WorldWide Drilling Resource

feet on the pedals, and maintaining your balance so you don’t fall over. If the bike does fall over, then you get to start over . . . albeit sorer from the bruises and abrasions you got while body slamming the pavement. I’m thinking the average rider, in the 1880s when these bikes were most com- mon, may not have had to go through all those gymnastics. Most houses and build- ings had carriage blocks so people would have a step between their horse-drawn vehicles and the ground. These would have been a perfect height for climbing on a bike and pushing off. Then again, most of the people riding these bikes were ath- letic young men in their 20s and 30s who would’ve looked at me in contempt for even considering using a stepping stone. Okay, I’m a few decades past my 20s, which is my sole excuse for even thinking of it. If you’re wondering why these bikes had such a big wheel (typically between 55 and 65 inches in diameter), it was to give them more speed. The bigger the wheel, the faster it would go. The penny-farthing did not have a chain - it was direct drive propulsion - which means the pedals were fixed to the wheel. Think about this for a moment. It means as long as the wheel was turning, so were the pedals. When you rode downhill, you had to take your feet off the pedals because they would be going around too fast for your legs to keep up. Back in the day, most riders put their legs on top of the handlebars while going downhill. Why? Because if they hit a bump and were thrown over the handlebars, they would land on their feet instead of their heads. Oh, one more thing, most of these bikes did NOT have brakes. NO BRAKES? It leads me to one conclusion: These bikes were designed to be ridden in cities with flat roads and no hills. This pretty much eliminates my hometown of Atlanta, which of major U.S. cities is second in elevation behind Denver, which means there are no flat roads to ride on. Here in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, the only way we can get a flat surface to bike on is to pave over an old railroad bed. Despite all I learned, I still want to ride a penny-farthing. I just want to do it where the roads are flat, traffic is light, and before I have to worry about break- ing a hip. So . . . what’s on your bucket list? Robert Robert is an author, humorist, and innovation consultant. He works with companies that want to be more competitive and with people who want to think like innovators. For more information on Robert, visit www.jumpstartyourmeeting.com or contact him via e-mail to michele@ worldwidedrillingresource.com Wilson cont’d from page 12. Quality 1” plastic cycle valves! For more info call: (800) 364-2124 or visit us online: www.barrettpumpstop.com In-well couplings are available for this valve. Proudly made in the USA Sales rep territories available. 30 JUNE 2017 WorldWide Drilling Resource ®