We Finally Tested a Penny Farthing on the Mach2 Bike Rack
In early May, QuikrStuff headed to Northwestern Colorado to participate in the annual “Where the Hell’s Maybell?” 30-mile ride from Craig to Maybell. This year marked the event’s 40th anniversary — impressive for a region better known–back then–for ranching, coal mining, and big game hunting than cycling culture.
A couple of us from QuikrStuff, along with friends we were camping with for the weekend, took on the 30-mile ride down Highway 40. The morning started at a brisk 28 degrees, so everyone was bundled up, but the ride was classic western Colorado: wide open spaces, rolling hills, and plenty of wildlife.
Once we arrived in the tiny town of Maybell (population: fewer than 50), we were greeted with a hearty breakfast served by Young Life students from surrounding towns, lively DJ music, and more people than the town has probably seen since last year’s ride.
But the most memorable sight of the day was Tim and his Penny Farthing bicycle.
Yes — he rode the entire 30 miles on it.
Naturally, we had to check out whether a Penny Farthing would fit on the Quik Rack Mach2.
The tiny rear wheel fit securely beneath the tire capture arm, but the giant front wheel was a little precarious. Tim actually built his own bike rack for transporting the Penny Farthing and had some great suggestions for adapting the Mach2 design.
That said, we probably won’t be developing a dedicated Penny Farthing model anytime soon. The market might be a little too niche.
While we had Tim with us, we asked him to share a few fun facts about the Penny Farthing and demonstrate how you actually mount and ride one of these towering bicycles.
Penny Farthing Fun Facts
- The Penny Farthing was the first machine to be called a bicycle. Popular in the 1870s and 1880s, its nickname came from the British penny and farthing coins, which resembled the bike’s differently sized wheels.
- Because there were no chains or gears, the pedals were attached directly to the front axle. A massive front wheel allowed riders to travel farther and faster with each rotation.
- Penny Farthings had solid rubber tires with no inner tubes, meaning riders never had to worry about flat tires.
One Final Fun Fact
About a year ago, a QuikrStuff customer emailed asking whether anyone had ever loaded a Penny Farthing onto the Mach2 bike rack. At the time, we hadn’t; but Randee, our Queen of Customer Service, set out to find one and test it.
The two Penny Farthings she knew of in the Grand Valley weren’t available, and the project temporarily stalled. But after meeting Tim in Maybell, she dug up the old email and finally got back to the customer.
“It was fun to email Charles back and let him know I hadn’t forgotten,” Randee said. “Even though we couldn’t tell him the Penny Farthing works perfectly on the Mach2, it felt good to finally close the loop on this particular customer service inquiry.”
