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Penny Farthing LEJOG record attempt and Balerno LEJOG

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  1. gembo
    Member

    Chap called Richard Thoday will be on The Whang early morning tues 23rd July. Coming through Kirknewton 7.30a.m. (Tho there is a road closure at east Calder/camps that might affect his route)

    Record set in 1880s at over 5 days.

    No drafting as Guinness BOR will not allow this so we are asked to wave from road side etc

    In more local news 3 of the Fietsclub Balerno massive are starting their charity LEJOG today. No records will be broken as the route seems to deliberately seek out hills e.g. in Wales.

    Aspergillosis which is a lung disease is the chosen charity and also helping some Balerno pupils fund raise for their Tanzania charity work.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  2. sallyhinch
    Member

    I can't imagine you'd get much drafting advantage from a regular bike on a penny farthing!

    Posted 5 years ago #

  3. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    End to end on a penny farthing in five days? How much arsenic and cognac is the person to consume?

    Posted 5 years ago #

  4. gembo
    Member

    @sallyhinch, agreed, but u cannot argue with Guinness.

    @IWRATS, people are capable of anything Mr Gittes

    Posted 5 years ago #

  5. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    My highest gear is 9m per turn of the crank and the lowest about 1.4m. A penny farthing is about 4m. Less ridiculous gear to be stuck in than I thought but there's no way across the Grampians that isn't going to hurt.

    They're not going on the A9 cycle path are they?

    Posted 5 years ago #

  6. gembo
    Member

    Only looked at their route through this vicinity.

    What tyres do you get on a Penny Farthing??

    Posted 5 years ago #

  7. Rosie
    Member

    I was sent a timetable:-

    SE of Harburn 6:56 A80
    Kirknewton 7:29 B7031/Main St
    Wilkieston 7:40 A71
    Newbridge 7:57 B7030
    Kirkliston 8:07 B800/High Street
    South Queensferry 8:19 B800/Forth Bridge
    Inverkeithing 8:38 B981/Hope Street
    Crossgates 9:00 B981/A909

    @gembo - they're solid, aren't they? Someone brought one to a PoP.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  8. gembo
    Member

    A9 https://pennyfarthingendtoend.org.uk/

    Posted 5 years ago #

  9. Rosie
    Member

    Website here:-
    https://pennyfarthingendtoend.org.uk/

    Posted 5 years ago #

  10. gembo
    Member

    Hi Rosie, from the link we both posted hard to tell. Looks red. Vibrations wear out bottlecage. I remember years back there was a post about another fella attempting to break the LEJOGLE or some such and people (not us) dissed him for lack of prep or poor route but he was one of the endurance squad. Not Steve Abraham but similar.

    Richard is apparently going from Carnwath to North Kessock in a day - 200 miles on a penny farthing. Which is mind boggling. His other sections are also 175-200 miles

    Posted 5 years ago #

  11. gembo
    Member

    Yeah looks like they are solid.

    You might want to read about the original record holder GP MIlls. Five weeks after the penny farthing record he did it again on a tricycle. Subsequently on various other bikes he whittled the record down.

    He then went to France and won Paris Bordeaux on safety bicycle. Had a bit of bother with dogs chasing him. Though he was in the Bedfordshire’s and was a crack shot. He then received the DSO at Ypres/Arras and after WW1 when Raleigh went into motorcycles he then went into LEJOG records on a motorbike.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  12. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    A9 Dunkeld, Pitlochry, Kingussie, Aviemore, Inverness, North Kessock

    I hope he knows what that means. Riding on the carriageway will carry a non-trivial risk of death. Riding on the cycle path will be non-trivial from a bike-handling point of view (I imagine, never having ridden a pF on loose gravel....).

    Posted 5 years ago #

  13. steveo
    Member

    Does he have a support vehicle? They could be planning to drive behind him as a bit of a buffer.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  14. gembo
    Member

    I do hope so

    Posted 5 years ago #

  15. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    I hope so too.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  16. gembo
    Member

    The record holder GP Mills did his Lejogs with his pals from the Anfield Club. He just had horses and carriages to look out for tho the roads may have had more potholes?

    Posted 5 years ago #

  17. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    In 1886 the Drumochter road would have been Telford's upgrade of Wade's 1730 original. The 1896 OS map still has the pass as an unsealed road.

    So GP Mills' record cannot really be beaten.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  18. gembo
    Member

    Yes, the official record as recorded by Road Records Association will always be GP’s. Penny Farthing Records closed when bsafeties eclipsed them. The Guinness BOR is a different thing?

    Posted 5 years ago #

  19. Rosie
    Member

    I understand that PFs are not uncomfortable to ride, that the large wheel absorbs the shock.

    Although PFs look absurd to us now, when safety bicycles first came out they looked ungainly and unsymmetrical in comparison, with a lump of chain on one side. PFs have the elegant simplicity of pure functionality. You can see exactly how they work with the pedals on the hub.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  20. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    @Rosie

    The saddle sits on a leaf spring above the spine on an ordinary Pf. Suspect racing ones would forgo such comfort.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  21. Rosie
    Member

    Bumping this. He's making good time and is ahead of schedule. Has a brisk wind behind him of course.
    https://www.facebook.com/pennyfarthingendtoend/?__xts__0=68.ARABZr0n7Mp6ehJ1AScvT7O2cr8hwecXPDkCoG18ivJqkstqD7cGzGmHtAPJoefrpzWamoyJQj0lqQnoiRAr0wUn35GPDeBcZFnJUIfXfMLbFUYy9JSLW3nSShyCHJTk9NKjJhIu23YFpJwxHTHO1n30GVXGdCaH_GqgLA7QBMtYVeKwAMcuMxXEh5VUVHV0QwVm6Iy1T4Jm2t2Y--5geqQajloIlPsCy2b-GfTSdGytDc88u5ibvlHIVzWdlz-rR1-Vgv39pfSiVl2-Gle-5g59-uItZK7v0c0NJCSTKyquH2Dl5rpxfbtALf_hIFXIVkRfu8skuu_YE-kaWKlKQcJ8beA&__tn__=kHH-R

    Posted 5 years ago #

  22. gembo
    Member

    Amazing, sill going up A9?

    Posted 5 years ago #

  23. DaveC
    Member

    I plan to await him on the south side of the frb tomorrow from 8am!

    Posted 5 years ago #

  24. Rosie
    Member

    Message on Facebook a couple of minutes ago:-

    "Just passed him on the A9 near Luncarty turnoff 11.20. Looking good!"

    Posted 5 years ago #

  25. 14Westfield
    Member

    I saw this champ crossing the Forth Road bridge at 8am this morning.

    The bike itself was massive and would definitely give me a fear of heights/wobbles.

    He didn’t appear to have much kit so must have support following.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  26. gembo
    Member

    Yes there is a support van

    Posted 5 years ago #

  27. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    Saw this dude just north of Drumochter on the actual A9. Cheery blast on the ship's horn.

    No support vehicle in evidence. Terrifying, but noble endeavour.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  28. minus six
    Member

    @14Westfield

    i too saw the boy crossing FRB northbound this morning

    just after 8am, aye

    it was a very sleek and modern penny farthing

    how did he get a slick race tyre that XXXXXL size

    custom red/orange trim matching the XXXXS front tyre

    absolute scenes, man

    Posted 5 years ago #

  29. DaveC
    Member

    I saw him riding into Inverkeithing, gave him a cheer, a wave and took a few photies!

    Posted 5 years ago #

  30. gembo
    Member

    He must be there now?

    Saying 54.5 million jelly babies to line the route from Lands End to John O Groats

    Last post Dornoch but he fairly motors along

    Posted 5 years ago #

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