Faith Macale
Imagine walking down the street and you see a man riding a late 1800s style bike. That’s exactly what some people will experience in Victoria this month with the Great Vic Bike Ride.
Bacchus Marsh local, Dan Bolwell, also known as Penny Farthing Dan is joining the 40th anniversary of the riding event.
Penny Farthing, characterised by its big front wheels, has been Mr Bolwell’s passion, building and manufacturing the unique pieces over the last 12 years, and exporting them to 25 countries.
“I started building them about 20 to 25 years ago, and that was initially for myself because I wanted a bike that was really good to ride something that is comfortable, durable, strong, and handled well,” Mr Bolwell said.
“I wanted something of a high level of quality, so I started building them.”
Mr Bolwell said the bike’s design gives it a very different riding experience compared to modern bikes.
“Essentially, what we have is the first vehicle to ever be called the bicycle is the penny farthing, and actually, the name The Penny Farthing came about much later, and originally they were just ordinary bicycle,” he said.
“The biggest thing is we’re direct drive. The front wheel drive and the handlebars are attached to the front fork, and we’re sort of integrated with the bike.
“There’s just no interference between the bike and the road and our propulsion, so it’s direct drive, no free wheel. It’s just you and a big wheel.”
From Saturday, November 23, Mr Bolwell and five of his friends are going on a nine day journey in their penny farthing around Victoria, starting in Wodonga.
“That’s an amazing event, and that’s something I’ve always wanted to do,” he said.
“This year, we had a chance, a few of us to do it, so we’re getting organised to do a bit of training and whatnot to get ready for it.”
If you see the penny farthing riders on the road, Mr Bolwell said to make sure that you give them a smile and wave, and say hello.
