Some people still ride them, but it's more of a novelty. Mark Twain learned to ride one and wrote: “Get a bicycle. You will not regret it. If you live.” Penny farthings pretty dangerous for a lot of reasons: 1. read more
When you fall off a penny farthing, you fall from a much higher place, which gives your head (and the rest of you) a whole lot more time to accelerate before it hits the ground. 3.) Impractical and difficult to learn: mounting/dismounting is difficult to learn. read more
The front wheel of this "penny farthing" is a 26" - like a common mountain bike and many hybrid commuters! The seat is a normal hieght - adjustable too. The only odd thing is the tiny rear wheel - and the bars being near your waist. read more
The main sociological difference between the Penny-farthing and today's bicycle frame is the perspective of safety: the rider wants to feel safe or not. In the times of Penny-farthing mastering a difficult to ride horse/vehicle was a major feat, and riders wanted to show of their skills. Riding a more difficult vehicle was a wish by riders. read more