SIR!! have not seen you in 2 years how are you doing and thanks for the reply, Upper site staff have still not forgotten you, Mr Fox is still at Highfields, Mr Pearson is still at Highfields We have a new ta in school Miss Mcintosh, Im still doing impressions of you everyday and i cant stop laughing because you brightened my day up "Lets go to pub and eat chips i cant stand this godforsaken ground" Calvin :)
Piano Master 16 Calvin Old Bean , Lovely to hear from you! Now apologize for wasting my time and the school’s time, get yourself into the car park and start washing Mr Thoday’s motorbike instead! 😉
Excellent Richard, im very confident on mine, but no where near what you can do, i cycle everywhere around my village, always end up at my local, great fun, so many people talk to you about it, infact it gets more attention than my classic car Regards Matt
Greetings from Colorado, from my channel to yours. This was such a great short film it was done so well. It deserves more views! How do you ride with that large saddle? Is that uncomfortable? Ride on...
i quite liked that saddle but have since found something much more comfortable and it needs to be comfortable as you cant stand on a penny, its seated all the way
Great film & effort. You would have had better roads than G.P Mills but he would have been using Drugs like cocaine to get him though it wasn't unusual then.G.P.Mills was a great cyclist & is buried in a churchyard in shirley near croydon.
by the way, I didn't use an original machine as Guinness rules stated it had to be a currently available machine. also I don't ride with a top hat as penny farthing club riders back in the day wouldn't either
Inspiring! I have a novel, out in October, called Fatigue Limit. Deals with end of the high-wheeler in 1889. Chapter 1 available on my website: Ray Hosler. Contact me if you want an advanced copy.
Congrats Richard! Superb effort and superb film!
Hey Ed. thanks for that. not quite on your scale but epic enough for me
thanks for sharing this nice adventure with us !!!!!!!
That guy back then must've been pretty bad ass doing it alone :>
Excellent!
Not to take anything away from the new record holder's accomplishment, but I can't help wondering if the contemporary record and the historical one are really comparable. I mean, a 19-year-old kid, on his own, unsupported, on period equipment...what were the roads like in those days? They both did amazing rides, of course, but very different rides as well.
don't worry, you're not taking anything away from this ride. As you say, in a way the two rides are incomparable, the list of differences is huge, both positives and negatives for both situations. G P Mills was a 19 year old but back then a 19 year old was no kid. He was also not unsupported but looked after by cycling clubs the length of the country and had pace riders with him for him to draft and look after him. I would love to know what the roads were like in those days, I have an idea but to experience it would be a real eye opener. Penny farthings are of course the original gravel bike and cope quite well with gravel but potholes and ruts which must have plagued rural roads can be deadly to a penny.
Chapeau!
What an epic journey! He's in the history books now folks! I wish him all the best!
LOVED that, loved the adventure. Great to work with you all, even better to see the results of your work.
❤️
Phenomenal achievement.. incredibly inspiring, and what a lovely team. People like this make the world a better place!
I'm a long distance cyclist and a new penny farthing rider and this is amazing
How much practice does it take to learn the mounting / starting off bit (?)
@@percivalhowell7516 about 20min, if someone teaches you. It's pretty simple but it's a confidence thing
@TheEndless1986 Thx. That's not too bad - Cheers !
This is an awesome achievement. As a new penny farthing rider I can't imagine how hard this must have been. Total respect.
Where can I get a penny farthing I’ve been trying to find one so bad
An internet search for the term 'penny farthing bicycle' would probably yield results.
Superb - brought a tear to my eye too!
The 19 Yr old who did it in 5 days didn't have the roads of today. A lot of his effort would have been on rough tracks.
yep, an unimaginable ride by our standards. We are a bunch of softies now. The differences dont stop there, it was a very different world
Congratulations Richard it was an honor to finish the 300km Ride to Skeggy with you in the same time. So pleased you broke the record too :-)
What a wonderful achievement, kudos to you and to your support crew. And how wonderful to see how cheerful you looked, day after day - even when I'm sure the struggle was hard!
I know precious little re boneshakers, so here are a few questions, for you or any kind soul who'd care to reply:
- There's no gearing on your bike, correct? No swapping of wheels at the bottom and top of a climb? How did you cope with the diverse terrain, is there a reliable happy medium in wheel size for speed on the flat, and climbing ability on the hills, or is it always the wrong development?
- What's the manufacturer of the penny-farthing that you ride? Such a pretty combination of traditional design, and modern features.
Thanks for the video, thanks for your cheerful outlook on life, and for sharing it so well with us all.
Game face on for the duration Domanique. Yes it was super tough but didn't want to let on and worry the crew :)
Well done. Imagine doing that without technology or any kind of support.
Even by your standards, Richard, truly impressive. An honour ever to have ridden (very gently recreational-only on fixed was enough for me!) with you. Respect.
Hey David, thanks for that. Nice to hear from you.
@@richardthoday4431 Mutual! Strangely (and probably unfairly) I am still alive! And even riding - 400 miles per month most months - if ever more slowly! Take care.
bloody legend
Top man Richard, your,e a legend, 100% total respect from another penny farthing rider, no way could i do that, Well Done
Thanks Matt, I wasn’t sure I could do it either. Over a year on it now seems totally impossible, riding to the pub is far enough 😊
Wow. Words fail me. So impressed.
Hi Mr Thoday its Calvin here i like to congratulate you well done for breaking the world record and you deserve chocolate and wine after all that hardwork you put into
Piano Master 16
Well said Calvin! Mr Heynes ; )
@@chrisheynes4525 HI SIR!! have not seen you in 2 years how are you doing and thanks for the reply, Upper site staff have still not forgotten you, Mr Fox is still at Highfields, Mr Pearson is still at Highfields We have a new ta in school Miss Mcintosh, Im still doing impressions of you everyday and i cant stop laughing because you brightened my day up "Lets go to pub and eat chips i cant stand this godforsaken ground" Calvin :)
Piano Master 16 Calvin Old Bean , Lovely to hear from you! Now apologize for wasting my time and the school’s time, get yourself into the car park and start washing Mr Thoday’s motorbike instead! 😉
What a truly remarkable man, well done sir
Excellent Richard, im very confident on mine, but no where near what you can do, i cycle everywhere around my village, always end up at my local, great fun, so many people talk to you about it, infact it gets more attention than my classic car Regards Matt
Wow. Congrats on such a unique achievement and for raising money for a good cause!
A big congratulations to Mr Thoday for riding many days on his saddle and providing lots of equipment for his intrepid journey
Thank you piano master, much appreciated comments. Enjoy that new piano tomorrow :)
Greetings from Colorado, from my channel to yours. This was such a great short film it was done so well. It deserves more views! How do you ride with that large saddle? Is that uncomfortable? Ride on...
Large saddle? dunno, it just suits me fine for that sort of riding. Its a well used Brooks B17 saddle that fits me really well now
i quite liked that saddle but have since found something much more comfortable and it needs to be comfortable as you cant stand on a penny, its seated all the way
Thank you for sharing your adventure.🏆 66 year old penny farthing Rider. From Staten Island New York New York. And other exotic bikes.🏆
Well done, Richard. Hero Status archived!
Wow, thanks Rupert
Great film & effort. You would have had better roads than G.P Mills but he would have been using Drugs like cocaine to get him though it wasn't unusual then.G.P.Mills was a great cyclist & is buried in a churchyard in shirley near croydon.
And maybe opium tincture to help the aches n pain. That was popular then -
Thanks Mark, I keep thinking that I should visit him sometime. Dont suppose you know which church yard do you?
is it a 52 " ?
yes, 52" Johnny
Amazing story - the most I have done on a penny is 42km (26 miles) in one day :)
Not bad -
26 miles is a good ride, its all about enjoying the big wheel after all. When I first rode I couldnt imagine riding on the open road
I am going to Beat it But on an original bike and original outfit and Tophat
awesome, is this still a plan Robin? Sorry, only just read this. If you want support crew or advice then please get in touch with me
by the way, I didn't use an original machine as Guinness rules stated it had to be a currently available machine. also I don't ride with a top hat as penny farthing club riders back in the day wouldn't either
hows it going?
Inspiring! I have a novel, out in October, called Fatigue Limit. Deals with end of the high-wheeler in 1889. Chapter 1 available on my website: Ray Hosler. Contact me if you want an advanced copy.
Hello Ray, did you get the book out there?
Yes, it’s on Amazon.