High Wheel Adventure Comes to Carson City
Submitted by Carson Now Reader on Wed, 08/17/2016 - 2:19pm
A father and daughter team are riding their penny farthing bicycles, also known as “high-wheels” or “ordinaries” across the country. Randy and Amy Oleynik passed through Carson City on Wednesday while re-creating the historic ride of Thomas Stephens, the first person to ride a bicycle across North America in 1884, also done on a penny farthing.
The pair of cyclists dipped their rear wheels in the Pacific Ocean 5 days ago in San Francisco to begin the adventure of a lifetime. If all goes as planned, they will dip their front wheels in the Atlantic Ocean when they reach Boston in October.
Randy and Amy were gracious enough to take a break from their ride and answer some questions about their amazing journey. Randy was quick to point out that the penny farthings they were riding were original high-wheels (his an 1888 model, and Amy's from 1886).
The solid rubber tires and leather seats were new, but the frame, handlebars and other components (including the "spoon" brake) were all original. High-wheels are considered "fixes," which means they don't coast. If the bicycle is moving, the pedals are rotating. When relating the difficulties this aspect of the bicycle presents while in a steep descent, Randy said, "You either try to back pedal or you just take your feet off the pedals altogether." According to Amy's blog, there is another alternative to braking.
That is standing up on the rear foot rest, and jamming one foot against the large front wheel in an attempt to slow the bike. Obviously, these penny farthings lack some of the modern features that many cyclists now take for granted (namely brakes).
Randy, a pharmacist from Michigan, and Amy, a UC Davis employee, have both arranged for time off from their day jobs in order to make this dream of theirs a reality. If successful, Amy will be only the second female in history to ever ride a penny farthing all the way across the country.
The pair are being supported by Amy's mother, who is following the cyclists in her vehicle and providing, food, drinks, and other necessities along the route.
But Randy and Amy lose their support vehicle when they reach Salt Lake City, Utah. From there, they will be on their own, dividing their camping equipment, food, and water between backpacks and old-fashioned leather saddle bags attached to their high-wheels.
Randy mentioned that maneuvering a high-wheel while wearing a backpack is a challenge. But the pair of intrepid adventurers seemed more than willing to tackle whatever obstacles face them in order to reach their goal.
You can follow the father-daughter duo on Amy's blog: bikeroute.com/highwheel or on Facebook at: facebook.com/amyandrandyride
