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Membership

Penny Farthing Bikes Tours in London, Brighton & Bath

Anyone is welcome to join the Penny Farthing Club, male or female, providing you are over 18, you are 5ft 4 inches (163 cm) or taller, weigh less than 110 kg (240 Lbs) and you are in good physical shape.

Prospective Club members are required to attend a three hour training course which can be booked online direct through Airbnb Experiences London, Brighton and Bath, called the Penny Farthing Bike Tour. Alternatively, please contact the Club Secretary who will assist you with your enquiries: neil@pennyfarthingclub.com

On completion of your training course, you will be capable and confident of riding a Penny Farthing bicycle safely on public roads. The training fee and tour of London ride costs £125. The cost of a Penny Farthing Bike Tour includes life membership of the Penny Farthing Club

Bicycles

Velocipede (/vəˈlɒsəpiːd/; Latin for “fast foot”) is a human-powered land vehicle with one or more wheels. The most common type of velocipede today is the bicycle.

During the 1870s advances in metallurgy led to the development of the first all-metal velocipedes.

The pedals were still attached directly to the front wheel, which became larger and larger as makers realised that the larger the wheel, the faster and farther you could travel with one rotation of the pedals. Solid rubber tires and the long spokes of the large front wheel provided a much smoother ride than its predecessor, the Boneshaker.

This type of velocipede was the first to be called a bicycle (“two wheel”) and its shape led to the nickname Penny Farthing in the UK. They enjoyed great popularity in the 1880’s, at least by those that could afford them.

Although the trend was short-lived, the Penny Farthing became a symbol of the late Victorian era. Its popularity also coincided with the birth of cycling as a sport.

Fancy a ride?

Learning to ride a penny farthing bicycle

Penny Farthing Club officials run three hour training course and city bike tours in London, Brighton and Bath. Prospective members and complete novices wanting to learn to ride a Penny Farthing bicycle safely on busy public roads can enrol onto one of our Airbnb Experiences called Penny Farthing Bike Tours. On completion of a PFBT, automatic membership is bestowed on the successful rider. Check out the Joolz Guides video to get a flavour of a Penny Farthing Bike Tour. It’s a lot of fun.

Club Events

When you become a member of the Penny Farthing Club, you will be eligible and encouraged to participate in the Club’s exciting events and activities. These include social rides, charity events, Victorian costume rides, paid corporate engagements, road / track racing and our unique speciality – international Penny Farthing Polo. We have teams from England, Scotland, Wales and Rest of the World. There is no annual membership fee but Members are encouraged to make a small financial contribution when participating in Club events and are encouraged to keep their riding skills up to date by joining the Penny Farthing Bike Tours (when there are spare places available).

The Club Secretary operates a PFC WhatsApp Group to advice Members of all the latest news, events and gossip.

Corporate events

We welcome opportunities to work with commercial organisations and we can make the club’s penny farthing bikes available with experienced instructors for special events, team-building rides, films, videos or PR opportunities.

Please contact the Club Secretary for availability and costs.