Penny ride interests all

•   Caleb McCallum trying his hand at a Penny Farthing. Image by Kelly Waldeck. 

By Taylor Clyne,
March 02, 2022

The region took a step back in time last week when 15 penny farthing riders toured through the countryside as a part of the Australian Penny Farthing Tour.

The annual event is organised by Dan Bolwell and tackles a different part of Australia each year challenging the riders physically while enjoying a picturesque adventure.

The six-day ride followed the National Penny Farthing Championships held in Evandale and travelled through St Helens, tackling the Weldborough Pass, staying the night in Branxholm before continuing onto Scottsdale, Launceston via Lilydale and back to Evandale.

“The route revolves around how much we want to do each day, with the concept that we want the ride to be a challenge but also very achievable,” Mr Bolwell said.

“We rode about 100km per day which is about as much as you can do with the hills we were navigating.

“We’ve always wanted to do Tassie and the North-East loop was a great ride giving us some downtime to check out the towns and enjoy it.”

The penny farthing bike got its name from its two differently sized wheels, with the front wheel likened to a penny coin and the much smaller rear wheel compared to a farthing (a quarter of a penny).

It was a style of bicycle popular in the 1870s and 1880s. 

The large wheel allowed each turn of the pedals to drive the bicycle a greater distance, and also allowed for a smoother ride over the cobbled streets and uneven roads of the period.

“We aren’t riding these bikes as a novelty; they are like any other bike we just choose to ride a penny – your body is the engine, and you need to be physically capable to ride them.”

Mr Bolwell said riders tend to keep to themselves when travelling through towns as they have little downtime when completing a leg of the tour.

“We’re not there for other people’s entertainment, we are there for our adventure and can't allow our bodies to cool down too much before getting on the road again.”

However, the McCallum family from Springfield were treated to a quick turn during their stop in Scottsdale, travelling their horse and cart in for the occasion. 

“It was nice to share the educational side of things and see the younger kids interested in the history,” Mr Bolwell said.

Bethany McCallum added that it was terrific to link the past with today.

“Having a story of something that is historical and sharing it with the community is brilliant, it fascinating to see how the bicycle has developed,” she said.