Why did old bikes have large front wheels?

Bike manufactures, such as Eugene Meyer of France, had the insight that making the front wheel bigger would increase the top speed. Later James Starley, UK, added a mounting step to facilitate using a bicycle with such a large front wheel. read more

Penny-farthing bicycles (or high wheelers), like the one in the image, were very fashionable in countries such as UK and USA from the mid-1870s, for just under 20 years. read more

The penny-farthing, also known as a high wheel, high wheeler and ordinary, was the first machine to be called a "bicycle". It was popular in the 1870s and 1880s, with its large front wheel providing high speeds (large distance for every rotation of the legs) and comfort (shock absorption through the wheel). read more